The Law of Christ
Questions about the relationship between believers and the law of God continue to perplex biblical scholars and serious Christians alike. Charles Leiter shows himself well-informed of both the relevant biblical scholarship and the theological issues in this clearly written, helpful study. Unlike many other treatments of the topic, he succeeds in uniting insights from the Old Testament laws themselves with Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount and discussions of law in the Pauline epistles. The result is a truly biblical theology of law that I recommend highly to pastors and other students of Scripture. --Stephen Westerholm, McMaster University (Author of Israel's Law and the Church's Faith: Paul and His Recent Interpreters)It is a rare and wonderful blessing for me to recommend a book that not only honors the Scriptures, but also has been used by God as an instrument of transformation in my own life. Therefore, it is with great joy that I recommend this book to you. --Paul David Washer, HeartCry Missionary SocietyThis book is remarkable on a number of levels. First, it is every bit as helpful and clear as his previous book, Justification and Regeneration. Second, it is a very balanced and judicious treatment of some of the most frequently debated theological issues. Third, it is faithful to the Scriptures' thrust of putting the Lord Jesus Christ at the center of everything in the believer's life, fleshing out for the Christian how to approach issues such as ethics, law, Scripture reading, love, and many other things we encounter in the Christian life. Though reasonably thorough it is not tedious; Pastor Leiter has written a book that stirs the soul and encourages the saints with the joy, liberty, and responsibility of following the Lord Jesus Christ in both His selfless love for others and His complete devotion to the Father. When Christians begin to search the Scriptures for guidance on godly living, they will eventually encounter trouble caused by the two major manifestations of God s will. The first is the Law of Moses, given by God Himself to Israel at Mount Sinai amid thunder, flame, and terror. The second is the person of Jesus, the very Son of God, with His lofty teachings and bright example. When we begin to ponder these manifestations, questions arise and demand answers: Why are they so different, or seem so different, when they are both from God? Should Christians actively follow the Law of Moses, even though so much of it clearly does not apply directly to us? Does Jesus uphold the Mosaic Law as an abiding ethical authority? If so, why does He seem to depart from it sometimes?  This helpful book from Pastor Charles Leiter is an attempted answer to these questions. He addresses the issue in three parts. In Part One, he describes the broader question of how the Abrahamic, Old, and New Covenants relate to one another. He concludes that all Old Testament history and promise culminates in Christ, and he presents several rules for Bible interpretation derived from this fact. Part Two focuses on the freedom from the Law of Moses which Christians enjoy, as described in the New Testament. He demonstrates what this means and does not mean, shows how exactly the Law of Moses remains relevant for the Christian, and finally proves that Christ is superior to Moses and that He does give new principles for life in His new kingdom. Part Three is concerned with two ideas. First, Pastor Leiter explains the Law of Christ, which fundamentally is the new commandment to love one another as He has loved us: love informed by Christ s own example. Second, he shows that the Holy Spirit s help is necessary for obedience to this commandment and that the Holy Spirit truly does create Christlikeness in the Christian. The books ends with several appendices, meant to address various important topics not discussed in the main text. --Granted Ministries