Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of the purity of God's law is a central theme in the Bible, reflecting the divine nature and moral perfection of God's commandments. The purity of the law underscores its role as a flawless guide for righteous living and spiritual growth.
Biblical FoundationThe purity of God's law is affirmed in several passages throughout Scripture.
Psalm 19:8 declares, "The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes." This verse highlights the clarity and moral integrity of God's commandments, which illuminate the path of righteousness for believers.
Psalm 12:6 further emphasizes this purity: "The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold." The imagery of refining precious metals illustrates the perfection and unblemished nature of God's law, free from any impurity or error.
Moral and Spiritual ImplicationsThe purity of God's law serves as a standard against which human actions and thoughts are measured. It calls believers to a life of holiness and obedience, reflecting God's own holiness. In
Leviticus 19:2 , God commands, "Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.'" The law, in its purity, is a means by which believers can align themselves with God's character.
The Apostle Paul, in
Romans 7:12 , affirms the goodness and purity of the law: "So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good." Here, Paul acknowledges the law's role in revealing sin and guiding believers toward a life that pleases God.
Christ and the Fulfillment of the LawThe purity of God's law finds its ultimate expression in Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law's demands. In
Matthew 5:17 , Jesus states, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them." Christ's life and teachings exemplify the purity and righteousness that the law embodies.
Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus provides believers with the means to attain the righteousness that the law requires.
Romans 8:3-4 explains, "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
The Role of the Holy SpiritThe purity of God's law is also maintained and applied in the lives of believers through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers Christians to live according to the law's righteous requirements, transforming their hearts and minds.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances."
ConclusionThe purity of God's law is a testament to His perfect nature and serves as a guide for holy living. Through Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, believers are enabled to uphold the law's righteous standards, reflecting God's holiness in their lives.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Psalm 19:8The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Library
Things Clean and Unclean According to the Law and the Gospel.
... said, "But meat commendeth us not to God, for neither if ... a loftier conception of
what things are pure and what impure according to the law, turning aside ...
/.../origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/12 things clean and unclean.htm
The Law of God
... shadows relate to Christ, the ceremonial law is deservedly ... Israel, as a people
sanctified to God on a ... nations; and thus they were preserved pure from idolatry ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 12 the law of.htm
Argument. --But There was a Limit to the Use of These Shadows or ...
... The meat, I say, true, and holy, and pure, is a ... Such a banqueter is God's guest:
these are the feasts that ... Hence is that word of the law: "Man doth not live by ...
/.../novatian/on the jewish meats/chapter v argument but there was.htm
"The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God for it is not Subject to ...
... whereas the intendment of the gospel is, to present you to Christ as pure virgins,
2 ... men wholly from the orderly subjection that they owe to the law of God. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxi the carnal mind.htm
The Minute Prescriptions of the Law Meant to Keep the People ...
... as they do) day and night in the law of the ... than in man." [2935] For what recompense
shall man receive from God? ... He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xix the minute prescriptions of.htm
"Now the End of the Commandment is Charity Out of a Pure Heart ...
... Nay, but Christ speaks according to the law and makes it a mean ... Lord discovers the
sinfulness of them, as offensive to God's holy majesty, and pure eyes ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xi now the end.htm
The Law Established through Faith
... fulfil either the negative or positive law, as to ... purifieth himself, even as he is
pure;" " purifieth himself ... that carnal mind which is enmity against God. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 36 the law established.htm
The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law
... It is pure from all sin, clean and unspotted from any touch of evil. ... As sin is,
in its very nature, enmity to God, so his law is enmity to sin. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 34 the original nature.htm
St. Paul Preached no New God, when He Announced the Repeal of Some ...
... been corrupt from the beginning, where shall the pure ones be ... in which we have shown
that the god of our ... known by his separation of the gospel and the law. ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xxi st paul preached no.htm
The Tests of Love to God
... He that loves God loves His law " the law of repentance, the law of self-denial ... me
be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, if I may be God's pure wheat." How ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the tests of love to.htm
Resources
What should Christians learn from the Mosaic Law? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the difference between the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the judicial law in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was the purpose of the Levitical Law? | GotQuestions.orgLaw: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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