There are Christians today who would teach Torah. Why teach the Law of Moses? This makes no sense. Why not teach the words of Jesus Christ and His Apostles? What is this romantic notion about teaching Torah? Why teach Torah when it is based on animal sacrifice and you have no temple in which to make your offering?

Why leave the Lord Jesus Christ and return to a lesser covenant? Are you ready to stone people who commit adultery? Are you prepared to purify the unclean with the ashes of the red heifer? Is the leper to be driven from the towns and cities? Have you any idea what you are talking about?

The Sabbath requirement is completely fulfilled in us as we are crucified with Jesus Christ and risen with Him. Also the Law no longer has authority over us because we are dead to our adamic nature, and the Law governs the living natural man. It possesses no authority whatever over those who are risen with Jesus Christ.

Now let us turn to the question of adultery.

Are we under the Mosaic commandment to refrain from adultery?

No, we are not. We are under no part of the Law whatever.

Then we are free to commit adultery.

No, we are not. We are under a different law that operates in a different manner. The new law, the law of the new covenant, is termed "the law of the Spirit of life."

Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2—NIV)

Now we said that the law of the Spirit of life operates in a different manner.

The Ten Commandments were addressed to the adamic man, the natural man, those who were not born again. Christ was not in them. The Holy Spirit was not in them. They had not been crucified with Christ or risen with Christ. They were all of a piece—one whole human personality.

The Law said to them, "You shall not commit adultery."

What if someone committed adultery?

He was stoned to death.

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10—NIV)

In the case of numerous sins, including adultery, the individuals involved were put to death.

In the instance of sins not considered capital offenses, the worshiper brought his animal to the priest as a sin offering.

He no longer was guilty of sin, an atonement had been made by the blood of the sacrificial animal.

What if he did not repent? What if he sinned willfully without regard to the Law of Moses?

He no longer had fellowship with God. His prayers were not heard. He was regarded as a sinner. Under the Law of Moses he was to be cut off from Israel.

But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. (Numbers 15:30—NIV)

Do you see how sin was handled under the Law of Moses?

The Israelites were to be righteous, holy people, obedient to God. When they were they were blessed abundantly. When they were not they were cursed abundantly.

To be continued.