UNDERSTANDING THE OLD TESTAMENT LAWS AND IT'S APPLICATION IN THIS PRESENT AGE

Are the Laws of the Old testament still applicable to us as believers
of the new covenant?
By God's grace this piece will answer this question and many more.

Looking at the Laws of the Old testament we can categorise them into:
1. The Moral Laws
2. The Civil Laws
3. The Ceremonial Laws

THE MORAL LAWS
The Moral Laws are those Laws that are concerned with the principles
of right and wrong behaviour.
They are given in order to make sure that the people are upright,
decent, virtuous and ethical.

The ten commandments falls under the Moral Laws[Exodus20:1-17].
Other examples of Moral Laws can be found in Leviticus19:1-37.

The question now is: 'Are these Moral Laws[not committing adultery,
lying, cheating stealing, etc] still applicable to us as followers of
Christ?'.
Yes, because Christ made reference to them in his "Sermon on the
Mount" [Matt.5:21-22, 27-28, 33-34].

He emphasised on the Moral Laws and even made them more firm, likewise
the early apostles in their various epistles.
Therefore, a believer of the New Covenant is not expected to tell
lies, cheat, fornicate or go contrary to the Laws of Morality and
virtue.

THE CIVIL LAWS
These are Laws peculiar to the governing of a nation. They are
constitutional and the judges are to make sure punishments are meted
out to offenders.
Some of these Civil Laws are also Moral Laws[E.g The Law against
Adultery falls both under the Moral and Civil Law].

Some of these Civil Laws can be found in Dueteronomy chapter 19, 20, 21 and 22.
Some include: Laws concerning restitution, dressing, retaliation(An
eye for an eye), Idolatry, divorce, cutting off hands and stoning to
death.

Once again, Are born again Christians(followers of Christ) to keep the
Civil Laws?.
In Mtt.5:31-32, Mtt.19:8-9, Mtt.5:38, Mtt.5:44-47, John8:5, our Lord
Jesus Christ spoke against some barbaric and cruel Civil Laws like
divorce, retaliation, killing of enemies and stoning to death, thus
discouraging their continuity.

Every other Civil Law, so long as they are not cruel, retaliatory,
hateful, malicious, uncharitable and oppressive are still relevant.
[You remember how zaccheaus promised to restore(restitute) all he had
taken by false accusation, when he met Jesus[Luke19:8].
That was a demand of the Civil Law[Restitution] which was also
practiced under the New Covenant.

The Civil Laws were not meant for the Jews only to keep. As we can see
in Acts15:20, The early apostles commanded the gentiles(non-jews), who
had recieved Jesus to keep some of the Civil Laws such as: Abstinence
from Idols and fornication, as well as other Laws concerning strangled
meat and blood.

THE CEREMONIAL LAWS
These are sacraments, rituals and conventional practices of the Old
Testament which brought justification, forgiveness, purity, cleansing
and deliverance from the punishments of sin. The ceremonial practices
points us to Christ.

Some of these practices includes:
-The feast of passover and the feast of harvest of the first fruit
offering, which was set aside to mark the Liberation of the Jews from
slavery.[Exodus13:1-15] [Now replaced with The Lord Supper].
-All kinds of washing and bathing[Exodus19:10].
-Separation from the camp for a number of days [Leviticus15:25-32].
-Sacrifice of Animals [Leviticus16:1-34].
-Circumcision [Gen.17:10, Exodus12:48]
-Burning of Incense [Exodus 30:7].
-The use of anointing oil [Exodus29:21] etc.

Are we to keep the ceremonial Laws? No, because they were pointing to
Christ and now that Christ has come, crucified, buried, risen and
ascended,
-He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world[John1:29].
-He brings justification and forgiveness[Rom.4:25].
-He delivers, liberates and saves from the bondage and consequences of
sin.[Mtt.18:11, John3:16].
-His blood cleanses, sanctifies and purges from sin [Heb.13:12].
-He is also our Firstfruit [1Cor.15:20].
Therefore ceremonial practices are no longer needed or valid.

WHAT ABOUT TITHING, DIETARY LAWS AND THE SABBATH?
- As for tithing, Jesus said: "...you pay tithe of mint and anise and
cumin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, judgement and
mercy and faith: THESE OUGHT YOU TO HAVE DONE[TITHE PAYING] AND NOT TO
LEAVE THE OTHER UNDONE[THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS] [Matt.23:23].
In other words, He was saying 'You should have done both'. Therefore
tithing is still valid.

