The Law of the New Testament

“By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith”( Rom 3:27)

 

Copyright ã 2003 Rivkah Ministries By M. Larry Perrino

 

 

 

 

The modern 747 jumbo jet airplane (featured above) is the largest of all passenger airliners; depending on the configuration, it can handle 416 - 524 passengers.  The typical weight of a 747 at take-off is 400 to 435 tons, that is the equivalent weight of 320 full size American automobiles or 1,400 standard donkeys.  How can anything that massive fly?  What kind of physical laws must function in order to ensure the airworthiness of airplanes with that amount of physical mass?

 

Obviously, God’s physical laws preside over every tangible human activity.  How far-reaching are the physical laws, which govern the entire perceptible universe?  What about spiritual laws?  Do they operate at the same level as the physical laws such as gravity?  Let’s investigate.

 

It does not take a genius to realize that a modern 747 airliner somehow must supersede the laws that govern gravity!  Sir Isaac Newton conceived the notion of universal gravitation while he observed a falling apple; at this exact moment he noticed the moon in the daytime sky. These simultaneous images inspired him to correctly postulate that the laws governing the falling apple also governed the moon’s orbit around the earth.

 

The modern 747-jet liner is not some kind of an anomaly; it does not defy the laws of gravity.  Everything that flies must deal with the same four principal factors: lift, drag, gravity, and thrust.  If it flies through the air, it must somehow balance all of these factors.

·        Lift allows the aircraft to fly. Lift is created by the impact of air against the lower surface of the wing. The amount of lift is in a direct relationship with the speed of the aircraft. As speed increases, the amount of lift also increases. 

·        Drag is the force that opposes the forward motion of the aircraft. Drag is the result of all of the non-aerodynamic features (such as the landing gear) of the aircraft.

·        Gravity is the natural force that pulls the aircraft, and everything else, downward towards the earth.  In order to fly, the forces of lift have to exceed the forces of gravity.

·        Thrust is the force that opposes drag. In order for the aircraft to move forward, thrust must be greater than drag and it must be sufficient in order that lift may overcome gravity.

 

The point is that humanity has always been aware of the effects of the law of gravity!  Likewise, since Adam humans have spent a great deal of time pondering the birds; with such grace they effortlessly solve every problem associated with flight.  However, for 5,900 years humanity was utterly frustrated in his desire to fly.  Mankind suffered under insufficient information concerning the laws that govern lift and the laws that govern thrust in order to overcome gravity and begin to fly. 

These same physical laws have continually existed since the beginning of man; the problem is: If one does not know and understand the proper application of laws he will not be able to use one law or a combination of laws to overcome certain others.  The simple paper airplane (see illustration) solves all of the difficulties associated with flight when it is thrust forward into the air.  If that same paper airplane had been fashioned and understood by Adam and Eve, humanity could have learned to fly from its earliest beginnings.  However because of ignorance, the law of gravity ruled supreme over mankind for nearly six millennia.  We must realize that the laws of flight, which are associated with lift and thrusts, do not abolish the law of gravity; they merely overcome the natural conditions associated with gravity.  In order for an aircraft to fly, lift must exceed gravity, which is the natural force that draws or holds objects to the earth.

The good news is that once a human understands and employs those higher-level laws that supersede the earth’s natural laws, they can overcome conditions that tend to (pull down); in doing so we can (rise above) our natural circumstances and begin to soar!  The same thing is true in the spirit realm, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Rom 1:20).  Our problem is that we must uncover the necessary spirit laws, which can be used to overcome our natural circumstances!  The purpose of this Bible Study is to expose one such powerful law that works in the spirit realm!

Let us begin with the most essential and yet powerful spiritual law that the Bible teaches, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed” (Heb 11:3).  Faith is obviously one of the most powerful of all of God’s forces.  The word “faith” occurs in two hundred and forty-seven different instances in the Bible!  However, the word “faith” can be found merely two times in the entirety of the Old Testament!  The first time the word is used it depicts Israel while still in the wilderness.  They are described in a rather reproachful fashion, “then he (Israel) forsook God which made him . . . for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith” (Deut 32:15-20). Israel had no faith!

The next and last time that we find the word “faith” in the Old Testament it occurs practically at the end of the book.  The word is used as it describes an individual who is “just,” “but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:4).  Considering that “faith” is associated with the “just,” in contrast to Israel, God may be conveying a message through that passage that the nation of Israel simply came up short through their own efforts to live justly before God.

