The Law of Christ

Today I would like to talk about the Law of Christ. which will be a new concept for many people. Please don't miss the video at the end.

Law and Prophets Not Abolished
In order to understand the function of the Law in the New Testament, first of all we need to listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Himself, who said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. (Mat 5:17). 

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co 3:11). There is no other foundation beside Jesus Christ.  Since He alone is the foundation of the Church, then He defines life and the way life is in the New Covenant. The words of Jesus are our guide to interpreting everything the apostles teach.

In His Sermon on the Mount, quoted above, Jesus went on to say, "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Mat 5:18)

He said, "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” (Luk 16:17).  In our modern parlance, we might say that it would be easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for one little comma or the smallest detail in the Law to be done away with.

Jesus Taught and Fulfilled the Law

Quite contrary to doing away with the Law, Jesus taught us how to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.  "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Mat 7:12)

He often cited the Law in His teachings. "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent?” (Mat 12:5)

When Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" (Mat 22:36), He did not say the Law was bad or tell the man that the Law has no relevance now that He had come.  He answered and said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Mat 22:37-40).  He taught that love is the basis for the Law and the Prophets.

When He was asked by an expert in the Law about the way to inherit eternal life, Jesus immediately pointed him to the Law.  “And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’ And he answered, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.’” (Luk 10:25-28).  If we are doers of the Law, we will live. 

For those who think tithing is only a provision of the Law, which no longer applies to followers of Christ, listen to what Jesus taught. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. (Mat 23:23).  He said of their tithing that they “should have done” so, but that they should not have neglected the weightier provisions of the law.  There are weightier provisions of the Law than tithing, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luk 24:44)

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (Joh 1:45).  In another instance, the crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever…” (Joh 12:34a) They had heard of the Christ in the Law and the Prophets. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.  (Mat 11:13). The Law and the Prophets prophesied about Him until John, but when Jesus came, then that which was written was no longer a futuristic prediction but the fulfillment.  As Jesus said, this did not nullify the Law or the Prophets, it fulfilled them.  They are still in effect.

"Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" (Joh 7:19).  Jesus always taught that men should carry out the Law, not break the commandments.

"If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath?”(Joh 7:23).  He showed the spirit of the Law and the truth of it.  The intent of the Law is love and doing good.

Grace and Truth Realized through Jesus Christ

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. (Joh 1:17). Jesus realized grace and truth for us. He brought to us the truth found in the Law, the spirit of the Law, which was different from the way men understood it. It went much deeper than they thought.  The standard was much higher than they realized. And He demonstrated by His life that love was at the heart of the Law.  He also realized and fulfilled grace, such as had never been seen before in the Law.  As a result of Jesus realizing grace, through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. (Act 13:39)

They brought to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery and asked Jesus, "Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" (Joh 8:5). He did not say that He cancelled the Law or that breaking the Law in this manner was no longer considered a sin.  He simply brought grace to the one who had violated the Law, and in doing so He fulfilled the Law.  Had there been no Law that said it was sin to commit adultery, His act of grace toward the adulteress would not have been necessary, and would certainly not have been so profound. But it was precisely because this was forbidden by God and was such a serious sin deserving death that this act of grace by Him was so significant. He did not condemn the repentant sinner.  But He certainly upheld the Law by saying, “Go. From now on sin no more.” (Jn 8:11).  He did call it sin, and He did command her to “sin no more.”  His grace and forgiveness did not nullify the Law.  He fulfilled it.

The Apostles Did Not Speak Against the Law

They accused Stephen falsely when they put forward false witnesses who said, "This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law.”  (Act 6:13). This was how they viewed him, but he did not speak against the Law, and neither did Jesus or any of His apostles.

Quite contrary to speaking against the Law, Stephen said to them, “You who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it." (Act 7:53).  He affirmed that the Law was ordained by angels, and that they did not keep it as they should have.

After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." (Act 13:15).  When Paul stood up to speak, he did not speak against the Law.  He showed how Christ fulfilled what was written in it, and how “through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Act 13:39)

The Jews also falsely accused Paul saying, "This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." (Act 18:13).  The way Paul taught men to worship God was not contrary to the Law, but it fulfilled the Law.   

When Paul visited Jerusalem, he met with James and the elders were present.  He told how the Gentiles were turning to Christ. “And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;’ (Act 21:20)  When they told Paul that thousands of Jews were turning to Christ and were zealous for the Law, Paul did not preach against this.  Instead he went along with the following advice from them.  "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." (Act 21:23-25).  They explicitly upheld what they had previously written about the Gentiles, but wanted the Jewish believers to see that Paul walked orderly and kept the Law.  So Paul complied.

When the Jews discovered Paul in the temple, they began crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." (Act 21:28)  These were false accusations. 

Paul countered their accusations by saying, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.” (Act 22:3) He didn’t say that they were correct and that he was teaching men against the Jewish people and the Law and the temple.  In fact, he was going into the temple to fulfill purification rights.

Paul also defended himself by telling his testimony and highlighting that the disciple of Christ involved in his conversion was "A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.” (Act 22:12). That was the same Ananias whom the Lord instructed to lay hands on Paul to receive his sight.

When Paul stood on trial before the high priest, he said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" (Act 23:3). Paul taught that the man had violated the Law in ordering Paul to be struck in the face.

Paul said, "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;” (Act 24:14).  He said that he believed everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.

Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." (Act 25:8).  He testified that he had committed no offense against the Law or the temple.

In Rome, when they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.” (Act 28:23) He didn’t break the Law or teach against it, but rather tried to persuade men “from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.”

The Matter of Gentile Circumcision and the Law

In the first century Church, there was a problem in which the Christian Pharisees taught that new Gentile believers must be circumcised, which was a ceremonial part of the Law, and they wanted the Gentiles to be taught to observe the Law of Moses. “But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’” (Act 15:5)  The apostles responded by saying that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on Gentiles who were repenting and turning to God. "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath." (Act 15:19-21). 

The apostles did not require Gentiles to be circumcised, because the ceremonial law is nothing and merely foreshadows the circumcision of the heart in Christ.  But notice that they upheld the Law of Moses by saying that in every city there are those who preach the Law, and he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues established in the Gentile world.  It had been this way since ancient generations.  Therefore, they felt that Gentiles would already know what the commandments are and would have access to the commandments of the Law, so there was no need to trouble them, except to require that they “abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.” This was far from contradicting the Law, because everything they required of the Gentiles was found in the Law, and they thought there were already sufficient channels for the Gentiles to hear the Law in their cities each week. 

While they affirmed the equal opportunities among Gentiles to hear the Law in their cities, they trusted more in the Holy Spirit, Who writes the Law in people’s hearts. Paul taught that “when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” (Rom 2:14-15).  Even Gentiles without the Law, such as Gentile believers, can instinctively do the things of the Law, and their conscience will defend them, or else it will accuse them when they break the Law, also known as committing sin.  Paul said this shows the work of the Law written in their hearts.

“Keeping God’s commands in what counts!” (1 Co 7:19). Notice that while Paul taught against keeping the Law, he did teach that we should keep God's commands.  Ceremonial law is nothing to us. We are not under it. Whether or not a man is circumcised means nothing. But we are expected to obey God’s commands. That is certain. 

Paul taught that all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. (Rom 2:12). If a person does not have the Law and sins, they will still perish without the Law. But if they sin under the Law, such as a Jew or a Christian who knows the commandments, they will be judged by the Law.

Doers of the Law
Paul taught that “it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” (Rom 2:13) He taught that we must be doers of the Law.

James also taught this. “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (Jam 1:25)

James taught that we must be doers of the Law. “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For He who said, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ also said, ‘DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” (Jam 2:9,11-12)

James also taught that we must be doers of the Law, when he said: “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it”. (Jam 4:11)

In writing to the Jews, Paul said much the same, “You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?” (Rom 2:23).  He taught that by breaking the Law a person dishonors God. He said you do so whenever you steal or rob temples or commit adultery.

Now about the ceremonial right of circumcision, Paul taught, “For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves...” (Gal 6:13) He taught how God sees the circumcised person who does not keep the Law. “For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.” (Rom 2:25). But he went on to say that the person becomes as if he were uncircumcised if he transgresses any part of the Law.

He used this same logic to teach how God regards the Gentile believer as circumcised, even though he is physically uncircumcised.“So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? (Rom 2:26).The key to God regarding the uncircumcised Gentile as circumcised is that he keeps the requirements of the Law.

He once again said that “he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?” (Rom 2:27)  Paul taught that physically uncircumcised believers who keep the Law would judge the circumcised Jews who have the letter of the Law and break it.  The key here again is that Paul taught the importance of the Gentile believer to keep the requirements of the Law.

Lastly, the apostle John said, "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness."
(1Jo 3:4). My friend, Jesus has not called us to be lawless people. He is not a minister of sin.

No Justification by the Works of the Law
Although Paul taught that “the doers of the Law will be justified” (Rom 2:13), he later clarified how a man is justified, which is not by the works of the Law.  “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:19-20).  The works of the Law can never be a means of justification in God’s sight.  That is different from being a doer of the Law. 

You need to understand that there is a big difference between doing the works of the Law in order to be justified and being a doer of the Law because Christ has justified you.  Think about that! We must still be doers of the Law, according to Paul.

“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Gal 2:16) 

"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." (Gal 2:21)

Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." (Gal 3:11)

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.” (Rom 3:21) Paul said that the Law and Prophets witnessed to the fact that the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the Law.

“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Rom 3:28)

So did Paul teach against what the Law says?  He answered this himself by asking, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” (Rom 3:31).  Contrary to nullifying the Law, Paul and the other apostles established it.

Then he went on to show that while he established the Law, not only does justification come apart from the Law, but the promises of God are not based on the Law. “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.” (Rom 4:13)

“For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;” (Rom 4:14)

Speaking still of the promise that God made to Abraham, Paul said, “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.” (Rom 4:16)  The promise of God is to all Abraham’s descendants – those who are of faith – not just the ones who are of the Law, meaning the Jewish ones.

“For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Rom 5:13).  Paul taught that even before the Law, sin was in the world since the Garden of Eden.  Mankind had been stung by sin and it began to bring death.  There were consequences for sin, such as eviction from the Garden, the destruction of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the world of Noah’s day.  However, when the Law came God began to count men’s sins against them. Man also began to desire to sin even more. “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;” (1Co 15:56)

“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” (Rom 5:20)  The Law defines sin, so when the Law came it actually increased transgression.  But this meant that God needed to have more grace.

