“When brothers live together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall have relations with her and take her to himself as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall then be that the firstborn to whom she gives birth shall assume the name of his father’s deceased brother, so that his name will not be wiped out from Israel. (vv. 5-6)

On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died, and having no children, he left his wife to his brother. It was the same also with the second brother, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her in marriage.” But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, since you do not understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:29-32)

I said a few times that the law should not be interpreted literally. But that does not mean that God would accept any form of adultery or theft. The Ten Commandments are for us to know our depraved heart. When the Holy Spirit comes and makes us understand God’s words, a Christian conscience is formed in us, which is different from the conscience of unbelievers. We now know and have the mind of Christ. Although we do make mistakes and sin, we do not dwell in sins because God rebukes and guides them. God also prevents us from sinning.

For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:14-16)

On the outside, many unbelievers may appear more moral than Christians. But God looks at the heart of each person. For this reason, one must not judge others from a moral point of view. Christians must pursue a moral life but morality is not what defines Christianity. That is why it is important not to interpret the law literally. Focusing on the law instead of the cross of Christ leads us back to slavery. However, that is what the Reformers chose in the 17th century. They chose law and slavery over grace and freedom. In the center of this act of treachery, there are the Covenant Theology and the Active Obedience of Christ.

Anyone with the Holy Spirit is considered a child of God. Jesus Christ made us become the children of God by giving Himself up for us. Anyone who denies the grace of God shown on the cross of Christ is not a Christian. Theologians and ministers admit this but they always try to add the law to this grace. That is what the devil does. He twists God’s words.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)

There is not much a saint can do except say that we are saved through the cross of Christ by the grace of God. And that is exactly what Apostle Paul has been telling us. Christ is the only sacrifice that God accepts because of the plan that He has made before creation. Theologians and ministers try to tie Christ with the law so that the law becomes more powerful than Christ Himself. It is only fitting that children of God listen to His words. That does not mean that keeping the law makes us righteous. With the Active Obedience of Christ, the Protestant churches teach others that the law makes us righteous. We read and understand from the Bible that the law was given to people on the earth for education. God is not bound by His law because it was made for people.

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. Now when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath!” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions— how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath, and yet are innocent? But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. But if you had known what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, RATHER THAN SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:1-8)

Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)