1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

have engaged, not only to keep the Law, but additionallyto seek to have love beyond the commandments of theLaw. Under this arrangement we have agreed to do morethan to love our neighbors as ourselves. We have agreedto lay down our lives for the brethren. This is a specialrequirement, which could not be expected from anyoneaside from sacrifice.Our relationship with the Lord is under this specialcovenant of sacrifice, as expressed in the words, "GatherMy saints together unto Me; those that have made acovenant with Me by sacrifice." (Psa. 505.) These, theApostle tells us, are not without Law, but are under Lawin Christ. This Law in Christ is the law of their covenant,which is the Law of Love. A sacrificing love beingbeyond any requirement of Justice, it necessarily followsthat anything which they would do beyond the requirementof Love would also fulfil the requirements of theLaw laid down by Justice--the lesser being comprehendedin the greater. This Law of Love would be a still higherlaw; as Jesus expressed it, "A new commandment [a highercommandment] I give unto you, that ye love one another;as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."--John 1334.When the Apostle says, "Ye are not under the Law,but under grace," he probably has special reference to thefact that Christians who had come from among theGentiles had never been under the Law arrangement,but that their first experience under law was under thisGrace arrangement in Christ. However, in the case ofthe Jews who had been under the Law Covenant, hedeclares that they were freed from the Law to whichthey had been bound; and he speaks as if the Law was avery severe requirement which they had been unable tokeep, and from which release was a great blessing. TheLaw Covenant proposed everlasting life upon the termsof keeping the Law. "This do, and thou shalt live."--Lev. 185; Rom. 105; Luke 1028.Since all the Jews, like the rest of mankind, wereimperfect because of the fall, therefore no Jew couldkeep that Law, and consequently no Jew could ever attaineverlasting life. Being unable to keep the Law he couldnot get a reward. But he was really bound by thatCovenant; for there was no other Covenant offered tohim up to the time when the Gospel was offered. Then,for him, a special arrangement was made--a Covenantof sacrifice. He was freed from the Law Covenant in thesense that he was released from the Law.By becoming dead to the Law the Jews had an opportunityto get life in another way. By abandoning allhopes of getting everlasting life through the Law, theycould receive a new hope in Christ; namely, that underthe arrangement in Christ, the great Advocate, they mighthave fellowship with Him now in His suffering and laterin His glory, which, by the Father's arrangement, He willshare with all those who become His followers.From the time, then, that the Jew became dead to the