I'm not sure that I follow your entire post, here, but let's see if what I offer makes sense
(I'm not sure that I follow your entire post, here, but let's see if what I offer makes sense.
The Moral Law:
This is what I have found to be the 3rd stage of the Law. The "Law," in my estimation is in four states:
1) Pre Law of Moses
2) Law of Moses (instituted beginning in Exo 20:21)
3) Moral Law was placed upon all of mankind (Possibly instituted in Neh 8:8-9)
4) Laws of the Spirit of Life (Vastly given on and after the day of Pentecost, described in Rom 8:2))
The way I always understood Biblical law was categorized in 4 different ways. You have the moral law, Ceremonial, Judicial, and Sub Compact laws. The Moral is described in Romans 2: 14-15. The moral laws are those that transcend time as in they are applicable in both the Old and New Testament. For example, it wall always be wrong to murder or shed innocent blood.
Romans 2
12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
(Once the Moral Law was placed upon the hearts of all people, all humans became fully aware of what was right and wrong. No longer would the written Law need to be disclosed, for this disclosure was written upon all of humanity's heart. Was Cain held accountable? Consider the below 2 passages:
Romans 5:13 NLT - "Yes, people sinned even before the law was given.
But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break."
Romans 3:25-26 NLT - "For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that
God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus."
Obviously, Cain sinned. The two passages, however, seem to clearly indicate that 1), Cain may not have been eternally charged with his Sin against Abel, but if He was, he would be held and given the chance to place Faith in Christ in order to be made "right" with God in [His] sight. So . . . this is a tricky concept to think about. I like your questioning!)
It is tricky because in Romans 2 again we read all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. Why? Possibly in verse 14 and 15 it was due to the moral law.
Romans 2
12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
Possibly to persish doesn't mean Hell but the consequences of death. But then again the word perish is
622. apollumi
►
Strong's Concordance
apollumi: to destroy, destroy utterly
Original Word: ἀπόλλυμι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: apollumi
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-ol'-loo-mee)
Definition: to destroy, destroy utterly
Usage: (a) I kill, destroy, (b) I lose, mid: I am perishing (the resultant death being viewed as certain).
HELPS Word-studies
622 apóllymi (from
575 /apó, "away from," which intensifies
ollymi, "to destroy") – properly,
fully destroy, cutting
off entirely (note the force of the prefix,
575 /apó).
622 /apóllymi ("violently/completely perish") implies
permanent (absolute) destruction, i.e. to cancel out (remove); "to die, with the implication of ruin and
destruction" (
L & N, 1, 23.106); cause to be
lost (
utterly perish) by experiencing a miserable end.
Sounds worse than death lol.
("Or did God judge those under the moral (law) differently?")
1 Peter 3:19-20
New International Version
19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,
Here seems to be the only case were we are left with the idea that those before the flood may be judged differently. They may have been imprisoned and given the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ.
(The bottom line; the only way to be in a Right relationship with Christ . . . one MUST possess the Circumcision of Christ. It is physical circumcision having been instituted in the life of Abraham that reflects the Spiritual Circumcision that he had received, perhaps early on in his life, but FOR SURE in Genesis 17. The major element of Salvation hinges upon the Circumcision of Christ. If that "element" is not removed, Salvation is utterly impossible, for this act of Christ is what separates all people from either the Law of Moses or the Moral law that both expose sin. The Law of Moses exposes sin, and so doe the Moral Law, which is why Gary Ridgeway knew what he was doing. Jeffrey Dahmer knew what he was doing. Adolf Hitler knew what he was doing. They all knew that their actions of murder were wrong, thus they all hid their crimes. Therefore, Judgment is the same. Consider the below:
When Jesus said, "Get away from me you Lawbreakers," what is He really saying? He is saying that these people had not received the His Spiritual Circumcision. If they had, Jesus would not have referred to them as "lawbreakers" as they were not separated from the Law . . . the Holy Effect (and sub-point) of the Circumcision of Christ.
"the only way to obtain righteousness through animal sacrifice and obedience"
Yes, people were referred to as Righteous, Holy and Pure, but I don't think that animal Sacrifice accomplished these things. Animal Sacrifice does not remove the Curse of the Lord, thus, Righteousness, Purity, and Holiness are not possible. Jesus's death on the cross pays for the debt of sin, thus, it seems that we are to apply that same principle to animal sacrifice. The death of an animal did not Purify a person, but paid the debt of specific sin. Some translations refer to this as Expiation of Sin. Leviticus 1:4 from the Blessed Jewish Tanakh says this:
Tanakh: "He shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, that it may be acceptable in his behalf, in expiation for him."
Chapters four and five of Leviticus deal not only with unintentional sinning, but throughout these two chapters, we read of how animal sacrifice provides expiation, or, forgiveness of sins . . . paying the debt. But again, this does not equate to the removal of the Sinful Nature.)
I did a word search to find a few instances were God saw certain people as righteous.
Genesis 7:1
The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you
righteous in this generation.
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as
righteousness.
Deuteronomy 6:25
And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our
righteousness.”
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as
righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the
righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
James 2:25
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered
righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
Following the law for the saints of old led to righteousness. It was a heavy burden but the only way at the time for salvation. They followed the law in faith for who was to come. We have faith in who has came and will return again.
(I love this thread . . . and I love your questions. I don't think that I necessarily taught you anything, for I get the feeling that you already know these things, and so this thread becomes an incredible opportunity for those who are still drinking Spiritual Milk to learn more of what is at the Holy Table of Christ . . . the Meat of the Gospel.
Thank you!!!)
I'm always learning and know what I know until I learn something to adjust my understanding. I just try to make it simple or ask enough questions to break it down.