In this study we want to approach a question that has balled many evangelic and maybe souls of good intentions on the subject of salvation. Is there law that still exists for the Christians? What are they? Weren’t the laws abolished? Is the law of God and the Law of Moses the same thing? These and other questions will be answer in this work in order to put an end to the argument which takes place between Christians and evangelic. On one side, some preaching the “Law”  and on the other side many who want to revoke it.

What is Law?
It is the rule of right, given by authority and made obligatory to maintain the order and development in a community. Norm or set of norm elaborated to be in force in a community, society, people or nation. Domination, power, command. Norm, precept, principle, rules. They can have a determined or undetermined length of time. Another law which is enforcing by an inferior hierarchic power cannot be super imposing over them.

For example: A Law which is enforces by the state government or the municipal government cannot be superimposing over a federal Law (of the federal government). The first prevails over the others, and cannot be revoking by who hasn’t been given the hierarchic level of power equal or superior than its legislator or who promulgated it.

Men customarily admit as laws, things that they have practice for a determined length time, and which for this reason become habits. They obey when they want to. And if they are accept by the majority or by a community their practices are incorporate without complaints from anyone.

In the legislation elaborated by God for the people of Israel after their exit from Egypt and as they went wrongly the desert towards the promise Land (Canaan) we can see very clearly two sets of Laws. The first set was firstly given and given initially, and given afterwards in tables of stone through Moses and underlay called by some the Mosaic Law. The second set of law while given by God, and constant from the pact that He made with Israel, had ordinary and transitory laws and also had the mediation of angels haring been written in a book by Moses and called by God himself the “Laws of Moses”. Malachi 4:4.

Impiety of this the transitory laws was only considered with no effect when the legislator himself judged them as being necessary, and with the change of the priesthood through which Jesus, the legislator himself was made High Priest according to the order of Melquizedeque. They served as Aio for an immature Israel and made nothing perfect.

Exist passages bible which makes us understand that the first set of laws continued in vigorous even after the change of the priest hood, while a part of the second set of laws didn’t. It is necessary to know that albeit spite of the fact that the laws of God had been given firstly, the first pact with the people was made, and taken as the base of the laws which were transmitted by Moses, and which consisted of decrees, judgment, and ordinances.

Of what laws dos the scriptures speaks to us? Many. And sometimes speaks generically of law referring to more than one. This is the case of the epistle of Paul the romans, in the seventh chapter which deals with more than one law referring at one time of the Law of Moses and one time of the Law of God.

The Scripture speaks this way:
Of God’s Law: The Law of your God is in your heart. Psalms 37:31, first part.

Of the Lord’s Law: The Lord’s Law is perfect and soothes the spirit. Psalms 19:7. And the Lord’s say: Because they have left my Law that I published before their face, and didn’t hear my voice, and didn’t even walk with them. Jeremiah 9:13. Because rebellions people is this, lie sons, sons that doesn’t want to hear the laws of the Lord. Isaiah 30:9. Listen to me, you who know righteousness. A people in whose heart is mine low. Do not fear reproach of man, neither be dismayed at their veiling’s. Isaiah. 51:7.

Of the Law of Moses: Remember the Law of Moses my servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in horeb for all Israel. Malachi 4:4. (…). Because of this, the cause, the judgment which is written in the Law of Moses servant of God, has been powered on us because we have Sinn against Him (God). Daniel 9:11, second part.

Of the Law of the Jews: The Jesus answered him: We have a law and by that he ought to die because he made Himself out to be the son of God. Jhon 19:7. Pilate therefore said to them: Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. Jhon 18:31. Part one; and Deuteronomy 26:13 and 27:1-10.

Of the Law of sin and death that is put against the law of understanding: But I see a different law in the member of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my member. Rm. 7:23 and 25. Free me from law of sin and death. Romans. 8:2 last part.

Of the law of the spirit of Life: Because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had freed me from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2.
In the time that people of Israel had the book of laws which was written and given to Moses, and which was kept in the temple, by which the priests and levities did ministries the sacrifices and executed the judgments. Those are the laws of which the Lord speaks by Malachi: Remember the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in horeb, which is statutes and judgments. Malachi. 4:4.

In spite of the book of law also contain the laws of the Ten Commandments, which was write initially by Moses when God spoke with the people from the clouds, the tablets of stone which contained the law given by God to Moses was kept in the Ark, while the book was place next to the Ark. The stone meaning eternity while the book meaning transitorily. One eternal, the other transitory or temporal. All this we conclude from many passage of the Bible that deals with the subject. Is what is consisted in the questionnaires.

In many passages of the Bible a language figure is used which the Portuguese Language grammar calls “metonymy”, which means take all by part or a part by all, to designate however the old scripture and why not all the laws. Or still yet, the laws of the Ten Commandments. In this way, many passages of the bible that mention the low does it however referring to the bible, the low of God and the low of ordinances.

Some, wanting to scope from observing a commandment, search for elusive artifice saying: the Old Testament was abolished or this law was for the Jews, or Christ abolished the law, or I don’t compel me to keeps this law. This is partly true, never the less, we need to know to what each one of them refers to when they speak this way. To that we may not run in vain. Because the letter kills bus the spirit enlivens.

Exist certain confusion between law and pact. There are some that thinks that because the two sets of laws belongs to the made by God with the people of Israel he had also cancel his law when he cancel the pact that Israel had broken. Those laws that was written in a book are now in our hearts are retransmitted to us through a book, the Scripture, which contains the word of God, that is Spirit and life, and which we remember by the Holy Spirit that would come for us to remember all things.

The word of God has to be our hearts and minds. In the mind to remember, in the heart to believe and obey. When the word of God is taken away from the earth and the book becomes white, those who doesn’t have the words of God in their mind and heart will not understand why things are happening and will run from one side to the other behind it and will not find it.

Oli Prestes
Missionário