The law i.e. the Ten Commandments were not enacted until Mt. Sinai, which was 430 years after God promised to bless Abraham.
Galatians 3:17 What I mean is that God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to keep it. The Law, which was given four hundred and thirty years later, cannot break that covenant and cancel God's promise.
The law on stone was enacted because of sin, but it was only to last until Christ came.
Galatians 3:19 Then why do we have the Law? It was given because of sin. It was to be used until Christ came. The promise had been made looking toward Christ. The Law was given by angels through Moses who stood between God and man.
This is very important to understand. Sin was in the world before the law on stone was enacted but sin was not counted as sin until the law was enacted and yet sin still killed, even without the Ten Commandments.
Romans 5:12-14 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.
Since Christ came, we are no longer under the law. This means we can sin and not transgress the law, because there is no law to transgress.
Rom 4:15 The law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no transgression.
Now, here is what we need to understand. We are no longer under the law so we can't transgress it, the law has no punitive authority over us.
Punitive: intended to inflict punishment or a penalty for wrongdoing.
Just because we can no longer transgress the law does not mean we can just keep sinning.
Romans 6:15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!
We can keep sinning without punitive consequences from the law, but not without sin’s natural consequences. Remember what Romans 5 says, “People sinned even before the law was given but it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses”
In Christ people can still die from sin, the death is just not coming from a punitive consequence from the law.
Romans 8:12-14 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
The law’s punitive consequence for sin was external. In other words, you sin, you get stoned to death, GAME OVER! For the believer, sin’s natural consequence is internal. In other words, sin causes spiritual death, which is to depart from God because of a hardening of the heart through sin.
Hebrews 3:12-14 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.
Today, no one is stoned to death for sin, but people do turn away from the living God, and from their inheritance, because of unrepented sin. Let me say that again. We don’t depart from the living God because we sin, we depart from the living because we allow sin to harden our heart because we refuse to repent. We love what this world offers more than we love God and the promise of being in His Kingdom.
2 Timothy 4:9-10 Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved the pleasures of this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.
We are tempted every day, and we sin every day, but that does not mean we automatically turn away from and spiritually die. There is a process to spiritual death, which is the hardening of our heart towards God, it does not happen just because we sinned.
James 1:14-16 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Our living relationship with God does not come through our relationship with the Mt. Sinai covenant, it comes through holiness as defined by God, and our love for holiness which is demonstrated by keeping a clear conscience before God and man.
Acts 24:14-16 I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a cult. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Torah and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So, I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
A clear conscience is where salvation is worked out.
Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Receiving a clear conscience starts with the cross and is a free gift but keeping our conscience clear, and alive to God through holiness, is our responsibility.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Acts 24:16 So, I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Strive: to make great efforts; try very hard.
When we strive at doing something we are working at it. This is what we do in living a holy life.
Hebrews 12:14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.
Remember, holiness is defined by God through the Scriptures i.e. the Torah and the Prophets and was demonstrated in real time by Messiah. Pay close attention, it does not say, “For the Ten Commandments say, you must be holy because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:14-16 So, you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
Leviticus 11:44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.
The Ten Commandments say nothing about unclean affecting our holiness. They also say nothing about homosexuality, bestiality, drunkenness, divorce and remarriage and so on. It’s the Scriptures that teach holiness for right living.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The only Scriptures they had to build doctrines, teach righteousness and correct false doctrines and wrong behavior was the Torah and the Prophets, and Messiah for what that should look like.