To those who knew the Law, Paul taught what the Law says with respect to marriage: “Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.” (Rom 7:2)  The laws of marriage which make it legal have jurisdiction over a person until death. 

It was on the basis of the Law that Paul could teach, “So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.” (Rom 7:3)

Paul uses this truth from God’s laws of marriage to illustrate a similar reality concerning those who believe in Christ.  “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” (Rom 7:4).  Just as the woman is freed from the law of marriage when her husband dies, so are we freed from the Law when we are united with Christ in His death.  At that point you are no longer under the Law, but Christ begins to fulfill it through you according to His resurrection power, so that you might bear fruit for God.  "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. (Gal 2:19)

“For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Rom 7:5-6)  Although we were once bound to the Law like a married woman, as long as we remained alive to the flesh, those sinful passions of ours were aroused by the Law and bore bad fruit for death.  But once we are united in Christ’s death, we are released from the letter of the Law, so that we serve in the newness of the Spirit. This is the spirit of the Law written in our hearts.  We don’t come to Christ so that we can break the Law.

As Paul said, God "has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant -- not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  For an example of this, it's helpful to read how Jesus taught the spirit of the law in the sermon on the Mount, which can be found in Matthew 5.

The Law is Good
“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COVET.' But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead." (Rom 7:7-8).  Paul taught the difference between being under the Law and being in Christ. When you are outside of Christ and you have the Law, you are under it.  This produces coveting of every kind and brings death.  But when you are dead to self and united with Christ, you are seated with Him in heavenly realms, far above all rule and power.  From this place of reigning in life, you are finally able to experience true righteousness and holiness.  It is only then that Christ fulfills the Law in and through you.  Then your life actually expresses the true intent of the Law, and you establish it. This is called being under the law of Christ.

“To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.” (1Co 9:20-21)  This is a key point!  Paul said he was not under the Law, but he was not without the Law either.  Rather he was under the law of Christ.

“I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died…So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Rom 7:9,12) Always remember that the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully.” (1Ti 1:8)

“For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin…But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.” (Rom 7:14,16).  Paul taught that the Law is spiritual.  He said, “I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.”

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members…So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Rom 7:22-23, 25).  Paul spoke of his pre-conversion experience. Even though he concurred with God’s law, he was a prisoner of the law of sin. He contrasted the law of God and the law of sin.

Then he said, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Rom 8:2) The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ does not contradict the Law of God.

Although the Law of God is good, holy, and righteous, it has an inherent weakness due to the sinful nature of man.  “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom 8:3).  Due to the sinful nature, man is unable to keep the requirements of the Law. 

But Christ condemned sin in the flesh, when He bore our sin on the cross.  And when we are united with Him in His death, He makes it possible “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom 8:4).  The key is that we do not walk according to the flesh, but walk by the Spirit.  Then the Law is fulfilled in us, because the Holy Spirit loves the Law.

“The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” (Rom 8:7)  This explains why anyone living in the flesh is unable to subject himself to the law of God.

Paul taught that there is a goal God wants to achieve in the law.  This refers to God’s intent in the law.  It is summarized by love.  Paul called that goal or intent the “end of the law.” He taught that Christ is that end, and when you come to Him by faith, you find the one who fulfills the intent of the Law in you. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Rom 10:4).  The phrase “the end of the law” does not mean that you are no longer a doer of God’s Law!  Quite the opposite! It means that now you have true righteousness, the righteousness of God, and this is the intent or “end goal” of the law.

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law…Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom 13:8,10)

Paul taught the Law.  One example was in his letter to the Corinthians, referring to those who preach making a living from the gospel, he said, “I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.’ God is not concerned about oxen, is He?” (1Co 9:8-9)

Another example of Paul teaching the Law was when writing to the Corinthians about the gift of tongues: “In the Law it is written, ‘By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to me,’ says the Lord.” (1Co 14:21)

Yet another example was in his teaching from the Law about the role and behavior of women in the churches. “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says....If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.” (1Co 14:34,37, NIV).

A final example was his teaching that children must obey their parents, because it is a commandment of God. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother'—which is the first commandment with a promise— 'so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'” (Eph 6:1-3, NIV)

Just as Paul taught that the works of the Law could never justify anyone, he taught that the Spirit of God is not given by the works of the Law but by faith.  “This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?…So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Gal 3:2,5).  So while he taught that the doer of the Law is justified, he also taught that we can never be justified by the works of the Law or receive the Spirit by the works of the Law.  It is by faith in Christ.

This is why he said, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.’" (Gal 3:10)  Don’t try to be justified by doing the works of the Law.  Put your faith in Christ, and He will justify you.  In Him you will become righteous.  But then you will become a doer of the Law.

“However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.’" (Gal 3:12). This is why you cannot rely on the works of the Law to justify you. You must be a doer of the Law without expecting it to justify you, but rather trusting in Christ to justify you.  The reason is that on some point, we all come short of doing the Law perfectly.

That’s why it is so wonderful to know that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- (Gal 3:13).  The Law teaches that everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed.  Since Jesus hung on a tree – a cross – he became a curse according to the Law.  If you love God’s Law, you have to love Jesus for doing this, because through it He redeemed us from the curse of the Law.

Paul taught that the promise of God to Abraham came long before the Law. “What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.” (Gal 3:17)

Why the Law?
Paul explained why the Law was necessary after God made the promise to Abraham. “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.” (Gal 3:19).  The Law as given by angels through the agency of Moses as a mediator. The Law was intended to impute transgressions, so that we would be led to the seed of Abraham, Christ our only mediator between God and man.

“Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.” (Gal 3:21)  While the Law is not contrary to the promise of God, it was unable to impart life, and could not bring about the righteousness of God in our lives.

“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:23-24)

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Gal 4:5)  Christ redeems those who are under the Law.

Paul always taught that we are not UNDER the Law. “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?” (Gal 4:21)

Once you come to Christ, you are not under the Law, you are led by the Spirit. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” (Gal 5:18).  The Spirit of God fulfills the Law in you.

The Holy Spirit will lead you to do the Law, like bearing one another’s burdens. “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2).  Although we are led, this is still something we must DO. This is called the law of Christ. Bearing the burden of another brother or sister is a demonstration of godly love, and loving your neighbor as yourself is the fulfillment of the whole law (Gal 5:14)

Paul taught that Christ abolished the enmity between man and God.  He did not contradict Jesus, who said that He did not come to abolish the Law!  If anyone contradicts Jesus, we must always hold fast to what Jesus taught, no matter if they are an apostle or angel. But the enmity that Christ abolished was found in the fact that the sinful nature of man made it impossible for man to fulfill the Law, so man was always at enmity with God.  Man was against God and His Law.  “By abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.” (Eph 2:15).  Now in Christ we have peace with God.

Paul described his life before Christ saying, “As to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.” (Phi 3:6)  This means that as far as the letter of the Law goes, men would consider him blameless on all points. He knew what it was to have a righteousness of his own that came from the works of the Law.

But Paul considered all that like rubbish once he came to know Christ.  He considered it all loss.  He only desired to be found in Christ and have His righteousness.  “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Phi 3:8-11)

“But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” (Tit 3:9) There is no use in disputing about the Law.  All of this hairsplitting about the minor points is unprofitable and worthless.  But there should be no dispute about the Ten Commandments found in the Law.  These are very plain and clear, and Jesus upheld them.

Paul said that the Levitical priests were not perfect and could not make anyone perfect.  “(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” (Heb 7:19).  Jesus our high priest is our better hope through which we draw near to God. “For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.” (Heb 7:28)

“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb 9:22).  It is the Law that teaches us that all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  That’s why Jesus fulfilled the Law in shedding His blood for us for the forgiveness of sin.

“For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” (Heb 10:1)  The Law foreshadowed Christ, but was not the actual form itself.  That is why it could never make anyone perfect.

God did not desire sacrifices for sin and burnt offerings.  Although the Law required them, He did not take pleasure in them.   “After saying above, ‘SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them’ (which are offered according to the Law),” (Heb 10:8) These things were required to point men to Christ until He should come and fulfill them.

Paul draws a comparison between setting aside the Law and spurning the Lord Jesus. "Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Heb 10:28-29, NIV).  If the penalty for setting aside the Law of Moses was death, Paul said the punishment is much worse for treating the blood of Jesus as an unholy thing once you have been sanctified by it, because this insults the Spirit of grace. 

Here is a video called "The INCORRECT Foundation," by Robert Brownell of Spirit Lessons that will help you understand my point today:

Putting it All Together
The Law has not been deleted, set aside, done away with, or erased.  Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.  Jesus did not call us to be lawless people or lawbreakers.  Loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself are the greatest commandments, and all the Law and Prophets depend on these two. 

We are not supposed to dispute about various extraneous points of the Law.  We are not to concern ourselves with ceremonial or ritual laws like circumcision or animal sacrifices. It doesn’t matter whether or not a man is circumcised. Nor do we observe the dietary laws. We are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.  You cannot rely on your obedience to the Law of Moses to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10).  But the Ten Commandments are very clearly meant for all generations.  These still represent what pleases God today, and we express our love for Him by keeping His commandments. Keeping God’s commands in what counts!

Jesus and the apostles taught from the Law. But we do not simply keep the letter of the Law, which is what man sees on the outward.  For the letter kills. Rather, we keep the true spirit and intent of the Law, which goes much deeper and gives life. "We serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" (Rom 7:6b, NIV). This is only possible by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

We are not justified by doing the works of the Law.  It is only when we put our faith in Christ that He justifies us. Once you are justified, you will be led by the Spirit to be a doer of the Law. This is the law of Christ.   

Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10). He Who lives in us fulfills the Law in us.  When you know Him personally, you have true righteousness, the righteousness of God, and this is the intent or “end goal” of the law.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures from the Holy Bible, NIV.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the following articles of mine:

Commandments in the New Covenant
The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught 
Law of Love in the New Testament
Is Obedience Optional?
The Law Fulfilled in Us
The Law Established Through Faith
The New Covenant
Faith Works!
Obedience by the Spirit
The Ways of Life
The Law is Good if Used Lawfully 
What Then Must We Observe?
The Flesh vs. the Spirit

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Photo credit: Richard Harrison's article called God's Ten Commandments.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Taking Heaven by Force

Intense prayer in S. Korea

Some people are opposed to intense prayer, and they feel it is completely unnecessary.  They feel that it is rude and ungodly behavior.  But I want to show you from God's Word today that when you pray fervently, earnestly, intensely and with focused faith, your prayers are much more powerful. Jesus spoke of this, as recorded in Luke 16:16 and Matthew 11:12.  So let's take a close look at both of those passages.

