((The
Atonement excerpt continued…))
The system
(not the law) under which the people of God lived in the past dispensation was
complex; its elements were moral, civil, and ceremonial.
The moral
was the basis of all, existing prior to, and independent of, the others, and
was from the beginning the standard of duty to God and to our
fellow-men.(Footnote 2)
The civil
enforced the moral, especially in men’s relations to their fellowmen, making
application of its principles to everyday life.
The
ceremonial expiated the violations of the moral, and had especial reference to
their relations to God. But both the ceremonial and civil were merely typical,
looking forward to the priesthood of Christ and to his kingdom; and therefore
illustrated the true relation we sustain under Christ to the law of God, the
moral rule, in this and the future dispensation.
This
distinction of the two laws, moral and ceremonial, is shown in the following
scriptures:—
Jer. 6:19,
20. “Hear, O earth; behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit
of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law
but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the
sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor
your sacrifices sweet unto me.” Here one was kept and the other rejected; but
the observance of the ceremonial was not acceptable when the moral was
disregarded.
That this
was illustrative of our position in this age is proved by Matt. 7:21-23, and
John 7:16, 17, where the
Mat
7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven.
Mat
7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works?
Mat
7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.
Joh
7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that
sent me.
Joh
7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether
it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
The
Atonement - 48
Footnote-
2. “The decalogue having been spoken by the voice, and twice written upon the
stone tables by the finger of God, may be considered as the foundation of the
whole system.”–J.Q.Adams.
Alexander
Campbell, speaking of these commandments, called them “God’s Ten Words, which
not only in the Old Testament, but in all revelation, are most emphatically
regarded as the synopsis of all religion and morality.”–Debate with Purcell, p.
214.
That this
was illustrative of our position in this age is proved by Matt. 7:21-23, and
John 7:16, 17, where the efficacy of faith in the Son, and of the knowledge of
his doctrine, is dependent on obedience to the will or law of the Father. Jer.
7:22, 23. “For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day
that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or
sacrifices. But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice.”
We have
seen that to obey his voice was to keep his covenant, the ten commandments; and
this shows that when God gave his law, which himself declared to be the rule of
holiness, the ceremonial law of burnt offerings and sacrifices was not
included. He spoke only the ten commandments, and wrote only this law on the
tables of stone; this alone was put into the ark over which the priest made
atonement for sin. No other law had such honor bestowed upon it.
The
Saviour himself explicitly declares that he came not to destroy the law; yet we
know he did set aside the ceremonial law, by introducing its antitype. The same
is proved by Paul in his letters to the Ephesians and Romans. In one, he speaks
of a law which Christ abolished (Gr. atargeo)
, Eph.2:15, and in the other, he speaks of a law which is not made void
(Gr. katargeo), by faith, but rather established. Rom. 3:31.
Eph
2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new
man, so making peace
Rom
3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we
establish the law.
It has
been noticed in another place that it is not consistent with justice to relax
the claims of a just law, neither can the acts of abolishing the law and
pardoning the transgressor be united. Hence, if the law of God had been
abolished by the gospel, justice would be trampled under foot. But the Bible is
not thus inconsistent with reason. God is infinitely just, and his law must be
satisfied; Christ, a voluntary substitute, is set forth as our Saviour, that
God might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. Rom. 3:26.
Rom
3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be
just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Though
many other scriptures might be given to the same intent, those quoted are
sufficient to show that the Bible truly harmonizes with the great principles of
Government examined in the light of reason. As objections are stronger with
some persons than even positive proof,
it will not be amiss to notice a
few objections urged against the
- 49 - J.
H. Waggoner
perpetuity
of the law of God, by those who would make it void through faith, and pervert
the gospel to a system of license.
(To be
continued)
(Excerpt
from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:
THE
ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE
(1884)
BY ELDER J. H. WAGGONER
No comments:
Post a Comment