-As for dietary Laws[clean and unclean meats], Romans14:14 reads: 'I
know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean
of itseelf: but to him that esteems anything to be unclean, to him it
is unclean'.

No animal is unclean but '...abstain from meats offered to idols'
[Acts15:29] and don't let '...this liberty of yourrs become a
stumbling block to them that are weak... If meat make my brother to
offend I will eat no flesh while the world stands...'[1Cor.8:9,13].

-As for the Sabbath,
Romans 14:5&6 reads: 'one man esteems one day above another: another
esteems everyday alike.
Let every man be fully persuaded in his mind.
He that regards the day regards it to Lord: and he that regards not
the day, to the Lord he does not regard it...'

The early apostles had fellowship on the first days of the
week(sundays)[Acts20:7, 1Cor.16:2], notwithstanding, they still had
fellowship with the people on saturdays [Mark1:21, Acts17:2].
Any day can be set aside for the Lord as a day of worship.

OUR HEART OR OUR BODY WHICH IS GOD INTERESTED IN?

The heart, in biblical context, refers to the innermost part of us.
It is that part of us where thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings,
intentions, aspirations and desires lie.

It is where thoughts are cooked up before they eventually become action.

On the other hand, the body refers to the external part of us which is
visible to all.

THE CENTRALITY OF THE HEART
As the popular saying goes: "THE MATTER OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF
THE MATTER". The intents of the heart are fundamental, foundational,
contributory and instrumental.
They determine actions, behaviour, conduct, and undertakings.

Little wonder, our Lord Jesus asserted: 'For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
wiitness, blasphemies'[Matt.15:19].

From this verse of scripture, we understand that sin works INSIDE-OUT
and not OUTSIDE-IN. Sin starts from within before it comes
out.[Matt.5:28]. Therefore the make-up and disposition of the heart is
pivotal and key.

Our Lord Jesus Christ trying to point out how instrumental the heart
is, declared:
'A good man out of the good treasures of the heart bringeth forth good
things and an evil man out of the evil treasures bringeth forth evil
things' [Matt.12:35].

It takes a clean heart to live a holy life, It takes purity of heart
to churn out good works.
-The proud in heart will surely be proud in actions.
-The filthy in heart will sooner or later become filthy and licentious
in actions.
-The malice and bitterness in the heart, will definately bring about
malicious actions(hostility).

The heart is not only fundamental, because it's make-up determines our
actions, but chiefly because it's state determines our eternal
destination(i.e the state of our heart determines whether we'll end up
in heaven or hell).
"BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART: FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD(these are the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ). [Matt.5:8].
"WHO SHALL ASCEND INTO THE HILL OF THE LORD? OR WHO SHALL STAND IN HIS
HOLY PLACE? HE THAT HATH CLEAN HANDS AND A PURE HEART" [Psalm24:3].

THE SACREDNESS OF OUR BODY
"...the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands..." [ Acts7:45].

"We are His workmanship (craft and handiwork)..." [ Eph.2:10 ].

"...ye are God's building" [ ICor.3:9 ].

"know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?..." [ 1Cor.6:15 ].

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the HolyGhost which
is in you...and ye are not your own...For ye are bought with a
price..." [ 1Cor.6:19 ].

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? [ 2Cor.6:16 ].

Our bodies are sacred, hallowed and holy. Our body is a peculiar asset
that is owned by God Almighty. It is God's most treasured possession.

God called other creations into existence with the word of His mouth,
but He had to take His time, went to the dust and put in some degree
of effort in order to form your body, His temple.
He also breathed into that body, thus making it a living soul [ Gen.2:7 ].

He created it for His habitation, a holy God definately needs a holy
temple to reside in.
-but you pierce God's sacred temple.
- you bore holes into it.
-you change it's natural colour.
-you deface it with tattoos and paintings.
-you offer it unto fornication and adultery.
-you destroy and cut it's span with smoking and alcohol.
-you make it an instrument of lies and cheating.
-you destroy lives with it.
-you offer it unto idols.
-you expose it shamelessly to every Tom, Dick and Harry on the street,
forgetting that it is sacred.
-you put on it what God said you shouldn't put on it.

