Evening journal., 1912-05-18
CHRISTIANITY AND THE LAW
Matthew ', I7.se-May 10.

AnaNNNN W - AN~-N aNhf AhH
"He that Io,eth his neighbor hath
fulfilled the LaW."-ROmans xiii, 5.
The Great Teacher declared that
He came not to destroy the Law and
the Prophets, but to fulfill them.
While the Law was spoken Of as
Moses Law, it was really the Divine
Law given to Israel as a basis for the
Divine Covenant with that nation. and
Moses merely stood as mediator of
that Law Covenant-that agreement
by which Israel was obliged to keep
the Law. and Good was obliged if they
did so to grant them everlasting life.
Divine favor and the glorious privilege
of being His instruments for the
blessing of all nations, under Mes
siah's Kingdom.
The failure Of even the most sin
cere Israelites to gain the promised
everlasting life proved, not that Gods
Law was an unjust one. but that
Israel, like the remainder of the
world shared by Inheritance Adamic
weaknesses. which so impaired their
moral quality that they could not
keep Gods perfect Law, which our
Lord defined to be whole-hearted love
for God and Golden Rule" love for
the neighbor.
Jesus Sacrifice Provides For Church
and World.
The Gospel of Jesus magnifies the
Jewish Law by admitting its right
eousness. The proposition of Jesus
in respect TO His followers is this :
a -,
the Mosaic Law perfectly and had a
right. therefore, to everlasting life.
and needed not TO have died; but in
stead of retaining His life He laid it
down sacrificially, as a part of the
great Divine Plan for human redemp-
tion. This sacrifice provides for the
world the blessed opportunity for
eternal life which, it has been prom
ised, Messiah's Kingdom will bring.
But meantime the Redeemer, carry
ing out Jehovah's plans, offers an inn
putation Of His merit to any who have
His spirit Of full conservation to do
the Fathers will by laying down the
present life sacrificially, to gain with
the Redeemer a heavenly, spirit life,
glory, honor. immortality. the divine
nature. as Messiah's joint-heirs i'm His
Kingdom. All who thus do will be
counted as part of the spiritual Seed
of Abraham. through whom all the
families of the earth will eventually
receive their blessing.
This offer was made to the Jews
first; but, after gathering all the will
ing and obedient of that nation, the
call was extended to the willing and
obedient having ears TO hear and hearts
10 obey regardless of all national
lines. To all these the terms of dis
ciplineship were made clear-terms
of self-sacrifce until death: "If any
man will benny disciple let him deny
himself and take up his cross and
follow Me; and where | am there
shall -dy disciple be-"
Long Promised Blessings to Jews De.
layed Until Church Is Developed.
These disciples or followers of
Jesus sacrifice their earthly interests
and rights and thus become reckoned-
| ly dead to earthly things. God ac-
cepts their sacrifices and begets them
of the Holy Spirit Thus they become
New Creatures in Christ.
But how could God accept a blem-
ished offering? and are not these New
OitdAuito khfiu ltolbDoiDlt lot Luc
conduct Of their flesh so long as they
live-until their sacrifice is COM
pleted?
The Scriptures answer The great
High Priest who presents these Of
/ ferings as part of His own sacrifice
covers their imperfections and blem-
ishes by an imputation of the merit of
His own sacrifice, which is already in
the hands of Justice waiting for ap-
plication on behalf OF the sins of the
world When this High Priest thus
presents us to God, covered with His
own merit as a robe. we are assured
that the sacrifices are holy and ac-
ocptable unto God. Rom. xii, T.
AS for subsequent weaknesses oi
the flesh. the New Creature is indeed
held responsible for its mortal body
but since our High Priest tasted death
Tor every man and for all sins Of her
edity, therefore these New Creatures
in Christ are assured that all theil
trespasses, whether Of ignorance Of
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