Image: Conversation after midweek prayer meeting at CRBC (3.16.16).
Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday morning’s sermon on Hebrews 7:18-28.
“For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto
God” (Hebrews 7:19).
“For the law maketh men high priests which have
infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated
for evermore” (Hebrews 7:28).
In Hebrews, we have seen stress upon Christ greater than prophets
(Heb 1:1-2), greater than angels (Heb 1:4), greater than Moses (Heb 3:3-6), Christ
greater than the priests, greater than Levi, greater than Aaron, greater than
their priesthood, because theirs had been an imperfect priesthood (Heb 4:15),
greater even than Father Abraham.
Today we want to add one more item to the list of that which
Christ is greater than: Christ is
greater than the law.
That
statement could, I admit, be taken in a perverse manner. It might suggest an anti-nomian spirit, a
law-less spirit.
As,
however, the Reformation Heritage Bible puts it: “Under the gospel, the ceremonial law has
been abrogated and the civil law has expired.
But the moral law—written on human hearts at creation, ratified as the
covenant of works, and confirmed by Christ—continues to bind all human beings
to obey it.”
When
we say Christ is greater than the law we are not saying that the moral law of
God is done away with. We are saying
that the Lawgiver is greater than the law.
And we are saying that the law never made anyone perfect (Heb 7:19), not
because the law was bad, but because we, as sinners, could not keep it. We could not be justified by the works of the
law. But we were justified by faith in
Christ, the perfect law-keeper and the perfect law-giver.
Indeed,
we can affirm today with the writer of Holy Scripture: Christ is greater than the law!
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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