Adultery

If I decided to have an affair and commit adultery, and my husband found out, we would likely need to go to counseling to heal some of those wounds. It would take a long time, but let's say that he forgave me. He gave up the anger and bitterness so that our relationship could be made whole.

Now, I would (hopefully) not turn around a year later and do the exact same thing I had received forgiveness for, correct?

Our Father, through His Son Jesus, has done the exact same thing. We sinned against Him, by breaking His law, because sin is transgression of the law.

"Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law." 1 John 3:4

The Bible tells us that we committed adultery against Him, among other things. He then sent Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice to pay the debt that existed as a result of our sins. The debt is gone. It is forgiven. Do we then turn around and continue to sin by breaking His law, since our debt has been paid?

I'll let you answer that yourself, but I would hope you would answer with a resounding NO. Paul in Romans even tells us that we are to choose to be a slave to obedience not a slave to sin:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification." Romans 6:15-19

Remember that 1 John 3:4 from above tells us that sin is defined as transgression (breaking) of the law.

1 John is estimated to have been written around 85 AD. After the cross. Sin was still being defined as transgression of the law at this point.

This begs the question - well - transgression of what law? Some will say Jesus' "law of love" which comes from Matthew 22 (bolded words are references directly from the Old Testament):

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He 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 foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

There are two things to note here - the first is that Jesus' last point says that on those two commandments depend the whole law and the Prophets. This means that all the Law and Prophets culminate in those two works. Be obedient in the little things of the law and you will be obedient in the big things (Luke 16:10).

The second thing to note is this - Jesus said those two were the greatest of the commandments. He never, at any point, says these are the only two commandments. He says they are greater than the others, which implies there are others that are lesser, or least, in His eyes. In fact, in Matthew 5, he lays out that whoever teaches against even the least of the commandments will be found least in the Kingdom. He even goes so far as to tell us that none are abolished so long as Heaven and Earth remain:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 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. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Paul tells us the law is not nullified in Romans 3:

"Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."

So let's go back to what Law? Sin is transgression of what Law? Jesus is telling us right here that there are more commandments that exist rather than the two He has just mentioned (which by the way are taken directly from Leviticus 19 - this is why they are IN ALL CAPS in the New Testament, showing that it is a direct reference from the Old Testament).

If those two commandments didn't pass away from the Old Testament law, it can be safely assumed that the others didn't either. The Law that John is speaking of is the Old Testament law. The Law from the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).

I'm just going to leave this passage from Hebrews here (bolded words are direct quotes from the OT):

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

It says the Lord will judge his people. That means that the believers out there will be judged. According to what standard?

"For all who have sinned without the Law (non-believers) will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law (believers) will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." Romans 2:12-13

We will be judged according to God's standard - His Law. Now is the time to practice walking it out, friends.