If Christians turn to the written codes of divine Law to try to attain godliness and maintain divine approval day-by-day, then they are putting their faith in their flesh, in the strength of their human constitution, and thus they are taking a step backwards. They are stepping away from their calling to a superior order of a royal priesthood. In the case of Jews they are turning back to the Sinai Covenant and Levitical order, or in the case of Gentiles they are imposing the old and inferior Sinai Covenant with its Levitical Law given through Moses to Jews, onto Gentile Christians. More than this, in turning to the written codes of Law in this way they are in danger of rejecting their Messiah. They are going back to a form of divine approval by their work and effort – to maintaining divine approval by means of their own energies, actions and behaviours. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews says this - ‘But the judicially approved of Me will be alive from out of persuasion to the point of obedience, [Faith]. He who cowers, withholds or shrinks back, My Breath [psyche] is not well-pleased within him, [Habakkuk 2 v 4]. 39 But we are not those cowering and shrinking back penetrating into being cut off, but persuaded to the point of obedience penetrating into possessing life-breath [psyche]’, (Hebrews 10 v 38, 39).
Elsewhere we read, ‘….if the people were completely fulfilled and made complete through the Levitical priesthood – on the basis that it was ordained and sanctioned by Covenant Law – why is there still need for another priest to be raised up according to the rank of Melchizedek, not being spoken of according to the rank of Aaron? [who was a Levite] 12 Because the priesthood is being transferred from out of necessity, from out of compelling need, and a transformation of law is coming into being. 13 Because these things [about Jesus as high priest] are being said on the basis of another tribe [Judah] participating…’, (Hebrews 7 v 11 – 13). I spent some time in earlier posts talking about Christians being placed into a different priestly order. Christians do not attain divine approval by seeking to obey the written codes of Levitical Law. God has brought them forth within hearing and persuasion of the good news of the Messiah, placing them into a royal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek. Therefore they do not now continue their Christian life day-by-day by turning back to, or placing themselves under trying to keep the written statutes of Levitical Law. Neither are they now free in the sense of being lawless or anti-law. Instead, there is a transformation of law. Divine law is not abolished or dissolved. The superior priesthood into which they have been placed exists alongside the written codes of Sinai Covenant law. For Christians, the principles of divine law work and come to fruition in a different way.
So what is the Apostolic instruction to Christians? Trust in Jesus and work to keep the written codes of Sinai Covenant Law? No, not at all. The Apostles never say this. Instead they say, ‘Therefore, in the manner you have received the Lord Jesus, Messiah, walk around within Him, firmly established and built up within Him, making the persuasion secure in the manner you were taught, super-abounding within thankfulness’, (Colossians 2 v 6).
