|
The Old
Covenant Law was only a temporary guardian
until Christ came.
Galatians
3:24-25 says, “So then, the law was our
guardian until Christ came, in order that we
might be justified by faith. But now that
faith has come, we are no longer under a
guardian,”
Romans 10:4 says, “For
Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone who believes.”
And Hebrews 7:18-19 says, “For on the
one hand, a former commandment is set aside
because of its weakness and uselessness —
(for the law made nothing perfect); but on
the other hand, a better hope is introduced,
through which we draw near to God.”
Jesus gave us a New Covenant to live
by.
Hebrews 8:6-7 says,
“But as it is, Christ has obtained a
ministry that is as much more excellent than
the old as the covenant he mediates is
better, since it is enacted on better
promises. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, there would have been no
occasion to look for a second.”
And
Hebrews 9:15 says, “Therefore he is the
mediator of a new covenant, so that those
who are called may receive the promised
eternal inheritance, since a death has
occurred that redeems them from the
transgressions committed under the first
covenant.”
Look at how clearly the New Covenant
describes the end of the Old Covenant Law.
Hebrews 8:13 says, “In speaking of a new
covenant, he makes the first one obsolete.
And what is becoming obsolete and growing
old is ready to vanish away.”
The Law
imprisoned us because of our sin.
Romans 3:20 says, “For by
works of the law no human being will be
justified in his sight, since through the
law comes knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 3:19 says, “Why then the law? It
was added because of transgressions, until
the offspring should come to whom the
promise had been made, and it was put in
place through angels by an intermediary.”
And Galatians 3:21-24 says, “Is the law
then contrary to the promises of God?
Certainly not! For if a law had been given
that could give life, then righteousness
would indeed be by the law. But the
Scripture imprisoned everything under sin,
so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ
might be given to those who believe. Now
before faith came, we were held captive
under the law, imprisoned until the coming
faith would be revealed. So then, the law
was our guardian until Christ came, in order
that we might be justified by faith.”
The Law arouses our sinful
passions and increases sin in our lives
which produces death.
Romans 7:5 says, “For while we were living
in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused
by the law, were at work in our members to
bear fruit for death.”
And Romans 7:8
says, “But sin, seizing an opportunity
through the commandment, produced in me all
kinds of covetousness. For apart from the
law, sin lies dead.”
The Old
Covenant Law is a death sentence for us
because it requires our perfect obedience.
Romans 10:5 says, “For Moses writes
about the righteousness that is based on the
law, that the person who does the
commandments shall live by them.”
And Galatians 3:10-13 says, “For all who
rely on works of the law are under a curse;
for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who
does not abide by all things written in the
Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is
evident that no one is justified before God
by the law, for “The righteous shall live by
faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather
“The one who does them shall live by them.”
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law
by becoming a curse for us—for it is
written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged
on a tree” (cf. James 2:8-10;
Deut. 27:26).
The Law
was week and had to be set aside.
Hebrews 7:18 says, “For on the one
hand, a former commandment is set aside
because of its weakness and uselessness.”
The Law had to change for Jesus
to become our new High priest.
Hebrews 7:12 says, “For when there is a
change in the priesthood, there is
necessarily a change in the law as well.”
The Law that was brought to an
end included the Ten Commandments.
Romans 7:7 says, “What then shall we
say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet
if it had not been for the law, I would not
have known sin. For I would not have known
what it is to covet if the law had not said,
“You shall not covet.”
Hebrews 9:1-4
says, “Now even the first covenant had
regulations for worship and an earthly place
of holiness. For a tent was prepared, the
first section, in which were the lampstand
and the table and the bread of the Presence.
It is called the Holy Place. Behind the
second curtain was a second section called
the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar
of incense and the ark of the covenant
covered on all sides with gold, in which was
a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s
staff that budded, and the tablets of the
covenant.”
And 2 Corinthians 3:2-11
says, “You yourselves are our letter of
recommendation, written on our hearts, to be
known and read by all. And you show that you
are a letter from Christ delivered by us,
written not with ink but with the Spirit of
the living God, not on tablets of stone but
on tablets of human hearts. Such is the
confidence that we have through Christ
toward God. Not that we are sufficient in
ourselves to claim anything as coming from
us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has
made us sufficient to be ministers of a new
covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life.
Now if the ministry of death,
carved in letters on stone, came with such
glory that the Israelites could not gaze at
Moses’ face because of its glory, which was
being brought to an end, will not the
ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
For if there was glory in the ministry of
condemnation, the ministry of righteousness
must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this
case, what once had glory has come to have
no glory at all, because of the glory that
surpasses it. For if what was being brought
to an end came with glory, much more will
what is permanent have glory.”
According to 2 Corinthians 3:6-11, the Ten
Commandments and the rest of the laws of the
Mosaic Covenant were made obsolete by the
New Covenant.
• The Ten Commandments
are called a “letter” that “kills” (2 Cor.
3:6).
• The Ten Commandments are called a
“ministry of death” (2 Cor. 3:7).
• The
Ten Commandments are called a “ministry of
condemnation” (2 Cor. 3:9).
• The Ten
Commandments are said to have “no glory at
all” (2 Cor. 3:10-11).
There can be
no doubt that Paul was talking about the Ten
Commandments in this passage. It is the law
of the Ten Commandments (carved in letters
on stone), that “fades away” in
light of the “glory that surpasses it.” The
New Covenant makes many changes to the laws
of the Old Covenant. It is a totally new
covenant. We have a new legal contract based on a new law, the law of Christ!
Christians die to the law through Christ’s sacrifice
on the cross.
