Letter Answering Department Survey--Law

SUBJECT: Galatians 5:18

QUESTION: Doesn’t this single verse show that the Law has been done away?

ANSWER:

No, it does not.

Galatians 5:18

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

As a minister of Jesus Christ, I have focused my ministry on understanding this very verse. Before I get into that I want to point out another thing.

If the Law HAD been done away, this would be a major topic of discussion within the pages of the Bible. It would take more than a single verse to state the case. The entire scope of the New Testament would have to make this all-encompassing issue clear and understood. That being said, I could show you many verses that show that the Law is still very much in effect. Obedience to God will FOREVER be in effect, even AFTER the resurrections. I always like to show the three verses from Revelation. As we know, this was the last book written in the Bible. Yet, notice what it has to say about the commandments...

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the

commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Question: If the Law was done away, why would this be mentioned in the last book of the Bible? Why would Satan go after these specific individuals?

Revelation 14:12

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

Question: Again, why reference to something that had been done away (assuming it had been done away; which it has not)?

Revelation 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Note: What! Blessed are they that DO his (God's) commandments (I will define 'do' below). This verse says that these commandment keepers have right to the tree of life (eternal life) and get to enter in through the gates into the city (New Jerusalem in the Kingdom of God).

Now to Galatians 5:18

Galatians 5:18

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

First question, right off the top, is WHO IS LED BY THE SPIRIT? Not everyone on this planet has the Holy Spirit in them. Lots of people THINK they have the Spirit of God in them, but such is not the case. What DOES the Bible say about this?

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

"Natural man" means those without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, one is not spiritually discerned. That is, they just plain do not understand spiritual concepts, including the Law.

God IS NOT actively attempting to save the world now. That begins when Christ returns and not before. We know this from the prophecy of Matthew 24 (among other places)...

Matthew 24:21-22
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

If God WAS attempting to save the World now, why would we have a Great Tribulation with billions dying and coming to the point of EVERY human dying? Also, who are these "elect" the verse is talking about? The Elect are those comparative few who are being called now to spread the gospel (or good news) of the coming government of Jesus Christ. Remember though, that the ultimate plan of God is to give everyone, who has ever lived, the opportunity to know all truth, have access to the Holy Spirit and enter the Kingdom of God with eternal life.

Now down to Galatians 5:18...

When God calls a person (John 6:44)...

John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

...they are led first to repentance of sin, baptism and then to the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (of the ministry) (Hebrews 6). When they do this, they enter what is called, "The Salvation Process". Now I have a lengthy paper on the definition of this process, but quickly the Salvation Process is this:

It is a commitment to a way of Christian life in which one is actively:

1) keeping the Law and commandments.

2) invoking the Principles of God which the Law points to (Galatians 5:22-23).

3) overcoming sin....making progress...stopping the sin process before it begins....controlling the mind…being repentant.

4) becoming more like Jesus Christ.

5) going on to perfection (Hebrews 6)

6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties and/or offices). This includes duties pertaining to the first commission of spreading the gospel and the second commission of feeding the flock.

7) maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ.

8) having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 1:21; John 14:1; 1 John 2:23-24)

This Salvation Process is made possible by that Holy Spirit (the power and mind of God) (http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/churchdoctrines.php?stp=5 ). Without the power of the Holy Spirit, one could not do these things.

PURPOSE OF THE LAW

The Pharisees never figured out the purpose of the Law. They made it the focal point of their religion. In fact, they added to the law in countless codification, so as to make themselves more righteous before man (not God). Part of the mission of Christ was to set the Law back to what it was designed to do. It was designed to lead mankind to Godly Principle. I have put together a paper to explain exactly what I am talking about. You will note some things we have discussed are repeated:

Jesus came, in part; to put the Law back to the way it was designed. The design or purpose of the Law is to lead man to the Principles of God and to invoke them by the power of the Holy Spirit.

EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW

Mankind, by the time of Jesus, had codified the Law and made it the end of religious worship. They could not understand that the Law has a greater purpose.

Galatians 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Question is: Who is being brought to Christ? The answer is that the firstfruits (those being called prior to the return of Christ) are being brought to Christ now. The rest of mankind will be brought to Christ AFTER He returns.

Another question: What is this "faith" the scripture is talking about? Whatever it is, it takes place AFTER one is brought to Christ. The answer is that this faith is the Salvation Process.

When one is called by God (John 6:44), they are called to repentance of all past sin, to baptism to picture that death and resurrection in Christ and into the lifelong Salvation Process.

When one is in the Salvation Process (only possible when one has the Holy Spirit), he or she is being led by the Spirit. They are invoking the power of that Spirit in the form of Godly Principles (love, joy, peace, honesty, longsuffering, against such there is no law).

Now, how do we demonstrate the relationship between being under the Law and being led by the Spirit? Let us take the Godly principle of "Honesty". We have commandments that state:

1) Thou shalt not lie

2) Thou shalt not steal

These are Laws and sin is the transgression of the Law. If one with the Holy Spirit, in the Salvation Process slips and sins, the law is there to let him or her know that a Law has been transgressed.

Now, let us suppose that you, in the Salvation Process, develop Godly character by constantly invoking the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of "Honesty". That is, you become known as an Honest person. You are honest in all things. The laws against lying and stealing led you to this Godly principle. Now, if you are an honest person and known to be honest, what purpose would I have to say to you do not lie and steal? You are above that. As long as you are honest, you are no longer "under" the law.

Let us go back to that verse in Galatians above, but go three verses further:

Galatians 3:24-27
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we 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.

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

We conclude a number of things:

1) The Law leads the called person to Christ and hence to the Salvation Process.

2) Once we are IN the Salvation process, we are no longer under a schoolmaster (the Law)

3) We are all children of God by faith (that Salvation Process) in Christ Jesus.

4) As many of us as have been baptized into Christ (into the Salvation Process) have put on Christ (His character)

Now if one is Honest, do we do away with the Law? Answer: OF COURSE NOT. As long as we are human, EVEN IN THE SALVATION PROCESS, we are subject to sin. When we slip and sin, within that Salvation Process, the Law is there to show us, once again, that a sin has been committed. This leads us to immediate repentance and we move forward in the Salvation Process. We always need the Law.

Thus, the relationship between the Law and being led by the Spirit is understood.

For more information, listen to Mr. Armstrong's sermons on Galatians:

http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/sermonsgtaaudio.php Scroll to bottom of page--3 part sermon.

Doctrinal Statement on the Law: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/churchdoctrines.php?stp=18