Twenty Reasons Laws are Applied but Not Abolished

The children are going to Sabbath class. I want to thank all those teachers for all their hard work, dedication. They put a lot of their own funds for the materials, and we greatly appreciate all their work and sacrifice and preparation for that. Have a wonderful program going. We're going to be giving you a handout for this sermon, so they'll be passing that out because it's a subject that we have a graph that I made up so that it's easier to have the scriptures. This is a very important subject, so I'm giving everybody this handout for them to go ahead and go through.

It is called, the sermon, 20 Reasons God's Laws Would Be Applied Differently But Not Abolished. 20 Reasons God's Laws Would Be Applied Differently But Not Abolished. I've been studying this for 40 years, and this is a subject that back in 1995, the church was tested and tried, and many people could never explain how God's laws function in the Bible. They were deceived. Many people got turned off and quit obeying God's laws. This is not just something theoretical. It is something very practical.

And I was going over this this past week and how all these jigsaw puzzle pieces fell into place. And so I made up this graph to help us go through it. And I'd like to begin with the first paragraph. It says, why don't we keep Christmas and New Year's? Here are some basic reasons why we don't. It's mainly because God's laws don't allow it. Yes, they were to be applied differently in the New Testament, but not to be abolished. It will take two sermons to fully cover this vital subject, but it will be well worth it.

So to me, this graph is so important that I reduced it in size, and I put it here in the back of my Bible. If you can put it in the back of the Bible, that's something important. But I just would like to go now in this first part to see how God's laws function in the Bible and how they developed through time. And so we have, first of all, the Old Testament we're going to go through today.

And then we'll be going over the New Testament, mostly in the second sermon. So I don't know exactly how far down we will get in this sermon, but we will cover the Scriptures. I want to do this slowly, gradually, because these are key scriptures and key concepts. So we have the Scriptures on one column, and then we have what is called the Old Testament Church, the Israel of the Old Testament. And then we have the Scriptures in another column about the New Testament Church, what was predicted in the Old Testament to happen and to understand, because the laws were going to shift from just focusing on Israel to be able to apply it to the church around the world.

So we want to go through this in just a step-by-step fashion and see how we begin in Genesis, and we'll cover this just like a tapestry, seamless tapestry that just goes smoothly through the entire Bible to the book of Revelation. And so, first of all, we have the covenant with Adam and Eve that God made. Let's go to Genesis 2 in verse 16 and 17. This was a very simple covenant. It was based on obedience. Genesis 2, verse 16 and 17, it says, And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

So God said this is a test of obedience. You have all the trees available. You can eat everything you want except one tree that is prohibited to you. And Adam and Eve later, she was created, consented. Fine, we will do that. And so there was this covenant, but that covenant didn't last very long. In chapter 3, verse 14, they went ahead and took of the forbidden tree. And so then breaking a covenant has consequences. These were the consequences.

Verse 14, So the Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, because Satan was involved in this deceit, he said, You are cursed more than all the cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly.

You shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. Notice here, it's not talking about seeds, it's talking about her seed, the coming Messiah. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. Talking about the prophecy of the coming Messiah to rectify and straighten out Adam's sin. To the woman, he said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception.

In pain, you shall bring forth children. Women do this all the time. Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you. There was going to be difficulties in the marriage, a man that wasn't converted and obedient to God. There's going to be a lot of exploitation. There was going to be a lot of abuse, even as we see today in the headlines. Men taking advantage of women, having to resign very powerful positions. Then to Adam, he said, because you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground for your sake.

In toy you shall eat of it all the days of your life. So the fertility was reduced in the soil. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you. So there's going to be dangerous plants. There's going to be thorns, all kinds of things. And you shall eat the herb of the field and the sweat of your face. You shall eat bread till you return to the ground. For out of it you were taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

So we see here the results of this first covenant. It ended in sin, but also there is law because without law there's no penalty. So there was law, there was sin, but there was also grace because God would send a Messiah to straighten things out, and redemption. He would be able to buy back humanity, fallen into sin, and under Satan's grasp, and God would redeem or rescue mankind. So this was the first covenant, and it's pretty well explained in Romans chapter 5 verse 12 through 21. If you want to understand about this covenant, you have to go to the New Testament because it's very well explained by Paul.

