Categories of God’s Law
Written by Dale Ebel
[Psalm 119:97 LSB]
97 “Oh how I love Your law (instructions, directions)! It is my meditation all the day.”
Isn’t it wonderful how the Psalmist loved God’s Law?
For years, I mistakenly lumped God’s Law under one category—simply stated as “the Law.” Also, I mistakenly relegated it only to the Book of the Covenants (OT), and embarrassingly, I considered it legalistic, restrictive, punitive, unattainable, and irrelevant—all of which are untrue!
Don’t you love it when the Holy Spirit gives new depth, adjustments, and understanding to what you have thought to be true for years? I never want to be caught stagnant and unaware of the many revelations and paradigm shifts that the Holy Spirit will provide me. I know that is true for you also. Of course, these revelations must be accompanied by appropriate behaviors that fall in line with the Word of God.
There are many “law” references revealed in the Scriptures. Below, I have listed nine, based on my cursory investigation.
First, the Biblical definition of “Law”
The Scriptural word for “law,” both in the Greek and the Hebrew, means “instructions,” “directions,” and “injunctions” (a warning and rule of action). Please consider using these three descriptive definitions when you integrate the word “law” into your conversations! It will help minimize our general misunderstanding and bring clarification.
The importance of making these distinctions
By delineating between these laws, it brings clarification and potentially personal direction and application for how we navigate our Christian walk. It provides understanding as to how we apply specific biblical truths to a given situation—i.e., personal and societal.
Nine types of “Law”
1. The Ceremonial Law
The Ceremonial Law consists of the Mosaic institutions which prescribe the external rites and ceremonies to be observed by the Jews. For Christians, this type of law has been superseded by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all the requirements of the Ceremonial Law. He is now the means by which individuals are made righteous. No more sacrifices or shedding of blood for the remission of sins is required, as Hebrews 10 teaches us.
[Hebrews 10:5, 10 NLT]
5 That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer.” …
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
How to apply the Ceremonial Law
Embrace the reality that God values rituals and that they were powerful object lessons. When obeyed, the Jews demonstrated their belief in Yahweh—the God of the Book of the Covenants (OT).
2. The Moral Law
The Moral Law (Exodus 20:1–17) is exemplified in the Ten Commandments and summarized by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew.
[Matthew 22:37–40 AMP]
37 And Jesus replied to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’
40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
It provides a universal behavioral plumb line that is redemptive, restorative, filled with justice, and full of lovingkindness.
How to apply the Moral Law
It’s important to notice and communicate that the Moral Law does not change from the Book of the Covenants (OT) to the Renewed Covenant (NT). Whenever God says something is morally wrong or morally right, it remains wrong or right forever.
It is also vital to present God’s absolutes when presenting Christ to non-Christians. Be enriched when contemplating and obeying God’s moral laws, for they bring great reward.
[Psalm 19:11 KJV]
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
3. The Judicial Law
[Deuteronomy 17:8–9 NLT]
8 “Suppose a case arises in a local court that is too hard for you to decide—for instance, whether someone is guilty of murder or only of manslaughter, or a difficult lawsuit, or a case involving different kinds of assault. Take such legal cases to the place the LORD your God will choose,
9 and present them to the Levitical priests or the judge on duty at that time. They will hear the case and declare the verdict.”
The Bible is replete with references to court proceedings. The Judicial Law is the civil and statutory law that takes the rights and wrongs from the Moral Law and assigns penalties for their violations—i.e., laws setting punishments for such crimes as murder, theft, arson, etc. This law is carried out in the courts of a society in which legal justice is to prevail.
It is a great error for the so-called Social Justice Movement to carry out judgments of what is fair and equitable in the court of “public opinion,” or by the masses (Exodus 23:1–2: “…you shall not follow the masses…”).
How to apply the Judicial Law
The Judicial Law applies only to the arena of civil governments and no other. This is where the laws of our culture emanate in America—in Congress, the judiciary, and the executive branch. This has huge ramifications for what transpires in a given society.
For example, two major decisions:
Roe v. Wade (1973) was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an abortion prior to the point of fetal viability. As a result, there was a rapid proliferation of abortions.
Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26, 2015) was a landmark decision determining that state-level bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional. Later, the Respect for Marriage Act, signed in 2022, codified federal protections for these marriages.
Please exercise your right to vote and enlist like-minded individuals to cast their votes to place judges that uphold the Moral Law and the Constitution. For 38 years as a pastor, I enlisted hundreds of parishioners to vote according to their biblical conscience. We made a difference in the state of Oregon for a short time!
From my perspective, a major contributor to our culture moving away from biblical standards is that the Christian community—primarily pastors—has failed to give a biblical perspective on the role of Christians in the power matrix of those who pass legislation that directly impacts our lives and broader society. I hear Christians regularly bemoan the evils in our society, yet they tie one arm behind their backs by repeating what they have been wrongfully taught about politics in particular and our role in participating in government agencies that set policy.
When professing believers tell me that Christians do not belong in “politics,” they reveal two things to me:
- They do not have a Biblical Total Truth Worldview—i.e., they randomly compartmentalize Scripture.
- They are saying that the “Sphere of Government” is not under the umbrella of God’s Truth.
Wow—this is illuminating and scary at the same time.
In my experience, I have found A and B to be true because people are fearful and wish to avoid controversy. As long as we stay in our holy huddles, we are acceptable to the public.
4. The Societal Law (Deuteronomy 4:5–11)
[Deuteronomy 4:5–6 AMP]
5 “Look, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may do them in the land which you are entering to possess.
6 So, keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”
This law primarily consists of instructions governing a society. They are liberating, expansive, informative, attainable, and filled with God’s wisdom.
