THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE

THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE The 9th study in the series. Studies written by William Carey. Presentation by Michael Salzman. All texts are from the King James version. All rights reserved.

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Is there something that should rule the life of a follower of Christ? James 2:8-12 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE 9- but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10- For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11- For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.”

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Now if you commit do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12- So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. Please note three points in these scriptures:

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE (1) James is talking about the law of the Ten Commandments, because in verse 11 he cites the seventh and sixth of the Ten Commandments. (2) This scripture show that the Ten Commandments were not abolished at the cross, but were a binding code of all people in A.D. 60.

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Verses 9 and 11 declare that any who commit sin or disobey any of the Ten Commandments are transgressors of the law; hence the law of Ten Commandments could not have been abolished at the cross.

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE (3) If the fourth of the ten, which commands the keeping of the seventh day were not binding on Christians, that would be one point out of the ten where a person could go contrary to the ten and not be guilty of sin.

1-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE But James 2:10 shows that he who disobeys any one of the ten is guilty of sin; hence everyone of the ten (the fourth included) is binding on all people. God requires everybody to keep the seventh day holy.

2-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE What is sin? I John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. The transgression of any one of the Ten Commandments is sin.

3-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Is there sin in the world today? Romans 4:15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Where no law exists, there can be no transgression (sin). Hence the Ten Commandments are recorded in Exodus 20:1-17;

3-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE The Ten Commandments were first given by voice; then written by the finger of God on two tables of stone. In this manner He shows that they are unalterable.

4-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE How long will the Law be in effect? Psalms 111:7,8 The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. 8- They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. These Ten commands of God will stand forever just as God spoke them.

5-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Will the Law ever be changed? Psalms 89:34 My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. God will never change any of the ten. Their exact wording, just as they came from His lips, will always remain.

5-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Therefore it is just as wrong to lie or to steal today as it was in the days of Moses. The Ten Commandments forbid idolatry, image worship, swearing, Sabbath breaking, dishonoring one’s parents, hatred and murder, adultery, theft, lying and coveting. These ten teach us to worship God directly and spiritually;

5-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE to keep the Lord’s day, to be reverent, to honor one’s parents, to be kind, pure, honest, truthful, and content. Such duties are binding forever on all people, therefore, the Ten Commandments are still binding on all people.

5-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE The ceremonial observances and typical ordinances of the Mosaic law were abolished at the cross (Eph. 2:15) & (Col. 2:14-17), but the Ten Commandments were just as binding after Jesus died as they were before He died. He died to pay the penalty for our transgression of His holy law.

5-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE “The wages of sin is death”, and “Christ died for our sins”. (I John 3:4); (Rom. 6:23); (I Cor. 15:3) Also see Eph. 6:2; Rom. 7:7; Rom. 13:8-10.

6-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE How do Grace and the Law interact? Romans 6:14, 15 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15- What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

6-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Paul declares that Christians have no right to sin (transgression of the law, I John 3:4), because they are not under the law, but under grace. Being under grace does not excuse us from keeping the seventh day of the fourth commandment any more than it excuses us from being honest and truthful as

6-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE required by the eighth and ninth commandments. Being under grace does not give us the right to transgress any of the Ten Commandments.

7-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE How does faith and the Law interact? Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. Having faith in Jesus Christ does not make void any of the Ten Commandments.

8-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE Do faith and the law belong together? Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Faith in Jesus and keeping the Ten Commandments go together.

9-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE What is the relationship of the Law and the new covenant? Hebrews 8:8-10 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah --

9-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE 9- “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.

9-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE 10- “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

10-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE How do we accept Christ’s salvation? Hebrews 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him; We must obey Jesus or He has not saved us from sin.

11-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE What is the Christian’s rule of life? Matthew 19:16, 17 “Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

11-CR THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE 17- So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Jesus plainly taught that obedience to all Ten Commandments is necessary for life. Do you wish to accept this life?

THE CHRISTIAN’S RULE OF LIFE The End