Romans chapter 5 starting in verse 12. This is talking about the breaking of that covenant with Adam and Eve. It says verse 12, therefore just as through one man, talk about Adam, sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sin. All have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God, so everybody ends up being guilty. No one lives a perfect life. Verse 13, for until the law of sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses. So even if the covenant at Mount Sinai had not been done, there was a covenant there with Adam. And people continued sinning. We had a flood in between. By the way, we had a chance about an hour away from the council meetings. They have what's called the Ark Encounter over there in Louisville, Kentucky, and we were able to go, about 10 of us of the council, and it is a life-size replica of the Ark. And it is impressive, the size of it. We were able to go in. It's like a museum inside. And so you're talking here about a reminder of what God had to do because of man's sin. He had to rescue Noah and his family at that time. So he says here, verse 14, Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is the type of him who was to come. So no matter how good or evil you were, you were still considered a sinner, and they died. And then he goes on about the Messiah. But the free gift is not like the offense, which is what Adam did. For if by one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded to many. So even though Adam got the ball rolling about sin and death, God got the ball rolling on this side through the Messiah and how he would conquer sin and death.

He goes on to say, verse 16, And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. Talk about Adam. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. So through Jesus Christ. For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, his sacrifice, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. So God's going to win in the end. He's going to rescue mankind so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So here we are in Genesis, and basically we can go now and see everything that God had planned and how He was carrying it out. The covenant made through Christ the seed, the seed of the woman who would eventually come and appear in the given time, His sacrifice, HS means Holy Spirit, would be available, law and grace would go together. So God is going to rectify. He is going to make things fine.

Okay, so that takes us to Genesis 22. Here's another covenant, the covenant with Abraham.

Genesis 22 verse 16 through 18.

Abraham is the father of the faith. It says in Genesis 22 verse 16, And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven and said, By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. And actually, that's talking about the Messiah. That's the covenant with Abraham and his descendants and the promise seed.

Now again, we have to go to understand this part of Scripture in Genesis. It's explained in Galatians chapter 3. So let's go to Galatians chapter 3. Remember the Old Testament church? Abraham was part of that, but then we have the continuation in the New Testament church. Galatians chapter 3 verse 16.

It says here, now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Notice seed is in capitals. He does not say, and to seeds, as of many of his descendants, but as of one, and to your seed, who is Christ. So the Bible explains itself, interprets itself. And this I say that the law, which was 430 years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. And so here we have the seed, Jesus Christ, Abraham's covenant. And then in verse 27, it goes on to say, for as many of you as were baptized into Christ, those who carry out the baptism have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. Doesn't matter what gender, what nationality or race. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed. Notice the play on words. Descendants and heirs according to the promise. So through the Messiah, now he's making it available to the whole world. And look at how few people we have. We have a deceived Christianity, celebrating pagan feasts. And here we have these wonderful truths, but hardly anybody listens. It is a hard cell in the world right now. It is a tough group to break that shell. Colossians chapter 2, just a couple of pages across. It says Colossians 2, 11-12. How do you become Abraham's seed? Verse 11, it says, In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.

Buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses, in the uncircumcision of your flesh, condemned to death. He has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. So here we have again clear evidence. The seed, Christ, would bring baptism and salvation available to all nations, not a few. So you see how the application of God's law is extended further in the New Testament. But it's not abolished. It's a continuation, although it is applied differently. That takes us to point three. What about the covenant at Sinai? Exodus 19 verse 5. Some people look at this covenant as if it was something bad. It wasn't. It was made by God. He's perfect. But it did have some provisional laws. That means temporary laws. In Exodus 19 verse 5 and 6, when he was before the children of Israel in front of Mount Sinai, God said, So God is saying, you need to be obedient to me. That was the emphasis. But Israel transgressed, went off. In a sense, the deep end didn't continue obeying God. And so it was punished. Notice in Jeremiah 7 verse 21. Jeremiah 7 verse 21.

