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"'. . . that He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.'
For from Zion will go forth the Law
Even the Word of God from Jerusalem."
Micah 4:2
The Argument:
Some Christians say we are not obligated to obey the Laws of the Old Testament, we are
only obligated (no . . . not "obligated," but "it would be better if we
decided to") bring forth the "Fruit of the Spirit" mentioned in Galatians
5. But by refusing to listen to the Words the unchanging Spirit authored before Christ,
the "Fruit of the Spirit" is distorted. The only way to bring forth the Fruit of
the Spirit is to obey God's Law.
All of the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 are commanded by the Law of God in the Old Testament. Paul had nothing less in mind than obedience to the Scriptures.
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentle- ness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Men who disobey God's Law cannot be at peace with one another. Being at peace is no option with God: it is commanded.
In Part 4 of The Christmas Conspiracy we show that the entire Bible - from the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem - holds out Peace as a goal of paramount importance. Jesus is the "Prince of Peace."[65] In the passage which forms the backbone of our essays on the "Vine & Fig Tree" vision, the prophet Micah articulates God's heartfelt desire for men to "beat their swords into plowshares," and the peace which will result is promised by God in the Law as codified by Moses.[66]
The "law" of man, on the other hand, is devised to perpetuate the "law and order" of "the State," an institutionalization of violence and war. In the schools of the State we have been trained to respect man's law, and the principles of God's Law, critical as they are of the ways of the State, have been kept from us. Therefore, we think all law is essentially the violent imposition of one man's vengeance upon another. The Law of God, however, is the Law of Peace.[67] We must not let the prophets of the State confuse us; the Peace of the Spirit is not in conflict with the Law of God (only the law of man), and God's Law is found in the Old Testament (not only in the New).
The Psalmist, speaking the Words of the Spirit, commands us to "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."[68]
The Prophet Zechariah likewise commands us: "These are the things that ye shall do; speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace."[69]
If we follow God's Law then we shall have peace, for "Great peace have they which love thy Law."[70]
All Christians, not just the "super-spiritual," are to "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."[71]
Peace only comes when we are at war with sin, when we become lifelong indentured vassals in a Kingdom of Righteousness by humbly signing the terms of surrender offered by a conquering Prince of Peace. Those who chose to be their own god are forever at war with their true selves, at war with their neighbor,[72] and at war with God.
Shouldn't the Christian be obeying God's Law?[73]
22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(65)
Isaiah 9:6.(66) Leviticus 25:18; 26:6; cf. Judges 18:7.
(67) Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 32:17.
(72) "If I am god, then my neighbor is the devil." - Jean Paul Sartre
(73) The sounds of the overthrow of the Old World Order are not the sounds of clashing swords and exploding bombs, but rather the peaceful obedience which the Christian brings to every relationship, in every household, in every area of life.