Those who teach that we are still under the Old Covenant law, including the Ten Commandments, really do not understand what Jesus Christ accomplished by His life, Cross and resurrection. They do not know that the Old Covenant law and New Covenant grace are opposites. Law is human-empowered living while grace is God-empowered living. The purpose and promise of the New Covenant is for God to live in you, and through you.
Living under law (or any set of personal or religious rules) is essentially saying, "I am presenting myself to God as righteous on my own merits." This is self-righteousness, not real righteousness. Under the Old Covenant Law, to be declared righteous before God, you had to live perfectly your whole life; any violation meant you broke the entire Law (James 2:10). The Law showed Israel that they could not live up to God's righteous standards by their own efforts. The Law was intended to lead the Jews to the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24).
There should not even be discussions about the Law because it no longer exists and has not existed since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Law was replaced 2,000 years ago by New Covenant grace. The Gentiles never had any relationship to the Old Covenant Law whatsoever. In fact, after Christ came, the Law became the ministry of "death" and "condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:6,7,9) because the Law was never able to make a person righteous (Romans 3:20). The Law identified a person's shortcomings. The Gentiles back then, and all people today, have a conscience that functions in the same way that the Law did (Romans 2:14,15).
New Covenant grace, on the other hand, is the ministry of the life giving Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:6b) and the ministry of righteousness (2 Corinthians 3:9b). It is superior to the Law (or any set of rules) in every way. Following law comes through your own human effort; grace is Christ in you living out His righteous life through you (Colossians 1:27; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17).
Jesus fulfilled every "jot and tittle" of the Law for the nation of Israel. Now fulfilled, God ended the Old Covenant Law and replaced it with New Covenant grace which, for the first time, allowed the Gentiles to also receive its promises and benefits. The law is NOT God's standard to live by; faith is God's standard.
Galatians 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live by faith."
Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
The near-universal error in the Christian community, what the Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the churches in Galatia, is trusting by faith to get saved and then trying to live out the Christian life by one's own human effort...
Galatians 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh (self-effort)?
Galatians 3:12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "He who practices them shall live by them." (In other words, if you try to live under the Law, you better live perfectly; one sin and you have failed.)
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Hebrews 10:9b ... He takes away the first (Old Covenant Law) in order to establish the second (New Covenant grace).
Hebrews 8:13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first (Covenant, the Law) obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
Hebrews 9:15a For this reason He (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, ...
Romans 2:14-15 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law ...
2 Corinthians 3:6-7a, 9a who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life. [7] But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved in stones, came with glory, ... [9] For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, ...
Purpose of the Old Covenant Law:
1. It made Israel aware of its sins: Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
2. It actually caused sins to increase: Romans 5:20a The Law came in so that the transgression would increase ...
3. It was intended to lead the Jews to Christ: Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. (But, the Jews rejected their Messiah.)
In fact, the Law causes sin to increase because the Law gives sin its power.
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;
So, don't let anyone tell you that you must abide by a certain set of rules. To live a life pleasing to God, walk by faith, which is Christ in you living out His righteous life through you. This is the life of freedom that God wants you to have.
For a more in-depth discussion, Click Here
Return to Home Page