Jeremiah was a prophet. God was about to punish Judah at that time. Nebuchadnezzar's troops were surrounding Jerusalem at that time. And God explained what they did wrong. In Jeremiah 7 verse 21, He said, Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. So again, at Sinai, obedience was emphasized above all. Sacrifices were always secondary. Sacrifices did not replace obedience. And so we have in the Bible, but it's the ceremonial law that was added in great part at Sinai. And then we have the spiritual law dealing with God's Ten Commandments. And as we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 19, you don't have to turn there, but I'll go ahead and read it, because Paul here separates the law into two parts. He says in verse 19, circumcision is nothing. There is a law of circumcision in the Bible. It has to do with a ceremonial law. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing. But keeping the commandments of God is what matters. That's what continues. People have not looked at that properly, and so they've done away with many of God's laws. They don't understand its applications.

That takes us to the fourth point. Israel did not have the heart to obey God's commandments. They lacked God's Holy Spirit, and so they didn't have a heart. God said it in Deuteronomy 5 verse 29, one of the saddest scriptures in the Old Testament. He said, "...O that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear me always, and always keep my commandments, that it may be well with them, and with their children forever." And up to this day, the world doesn't have that type of heart. They don't have that conversion to keep God's commandments as they should. And look how the world has deteriorated. Look at the mess we see around us.

So Israel, the people, lacked the Holy Spirit, so did not have an obedient heart. But God, through the Messiah, would raise up a people that would have an obedient heart.

Notice in Romans chapter 8, here is the difference.

The church in the New Testament is different than the church in the Old Testament. In Romans chapter 8 verses 1 through 4, those that have God's Spirit are protected. It says, verse 1, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. How can you walk according to the Spirit if you don't have God's Spirit? You don't know what that's about. You can't discern God's will. Verse 2, it says, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. And he's talking about condemnation, that a person is already forgiven by God, that grace is extended by God, and now we're walking a new way of life, of obedience, of submission to his will. Verse 3, For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, through that human nature, without the Holy Spirit, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh through his sacrifice. So he paid the penalty for us, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. So here we see again a new way of life. There is peace, there is freedom within God's laws. It's like going back to the Garden of Eden. God says, here are all my laws, all these wonderful blessings, just don't touch that tree of the science of good and evil. That's the world's ways. That's the way of sin. Don't touch it. And we have freedom within God's laws. So the members have the Holy Spirit and have an obedient heart. Though imperfect, we struggle. We trip. Sometimes we scrape our knees. We have to get up. We have to ask forgiveness. But we are on the way to God's kingdom. We are not any longer condemned with the rest of the world. That are unconverted. That have a hardened heart. That go against God's laws.

That takes us to the fifth point in the Old Testament. God promised a better covenant through the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah 31. So already in the Old Testament, it was predicted that God's law would be applied differently once a person had God's Spirit. And now was going to be able to obey and follow God and not have that carnal mind that the Israelites had of old. Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31.

In verse 31, that's a convenient way to memorize it. Jeremiah 31, 31. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant, which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, No, the Lord, for they all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin. I will remember no more people that can say, I know God. I know his ways. I already surrender myself to follow his ways. I'm not fighting it. I'm not rebelling with my human nature to put my nature first. No, I've already told God, I have surrendered. You're my God. I'm not going to follow my human nature like I did before. So God promised a better covenant through that coming of the Holy Spirit. And that is explained in the New Testament in Hebrews chapter 10, 14 through 24. That actually quotes Jeremiah 31. So let's go see how the Bible interprets itself. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 14. It says, for by one offering, talking about Christ, he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us for after he has said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them. Then he adds their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. They're all buried in baptism. Now, where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. There's no need for another sacrifice than the one that Christ gave. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh. So he sacrificed himself. And having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith that we've been forgiven, that we've been given that Holy Spirit. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. How important it is to continue assembling, receiving the strength, the encouragement of God's Word, so that we don't fall away, so that we don't become hardened like the rest of the world.