Jesus spoke on four different occasions to various Jews of His time.  He was dismayed by their obvious lack of faith.  Notice how the Lord used the expression, “of little faith,” to relate to them: (1) Jesus was concerned over those who had gathered at the “mount” to hear His sermon; these people were obviously hesitant in believing that God would provide their every need, “shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Matt 6:30);  (2) Jesus confronted fearfulness in His disciples, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (Matt 8:26);  (3) Jesus confronted Peter’s doubts, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matt 14:31);  (4) Jesus dealt with His disciples human reasoning, “O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves” (Matt 16:8).

We just read in the Book of Deuteronomy and learned that Israel had earlier been described as a nation, “in whom is no faith!”  Notice how Jesus marveled at the faith exhibited by a certain centurion, “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (Matt 8:10). 

What is this “faith” that Israel as a nation lacked and yet Jesus commended in the centurion?  How does one get this faith?  How does this faith operate?   And, are there spirit laws which govern this faith?  We are aware that, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen 1:1); the Apostle John reveals even more specific information concerning that beginning, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:1-3).  Jumping down to verse fourteen we learn how, “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) in the person of Jesus.  In the Book of Hebrews we learn how Jesus created all things; “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Heb 11:3).  A little earlier, that book explained that, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom (Jesus) also he made the worlds” (Heb 1:1-2).  Through faith, Jesus spoke the universe into existence!  These passages essentially teach that (faith) was used to create all things as God’s word spoke everything into existence.

We will discover that the New Testament reveals a law of faith, which operates in the spirit realm.  In much the same way that Jesus framed the universe with His words, the children of God have the capacity to frame their own circumstances.  The law of faith, which we are going to learn more about, is one of the means by which the children of God frame their world.  

It should not surprise us that everything that we can observe had its beginning with words.  The words that come out from the mouth of God are the single most powerful force in the universe, “upholding all things (the universe) by the word of his (Jesus’) power” (Heb 1:3).  Words are transmitters; they can transmit faith; they can also transmit fear!  Words even have the power to transmit the faith of Jesus Christ, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17).

The Book of Hebrews reveals, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).  This means that faith essentially is the title deed or the substance of the things that God has already given to us.  Notice how Peter expressed that God has, “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).  Peter articulated that God gave us, all these things through His, “exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).  Through each of these, “exceeding great and precious promises” God has also released sufficient faith which is attached to those promises.  God’s own faith is attached to those promises so that “all things” actually may become possible in our lives when we exercise the proper faith.  In essence, faith is the substance (tangible material) that we can hold on to now; it is our proof that God has already provided those things by way of His promises!

So how do we receive God’s promises by faith?  Paul taught how the prophets had long before predicted that God’s righteousness would one day be manifest, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom 3:21-22).  Faith is the actual substance that is resident in the Words that Jesus voiced; He said, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).  Jesus further made it clear that man shall live, “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).  This means that there is life in every word that God ever spoke!  His words are power packed!  Likewise, there is death in the words of the devil; and every person who speaks the devil’s words will certainly die!

When we repeat any word, which has already been uttered by God, and therefore power packed with His faith, that reiterated word transmits into our spirit the divine energy of God known as faith!  That faith is capable of transforming (which means to form again) a sinner’s unrighteousness into the righteousness of God!

Notice how Paul reveals that this thing called “faith” is the law of the New Covenant, “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith” (Rom 3:27).  Paul continues, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Rom 3:31).  Now Paul is clearly stating here that we establish a law!  Notice how Paul refers to faith as a law, “but by the law of faith.”  Paul explained that we have not right to boast about being the righteousness of God, because it is not something that we did (or earned by law keeping); rather, the righteousness of God is something that we all received when we were born-again!  We are justified by this faith.  We have learned in earlier Bible Studies that means, “just-if-I’d never sinned.”  Paul wrote, “we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28).

Yet, just a few verses later Paul writes that, “we establish the law” (Rom 3:31).  Was Paul talking about the law of the Old Covenant, which was a law of works?  In Galatians Chapter three Paul supplies his own answer to our question, “if there had been a law given (Old Covenant under Moses) which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law” (Gal 3:21).  However, “before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith (meaning we were unable to come to faith through the keeping of the Mosaic law) which should afterwards be revealed” (Gal 3:23).

