SUBJECT:  Being Above the Law

QUESTION:  How is one ever “above the Law” of God?

ANSWER:

Colossians 2:13-14

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Colossians 2:13-15   Commentary

 II. Through him we have the remission of sin: Having forgiven you all trespasses. This is our quickening. The pardon of the crime is the life of the criminal: and this is owing to the resurrection of Christ, as well as his death; for, as he died for our sins, so he rose again for our justification, <Romans 4:25>.

 III. Whatever was in force against us is taken out of the way. He has obtained for us a legal discharge from the hand-writing of ordinances, which was against us (v. 14), which may be understood,

 1. Of that obligation to punishment in which consists the guilt of sin. The curse of the law is the hand-writing against us, like the hand-writing on Belshazzar's wall. Cursed is every one who continues not in every thing. This was a hand-writing which was against us, and contrary to us; for it threatened our eternal ruin. This was removed when he redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, <Galatians 3:13>. He canceled the obligation for all who repent and believe. "Upon me be the curse, my father." He vacated and disannulled the judgment which was against us. When he was nailed to the cross, the curse was as it were nailed to the cross. And our indwelling corruption is crucified with Christ, and by virtue of his cross. When we remember the dying of the Lord Jesus, and see him nailed to the cross, we should see the hand-writing against us taken out of the way. ~from Matthew Henry's Commentary

See, the law is not done away or nailed to the cross, the curse and the guilt are nailed to the cross.

Concerning Romans 7...

Romans 7:7-22

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

In our fleshly ways is sin.  The law is a guide post pointing away from sin and toward principle.  Principles are all those things that we know as fruits of the spirit.  Notice.

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Notice how it says that "against such there is no law."  Principles

apply to everyone and everything.  There is no law against them.  They are self-evident as truth.  Law, in fact, points us at principles.

For example:

It is natural for human nature (spirit of man or flesh) to want to lie and steal.  There are laws that state, "Thou shalt not steal" and "thou shalt no lie".  It is not enough to not lie and not steal, we must do more.  We must be honest.  Honesty is a principle (no law against it, applies to all men and institutions, etc.).  If Thelma is lying, I can say to you, "Hey Thelma, remember the commandment that says, "Thou shalt not lie".  Moreover I would go on to say, Hey, Thelma, be honest!"  Now if you go on and never lie, and invoke the principle of honesty on a regular basis what good would it be for me to come to you everyday and say, "Hey, Thelma, don't lie."?  For as long as you are invoking honesty, you are ABOVE the law.  That is, it has no relevance to you. Now the law is not done away because there might come the day when you slip and fall and lie.  Then the law is there to point you back toward honesty.

Another thing about principle.  It must be invoked.  Laws are kept, a static thing.  A whole life of not lying is not the same as a whole life of being honest.  Honesty (like love, joy, peace, and longsuffering) require action....that thing we call “Works.”  Interesting huh?  God will not reward us according to what we keep but according to what we do. You see, to invoke a principle takes Faith.  Faith that the principle will work.  The underlying foundation about a principle is that it must work every time.  There is an automatic benefit and reward for every principle kept.  Not so with the laws.  Keeping the law is required of you and you do not get into the kingdom by doing just what is required. There must be more.  That "more" is stepping out on Faith everyday and invoking all manner of principle.  Let is look at some more scriptures...

Galatians 3:24-26

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, thatwe might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

See, the law is a schoolmaster (another word for pointer or guidepost). Christ is the embodiment of all principle.  He does not invoke principle; He IS principle.  We are justified by faith every time we invoke a principle.

Galatians 5:18

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Again, the fruit of the Spirit is principles.  To be led by the Spirit is to invoke principles.

Galatians 6:2

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

An action.  You bear the other person's burdens by invoking principle. We fulfil the law when we move from law to principle.

Hebrews 7:19

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

The law made nothing perfect including us.  Keeping the law alone will not make us perfect.  The better hope was Christ and his work of taking man from law to principle, something only possible through the Holy Spirit.  Through the Spirit of God and the fruits thereof, we draw closer to God.

James 2:8

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Good example of principle fulfilling the law.

Romans 3:19

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped...

Here we see the law talking to them that are under the law, that is, people not invoking principle and/or who are sinning.

Romans 6:14-15

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

If we are invoking principles on a regular basis, sin has no power over us.  We are not under law but grace and we know that grace is an unmerited gift.  Grace is that situation whereby we can be above the law and invoke principle with the power of the Holy Spirit.

THE STATEMENT THEY USE ABOUT NOT HAVING TO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS.

Do any of these verses hit you right if the commandments are done away?  How can anyone say that it is okay to build an idol and bow down to it?  How can anyone say that someone can commit adultery?  When someone sits across my table and tells me that I do not have to keep the commandments is when I produce a firearm and ask them for their car and wallet; after all, it’s okay isn't it?  It just does not make sense.  There is nothing in the letters of Paul that would support the commandments being broken or done away.  Look...

Revelation 14:12

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

1 John 2:3-5

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

1 John 3:22-24

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.  And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1 John 5:2-3

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

2 John 1:6

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

Looks like we are to keep them.

   
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