Angels, Demons and the Law
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
(Heb 2:1-4 NKJV) Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the
things we have heard, lest we drift away. {2} For if the word spoken
through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and
disobedience received a just reward, {3} how shall we escape if we
neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by
the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, {4} God also
bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
(1 Cor 6:2-3 NKJV) Do you not know that the saints will judge the
world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to
judge the smallest matters? {3} Do you not know that we shall judge
angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
The Jewish Law was "given through angels" (Acts 7:53, Galatians
3:19, Hebrews 2:2) and conversely Gentile religions are called the
worship of demons which are fallen angels (1 Corinthians 10:20).
Both Gentile and Jewish systems are called "the elemental things of
the world" and "the beggarly first principles" by Paul (Colossians
2:13-23, Galatians 4:1-5) Both Jewish and Gentile religions came
through angelic beings - the Jewish system through the good angels
and the Gentile systems through the fallen angels. Certainly the
Law was far better than idolatry but the basic elements were the
same - slain animals, priests, altars, temples, feast days, dietary
laws, and taboos of all sorts. Jesus changed all this!
One of the major points of the book of Hebrews is that Christ is
superior to the angels (Chapters 1&2) therefore the system He has
instituted is superior than that mediated by angels (see verses 2-4
above). Matthew makes the astonishing statement that even though John
the Baptist was the greatest man born of woman that the least in the
Kingdom of God was greater than he. (Matthew 11:11-13) The New
Covenant of born-again people was so far superior that the least of
its people were greater than any under the Jewish Law. How can this
be?
Jesus Christ though born under the Law died to the Law and rose
again and has "passed through the heavenlies" to the right hand of
God. He is now far above the angels. Therefore His system
-Christianity, is at a higher level than that of systems mediated by
angelic beings. In fact the Bible says that all who believe have been
raised up with Him and seated at God's right hand as an astounding
act of grace (Ephesians 1:20-23, 2:4-10). In fact we will rule the
world and even judge the angels! (1 Corinthians 6:2,3; Revelation
2:26,27, 3:21) Thus Christians - those "in Christ" by grace through
faith, are more exalted than the angels! This is true. Since we will
judge the angels we are therefore above the systems mediated by
angels with their taboos, laws, strange diets, festivals, sacrifices,
tithing, priesthoods, sabbaths, new moons and all the rest.
For Christians with Christ as our High Priest all need to obey
orders such as "don't eat, don't drink, don't touch" is gone. Those
things belong to systems that Christ has transcended - and that we
have also transcended in Him. They are weak, beggarly and finished
with. (Col 2:18-23 NKJV) Let no one cheat you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding
into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his
fleshly mind, {19} and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all
the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows
with the increase that is from God. {20} Therefore, if you died with
Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living
in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations; {21} "Do not
touch, do not taste, do not handle," {22} which all concern things
which perish with the using; according to the commandments and
doctrines of men? {23} These things indeed have an appearance of
wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the
body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Therefore we need to rid our Christianity of the thought that we need
rituals or sabbaths or food or drink or priests or any other
religious thing. They belong to the old era. They are weak and
beggarly. They have passed away. They are now of no use to us. What
we have we have directly through faith in Jesus Christ. You don't
need to add taboos and laws to faith in Jesus to be a good Christian.
Hebrews puts it bluntly "for the law made nothing perfect" (Heb
7:19). Rules and regulations cannot perfect the Christian. Grace
perfects the Christian. Paul makes this point very vigorously
throughout the book of Galatians. Here are just two examples.
(Gal 2:20-21 NKJV) "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me. {21} "I do not set aside the grace of God;
for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in
vain."
(Gal 3:1-4 NKJV) O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you
should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly
portrayed among you as crucified? {2} This only I want to learn from
you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith? {3} Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit,
are you now being made perfect by the flesh? {4} Have you suffered so
many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain?
Righteousness does not come through the law, we cannot be perfected
by the flesh. We live spiritually from the life of Christ within us
by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for us. This is not
lawlessness it is the holiness of Christ Himself living through us.
Such holiness cannot be codified. It cannot be attained through
circumcision or sabbaths or food or drink or tithing or sacrifices or
through priests. It comes through Christ alone. Please dig into this
over the weekend and think it through. It may well change your life!
(Eph 2:4-10 NKJV) But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved us, {5} even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), {6}
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, {7} that in the ages to come He might show the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ
Jesus. {8} For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, {9} not of works, lest
anyone should boast. {10} For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them.
Prayer:
Lord awaken our hearts to your grace so that we rely on Christ alone
for all our righteousness. Amen
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternity-magazine.org/
Cults, exegesis, bible teaching, Christian life and leadership.
For the thinking Christian!