Investigating the SDA 28 Fundamental Beliefs: #19 "The Law of God"

 

SDA Belief #19: The Law of God

The great principles of God’s law are embodied in the Ten Commandments and exemplified in the life of Christ. They express God’s love, will, and purposes concerning human conduct and relationships and are binding upon all people in every age. These precepts are the basis of God’s covenant with His people and the standard in God’s judgment. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit they point out sin and awaken a sense of need for a Savior. Salvation is all of grace and not of works, and its fruit is obedience to the Commandments. This obedience develops Christian character and results in a sense of well-being. It is evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow human beings. The obedience of faith demonstrates the power of Christ to transform lives and therefore strengthens Christian witness. (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 28:1-14; Ps. 19:7-14; 40:7, 8; Matt. 5:17-20; 22:36-40; John 14:15; 15:7-10; Rom. 8:3, 4; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 8:8-10; 1 John 2:3; 5:3; Rev. 12:17; 14:12.

Part 1: A New Covenant Critique of SDA Belief #19: The Law of God (The Statement of Belief #19)

Let’s be honest, friends. When we read the SDA statement on the Law of God, it sounds very holy and reverent. Who doesn’t want to obey God, right? But as students of the Word, we need to dig deeper. We need to check if what they are saying actually matches the "terms and conditions" of the New Covenant.

From a New Covenant Theology perspective, the main problem with this statement is that it tries to glue the Old Covenant rules onto the New Covenant life. It fails to see that the cross changed the entire management system of God's people.

Here is a point-by-point refutation using proper hermeneutics (interpretation) and sound exegesis (text analysis).

1. Critique of "Binding Upon All People in Every Age."

SDA Statement: "They [The Ten Commandments]... are binding upon all people in every age."

The Argument: SDAs teach that the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) are the eternal, universal constitution of the universe, existing before Creation and binding on everyone, even today.

New Covenant Response:

This idea is simply not found in the text. Actually, the Bible says the exact opposite.

Historico-Grammatical Look at Deuteronomy 5:2-3:

Moses is speaking to the Israelites about the Ten Commandments. Look at what he says: "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive."

Exegesis: Moses explicitly denies that this covenant (the Ten Commandments) was made with their ancestors (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). It was a special arrangement starting at Sinai. If the Patriarchs didn’t have this covenant, how can it be "binding on all people in every age"? Psalm 147:19-20: "He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His judgments to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation..."

Reality Check: The Law was a national contract for Israel. The Gentiles (other nations) were "strangers to the covenants of promise" (Ephesians 2:12). To say it binds everyone is to ignore the specific historical context of the Law.

2. Critique of "Embodied in the Ten Commandments" (The Unity of the Law)

SDA Statement: "The great principles of God’s law are embodied in the Ten Commandments... The Ten Commandments are the standard."

The Argument: This relies on the "Two Laws Theory," the idea that you can separate the "Moral Law" (10 Commandments, eternal) from the "Ceremonial Law" (sacrifices, temporary).

New Covenant Response:

This distinction is artificial. You cannot find a verse in the Bible that says, "Here is the Moral Law, and over there is the Ceremonial Law."

The Greek Term Nomos (Law):

When the New Testament writers use the word Nomos (Law), they almost always refer to the entire Mosaic system as one block. 

Galatians 5:3: Paul says if you accept circumcision (ceremonial), you are "a debtor to keep the whole law." It’s a package deal. You cannot pick the "moral" raisins out of the "ceremonial" bread. It is all one loaf.

James 2:10: "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." The Law is a unit. If the "Ceremonial" part is gone, the "Old Covenant Moral" part (the tablets of stone) is also gone as a binding system.

The New Standard: The standard for the Christian is not the Ten Commandments; it is the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). This includes the eternal moral truths (don't kill, don't steal) but filters them through the Cross. That’s why we don’t stone adulterers anymore, and that’s why we don’t keep the Sabbath.

3. Critique of "Standard in God's Judgment."

SDA Statement: "These precepts are... the standard in God’s judgment."

The Argument: SDAs believe God will open the Ark of the Covenant in heaven and check our lives against the stone tablets.

New Covenant Response:

This is a terrifying thought that completely misses the Gospel of Grace. The Christian is not judged by the Law of Moses.

Romans 7:1-6 (The Marriage Illustration): Paul uses an analogy of a woman whose husband dies.

The Husband = The Law.

The Woman = The Believer.

The New Husband = Christ.

Exegesis: Paul says in verse 4, "You also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ." Which law? Verse 7 quotes, "You shall not covet." That is the Tenth Commandment!

