October 1, 2023
“It is time for thee to work, LORD, they have made void thy law”. Psalm 119:126
The psalmist is praying to God with a sense of urgency. God is desperately needed because His people have made void the laws of God. If that is the indicator that God needs to intervene, then the USA is seriously overdue for a visitation from God.
Let us briefly consider all the ways in which His people today have made void His laws. To make something void is to make it useless and ineffectual. It is to make the law into advice, which is not enforceable. You may have heard the word ‘antinomian’. An antinomian is a person who makes void the law of God. We are surrounded by antinomians in the Christian Church and society at large, especially in places under Democratic control. Antinomians run the business of Christianity today in the USA, in my not-highly-regarded opinion.
In what ways can the law be made void? I can think of at least 4 ways: 1) law can be abrogated, abolished, or repealed, 2) law can be ignored, 3) law can be negated by removing the penalty for disobedience, and 4) law can be made void by claiming that the law can’t be obeyed. We will now consider each of these.
- Law can be abrogated, abolished, or repealed
There are many Christians who believe that the law of God has been done away with and abolished by the new covenant. The well-known Pastor, Andy Stanley, has gone so far as to assert that the entire Old Testament has been set aside. These individuals believe that the Mosaic law, including the ceremonial law, the Ten Commandments, and the moral law, is all done away with. They no longer apply to believers in the New Testament. These Christian believers have abrogated or abolished the law of God. They have made void the law of God.
In my book, ‘When Lies Become Truth’, I reference a theological book that examines five views on the law and the gospel. Two of the authors argue for the abolishment of the Old Testament law. They believe that the Mosaic law has been abolished, abrogated, and replaced with a New Testament law.
Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17, NASB. The KJV states the following: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 is a clear statement; however, theologians find a way to abolish and destroy the law, directly contradicting Jesus’ words.
One writer stated that the meaning of the word ‘fulfill’ means termination or end. In other words, Jesus fulfilled the law, which means He ended, terminated, destroyed, or abolished it. If this is accurate, this quote by Jesus could be rewritten this way: “Think not that I came to abolish and destroy the law and the prophets, I am not come to abolish and destroy it, but to terminate and end it.” Say what? If this is the depth of Biblical understanding by our theologians and pastors, heaven help us.
Jesus came to fulfill the law by doing it perfectly, day after day. He did not come to abolish, destroy, to do away with, end, or terminate the laws against murder, theft, adultery, homosexuality, lying, covetousness, idolatry, and so on. To believe that He did come to abolish these wonderful and needful laws is utter nonsense. How is it that Christians are so gullible and ignorant?
- The law can be ignored
When the law is ignored, it is tantamount to making the law void. Many churches ignore the law of God and rarely, if ever, preach on it. Joel Osteen is the consummate example of this. He intentionally doesn’t talk about sin (sin is lawlessness) because, he says, that people know they have sinned but are nonetheless good people. He doesn’t want to beat them up over their sin. That neglect of rebuking sin publicly and the mentioning of hell publicly, combined with a constant emphasis on the love and grace of God, has made the law void.
God has many attributes, and love is one of them. But God is also pure, light, holy, just, and impartial. Sinners will not inherit the kingdom of God and Christ, even though God loves them. If they do not repent of their sins, God will send them to hell. One aspect of God’s love is benevolence, and it is unconditional. But the love of God that brings forth salvation is conditional. To receive God’s love, we must believe in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins.
Many Christians view love as an emotion of affection alone. While true Biblical love does include affection, it is not affection. Love is the obedience of true faith. Love is a choice to serve God and not disobey Him, irrespective of our feelings to the contrary. Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Many Christians falsely believe they love God because they have warm feelings toward God from time to time. And if they have these feelings of affection, even when they are deliberately living in sin, they think that they love God. They do not and are deceived.
- Law can be negated by removing the penalty for disobedience
Another way in which the law of God is rendered void is by altering the consequences of breaking the law. Imputed obedience and eternal security have made void the law of God. The passage, “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life”, in Romans 6 is set aside by these two doctrines. These two doctrines, believed by the majority of Evangelical Christians, have made void the law of God. How so? These two false doctrines declare that carnal believers, who break the law of God frequently, remain saved no matter how carnal and impenitent they become. The penalty of the law is done away with for them, but not for unbelievers.
To remove the penalty for sin is to change the nature of sin. But how can the nature of sin be changed? It can’t be changed. Sin is a violation of the law of God, which always results in death, depravity, and separation from God because He is holy. God has no part in our unholiness. Sin will always be sinful, and God will always be holy. When we choose sin and lawlessness, we choose death and reject God.
Consider US cities that refuse to enforce laws against theft and property damage. They have rendered the law void by allowing the criminals to go free, thereby allowing them to continue their theft and destruction. This is a sign of complete anarchy by our ruling political party and our President. Ignoring the penalty of the law encourages breaking the law, which ultimately renders the laws of God and our land void.
- The law can be made void by claiming that the law can’t be obeyed
Most of the American Christian Church leadership believes that we are born unable to obey the law of God. Unbelievers are unable to obey the laws of God, which are often identical to the laws of our land in some cases. Believers become enabled by getting right with God, by being born again. However, even with this new ability and the grace of God, believers should not expect to habitually and consistently obey God. This is what they teach as truth.
In my book, ‘When Lies Become Truth’, I quote John MacArthur, who states that God gave Israel a law they could not obey to show them how sinful they were. All of humanity is born unable to obey the law of God as a result of Adam’s sin. Telling men and women that they are born unable to obey the law of God makes the law void. Telling “believers” that even with this new ability to obey and the abundant grace of God, they must not expect to consistently and habitually obey the law is to make the law void.
What a sad state of affairs in the Church of Jesus Christ when its leadership is telling Christian’s falsehoods that “make void the law of God”.
“LORD God, it is time for thee to work, for they have made void thy law.”
