The Ministry of Death?

Many religionists believe that believers on this side of the cross believe we are under the Mosaic Law and obligated to obey to the commands and demands  and the do's and don'ts contained therein as the measuring stick for spirituality?

In so doing they believe and operate under the "Ministry of Death"? Should that be the case? I assume that ALL religionists would say they do not live under such a ministry.

What was God's purpose in giving the Mosaic Law to the Jewish people?

Well if religionists believe the bible as they say they do, then there is no choice but to believe that the purpose of the Law was to bring people to the knowledge of sin and make people aware of their inability to conquer sin. The bible says in Romans 3:20, “Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Did not Paul say, “For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” Religionists need to accept the plain truth of the bible in that the purpose for the Law was not to keep it to prove people's relationship with God or to gain His favor...No...it was to point out people's inability to keep it and point them to Jesus. In Galatians 3:24 is says, “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ.” Later in the next verse it says, “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

According to 2 Cor. 3:7-9 the Law is "The Ministry of Death" But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?  For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

In the post-cross era, we are administers of the new covenant! Not of the old covenant,(which was never meant for any people other than the Jewish people). That freeing revelation cannot be understood, but by God's Grace, therefore, if you are a Grace-Butter or a Grace-Pluser you will never understand that Jesus fulfilled the Law...the "Ministry of Death"!

Anytime you try to earn, deserve, or merit something as a Christian by keeping the Law, you are putting yourself back under that old system and fall from grace. That is what the system of the Law is; it is all about you earning favor with God, you deserving it, you meriting it. The old system pointed to you…doing the do's and not doing the don'ts. The Old covenant is also known in verse 9 as “the ministry of condemnation.” The Law condemns you because you cannot in and of yourself keep it...in doing that it has done its purpose.

Let me ask you a question, what other laws were written and engraved on stone? NONE but the Ten Commandments.

I can almost hear a religionist say; "Regular you are a blasphemer! I would have you know that the Ten Commandments are God’s holy laws. How dare you call them the ministry of death? The "Ministry of Death" Laws refers exclusively to the “ceremonial laws” of Moses, such as the animal sacrifices. Therefore, while we may no longer be bound to the ceremonial laws because of Christ, we are still under the “moral laws” or the Ten Commandments."

However, nothing could be further from the truth because the ceremonial laws were never “written and engraved on stone.” They were written on parchment. Only the Ten Commandments were “written and engraved on stone.” Therefore, only the 10 Commandments could have been the "Ministry of Death."

While the Commandments are holy, just, and good, they have NO ability to make a person holy, just, and good. My religious friend, when you try to keep the the Law, you are condemned, guilty and shamed because of the blame religion puts on you for breaking something you could not keep.

Does this give people free reign to defy the 10 commandments? No, of course not! Sin is still sin but, it is God's Grace and Love that gives us the ability live above sin, not our striving to keep the Law. Joseph was not obeying the Law not to commit adultery, the Law was not given for some four hundred plus years later. It was his love and respect for God that He told the woman “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9). So for those who say we must keep the law to keep people from sin, we need to remember Joseph. He recognized that God was with him, and because he knew this, he was able to deny sin. The law is about living from the outside in, Grace is about living from the inside out.

The commandments served its purpose to bring people to Christ. Religionists have been deceived and are deceiving people into believing the deception that maintaining a relationship with God is all about people doing the do's and don'ts of the Law, it is NOT, it’s all about JESUS who has fulfilled the Law!

So, your are free to stop trying to earn God’s love and favor by your doing, and put your trust in what Jesus has done!

- Glenn Regular