Law Of Moses Versus The Law Of Christ
You will observe in the Hebrew letter, Paul argues that Jesus is a High Priest after the order of Melchizedec and not after Levi, Heb. 7. If Jesus were on the earth he could not be a priest; for, he was of the tribe of Judah and not of Levi--all the priests under the Law of Moses were of the tribe of Levi, Heb. 7:14. Since, then, Christ was not of the tribe of Levi, he could not be a priest after the Law of Moses. He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek. Paul concludes his argument by saying, "For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the Law," Heb. 7:12. My friends, we are not under the Law of Moses; but rather, the Law of Christ, Rom. 8:2.
If we were subject to the Law of Moses it would be incumbent for us to keep the Law. This would mean burning candles, offering sacrifices, attending the feasts that the Law demanded, observing the order of clean and unclean animals, and all the host of other sundry laws connected with the Law of Moses. Peter summed up the Law by saying, "Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" Acts 15:10 Paul speaks of the Law as having been nailed to the cross, and states that we should "let no man judge us in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's," Col. 2:14-17. So no one should go back to the Law and live by it, for we are under the Law of Christ instead of the Law of Moses. Should one hold to the Law of Moses Paul says, he is "Fallen away from Grace," Gal. 5:4.
Often I hear folk say, "I can live by the ten commandments and die and go to heaven," "God allowed David to have many wives and I want the same," "There were priests under the Law dressed in finery and I feel it is all right to have them today," and so goes the arguments taken from the Law of Moses. It is possible for folk to appeal to the Law of Moses and possible for them to practice the principles of the Law under the New Testament age; but, they cannot practice the ordinances of the Law without "falling away from grace," Gal. 5:4.
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