According to Luke
Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Luke 16:16).  Some people teach this passage to mean that in Jesus day and now there were bad guys who thought incorrectly that they could force their way into the kingdom.  However, the Greek word for pressing into it is biazitai.  It is nearly always used in the middle despondent tense.  According to the Bauer-Arndt-Gingritch Greek Lexicon, this word may either have a bad connotation of something being violently treated or a good one.  There is a wealth of information found in that Lexicon on page 140.  Among other possible meanings, it may mean:

“to occupy by force”
“is sought with burning zeal”
“makes its way with triumphant force”

Repentance is much like this, rather than a passive act carried out almost imperceptibly while in a neutral state.  It is a radical change of mind, and that’s the first step to entering the Kingdom.   We enter the Kingdom through repentance and faith, and biazitai depicts the forceful, zealous nature of that entrance.  In fact, as Luke recorded within the same grammatical context, Jesus taught, “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5). 

Biazitai may also be understood as the “genteel constraint imposed on a reluctant guest.”  In other words, it may mean to invite urgently.  See Judges 13:15 and Genesis 33:11 for examples.  Any of these good connotations fit well with the context of the Luke 16:16 passage. 

All we have to do is go to Luke 14 to find the man who prepared a banquet.  Did he not use “genteel constraint imposed on reluctant guests.”  Yes, he did.  He sent his servant to tell his invited guests, “Come, for everything is ready.” (Luke 14:17)  In the end when they refused his genteel constraint, did he not in burning zeal send his servant to “bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame?” (Luke 14:21)  Yes, and when there was room for more guests, did he not tell his servant to go and “make them come in”?  Yes, he did.  This was Jesus way of illustrating the “feast in the kingdom of God.”  The burning zeal with which the host invited his guests illustrated the preaching of the gospel.  So did the forceful way he sent his servant to “make” more of them come in.

Or for additional context, we may refer to Luke 15 where we see the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.  Were they not invited urgently and sought with burning zeal?  Yes, they were! Did they not make there way with triumphant force?  Yes, they did!! The lost sheep was sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the flock triumphantly.  This was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost coin was also sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the owner triumphantly.  This also was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost son was sought with burning zeal, as his father ran to him while he was still a long way off.  He was found by his father with rejoicing and celebration, and returned to his home triumphantly. 

As Luke went on to record in chapter 16, Jesus did not say the Kingdom of God is being preached and many are trying to force their way into it.  He actually said, “Everyone is forcing his way into it”.  I think he meant what he said, especially when we consider the context in which it was said.  The “everyone” Jesus referred to was “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind” whom he urged his own host to invite when he gave a luncheon (Luke 14:13).  The “everyone” he referred to who was forcing his way into the Kingdom of God was the tax collectors and sinners that “were all gathering around to hear him” (Luke 15:1)

One of those tax collectors was a short man named Zacchaeus.  In fact, he was a chief tax collector, and we know that tax collectors were despised for their corruption.  But despite this man’s vast wealth, he wanted to see Jesus.  In order to do so, he “ran ahead” of the crowd and “climbed” a tree.  This corrupt man was seeking Jesus with burning zeal.  And when Jesus reached the spot where he was, the Lord looked up at him and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5).  The Greek here indicates that Jesus said, “Hurry! Come down!”  There was urgency, genteel constraint, and an insistence in Jesus’ request.  Zacchaeus came down at once, and welcomed Jesus gladly.  He didn’t hesitate for a moment, indicating his burning zeal.  When Jesus went to this man’s home, people said, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (Luke 19:7).  But Zacchaeus stood up and repented wholeheartedly, offering full restitution to the victims of his extortion (Luke 19:8).  Here was another violent man who pressed into the Kingdom and made his way with triumphant force. Jesus said salvation had come to his house that day, and that it was lost men like this one that he had come to save.

According to Matthew
Before we look at the companion passage found in Matthew 11:12, read the chapters preceding Matthew 11, and you will see numerous examples of people laying hold of the kingdom with burning zeal or triumphant force.  This is a perfect example of understanding a verse in its proper, larger context:

Matthew 8:2 - The leper
Matthew 8:6 – The centurion
Matthew 9:2 – The paralytic
Matthew 9:18 – The ruler
Matthew 9:20 – The hemorrhaging woman
Matthew 9:27 – The blind man

These people stood in stark contrast to that fickle and impenitent generation, who on the one hand complained that John the Baptist was too straight-laced and on the other hand complained that Jesus was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:18,19). 

Now we come to the companion passage in Matthew’s gospel.  Since the two inspired writers were recording the same incident where Jesus spoke these words, we can better understand what Jesus meant by cross-referencing the passages.  Here’s a comparison of Matthew’s record and Luke’s record of Jesus' words:

Matthew's Record	Luke's Record
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John	The Law and the Prophets proclaimed until John
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing	Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached
Forceful men lay hold of it	Everyone is forcing his way into it

Matthew 11:12 – “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  The main difference in this passage is that instead of saying “everyone is forcing his way into” the kingdom, the term “forceful men” is used.  The term here for forceful men is biastas.  Whenever this term is used it is in a bad sense to mean violent, impetuous men.  This could be viewed as a reference to the fact that sinners were the ones repenting and entering the kingdom, not the righteous.  Was Jesus pointing out here that these violent impetuous people are laying hold of the kingdom now since the time of John the Baptist?  I happen to think so. It is not those who are righteous in their own eyes that are entering the kingdom, it is the sinners.  It is not the healthy that Christ came to save, but the sick.  There’s more rejoicing over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:7). 

