In Him Ministries:

Seventh-day Adventism Refuted:   The Law of God vs. the Law of Moses   The New Testament tells us that Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant Law and brought it to an end. But what was the Old Covenant Law? The Law of God, or the Law of Moses? Seventh-day Adventists and some of the other Sabbatarian groups believe that there were two separate legal agreements, or covenants that God gave to Moses for the nation of Israel to keep. They say the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial laws were two separate and distinct laws, or covenants. But that distinction is never made in scripture. The Law of God and the Law of Moses are the same law! They were the Old Covenant that was replaced by the New Covenant Jesus Christ gave us in its place. The scriptures tell us that God gave the Law of Moses and Moses gave the Law of God. Scriptures that say God gave the Law of Moses: Ezra 7:6 says, “this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.” And Nehemiah 8:1 says, “And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel.” Scriptures that say Moses gave the Law of God: Nehemiah 10:29 says, “join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes.” And 2 Chronicles 34:14 says, “While they were bringing out the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD given through Moses.” There was no distinction made between the moral and ceremonial laws in the Mosaic Covenant. The “Law of God” and the “Law of Moses” are the same Law. Nehemiah used the different terms interchangeably. He wrote these verses with an almost prophetic eye toward the future when some groups would come along and falsely claim that there were two different covenants when in fact, there is just one. The Jews have always known this and it has been the consistent teaching of the Church throughout most of its history. Only a few small groups have come along (mostly Sabbatarians) that teach that there are two separate laws. The Seventh-day Adventists have a special need for this to be true since their entire system stands or falls on its meaning. In Nehemiah 8, Nehemiah was reading to the people from the Law that they had not heard read their entire lifetimes due to their captivity in Babylon. Nehemiah wanted to restore the people to a lifestyle of covenant-keeping. Notice that the passage uses a number of terms interchangeably, leaving no doubt about what the covenant can be called. The terms that are used are: “The book of the Law of Moses” i.e. the Mosaic Covenant (Neh. 8:1); “the Law” (Neh. 8:2); “The book of the law” (Neh. 8:3); and the book of the “Law of God” (Neh. 8:8, 18). The Old Testament is clear - there is no difference between “the Law of God” and the “Law of Moses.” Look at how clearly the New Testament scriptures describe the end of the Old Covenant Law, including the Ten Commandments. Hebrews 8:13 says, “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” The Law was added because of sin. Galatians 3:19-25 says, “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” And Romans 3:20 says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” The Law increases sin in our lives — which produces death. Romans 7:4-5 says, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.” The Old Covenant Law was a death sentence for anyone who couldn't keep it perfectly. 2 Corinthians 3:6-8 says, “who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.” There can be no doubt that Paul was talking about the Ten Commandments in 2 Corinthians 3. It is the Law of the Ten Commandment that “fades away” in light of the “glory that surpasses it.” The New Covenant makes many changes to the Old Covenant. It is a “New Covenant.” We have a new legal contract based on the law of Christ! Trying to keep the Old Covenant Law brings a curse. Galatians 3:10-13 says, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Paul quoted Deuteronomy 27:26 to show that failure to keep the law perfectly brings divine judgment and condemnation on the guilty party. Even one violation of the law brings the person under the curse of death (Deut. 27-28; cf. James 2:8-12). The Law was weak and had to be set aside. Hebrews 7:18 says, “For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness.” The Law HAD to change for Jesus to become our new High Priest. Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” The Law that came to an end included the Ten Commandments. Romans 7:6-7 says, “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (cf. Exod. 20:17; Deut. 5:21). And Hebrews 8:13-9:4 says, “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. 9:1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly place of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the first section, in which were the lampstand and the table and the bread of the Presence. It is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.” One of the most distinguishing features of the ‘Ten Words’ is that they are referred to as the actual covenant itself. The Ten Commandments are the only laws referred to as “the covenant” (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 4:13). So when the New Testament says the Old Covenant is obsolete, it is saying every law contained in the covenant is obsolete, including the Ten Commandments. Christ’s followers are dead to the law. At conversion, believers die to the law with the result that they are now able to serve in newness of life (Rom. 6:4). They have a new life in the Holy Spirit, not in the old way of the letter, the old way of trying to gain life by means of law-keeping. Romans 7:6 plainly says that we no longer live by the “written code”. Which law is the written code? Romans 7:7 tells us it was the law that said, “You shall not covet” from Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21. According to Romans 7:1-7, there can be no mistaking that the law Christians have to die to, the law of the written code, is the Ten Commandments, along with all of the rest of the laws of the Old Covenant (2 Cor. 3:2-11). Christ brought an end to the Old Covenant Law for all those who believe in Him. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” 2 Corinthians 3:11 says, “For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.” And Hebrews 10:9 says, “then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.” We have been released from the Old Covenant law to live by God’s Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” In all of Romans 8, Paul was talking about the need for Christians to make a serious commitment to live the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit, which includes living by the highest moral standards. Christians are freed from trying to be saved by keeping the Old Covenant Law. The Old Covenant Law has no power, or authority over us. Christ has taken away our bondage to the Law and given us freedom in place of our slavery (Gal. 4:4-7; cf. John 1:17; 8:32, 36; Acts 15:10-19; Rom. 3:21-26; 6:14; 7:1-8; 8:15; 10:4; 2 Cor. 3:3; Gal. 2:4; 3:13, 14, 15, 25; 5:1; Eph. 2:14-15; Phil. 3:9; Col. 2:13-17; Heb. 7:19; 10:1). Christ has freed us from our bondage to the Law to live the Christian life out of love. 1 John 4:7-8 declares, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Then 1 John 5:3 continues, “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome.” Following the Spirit’s guidance in all of life’s decisions is a personal act of submission to Christ living through us. The Spirit’s work in our lives is not irresistible, we need to yield to the Spirit’s leadership. When the Spirit lives inside us, He has already given us the power to obey Him but we have to respond to His guidance. Christians don’t live by a list of rules, even those that were engraved on stone tablets. We live through the power of the indwelling Spirit who is conforming us, more and more each day into Christ’s likeness. The New Testament is clear, the Ten Commandments and all of the other 613 laws of the Old Covenant were brought to an end by the New Covenant (Acts 15:1-20; 2 Cor. 3:6-11; Rom. 14:5-12; Gal. 4:10-11; 4:21; 5:1-4; Eph. 2:11-16; Col. 2:13-17; Heb. 7-10). Christians live under the law of Christ, not the laws of the Old Covenant. It’s not the Old Covenant law all over again (1 Jn. 4:7-8; 5:3; Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; cf. James 2:8-12). God has different laws under each covenant because each covenant was a new legal agreement, or contract. Every contract must have all of its requirements spelled out in that contract. The only laws Christians are expected to follow are the commands and teachings given in the New Covenant. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation made in Christ’s own image (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Why would you ever want to go back and try to live under the Law of sin and death again?     See also: The Law of Christ: The Sabbath and the New Covenant: What was the law placed beside the ark of the covenant? The Old Covenant Law Has Come to an End! The Old and New Covenants are not the same! “Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible” “Used by permission. All rights reserved.” ESV Text Edition: 2016 Seventh-day Adventist Resource Page Links to Helpful Websites, Books and Videos on the SDAs The Seventh-day Adventist Church: (Beliefs and Errors) Learn more about our beliefs Read more Local Ministries Available Serving Denver, Colorado and the Front Range. Email us at: [email protected]