Article October 14, 1905 Issue

Christ the end of the law

Willis F. Gross

In his epistle to the Romans the apostle declares that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” That it is necessary to gain a higher and more spiritual sense of righteousness than could be gained by keeping the letter ot the ceremonial law is evident from the Master’s words when he said, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The Pharisees had gone as far as it was possible for mortal man to go in the observance of rites and ceremonies, but they were far from the kingdom of heaven. They seemed to have lost sight of the purpose for which divers laws and ordinances had been given to the children of Israel in the wilderness. Instead of striving to look beyond the sign and symbol they were content to observe the letter, even though this observance brought no increase of spiritual perception. To Moses the offering of sacrifices and the observance of ceremonies was but a means to an end; to the Pharisees it was the end to be attained, and they were so self-satisfied in the keeping of fasts and the giving of tithes that they thanked God they were not as other men. As Paul says. “Being ignorant of God’s righteousness,” they went about “to establish their own righteousness.”

The man who would to-day find the kingdom of heaven within must “exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.” The law will be his schoolmaster to bring him to Christ, but unless the Christ be discerned heaven is not gained. If the law is understood and its precepts obeyed the Christ is revealed and man begins to comprehend “the way, the truth, and the life,” and in proportion to his faithfulness he finds the kingdom of heaven on earth.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Another Summer Experience