No one can be gathered into the Kingdom of God by His Christ solely by living under the old covenant laws; a covenant which God concluded because He found fault with the people under it. Now we are under the laws of the spirit called the new covenant (1 Cor 11:25), for the saving of our spirit, through The Christ our Lord, under God the Lawgiver. The laws given to Moses could not save people from inherited Adamic sin in order that they gain everlasting life. Nevertheless, the Mosaic laws are still beneficial to us if adhered to for our physical life on earth. But no longer are people to be punished for not obeying them, nor are we required to sacrificially offer up animals for our erring against laws which consisted of judicial decrees. (Eph 2:15). The new covenant requirements are superior, because they are founded on better promises, that of everlasting life. (Heb 8:6). Those under the new covenant offer up spirit sacrifices to God instead, by readjusting their lives toward holiness.

No judicial decrees were added to the Ten Commandments from God through Moses. (See Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21 and those laws described in detail throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy). But since The Christ, those sinning according to them have had the opportunity to turn to God for mercy by 'turning around' in their lives, in obedience to The Christ's laws of the spirit, his rules of conduct given to us through the apostles, and by doing works befitting repentance. (Acts 26:20).

Concerning The Christ it says: "By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace". (Eph 2:15. Col 2:13,14). This refers to the Jews and the Gentiles, and the enmity caused by the sacrificial laws, priestly laws, laws of hygiene, punishments, of the Tabernacle etc. But for those living under the new covenant by The Christ Jesus, there are no such laws consisting of decrees for punishment at all. The old laws were countermeasures against sin, before The Christ's arrival.

The new covenant laws are to be obeyed through one's belief and active faith in the spirit of truth, and our love of our Lord and His Christ, and each other.

Furthermore, the laws consisting of decrees that were given to the Jews, and which were otherwise called the judicial decisions of the first covenant (of Exodus 21:1 onwards), are not the "ten words" or decalogue (de'ka [ten] lo'gous [words] of Exodus 20:2 - 17). Finally, the christian position is to be understood in the light of the ten commandments, the judicial decisions being only a "shadow of the good things to come", and which were fulfilled in The Christ. (Heb 10:1-9). The "good things" among Christians and their manifestations would not therefore include immoral disobedience to the things spoken against in the Ten Commandments. It is the way of life established by The Christ that blots out those handwritten documents (Gal 3:13. Col 2:13,14) in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. The ancient laws of decrees were also given to show up sin; not to dispose of it altogether as is now the reality in The Christ.

14/4/90.