Once again, please note that Jesus did not say the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men try to lay hold of it. He actually said, “Forceful men lay hold of it.” I think he meant what he said.  If there is any question about what it means to “lay hold” of the kingdom, we can refer to the companion passage in Luke to see it means “press into it”.  If these men were simply trying to enter through some unauthorized means of violence, then they would never have successfully entered as Jesus said they did.

Determining the meaning of the phrase “lay hold of it” is further aided by a Greek word study.  The single word harpazo is used in the Matthew 11:12 passage, so let’s take a moment to see what it means. 

The Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states on p. 472 of volume I:
Since harpazo does not here mean either to bring in by force or to plunder, only three alternatives are open in the difficult saying at Matthew 11:12 [emphasis mine].  a. It may mean that the kingdom of God is stolen, i.e., taken away from men and closed to them; b. it may mean that violent men culpably try to snatch it to themselves; or c. it may mean that men forcefully take it in a good sense [emphasis mine].  Linguistically all three are possible.  The first and third are to be taken most seriously.  The former is suggested by the emphatic use of biazomai, by the correspondence between biazetai and biastai and perhaps by the Matthean context.  The latter is supported by the fact that the decisively new thing since the appearance of John the Baptist is the powerful irruption of the kingdom of God.  This is the presupposition for its being taken.  It demands resolute earnestness on the part of men if they are to enter it [emphasis mine].  Furthermore, the idea of men themselves taking away the kingdom of God is strange and is hardly supported by such parallels as Mt. 13:19, where the evil one snatches away the seed and not the kingdom, or Mt. 23:13, where closing the kingdom to men is not quite the same as taking it away.

So while Kittel’s Dictionary acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this Matthew 11:12 passage, it supports the meaning that men forcefully take the Kingdom in a good sense.  Likewise, the Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich Greek Lexicon acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this particular passage. But it points out that the use of harpazo beside the word biasein probably means something like “seize” or “claim for oneself.”  Both these reputable and scholarly works help us to better understand the meaning of harpazo. 

Let’s return now to our comparison of the Matthew and Luke passages, aided by the table above.  When we carefully interpret these two companion passages in their proper context, and rely on each one to interpret the other, we find that Jesus basically spoke of two things that were successfully happening: 1) The first one was a good thing, which was that the kingdom of heaven was forcefully advancing.  This was happening through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.  Jesus clearly said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached.” 2) The second thing was that “everyone is forcing his way into it.” Or as Matthew phrased it under the anointing of the Spirit, “Forceful men lay hold of it.”  There is no reason to believe that this second thing that was successfully happening did not also have a good connotation.  Why was it good?  It was good because up until John the Baptist started preaching, all the prophets and the Law prophesied about this day. Now it was actually coming to pass! 

If we read this in context, I think this interpretation fits quite clearly.  Jesus was still responding to those the imprisoned John had sent to him asking if He was the one who was to come, or whether they should expect someone else.  Jesus was clearly saying that the Prophets and the Law had prophesied or spoken in advance about this day and now it was coming to pass.  What a wonderful report to send back to John to answer his questioning mind.  The “blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5). 

It’s often good to ask the question, “Why did the inspired Bible writer record this at this point in the text?”  We may ask this about verse 5 as was just mentioned and about verse 12, where he records Jesus saying, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  In answer to the question why Matthew recorded these statements at this point, first they were all part of Jesus’ response to John’s famous question. And secondly, they flow perfectly with Matthew’s previously documented the healings of the leper and centurion (chapter 8), the paralytic, the ruler, the hemorrhaging woman, and the blind man (chapter 9).  It was all good news (11:5 and 11:12), because it was all coming to pass as it had been foretold, and John could rest assured he had not missed the Messiah!

According to brother Yong Doo Kim

I've been blessed by the ministry of Yong-Doo Kim, pastor of The Lord's Church, in Incheon, South Korea. I'd like to share some of the things he says about this subject.  He states, "Sometimes a contemplative prayer is required, but when the person praying is dynamic, strong, and active, the Lord will powerfully work in us. The Lord often shouts to us, 'If you powerfully pray with a mind of a warrior, rather than in a contemplative way, I will become exclusive in your life!' The type of prayer that will make the Lord exclusive to us! The type of prayer in which forceful people can take the Holy treasures from heaven. The prayer that shouts in tongues all throughout the night with passion, which never wearies and perseveres. In heaven, there are many treasures a forceful people can take.

Putting it All Together
I strongly agree with brother Yong-Doo Kim, of the Lord's Church in South Korea, who says, "The violent take the kingdom by prayer...Your faith can change everything. You can take bread and fish, attack the Kingdom like a bank!"

We know that scholars have disagreed for centuries over the meaning of this passage.  But the correct interpretation of this passage can be rendered by studying the historical and grammatical context.