Conclusion: We have died to the Ten Commandments. You cannot be judged by a law you are dead to! If a husband dies, he cannot sue his wife from the grave. We are now married to Christ, and He is our standard.

2 Corinthians 3:7-11 (The Ministry of Death):

Paul calls the law written on stones (the 10 Commandments) the "ministry of death" and the "ministry of condemnation." He says it is "passing away" (katargeo - abolished/faded). Why would God judge His children by a ministry of death that has passed away?

4. Critique of "Obedience... Develops Christian Character"

SDA Statement: "Obedience to the Commandments... develops Christian character... It is evidence of our love."

The Argument: Sanctification comes by looking at the Law and trying to obey it.

New Covenant Response: This is putting the cart before the horse. In the New Covenant, we don't look at the Stone Tablets to become holy; we look at Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all... beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image." We are changed by gazing at Christ, not by memorizing the Decalogue.

The Weakness of the Law (Romans 8:3): The Law could tell you what is wrong, but it gave zero power to do what is right. It’s like a "No Parking" sign, it tells you the rule, but it cannot move your car.

The Power of the Spirit:

The SDA statement says obedience comes "through the agency of the Holy Spirit," which sounds good. But in their theology, the Spirit points you back to the Old Law. In the Bible, the Spirit points you to Christ and produces fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) naturally. You don't need a law to tell you to love your kids; you do it because it's in your nature. That is the New Covenant difference.

Summary Conclusion

• The SDA Fundamental Belief #19 is built on a "Continuity" model, thinking the Old Covenant just rolled over into the New with a few tweaks. But the Bible teaches "Discontinuity."

• The Ten Commandments were the Old Covenant (Exodus 34:28).

• The Old Covenant is Obsolete (Hebrews 8:13).

Therefore, the Ten Commandments (as a legal code) are Obsolete.

We are not lawless! We are under the Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21). We obey, not because of thunder on Sinai, but because of the love displayed at Calvary. We don't need the shadow because we have the Substance.

Part 2: A New Covenant Critique of SDA Belief #19: The Law of God (Whole book commentary of Chapter 19)

Introduction

We hold deep respect for our Seventh-day Adventist friends who desire to live holy lives and honor God through obedience. However, as students of the Scriptures, we must carefully examine the distinction between the Old Covenant (given to Israel) and the New Covenant (established by Christ). From the perspective of New Covenant Theology, the SDA position relies on a hermeneutic that artificially divides the Law of Moses, a division the Bible itself does not make.

Below is a respectful refutation based on historico-grammatical exegesis.

1. Critique of the "Moral" vs. "Ceremonial" Distinction

SDA Statement: "To help Israel apply the commandments, God gave them additional laws... civil laws... ceremonial laws... God communicated these... through Moses... not in the ark, as he had done with God’s supreme revelation, the Decalogue." (page 349)

The Argument: The SDA theology separates the Law into two categories: the "Moral Law" (Ten Commandments, which are eternal) and the "Ceremonial Law" (sacrifices/festivals, which were abolished).

New Covenant Response:

This distinction is theological, not biblical. The Scriptures view the Law of Moses (Torah) as a single, indivisible unit.

Exegesis of "The Law": When Paul speaks of "The Law" (ho nomos) in Galatians and Romans, he treats it as a comprehensive whole. In Galatians 5:3, Paul warns, "I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law." Paul does not say "keep the ceremonial part"; he implies that accepting one part (circumcision) obligates you to the whole system. You cannot pick and choose ingredients from the soup; it is one mixture.

The "Two Books" Theory: The idea that the Moral Law was in the Ark and the Ceremonial Law was beside the Ark constitutes a distinction of location, not duration. Both were part of the "Book of the Covenant." Jesus refers to the law as a single unit in Matthew 5:18, saying not one "jot or tittle" will pass away until all is fulfilled. He does not separate the moral "jots" from the ceremonial "tittles."

Conclusion: The Law of Moses is a package deal. If the ceremonial law is obsolete, the specific covenantal structure of the Ten Commandments (the tablets of stone) is also obsolete, replaced by the superior Law of Christ.

2. Critique of the "Eternal Nature" of the Decalogue

SDA Statement: "The Law Before Sinai... That Lucifer and his angels sinned gives evidence of the presence of the law even before Creation... When God created Adam and Eve... He implanted the moral principles of the law in their minds." (page 354)

The Argument: SDAs assert that the Ten Commandments are the eternal standard of righteousness for angels and humans before Sinai.

New Covenant Response:

This is an anachronism (reading later history into earlier times).

