Breaking the Law
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:17-18
There have always been those who say, “Jesus has taken the punishment for my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. I can do what I like. I know that God will forgive me!” Paul faced the same issue in writing to the Romans.[1] His response mirrored Jesus’. In no way is the Law nullified. In fact, the Good News of salvation by grace, through faith, sets us free to obey the Law. We are saved by grace, by God’s unmerited favor, not by our efforts in keeping the Law. Yet, having been saved by grace we are to strive to obey the Law, not as the root but as the fruit of our salvation.
By “the Law” Jesus means the body of biblical commandments that governed the life of a devout Jew. He did not mean the interpretations of the Law that determined, for example, how far one could walk on the Sabbath before it became work. Jesus is much more interested in the great principles of the Law as enshrined, for example, in the Ten Commandments. It is not possible for Christians to assume that, because Christ has fulfilled the Law, we do not need to respect the property or the lives of others. Christians have no business getting involved in the deeds of darkness: apostasy, adultery, murder, and theft. The Law still applies. Our salvation does not depend upon our keeping of the Law, but if we do not keep it then we demonstrate that we are not really serious when we claim Jesus as Lord. A standard applies to our conduct. We should strive to live according to that standard. And the standard is the Law.
How many poor choices do we attempt to excuse by saying, “But I’m under Grace, not Law!” Often, the excuse is simply an attempt to cover up our failure to live according to the values of the Kingdom. Of course, we are under grace, not law. Not one of us could stand without the imputed righteousness of Christ. But we are not saved in order that we may ignore God’s commands. We are saved so that, in simple gratitude, we might live to please Him.
So, the Law has not been abolished. It may have been superseded in certain respects, but it still reflects the character and will of God. If we are to be salt and light we must do our best to reflect the precepts of God’s Law.
Father,
For the times when I have presumed upon Your love – forgive me.
For the times when I have chosen to ignore the clear warnings of Scripture,
and have suffered the consequences – forgive me.
Teach me how to pay fitting respect for Your Law.
In all things may my character be modeled on the character of Christ.
Amen.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:17-18
There have always been those who say, “Jesus has taken the punishment for my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. I can do what I like. I know that God will forgive me!” Paul faced the same issue in writing to the Romans.[1] His response mirrored Jesus’. In no way is the Law nullified. In fact, the Good News of salvation by grace, through faith, sets us free to obey the Law. We are saved by grace, by God’s unmerited favor, not by our efforts in keeping the Law. Yet, having been saved by grace we are to strive to obey the Law, not as the root but as the fruit of our salvation.
By “the Law” Jesus means the body of biblical commandments that governed the life of a devout Jew. He did not mean the interpretations of the Law that determined, for example, how far one could walk on the Sabbath before it became work. Jesus is much more interested in the great principles of the Law as enshrined, for example, in the Ten Commandments. It is not possible for Christians to assume that, because Christ has fulfilled the Law, we do not need to respect the property or the lives of others. Christians have no business getting involved in the deeds of darkness: apostasy, adultery, murder, and theft. The Law still applies. Our salvation does not depend upon our keeping of the Law, but if we do not keep it then we demonstrate that we are not really serious when we claim Jesus as Lord. A standard applies to our conduct. We should strive to live according to that standard. And the standard is the Law.
How many poor choices do we attempt to excuse by saying, “But I’m under Grace, not Law!” Often, the excuse is simply an attempt to cover up our failure to live according to the values of the Kingdom. Of course, we are under grace, not law. Not one of us could stand without the imputed righteousness of Christ. But we are not saved in order that we may ignore God’s commands. We are saved so that, in simple gratitude, we might live to please Him.
So, the Law has not been abolished. It may have been superseded in certain respects, but it still reflects the character and will of God. If we are to be salt and light we must do our best to reflect the precepts of God’s Law.
Father,
For the times when I have presumed upon Your love – forgive me.
For the times when I have chosen to ignore the clear warnings of Scripture,
and have suffered the consequences – forgive me.
Teach me how to pay fitting respect for Your Law.
In all things may my character be modeled on the character of Christ.
Amen.
[1] Romans 3:31
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