Romans 7:4
says, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have
died to the law through the body of Christ,
so that you may belong to another, to him
who has been raised from the dead, in order
that we may bear fruit for God.”
Christ is the end of the Law for all
those who believe in Him.
Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.”
2 Corinthians 3:11 says,
“For if what was being brought to an end
came with glory, much more will what is
permanent have glory.”
And Hebrews
10:9 says, “then he added, “Behold, I have
come to do your will.” He does away with the
first in order to establish the second.”
Christ has released us from the
law to live by the Spirit.
Romans 7:6 says, “But now we are released
from the law, having died to that which held
us captive, so that we serve in the new way
of the Spirit and not in the old way of the
written code.”
And Romans 8:1-4 says,
“There is therefore now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law
of the Spirit of life has set you free in
Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law, weakened by
the flesh, could not do. By sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for
sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order
that the righteous requirement of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit.”
The righteous
requirements of the law are fulfilled in us
when we walk according to God’s Spirit!
Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of
God has appeared, bringing salvation to
everyone. It instructs us to renounce
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to
live sensible, upright, and godly lives in
the present age, as we await the blessed
hope and glorious appearance of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ. He gave Himself
for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and
to purify for Himself a people for His own
possession, zealous for good deeds.”
We can only know the true gospel when we
have the Holy Spirit to guide us (1 Cor.
2:12-16; 1 Jn. 2:20, 27). Christians have to
understand that they have the Holy Spirit
living inside them from the moment they
accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and
Savior. To walk in the Spirit means that we
yield to His control, we follow His lead,
and we allow Him to exert His influence over
us. When we walk in the Spirit, God gives us
Christ’s love in our hearts and the desire
to obey Him. The more we love Him, the more
we want to obey Him, we do what is right out
of love, not because we have to keep the law
to earn our salvation.
God’s promise of a New Covenant was
fulfilled in Jesus Christ
(Deut. 29-30; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:26-30)
Isaiah 42:1-7
says, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my
chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put
my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth
justice to the nations. He will not cry
aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard
in the street; a bruised reed he will not
break, and a faintly burning wick he will
not quench; he will faithfully bring forth
justice. He will not grow faint or be
discouraged till he has established justice
in the earth; and the coastlands wait for
his law. Thus says God, the LORD, who
created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from
it, who gives breath to the people on it and
spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the
LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I
will take you by the hand and keep you; I
will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations, to open the eyes
that are blind, to bring out the prisoners
from the dungeon, from the prison those who
sit in darkness.”
Isaiah 49:7-9 says,
“Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel
and his Holy One, to one deeply despised,
abhorred by the nation, the servant of
rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes,
and they shall prostrate themselves; because
of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One
of Israel, who has chosen you.” Thus says
the LORD: “In a time of favor I have
answered you; in a day of salvation I have
helped you; I will keep you and give you as
a covenant to the people, to establish the
land, to apportion the desolate heritages,
saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ to
those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’ They
shall feed along the ways; on all bare
heights shall be their pasture;”
Matthew 12:17-21 says, “This was to fulfill
what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my
beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I
will put my Spirit upon him, and he will
proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will
not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone
hear his voice in the streets; a bruised
reed he will not break, and a smoldering
wick he will not quench, until he brings
justice to victory; and in his name the
Gentiles will hope.”
Luke 4:18-21
says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those
who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of
the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the
scroll and gave it back to the attendant and
sat down. And the eyes of all in the
synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to
say to them, “Today this Scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.”
And Acts
13:47 says, “For so the Lord has commanded
us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for
the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation
to the ends of the earth.’”
Jesus
introduced the New Covenant to His disciples
the night before he died (Jer. 31:31; Matt. 26:28;
Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Rom. 11:27; 1 Cor. 11:25;
2 Cor. 3:6-11; Heb. 7:22; 8:8-10;
9:15; Heb. 10:16; 12:24; 13:20), and brought
it into effect the next day when He died on
the cross (Heb. 9:12-17; 1 Pet. 1:19; 1 John
1:7; cf. Heb. 8-10). Jesus fulfilled the Old
Covenant Law by offering His perfect life,
death, and resurrection, for all those who
believe in him. Christ kept the Law
perfectly in our stead (Gal. 4:4; John 8:46;
1 Pet. 2:22). He accomplished all that the
Law and the Prophets said
He would do by
His
first coming (Luke 24:44-47; 18:31; John 17:4).
Christ has taken away our bondage to the Law
and given us freedom in place of slavery (John 8:32,
36; Acts 15:10; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 2:4; 3:25;
5:1).
Jesus made a complete
remission for our sins; He paid the price for our
redemption with His own blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19).
Christ freed us from sin’s curse and the
impossible demands of the Old Covenant Law
to become God’s children when we accept Him
as our Lord and Savior (Gal. 3:13; 4:5). No one is expected to keep the
laws of the Mosaic Covenant anymore; Jesus
Christ fulfilled them all for us, and then
He gave us a whole new way to live (Matt. 11:28-30; 12:1-8;
Acts 15:1-28; Col. 2:13-17; Gal. 4:10-11; Rom. 14:5-12;
Eph. 2:11-18; Heb. 3:7-4:13; 8:13-9:4; 10:23-25).
We have been set free from the
Law to live by God’s grace!
“For freedom Christ has set us
free; stand firm therefore, and do not
submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal.
5:1).
Christians need to understand
that they have been set free from having to
keep the Law to live God-honoring lives by
walking in His Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says,
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will
not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (BSB)
When we do that—we are fulfilling the
Law and all that Christ expects of us
(Mark 12:28-31; Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 9:21; Rom.
13:8-10).
|