Its meaning is full of importance to us today.  It speaks of our Messiah, the good news about Him, His Kingdom, and how we enter it.  It shows how, once we enter the Kingdom of heaven, it causes violence on the inside of us, as we stir up that glory -- that resident power on the inside of us.  In this way, the violent take by force from the enemy that which is ours in Christ.  Through our powerful prayers, we possess our inheritance that God promised us. These are fundamental aspects of our Christian faith, and the passage is a great example of why we need to rightly divide the word of truth.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like "Crying Out Loudly to God."  Also see the following:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Link Between Two Realms
Holy Fire Baptism
The Spirit is Willing
Lifting Hands in Prayer
Holy Living in a Perverted World

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Crying Out to God Loudly

In a previous post, I taught that praying with your hands lifted up is more powerful.  I realize that this is controversial, but I am going to teach and practice what the Bible says, not what's popular.

So today I'd like to ask another question.  Does it make a difference if we cry out to God loudly or if we simply pray softly?  Many would say it makes no difference at all.  Some feel they can pray just as powerfully when they pray silently.  Some say it is just a cultural thing, and that it doesn't matter to God.  Others say it depends on your temperament, and that we all have our own preferred style of prayer that we are comfortable with.  But I would like to show you what the Bible says about this.

Loud prayers
First of all, the Bible is full of examples of people praying loudly, as well as exhortations inspired by the Holy Spirit that instruct us to pray this way.

Brother Yong-Doo Kim, of The Lord's Church in Incheon, South Korea, says, "Jesus told me go to all nations to explain loud prayer...We, the Lord’s Church, pray with very loud music and very loud prayer...We need to pray loudly to experience Heaven and hell...But we also need to discipline and train our body...Cry out loud! Make sure your voice gets stronger...The louder it is, the more (is) your spiritual force...In these days more prayer is needed. Loud prayer with both hands in air."

I agree with him.  There is a Hebrew word found in the Old Testament, שׁוע  shâva‛.  It speaks of yelling for freedom from some trouble. It means cry (aloud, out), shout. Here are some Scriptures that teach us to cry out like this.

I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. (Psa 142:1)

I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. "Give heed to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are too strong for me.  (Psa 142:5-6)

Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! (Psa 143:1)

For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; (Pro 2:3)

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, "I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. (Jon 2:1-2)

"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, (Isa 58:9) 

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. (Psa 119:147)

But I, O LORD, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. (Psa 88:13)

As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried to You. (Psa 31:22)

O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. (Psa 30:2)

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psa 28:2)

In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. (Psa 18:6)

Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray. (Psa 5:2)

A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to You. (Psa 102:1)

Brother Kim says, "Sometimes a contemplative prayer is required, but when the person praying is dynamic, strong, and active, the Lord will powerfully work in us. The Lord often shouts to us, 'If you powerfully pray with a mind of a warrior, rather than in a contemplative way, I will become exclusive in your life!' The type of prayer that will make the Lord exclusive to us! The type of prayer in which forceful people can take the Holy treasures from heaven. The prayer that shouts in tongues all throughout the night with passion, which never wearies and perseveres. In heaven, there are many treasures a forceful people can take."

Even Jesus Christ prayed like this!
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"...And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  (Mat 27:46,50).  Someone may say that the only reason he prayed loudly was because of the pain.  Actually, when you are on your last breath, crying loudly does not come naturally, especially after hanging on a cross for six hours with your arms lifted up.  In fact, Jesus prayed loudly on other occasions, as well, such as when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (Joh 11:43-44)

The apostles and early disciples raised their voices to God this way:
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM...And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:24,31)

Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep. (Act 7:60)

At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. (Act 14:8-10)

There is a Greek word, κραυγή (krauge) found in the New Testament.  It means "an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): - clamour, cry (-ing)." -- Strongs.  Most people know how to yell at someone when they are angry, and have no problem doing so.  But they don't believe in making a loud clamor in prayer.  Yet this is exactly what Jesus did.

"In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety."  (Heb 5:7). Where it says, his prayers and supplications were with "loud crying," it means "loud clamor" or yelling. That's a holy clamor, which the Lord says we should make.

On the other hand, we must put away the sinful kind of clamor, which is yelling at other people, usually done in anger. As Paul said, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Eph 4:31)

Loud voice
Just as God's Word teaches us to pray loudly, there is a strong, biblical basis for speaking with a loud voice, as well. When you proclaim God's Word or read it, lift up your voice and call it out.  When you say, "Amen" or "Hallelujah,"  shout it loudly!!  Brother Kim says, "If you speak loudly, you will have more power, and if you live a holy life."

After all, our Lord Jesus often speaks with a loud voice.  The apostle John described Jesus voice that way when he wrote, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet..." (Rev 1:10).  He went on to say, "...His feet shone like brass that has been refined and polished, and his voice sounded like a roaring waterfall." (Rev 1:15, GNB)

Likewise, in heaven they cry with a loud voice.  "When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also." (Rev 6:9-11) In fact, all throughout the book of Revelation, a total of twenty-one times, it is recorded that John heard loud voices in heaven (Rev. 1:10, 15; 5:2,12; 6:1, 10; 7:2,10; 8:13; 10:3; 11:12,15; 12:10; 14:2,7,9,15,18; 16:1,17; 18:2; 19:1,6,17; 21:3).  I strongly encourage you to look up each of these verses, and see for yourself.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, "A voice says, 'Cry!' And I said, 'What shall I cry?' All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field." (Isa 40:6)

Loud praise
The same can be said for our praise as we have just said about prayer, proclamation, and declaration.  We could cite scores of Scriptures about this, but the following ones will suffice:

Clap your hands for joy, all peoples! Praise God with loud songs! (Psa 47:1)

Now one of [the lepers], when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. (Luk 17:15-16)

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luk 19:37-38).  The religious crowd wanted to shut these loud-mouthed people up.  But Jesus said that if these become silent, the stones will cry out!

