20. Righteousness Beyond the Law

Books, Dale Ratzlaff, Feature, Sabbath In Christ, The Sabbath

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness

Paradigm shift needed |

Now it is time to shift paradigms and we start with a few statements to take our thinking outside the box. Moral laws do not make something right or wrong. Rather, laws are made to cause people to behave in such a way that they line up with moral principles which were there before the laws were written. Moral principles are broad and eternal. Laws are usually written with some specific situation(s) in mind to guide or enforce conduct to those who are immature in their thinking and/or behavior. Usually there are one or two underlying reasons behind any law. Either the law is made to protect the immature from him/herself or to protect society from the actions of the immature. The degree of immaturity is directly proportional to the number and specificity of laws that are required.

One of the programmed responses I often hear in discussions about the new covenant Christian not being under the law is, “Well, then, you are saying it is OK to kill, steal and commit adultery, etc.” No. Not at all!

If you, the reader, have been brought up on law, let me ask you a question. If you believed that the law—yes all the Ten Commandments—had REALLY come to an end, would you start doing the things prohibited in the Ten Commandments? I hope not. Anybody who did would be a very immature Christian.

Some have defined righteousness as obedience to the law.1 This may be true for old covenant righteousness, but it falls far below that presented in the new covenant. Note how the following New Testament references contrast law and righteousness.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (Rom. 3:21).

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified (Rom. 4:13–14).

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law (Rom. 9:30, 31).

For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom. 10:3, 4).

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly (Gal. 2:21).

You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4).

…and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Phil. 3:9).

The above verses indicate that the righteousness of God which comes on the basis of faith is not even associated with the law. Rather, it is a much higher righteousness beyond the righteousness of the law.

Personal Illustrations

When I was a seminary student at Andrews University I worked nights at the YMCA in Benton Harbor, Michigan. About midnight, one cold winter night, I was crossing the street with the manager of the YMCA. We came to an intersection where the facing light was red. There were no cars in sight in any direction. However, I, a good law keeper, stood there waiting for the light to turn green. Suddenly, I realized my friend was walking into the red light. He said to me, “You are still under law. I am under grace.” While his statement may not fully apply, nevertheless it was instructive. The law of red and green lights was designed to prevent accidents and help drivers “take turns”. However in our case there was no chance to get hit by a passing car as none was in sight. It was therefore appropriate to violate the letter of the law as long as it did not violate the principle of safety—as long as no legalistic cops were watching!

The other day I was at the busy post office getting the mail for Life Assurance Ministries. A mother was there with two small girls. As they approached the parking lot she said, “Now you must take mommy’s hand as there are many cars here.” This was a very good law for two little girls; however, don’t put your 16 year old boy under the same law! Rather as soon as he is old enough, teach the principle of “safety first”! That principle will serve him well the rest of his life no matter what the circumstances.

I believe this is the way we should consider many of the old covenant laws. They were holy, just and good for the conditions and immature people2 to whom they were given. Remember the old covenant law was given to the Israelites who had been slaves for generations. There are many good moral laws and good moral principles behind many of these laws. Now, however, life in the Spirit moves us to live beyond the letter of the law to follow the principles taught by Christ which modify and expand the letter of the law to general principles which are on a higher moral plain than old covenant law. Under the new covenant these principles are written on our heart by the Holy Spirit. We are no longer children; we are sons and daughters of God.

Biblical Teaching

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:23–26).

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Gal. 4:4, 5).

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain (Gal. 4:9–11).

In essence what Paul is saying here is that the Judaizers were seeking to enforce grade-school rules on mature Christians. Paul gave them the mature gospel of faith in the finished work of Christ. They had the witness of the Holy Spirit who was doing miracles among them yet now they were trying to go backward in their maturity and wanted to be under grade-school rules again. How foolish!

