Devotional Messages

The OT Law and Modern Believers

Today's reading from Leviticus introduced us to many and various laws given through Moses to the Israelites, and continued reading from the Old Testament will introduce us to more still. To the modern believer, many of the laws and directions found in the Old Testament may seem irrelevant or even redundant with the oncoming of salvation through faith in Christ, as there are certain laws which are taught in the Old Testament specifically negated in the New Testament.

Examples would inclue the teachings on 'clean' and 'unclean' foods and the need for circumcision. We read yesterday of the directions given to the Israelites to steer clear of certain types of animals as they are 'unclean', yet in Acts we read of Peter specifically being told (with respect to food) 'not to call anything impure that God has made clean' (Acts 10:15 cf. Mark 7:19). And we read in Leviticus 12 that all Israelite males are to be circumcised on the eighth day after their birth, yet the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 does not impose circumcision on the Gentile (non-Jewish) believers.

Obviously also the need to sacrifice offerings is no longer present in the believer's life, as Christ offered the one true sacrifice for sins in Himself. In order to deal with these teachings we find that the directions and laws of the Old Testament can be divided into moral law and ceremonial law, with the moral law still applying to the believer's life, but the ceremonial law now redundant through Christ.

Within the moral law are such teachings as those found in today's reading from Leviticus concerning unlawful sexual relations, the Ten Commandments (though the sabbath teaching, the fourth Commandment, is frequently and possibly justifiably viewed as ceremonial), and any other law enforcing a moral or ethic. With these laws we can easily find application to modern circumstances, as they have relevance in human life in general, and adequately reflect the types of morals God wants us to have.

Within the ceremonial laws are placed the restrictions on clean and unclean foods, circumcision, and sometimes the sabbath teaching is included as well (as mentioned previously). These laws seem to be part of the Old Covenant, fulfilled by or in Christ: we see that the need for 'cleanliness' or purity laws (which include clean and unclean foods) are fulfilled with the purity of life in Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit. Similarly, physical circumcision is fulfilled with a "circumcision of the heart" in believers (Rom. 2:28-9, Phil. 3:3).

The believer - one who truly trusts in Christ and seeks to please God - must seek to hold the morals taught by God in the moral law. As Paul said, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law" (Rom. 7:7).

Pray now, praising God for His salvation, and pray that you may understand His expectation of the holiness and purity of your life, and pray that He will continually aid you in seeking to uphold these morals, to His glory.