And so he and all the Israelites took the ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets. (2Sa 6:15)

When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the LORD saying, "He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting," then the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (2Ch 5:11-14).  The Hebrew in this passage indicates that they raised their voices up high and yelled.  And I'm sure it made a loud sound of praise since it was accompanied by all those trumpets and loud cymbals!

This is not just for special occasions.  The Lord loves loud praise that is full of love and joy. Shout out loud profusely and from the depths of your heart, "GLORY TO GOD! HALLELUJAH! HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! PRAISE YOU, JESUS!" In doing so, you are pleasing God and giving the enemy a headache, wreaking havoc on his kingdom of darkness.  The angels enjoy this kind of praise and will join in with you also.  If you need help with your praises, why not get some help from the Psalms and other Bible passages, like the ones I have listed on my other post, called "Praise the Lord!"

Loud shouting
There is another Hebrew word, רוּע (rûa‛),  in the Old Testament.  It means "to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively to split the ears (with sound), that is, shout (for alarm or joy): - blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out), destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph." -- Strongs.  Here are some Scriptural examples of shouting:

So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.  Jos 6:20)

So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry. (1Sa 17:20)

O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. (Psa 47:1)

so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezr 3:13)

O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. (Psa 95:1)

Brother Kim states, "All Christians must awake through prayer. We need to be spiritually alert and on guard and prepare for the Lord's return. A prayer warrior is a guard on duty! Moreover, the time of the Lord's return is imminent! Wake up, you sleeping guards! Now is the time to wake up! Groups of secular men and the forces of satan are waiting for us to sleep. Therefore, you must open your sleepy eyes wide open and wake yourselves up by shouting. Awake by praying, singing hymns, and reading the word. Let us carry out the mission of guardianship!" (Yong-Doo Kim, Baptized by Blazing Fire Book 5, 206 )

Even the Lord Himself shouts with this kind of battle cry:
The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies. (Isa 42:13)

Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (Zep 3:14)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zec 9:9)

Of course there are many more Scriptures you could look at.  Also see: Job 19:7; Job 24:12; Job 29:12; Job 30:20; Job 30:28; Job 35:9; Job 36:13; Job 38:41; Psa 5:2; Psa 18:6; Psa 18:41; Psa 22:24; Psa 28:2; Psa 30:2; Psa 31:22; Psa 72:12; Psa 88:13; Psa 119:147; Isa 58:9; Lam 3:8; Jon 2:2; Hab 1:2;

Delta IV Medium Rocket DSCS

A Prayer That Soars High Up To Heaven
Here is an interesting excerpt from the third volume of brother Kim's book, Baptized by Blazing Fire. One of brother Kim's church members, named Lee, Haak-Sung, gave this testimony called, "A Prayer That Soars High Up To Heaven."

While I was praying, Jesus came to me and He passed between all the praying individuals, and smiled, while mumbling under His breath. “I want to especially see whose prayer will soar highest to heaven, so let’s see,” and as soon as He said this, every single one of us simultaneously began to pray, trying to be filled with blazing fire of the Holy Spirit. I felt like we were firing a pistol of prayer.

Jesus said aloud, “Let’s see. That’s right, all right! As expected, Pastor Kim is doing very well! Yes, yes, you’re doing great. Be louder, more fire, much more earnestly! Oh yes, you’re doing great. Awesome… Sister Kang, Hyun-Ja, and is my bride to be also praying out loud? Yes, that’s it!” Then Jesus concentrated on hearing Joseph, Joo-Eun, myself, Yoo-Kyung, my mom, and Deaconess Shin. Jesus passed back and forth among us to examine how high our prayer was traveling. I can see visually that our prayer was like a race and how we performed was intensely displayed as bars on a graph. [end quote]

This is consistent with the testimony of another woman, who wrote a book called "Sunshine, Daughter of Sacrifice."  In it she describes how she was caught up into heaven during praise and worship.  And she saw people's prayers ascending from earth to heaven.  Some were like arrows.  Others were moving slowly and weakly upward and she wondered how they would ever make it to heaven.  Still other prayers were going up to heaven like rockets, front-loaded with praise.

Putting it All Together
This is not meant to imply that we should never pray quietly, or that there is no value in contemplative prayer. However, I hope this post has helped you to see the greater power of praying loudly, crying out to God, proclaiming and declaring loudly, praising loudly, and shouting to God.  If you have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit, then you should seek this gift from the Lord.  Ask Him to also baptize you with fire.  Then you will have the blazing fire of the Holy Spirit all over you, which will will enable you to live a holy life, and you will be able to pray and praise God in tongues.  This will transform your prayer life in a way you never imagined! 

Your voice should be strong and confident.  Your prayers must have a red-hot fervency!  This is the way David, our Lord Jesus, the early apostles, and many others in the Bible prayed. When you are living a holy life and pray with a strong voice like this, your prayers will be more powerful.  If you agree, then right now you can loudly shout, "AMEN!"

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, please also see the following:

Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom
Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Link Between Two Realms
Holy Fire Baptism
Taking Heaven by Force
Lifting Hands in Prayer
Lifting Your Face in Prayer
Holy Living in a Perverted World
The Spirit is Willing 

You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.