The Law of Moses -- The Gospel of Christ - Lesson 9
The Law of Moses was given to the Jewish people by God. The Gospel of Christ is given to the whole world by Jesus and the apostles. Many people today want to be under both the Law and the Gospel. Some think that the Ten Commandments must be obeyed by everyone in every age. This cannot be so. In this lesson we will learn why the Law of Moses is no longer in force and why all men must obey the Gospel of Christ only.
Jesus said, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me" (Luke 24:44). The Law was given to help the Jewish people get ready for Jesus to come. They looked for one like Moses to come and be their savior. They Jewish people were told by Moses himself, "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18:15). When Jesus came some of the people knew he was the one Moses promised (Read John 7:40).
The Ten Commandments were the main part of the Law of Moses. Nearly every other law came from one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus referred to some of those Commandments (Matt. 5:27). He knew the laws about the Sabbath Day (Saturday or the 7th Day of the Week) (Matt. 12:5). He said he was greater than the temple and the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:6,8). Be sure to look those verses up and read them.
One of the things the Law was to do was to get the Jews ready for Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24). In the next verse Paul tells us that we are no longer under that law. (Be sure to get your Bible and read Galatians 5:25. The things the law said about Jesus were all said before He was born. When Jesus was born he was born under the Law of Moses. Read this: "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law" (Gal. 4:4). Jesus died on the cross and nailed the law to the cross (Col. 2:14).
The Law of Moses also helped people know how bad it is to sin against God. Paul wrote, "I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (Rom. 7:7). "Thou shalt not covet" is one of the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:17). The Ten Commandments, with all the Law of Moses, has been taken away, but still it is a sin to covet. Please read Ephesians 5:5. Paul also wrote, "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator" (Gal. 3:19). The Law of Moses, which was given to the Jewish people, was just added to all that God intended for the world to have.
The Law of Moses was only for the Jewish people -- not to any other. You will have to carefully read the following passages. Look up and read Deuteronomy 5:1-3. See where it says "Hear O Israel?" He was talking to Israel -- not to everybody in the whole world. See where he says God "made a covenant with us?" He didn’t make the covenant with anyone else. See where he says, "The Lord made not this covenant with our father, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day?" That means the covenant was only for those people.
John says, "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). The Gospel of Christ is the way men are saved by grace and truth. All sinners are saved by grace, through faith (Look up and read Ephesians 2:6,8-9). Paul said that God’s grace that brings salvation came through the teaching of Jesus (Titus 2:11-12). Those Old Testament prophets all looked for grace that would one day come and bring salvation to them. Peter said they all were looking for something and "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Pet. 1:11).
The Gospel of Christ is not given to Jewish people or Gentile people. It is not given to any race of people. It is given to the whole world. Jesus told the apostles to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Matthew wrote the same thing like this. He said Jesus told the apostles to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19). Paul said it is the power of God to save everyone, Jew or Greek. Please read Romans 1:16-17.
Nobody can be saved by obeying the Ten Commandments or any part of the Law of Moses. The only way to be saved is by obeying the gospel of Christ. Here are several verses for you to look up and do the following exercises.
Questions for Study:
1. To whom was the Law of Moses given?
2. Give the main purpose of the Law of Moses.
3. The Bible says the Law of Moses made people know how bad it is to sin. Explain how you think that happens. Give some examples.
4. What do you understand from Paul’s words that the Law was a "Schoolmaster?" What do you think he means by "Schoolmaster" and what conclusion do you see him making?
5. Read Exodus 20:1-17. Which of the Ten Commandments do you think cannot be kept today?
6. How does Col. 2:14 teach that the Law of Moses has been taken out of the way?
7. How far is the Gospel of Christ to be preached?
8. To whom should the Gospel of Christ be preached?
9. How does the Gospel of Christ make us know what Grace is?
10. How is it the power of God to save the lost?
Fill in the Blanks:
(Some of these verses were not used in the Lesson text).
Deut. 18:15: The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a ________ from the _________ of thee, of thy ___________, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken."
Question: How does this point to Jesus?
Deut. 5:2: The LORD our God made a ____________ with _____ in Horeb.
Deut. 5:3 The LORD made not this covenant with our _____________, but with us, even us, who are all of us ______ _________ this day.
John 1:17: For the _____ was given by _____, but ________ and ______ came by _______ _________
Rom. 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the _________ ___ ___________: for it is the power of God unto ______________ to __________ _____ that believeth; to the ______ first, and also to the ________.
True or False:
1. None of the Ten Commandments are worth anything today.
True _________ False ________
2. All of the Ten Commandments are in force now.
True _________ False ________
3. Only the Gospel of Christ can save sinners.
True _________ False ________
4. The Gospel is to be preached to everybody in all the world.
True _________ False ________
6. All sinners must be saved by grace through faith.
True _________ False ________
7. Only those who obey the Gospel of Christ are saved by grace.
True _________ False ________
Thought Question:
Do you think you understand enough to obey the gospel now?