And so, what we see in the Old Testament, Moses knew that coming prophet, the Messiah, would arrive, and people should follow him and obey him. Unfortunately, Jewish people rejected in large part Jesus Christ. They did not follow what Moses, inspired by God, mentioned Deuteronomy 18, verse 15. Deuteronomy 18, verse 15, Moses said, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren, him you shall hear.

So he's saying there is a coming one. So Moses gave God's law in the Old Testament. Christ magnified God's law in the New Testament.

Hebrews chapter 3, this is why we don't practice Judaic rituals. We don't go around with all kinds of paraphernalia that the Jews use. Why? Mentions that hear. Hebrews chapter 3, verse 1 through 6.

It is therefore holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful in him who appointed him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house. For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward. But Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. So we have to endure. But this is, we follow Christ. We're not following Moses with all of the Judaic law that was added to it.

And so it takes us here to the final point about the Old Testament. The coming servant, the Messiah, would magnify God's law. It was predicted. It wasn't predicted. He was going to abolish God's law, but he was going to magnify it and make it honorable.

Let's go to Isaiah 42, 1 through 4. Notice here it's talking about the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 42. I'm going to let the translator take a little more time. Isaiah 42.

That's my dear wife in the back trying to keep up with me. Verse 1 says, Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my elect one, in whom my soul delights, I have put my spirit upon him. Of course, just talking about God the Father, he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. So God the Father is describing what Christ is going to do. He will not cry out nor raise his voice. He wasn't one that was aggressive and pushy. He was meek and humble, nor caused his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed he will not break, very considerate of others. In smoking flax, something very delicate, he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail, nor be discouraged, till he has established justice in the earth, and the coastlands shall wait for his law.

Then in verse 21, it continues, describing him, the Lord, talking about God the Father, is well pleased for his righteousness' sake.

He will exalt the law and make it honorable. That's what Jesus Christ said he was going to do. But if you go to just about all the different denominations out there, they're not going to tell you these things. They're not going to teach you that Christ came to magnify the law, to exalt it and make it honorable. But that's precisely what Christ came to do. Notice in John the parallel passage in the New Testament, John 1, in verse 14, talking about Christ as the Word, and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him, and cried out, saying, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fulness we have all received, and grace for grace, just an abundance of grace, or favor and forgiveness. For the law was given through Moses, it should say here, and the grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Because it's not opposed, but it is a continuation. It's an addition. In the Christian tradition, Christ came to magnify the law. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. So Christ would add the spiritual dimension and add more grace to God's law. That was part of his job description here on earth when he came. Let's go a little bit further, because we have to get to about halfway through. So now we go into the New Testament. Number eight. The Old Testament law was distorted through the oral and rabbinic rulings. So Christ had to come and straighten things out. They were not teaching God's law in a proper way, and so he came to teach it that way, to magnify and make it honorable. Matthew chapter 5 verse 20. Christ said, For I say to you that unless your righteousness, the way you apply God's laws, exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have to do a better job. The scribes and the Pharisees had been distorting God's laws. So Christ didn't say that we had to dumb ourselves down and lower the bar. No, we had to have better results than what the scribes and the Pharisees had had.

And then he goes on to explain, giving case after case, of how they weren't teaching God's law properly. And then in Matthew chapter 5, he gave the Beatitudes.

That's the beginning of the magnification of God's law by Jesus Christ, the Beatitudes, where he starts out in Matthew 5 verse 2. Then he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So he goes into the spiritual dimension, the attitude of a person properly following God's laws. That person is going to be poor in spirit or humble in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. So they're going to look at their human nature and they're going to mourn. They're not going to be satisfied. They're going to fight and battle against their nature, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek. This is the humility toward other people, for they shall inherit the earth. Keeping God's laws properly produces that. Verse 6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Yes, they're not out here watching TV, watching football game, or going out someplace else. No, they're here because they hunger and thirst for righteousness' sake.