Wisdom is more than the application of knowledge; it is the continual choice to make right and biblical decisions that promote success for individuals and the broader culture.
How to apply the Societal Law
In the last 20+ years, I have been applying God’s magnificent Societal Law to provide answers about many issues facing America. Through teaching articles on my blog, Sunday teaching in churches, teaching in young and seasoned men’s groups, and seminars in churches and in homes, I have expanded the thinking of the Christian community about this crucial law.
Remember: “law” is defined as instructions, directives, and injunctions. They are not punitive indictments to threaten us; they are God’s gracious provisions for mankind’s benefit!
I have used many resources to study the Societal Law. They are the Bible, The Founders’ Bible (FB), and the Prager Rational Bible commentaries on the Torah (P).
Below I will list the resources, and that way you can purchase the material and study on your own. Many people ask me to spontaneously answer a variety of questions expecting a prompt and short response. This will not suffice, as you must read, do your own study, and come to your own conclusions. This way, you will be equipped to articulate and explain what the Bible teaches about these subjects within the context of your webs of relationships.
Below are some of the subjects I have covered under the title of the Societal Law:
- Caring for the poor, FB (Deuteronomy 15:11, pages 311–318).
- The role of judges, FB (Isaiah 1:26, pages 1021–1028).
- The power of corruption, P (Exodus 20:264–269:13—The 8th Commandment, and “Judges are to enforce justice, not compassion,” 23:8, pages 339–341).
- God’s treatment of homosexuality (Leviticus 18).
- Biblical education, FB (Proverbs 1:7, pages 925–927).
- Slavery which is kidnapping, P (Exodus 20:13; 21, pages 626–268). My blog: www.daleebel.org “Does the Bible Condone American Slavery? NO!” Dated April 13, 2021, page 7.
- Qualities of elected officials, FB (Judges 9, pages 409–412).
- Immigration, my blog: www.daleebel.org, “Five Solutions to the Immigration Problem,” page 6, dated October 5, 2024.
- Self-defense, FB (Exodus 22:2–3, pages 127–129).
- Socialism v. the free-market system, FB (2 Thessalonians 3:10, pages 1934–1943).
I communicate these truths with many people: those who espouse Christianity, those who are indifferent, and even those hostile to Christianity—with positive, inquisitive, and newly enlightened responses.
Friends, please invest $50.00 to $100.00 and buy a Founders’ Bible, and about $30.00 and purchase Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom by Dennis Prager—and another $30.00 for the Deuteronomy commentary. You will discover a lifetime of redemptive information.
5. The Law of Conscience
[Romans 2:15 NLT]
15 “They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
This law reflects that all of mankind has been created in the image of God, and it acts as an inner guiding voice regarding the rightness and wrongness of one’s behavior—even if people in the remotest regions of the world have not heard about Jesus Christ. In that sense, they are a law unto themselves.
However, I have come to realize the inadequacies of total dependence on one’s conscience, because we know from 1 Timothy 4:2 that a person’s conscience can be seared. There are many deviant and wicked people who have committed horrible atrocities without having guilty consciences. Therefore, I qualify—in a positive way—Romans 2:15 by stating that a person has an elementary capacity to recognize their behavior as right or wrong, and they will be judged accordingly.
Our Lord God is fair because He judges people according to the amount of knowledge they have. Please look up 1 Timothy 1:13.
The Royal Law
James 2:8 and Leviticus 19:18: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
The Royal Law was given by our great King, Jesus Christ, who said, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you” (John 15:12). This law—surprisingly—was originally summarized in Leviticus 19:18, and it is foundational for all the laws regarding how people should relate to one another.
Christ reinforced this Truth in Matthew 22:37–40, and Paul taught it in Romans 13:8 and Galatians 5:14.
The Law of Christ
[Galatians 6:2 KJV]
2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
This is the supreme imitation of Christ as the ultimate burden-bearer.
Though Paul insists that the Galatians are free from obeying Jewish ceremonial laws, this does not mean they are free from all of God’s moral requirements. The Law of Christ, in a broad sense, means the entire body of ethical teaching that Christ gave and endorsed. But in a specific sense here, it refers to the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself—which, if followed fully, will result in obeying the rest of God’s moral law.
The Law of God
Nehemiah 8:8 and Romans 7
This is the whole expanse of God’s instructions found in all Scripture. I believe this includes all the laws I have referenced in this article. This includes the ceremonial laws for the Jews prior to Jesus Christ, but not for present-day Christ-followers.
The Law of Sin and Death
This is the principle that the perpetual bent to do evil resides within us.
[Romans 7:21–23 NIV]
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;
23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
The Law of the Spirit and Life
[Romans 8:2 NASB95]
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
The Law of the Spirit reveals the work and instructions of the Spirit of God in the believer’s life. He—the Spirit—frees us from sin and death (vv. 2–3). The death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the final arbitrator (the One who settles the dispute) for satisfying God’s holy demands over us and all mankind (1 John 2:1–2).
Obeying God’s law is not the source of our salvation. It is only the redemptive work of the grace of God through Christ that saves us from our sin. However, the Spirit of God enables us to fulfill God’s law (8:4). He grants us the strength to obey and to have victory over our unredeemed flesh (Romans 8:1–2).
The Law of the Spirit also confirms our adoption as God’s children (vv. 14–16) and guarantees our ultimate glory (vv. 17–30).
Selah—which means: think and ponder these things.
Hey, gang, please ruminate over these laws. Perhaps, if they are important enough to you, reduce the size of the text and place them in the front or back of your Bible. More importantly, begin to articulate them “on the fly” as you go about your day.
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503-957-4547
In Christ,
Dale