It is evident from what we have just read in Galatians and Romans that Paul did not mean by his words in Rom 3:31 that we are to “establish the law” of the Old Covenant; rather he referred to the new law of faith!  Paul referred once again to this newly understood law of God as he revealed things concerning the carnal mind, “it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7).  The carnal mind cannot understand the law of God.  It is important to understand that this is not the Law of Moses that Paul is referencing here!  The Law of Moses is clearly understood by the carnal mind; the Law of Moses is openly intellectually discernable!  However, only the heart of one who is born-again can begin to understand the Law of Faith, which is the New Testament Law of God!  This is the reason that the children of Israel never did have any real faith; they naturally relied on the Law of Moses!

The Law of Faith is so elusive because faith is an issue of the heart and not of the head, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom 10:10).  If you do not believe something in your heart, your head will never go along with the whole notion; and certainly your mouth will never speak what you do not believe!

According to the New Testament we ought not focus on the letter of the law; rather the spirit, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Cor 3:6).  We receive our righteousness not through works but by faith, “that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal 2:16).  Jesus utterly accomplished all of the works of the law!  Indeed, “the works were finished from the foundation of the world” (Heb 4:3).  What the Father and Son had spoken at the foundation is what Jesus came to fulfill 4,000 years later as a human!

The law of faith is initiated (sparked-off) by the power of the spoken word, “whatsoever ye shall ask (presumably by using your mouth) in my name, that will I do” (John 14:13).  The law of faith is initiated by the power of the spoken word, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say” (Matt 17:20).  The law of faith is initiated by the power of the spoken word, “but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23).  The law of faith causes movement that will change any situation in life!

We earlier noted that, “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Rom 1:20).  So how are we supposed to see something that is invisible?  If you cannot see it clearly in the word, you will be utterly unable to receive it by faith!  This means that we must see it on the inside using the eye of faith, “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: (invisible) for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18).  The eye of faith causes one to perceive the word of God as a thing that is true; through this process the heroes of faith obtained a good report, “having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them” (Heb 11:13).  How can we embrace what we see afar off? (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) (2 Cor 5:7).

Another important element of the law of faith is the realization that our mouths are a witnesses to what we believe in our hearts, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt 12:34).  When we believe in our hearts our mouths will speak the word of God, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth” (Josh 1:8). 

We see into the spiritual realm by speaking the word of God!  God’s word causes light and revelation in our innermost spirit.  We must first have revelation of God’s word in order to produce through faith, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1)!  We must start with a revelation of God’s promises regarding our circumstances.  With a revelation it will be impossible for someone to talk us out of our faith before we set the law of faith into motion.  Next, we plant the seed of God’s word into our hearts as we speak, proclaim, and confess what God has already said, regardless of our circumstance, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you” (Luke 17:6).  We essentially put the law of faith to work by first speaking God’s word into our circumstances.

The same laws that govern the spirit realm are extended into our physical earth!  We can learn about the spirit laws by observing the natural laws.  For example we have already observed the law of gravity; it decrees that any body heaver than air will certainly drop to the earth.  However, once Wilbur and Orville Wright learned how to supersede the law of gravity by infusing the laws of lift and thrust humans began to fly! 

It is important to realize that a believing pilot could sit on the runway all day long and pray that his airplane might somehow develop enough lift under its wings to fly; however, nothing will happen until the pilot introduces sufficient thrust to create the lift needed to make the plane overcome gravity and begin to fly!  The correct laws must be put into motion in order to rise above natural circumstances.   In like fashion, faith is impossible to obtain by simply praying for it, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17).  We must first hear what God has already said in order to begin the process of believing in God and His promises.  Bible faith is only obtainable from the promises that we find in the Bible.  Now get this point; our confession of God’s word is to our faith like thrust is to that pilot’s airplane!  God’s promises belong to us!  Faith is the title deed of what God has already provided; Peter wrote, “to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:1-4).  God’s promises belong to everybody; however, only those who exercise faith will claim the promises!

God’s word is designed to create faith; however, it cannot create faith while it lays dormant on the pages of the Bible.  His word must be spoken out of somebody’s mouth, “the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith” (Rom 10:8).  In the same fashion, faith will not operate in us as long as God’s words are just part of the intellectual knowledge that we carry around in our head; faith must be transferred to our heart!  The most effective way to get faith into your heart is by speaking the words/promises that God has already spoken, “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God” (John 3:34).  Jesus clearly spoke what God had already instructed Him to speak, “he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him” (John 8:26); “the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49).  In like fashion Christians are supposed to follow Jesus, “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (John 12:26).  The divine energy (faith) that is resident in His Word can be transferred into our hearts as we confess and meditate on His word, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11).  Notice how Jesus put it, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide (abide means to live or dwell) in you, ye shall ask (we ask by speaking) what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).  Therefore we must be confessing God’s word as we ask for our needs in the name of  Jesus!