Deuteronomy 5:2-3: Moses is very specific: "The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive."

Hermeneutics: If the Ten Commandments (the covenant words) were binding on Abraham and Adam in the same format, Moses’ statement would be incorrect. While sin existed before Sinai (Romans 5:13), the specific codified law of the Ten Commandments did not.

The Nature of the Commands: The Ten Commandments are not suited for eternity.

"Honor your father and mother" cannot apply to angels (who have no parents) or to Adam and Eve (who had no parents).

"You shall not commit adultery" implies a marriage system, which does not exist in the eternal state (Matthew 22:30).

Therefore, the Decalogue is not the "constitution of the universe," but the constitution of the nation of Israel.

Conclusion: The eternal standard of God is His own nature and character, not the code written on stone tablets, which was a temporary guardian for Israel.

3. Critique of the Law as a "Reflection of God's Character."

SDA Statement: "As a reflection of God’s character, the ten-commandment law is moral, spiritual, and comprehensive... containing universal principles." (page 347)

The Argument: Because God is unchangeable, and the Law reflects Him, the Law must be unchangeable.

New Covenant Response:

The Law is a reflection, but it is not the image.

2 Corinthians 3:7-11: Paul calls the Ten Commandments the "ministry of death, written and engraved on stones." He acknowledges it had "glory," but he says it was a glory that was "passing away" (katargoumenon).

Christ is the Image: Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus is "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person." The Ten Commandments are mostly negative ("Do not..."). God's character is positive love. Jesus is the full, final, and superior revelation of God's character. We do not look to the shadow (the Tablets) to see God; we look to the Son.

If you want to know how to behave, you do not just read Exodus 20; you look at the life of Jesus. Jesus often raised the standard higher than the Decalogue (e.g., Matthew 5:21-22, anger vs. murder).

4. Critique of the "Schoolmaster" Relationship

SDA Statement: "Paul referred to both the moral law and the ceremonial law as 'our schoolmaster... to bring us unto Christ'... While the law reveals our sin, it can never save us... [but] obedience to the Ten Commandments assures us true freedom." (page 352)

The Argument: The Law leads us to Christ for salvation, and then Christ leads us back to the Law for sanctification.

New Covenant Response:

This misses the key point of Paul's metaphor in Galatians 3:24-25.

Greek Exegesis: The word is paidagogos (tutor/guardian). In ancient culture, the paidagogos was a slave who disciplined the child and took him to school.

Verse 25: "But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Once the child (the believer) is delivered to the Teacher (Christ), the authority of the Tutor (The Law) is finished. We do not go back to the Tutor to learn how to live; we listen to the Teacher.

Romans 7:1-6: Paul uses the illustration of marriage. A woman is bound to her husband (The Law) as long as he lives. But if he dies, she is free to marry another (Christ). You cannot be married to two husbands at the same time. We have "died to the Law" so that we might be married to Christ. You cannot have the Law of Moses and Christ as your master.

5. Critique of "The Law Written on the Heart."

SDA Statement: "I will put My laws in their mind... (Heb. 8:10). The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart..."

The Argument: The New Covenant is simply the Old Covenant (Ten Commandments) moved from stone tablets to the heart.

New Covenant Response:

The New Covenant is not a relocation of the Old Law; it is a change of the Law itself. Hebrews 7:12: "For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law." If the priesthood changed from Levite to Melchizedek (Christ), the Law (Torah) must also change.

The Law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2): The believer is not "without law," but is "in-lawed" to Christ. The Law written on the heart is the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). It operates by love, not by the letter code of the Decalogue. While the Law of Christ incorporates the moral mandates of the Old Testament (don't kill, don't steal), it filters them through the Cross. This is why 9 of the 10 commandments are repeated in the New Testament, but the Sabbath is never commanded to the Church. The "Law written on the heart" is the Holy Spirit prompting us to love, which fulfills the righteous requirement of the law (Romans 8:4).

Summary Conclusion

• The SDA Belief #19 seeks to honor God, but it fails to recognize the Obsolescence of the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:13).

• The Law is a Unit: You cannot keep the "Moral Law" and discard the "Ceremonial Law." The whole Mosaic system has been set aside.
  
  
• Christ is the Standard: The Ten Commandments were a temporary "ministry of condemnation" for Israel. The Christian's standard is the teaching and example of Jesus and the Apostles (The Law of Christ).

• True Freedom: We are not under the supervision of the 10 Commandments. We are under the supervision of Grace and the Holy Spirit, who leads us into a holiness that exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

As Paul gently reminds us in Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

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