Are we not desecrating and defiling the temple, the habitation of the
Almighty with all these.
God is calling you today, saying:
'I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE, BRETHREN BY THE MERCIES OF GOD THAT YOU
PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY ACCEPTABLE TO GOD WHICH
IS YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE" [ Rom.12:1 ].
"FOR WE MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST: THAT
EVERYONE MAY RECIEVE THE THINGS DONE IN HIS BODY, ACCORDING TO THAT HE
HAS DONE, WHETHER IT BE GOOD OR BAD" [ 2Cor.5:10 ].

God is interested in both our hearts and our body [ Pro.23:26, Rom.12:1 ].

Acknowledge your sins (including every filthy thought), repent of
them, confess them, ask for forgiveness, believe in your heart that
Jesus died and rose, thereby shedding His blood for the remission of
your sins.
After that;
-Give your heart to God [entertain positive thoughts only, discard
negative thoughts as they come]. [ Pro.23:26 ].
- Ask God in heartfelt prayers, to circumcise and create in you, a new
heart. [ Psalm51:10, Rom.3:29 ].
- Present and Consecrate your body to God, the rightful owner.

CALL TO SEPARATION

We were once sinners at some point or the other in our lives. We were
dead in sin, we were slaves to sin, under the dictatorship of sin.

While in this state of depravity, we heard a call[THE CALL TO SALVATION]:

'repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'[matt4:17],
'come to Me all you that labour(struggling with sin) and are heavy
laden(with the burden of sin) and I will give you rest'[matt11:28] and
we harkened.

We were like: 'WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?. We were told to:
-Acknowledge our sins[Luke18:11]
-Repent(regret of them sincerely and make up our mind not to go back
to them)[Acts3:19]
-Confess them[1John1:9]
-Ask for forgiveness[Luke18:11] and;
-8elieve in our heart that Jesus died and rose to remit our sins[Rom.10:9-10].

Then we did, we became born again, born anew, born the second time.
We died with Christ[Rom.6:3], living our sins behind, rose as new
creatures[Rom.6:4], as if we had never sinned, and now sitting with
Christ in heavenly places as a result of our Justification[Rom.6:4,
Eph.2:6].

Now that you are saved, now that you are born again, born into a new
family, you have God as your Father and Christ as the first born of
the family[Rom.8:16-17, Col1:15].

As a child of God, God has another call for you(after the first call)
- THE CALL TO SEPARATION.
You are now a member of a new family where 'HOLINESS' is the
watchword. The Father wants the children to be holy '...be ye holy for
I am holy'[1Peter1:16] and as a jealous Father who doesn't want to
share His glory with anyone,He is saying:

'...COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YOU SEPARATE, SAYS THE LORD, AND
TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING, AND I WILL RECIEVE YOU...WHAT CONCORD HAS
CHRIST WITH BELIAL? OR WHAT PART HAS HE THAT BELIEVETH WITH AN
INFIDEL? AND WHAT AGREEMENT HAS THE TEMPLE OF GOD WITH
IDOLS?[1Cor.16:17,15,16]

SEPARATION FROM UNEDIFYING/DEPRAVING ALLUREMENTS.

There are activities, interests, hobbies, events, entertaimments and
amusements that will never edify, develop, and improve our christian
lives.
There are so many ungodly/wordly activities and lifestyle out there,
that pollutes, corrupts, defile, and pervert our soul, thus draging us
back to sin.

Some of these are: pornography, blasphemous jokes/comedy,
sensual(filthy) songs/videos/books with vulgar lyrics and words,
gambling(all sorts of betting, that depicts coveteousness),
seductive/indecent/showy dressing that exposes sensitive parts of the
body, visiting and attending questionable functionts(e.g clubbing), as
well as other kinds of sin.

These activities will drain you out spiritually thus making you
sensual, lewd and carnal. If you must continue to be a member of the
heavenly family you must come out from all these.

SEPARATION FROM UNGODLY COMPANIONSHIP
'Be not decieved evil communication corrupts good manners'[1Cor15:32].

Does this mean you should say goodbye to your unbelieving friends,
don't visit them, don't go to their houses. No!.

There were ungodly places you went to with them, there were sinful
things you did together, separate from them in that wise.
Don't continue with them in doing those things, nonetheless, visit
them and show them love.
If after announcing your disapproval of their lifestyle and they
insist you join them, stay far away from them(because they might set
you up).

Have you answered the first call but you've shunned the second call
and now you are caught in the web of sin as a result of all these
pollutions that has perverted your soul,
admit, repent and confess your sins, ask for forgiveness believe in
your heart that Jesus died and rose thereby shedding his blood for the
remission of your sins.

After this, answer the second call - THE CALL TO SEPARATION.