 

Faith follows the word, “he shall have whatsoever he saith” (Mark 11:23).  If we do not have the word in us and speak it out, we will not have the faith to receive God’s provision.  We must meditate on and confess God’s promises, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5:1-2).   Often people will say, “I am standing on that promise;” however, we can only stand on the word that abides in us.  Just because we hear and even believe some promise does not mean that the word abides in us!  A word that is merely heard and believed abides only in a person’s head!  We must initiate the process to activate that specific word that merely resides in our head by transferring the word from our head into our hearts by way of our mouth!  In the same way that an airplane that is thrust down the runway eventually generates enough lift to make the plane rise above the ground; so too our confession of God’s word creates the divine energy that is capable of causing us to rise above our circumstances!  That airplane does not eliminate the laws of gravity; it merely overcomes the law.  In the same fashion, we do not eliminate sickness, disease, poverty, and lack; however, Christians “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony”  The devil spoke the words that eventually brought about a curse; it is that curse that we overcome!

God’s divine energy known as faith remains resident in His promises!  Nevertheless, that divine energy remains dormant until it is set into motion by a spoken word!  When we begin to speak the word of God we essentially apply spiritual thrust to our situation.  However, you must realize that you have probably spent most of your lifetime speaking negative things!  Negative speaking in our past has created more, “drag” (see the image on page 1).  If you have been speaking negativity for 20-30-40 years you will not get your spiritual craft up to speed in just a few days!  Nevertheless, even thought it may take some time it will eventually get moving fast enough that the lift under the wings will make it rise above the natural!

Remember what we earlier observed: If one does not know and understand the proper application of laws he will not be able to use one law or a combination of laws to overcome certain others.  You now have the specific knowledge concerning how you can apply spiritual lift to your circumstances and overcome the curse established by Adam!

How important is it for us to be speaking God’s word?  Notice that 750 years before Jesus came upon the earth the prophets were speaking of the Messiah, “the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son” (Isa 7:14).  God inspired the prophets to speak about the Messiah long before He even came!   The Apostle Paul taught that the righteousness of God would speak, “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise” (Rom 10:6).  Notice that just two verses later Paul essentially asks, what is spoken by “the righteousness which is of faith?” Paul’s question follows, “But what saith it?” (Rom 10:8).  The answer resounds in that same verse, “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Rom 10:8).  Here Paul openly confessed that he preached “the word of faith!”  Next, notice how Paul described this process, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Rom 10:9).  

Perhaps the best way that we should think about this whole concept is by way of the following phrase: Faith appropriates what grace has provided.  Paul said, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand” (Rom 5:2).  Since we have access by faith and we have learned that faith is released by our words, we should definitely take advantage over circumstances; we know that saints overcome the effects of the fall by, “the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Rev 12:11). 

Jesus taught us that we are not to speak to God about our mountain, rather that we are to speak to the mountain about our God, “if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done” (Matt 21:21).  Faith works by believing in our hearts.  What an individual believes in his heart he will ultimately speak.  Our Lord taught, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matt 12:34).  So it is important that we speak; it is a law of God, “By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith” (Rom 3:27).  We do not eliminate the law of Moses; rather, we rise above it by the law of faith!

So what is going to happen with Israel?  Are they forever doomed because before faith came they were, “children in whom is no faith” (Deut 32:15-20).  Didn’t Paul say, “before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up (meaning they were unable to come to faith by keeping the law) unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed” (Gal 3:23)?  Paul explained, “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone” (Rom 9:31-32).  Israel stumbled; therefore, are they forever lost?  Notice Paul’s exact words concerning Israel, “Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Rom 11:11-12).  As a matter of fact Paul reveals that, “all Israel shall be saved” (Rom 11:26).  If you would like to know more about how God plans to save all of Israel, we suggest that you order the Rivkah Ministries, Bible Study entitled, “Ye Do Err,” for more information.  You may obtain a copy of that study and/or the sound file from Http://www.Rivkah.org.   

It is true as Habakkuk said, “but the just shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:4).  You have been justified (therefore you are obviously “ just!”)   You became just totally apart from the deeds of Moses’ Law; therefore, you must live by faith!  That is the essence of the message of the New Testament Law of God, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7)!