Moral vs. Ritual

New covenant Christians must be diligent here. It is human nature to give moral significance to established ritual customs. I was taught that communion bread must be made out of whole- wheat flour and olive oil, and of these two ingredients, the whole- wheat flour was the most important. I was almost scandalized when I visited a church that used white flour! It was instructive to me that a detailed recipe was given in the old covenant law for the bread of the presence and how it should be laid out.3 In the new covenant, however, no such details are given. New covenant righteousness deals with heart issues not rituals. Some argue over which way to baptize: forward, backward, three times, in the name of Jesus only or in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We could even extend the controversy over baptism to sprinkling or immersion.4 Again, the most important thing is our commitment to Christ, inviting Him to be Lord and Master of our lives! Anytime rituals become the important thing, the moral and ethical nature of new covenant righteousness is compromised.

Righteousness Beyond the Law Found Only In Christ

New covenant Christians have a much higher model to pattern after than the old covenant law. There is nothing in the new covenant or “living under grace” that opens any door to willfully living in sin. Rather, new covenant morality is far above and beyond that of old covenant law. When we say this there are two considerations that must be emphasized lest we misunderstand the good news of the gospel. The first is motive. When living under the law there is a motive to try to perfectly keep the law so that we can be fully accepted. This, as many of us can testify, is continually frustrating if we take the law seriously. However the new covenant motive is different. Our sanctified living is not done from the motive of trying to be good enough to be accepted. Rather, it springs from the fact of acceptance! We were accepted by God while we were still helpless, ungodly sinners and enemies of God.5 We strive to live like sons and daughters of God because that is who we now are! Our goal is to live like the kind of persons we now are in Christ!

The second consideration we must understand is that perfect new covenant righteousness is found only in Christ! We look to Him and Him alone as our Representative and Substitute! If we are Christ’s, then we, with the Apostle Paul may say,

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith (Phil. 3:8–9).

In the Law of Christ we have moral and ethical principles above and beyond that of old covenant law.6 We have been declared righteous on the basis of our faith in Christ which has nothing to do with the law.7 We are accepted in Him. Now we have life in the Spirit that empowers us to follow after the example of Christ. We can by faith claim Christ’s righteousness which far surpasses the righteousness of the law.

Chapter Summary

  1. Laws do not make something right or wrong; rather laws only reflect the eternal moral principles behind the laws.
  2. Laws are usually made to restrict or define the behavior ofthe immature.
  3. Laws are made to keep the immature from hurting them-selves or to keep them from hurting society at large.
  4. New covenant righteousness is not derived by perfect obedience to the law; rather it comes apart from the law and is received only through faith in Christ.
  5. New covenant righteousness is found only in Christ.
  6. The laws of the old covenant were holy, just and good for thepeople to whom they were given.
  7. New covenant morality does not open any door to sin.Rather, it raises the moral bar to new moral heights—thevery righteousness of God.
  8. The full acceptance by God and the imputed righteousness ofChrist provide a much better motivation for righteous living than trying to perfectly keep the letter of the law.

Endnotes

  1.  “Righteousness is obedience to the law.” Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, 1890-11-04.
  2. Read the Old Testament history of the exodus, book of Judges, etc. for many examples of immature people.
  3. Lev. 24:5–8.
  4. As a pastor I have always baptized by immersion as I think this is the biblical model and more fully follows the symbol of the reality. We must, however, keep ritual in its place and not allow it to take precedence over the ethical and moral commitment of the person being baptized.
  5. Rom. 5:6–10.
  6. “The New Testament forbids not only evils condemned in the Decalog, but also scores of others not mentioned in that code, such as drunkenness, love of pleasure, pride, anger, impatience, selfishness, boasting, filthy talk, evil thoughts, foolishness, uncleanness, strife, hatred, envyings, revelings, etc.” H. M. Riggle, The Sabbath and the Lord’s Day, (Faith Publishing House, Guthrie, OK, 1922). p. 86.
  7. Gal. 5:4.
Dale Ratzlaff
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