So maybe I'm not the most popular guy. Whatever it is, please don't come for me. Please come to drink and eat of God's Word. If you find that's where you get filled, that's important. When I go to a gas station, especially before they used to have a gas attendant, right? I'm not worried about him. I need the gas. Just put the gas in the tank, right? That's what makes it work. That's what's important. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. They know how to apply God's laws to forgive, as we are forgiven of our offenses and sins. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Pure purity, because we've been cleansed and washed through God's Word. And so there's this purity, and there's this innocence, and there's this childlike eagerness to follow God, to learn more about God. Blessed are the peacemakers. Yes, they're not going to be going around shooting people up, smashing brains and doing whatever it takes. No, you learn about God's laws of peace, and they apply it, for they shall be called sons of God.

Can you see Jesus Christ becoming a soldier in those days? Maybe fighting the Jews, or fighting the Romans? No, I don't see him. He never did.

He never took up the sword.

Ten, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is a kingdom of heaven. So he describes a person that is properly with God's Spirit following God's law. And then he continues on, chapters 5, 6, and 7 in the Sermon on the Mount. So the Old Testament law was distorted through oral and rabbinic rulings. And Jesus says in verse 17, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. Well, that's what people say. He came to abolish. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. The term mentioned here is playroom, which means to fill to the fullest. Just like I used it for cramming the nets when the fish were just filling the nets and they were breaking the nets. That's filling it to the full. That's what Christ came to do. He says, verse 18, for sure, and surely I say to you till heaven and earth pass away one jot or one tittle, which are the smallest letters in the Hebrew alphabet, will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled, till every part of it is filled to the fullest. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so. Any of these commandments, the Ten Commandments, that's why I teach the Sabbath. That's why I teach the feast days. Why? Because it says here we've got to teach even the smallest commandments that have to do with God's laws. So shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. So we see here again the difference between Judaism in Christ's day and the New Testament church, which Jesus Christ was going to raise up. It takes us to number nine, Matthew 23. The problems with Judaism. It was it wasn't a church with God's Holy Spirit in it.

Matthew 23.

Starting in verse one. I'm not going to cover all of this, but this is the chapter where he denounces the Pharisees and the scribes. He says, chapter 23, verse one, then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. That's Judaism. That's where the seat of the government of the church of Judaism was. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works, for they say and do not do. Yeah, they weren't applying these things in a proper way, and they always had these excuses and a way to not apply it to themselves. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. And so, many problems with Judaism.

But Christ was not going to take Judaism and build, in that sense, on top of it. No, he was going to start with people that were going to receive God's Spirit, that were going to be converted. And so, in Matthew 16, verse 15, he wasn't going to reform Judaism. He wasn't going to take the Sanhedrin and try to convert them and make them into the leaders. Matthew 16, verse 15, and he said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, said, You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. So God was already working in the mind of Peter. Peter was in the process of conversion. He was gaining understanding. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, not Peter, Christ was saying about himself, I will build my church, not Peter's church, my church, and the gates of Hades or the tomb shall not prevail against it. What Christ builds? No man or angel can destroy. So Christ would build his church, not upon Peter, but himself. In Ephesians chapter 2, good scripture that explains this very well.

Ephesians chapter 2, and we can end here. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19, we've covered enough scriptures for today.

Notice how clear one scripture explains another. Verse 19, Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. So this is the new church that Christ is raising up, having been built on the foundation of the apostles of the New Testament and prophets, talking about of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, not Peter, not any human infallible being, in whom the whole building, talking about the church, being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. So this is a spiritual church. Those who have God's Spirit will manifest the fruits of God's Spirit, the spirit of obedience, of yielding to God's Word, of meekness, and of peace. All of these things that God says is part of the church. So it's important to underline what it says here about Christ said, I will build my church, not the Jewish church, not the church of the Sanhedrin. It was going to be him as a foundation for this new church of which we are all part of it. So brethren, you see how the harmony of the Old Testament and the New Testament and how that seed, the Messiah, would come and undo the works of the devil and Adam's sin and what would happen later with the rest of mankind. So God willing, next week, we'll continue in the New Testament to show you these 20 reasons why God's law is applied differently but is never abolished.