Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Jesus and the Law

Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Mat 5:17–20), see these videos at these times:

The Law is essential the first five books of the Old Testament (Torah) containing
the Mosaic Laws. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Law and the prophets
(Heb 1:1–2), see Listen to Jesus.

These laws which are part of the Old Covenant were given to the people of Israel 
(Mal 4:4, Deu (5 Mos) 4:10–14), and not to the Body of Christ. It's a physical Covenant. Their promises made no provision for eternity, they are all for this life,
see the article How should Christians apply promises that God gave to the Israelites?

The purpose of the Mosaic Laws is as follows:

  1. The Mosaic Laws weren't given to the people of Israel as a way to be saved, see What Happens to Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?
    The people of Israel's possession of the Promised Land
    depended of their obedience to keep the Mosaic Laws. 
  2. These laws reveal God's righteousness but can't make anyone righteous 
    (Gal 2:16, 21), see time 12:25–16:03 in Bible Q&A • Episode 32.
    Through these laws we become aware of our sin (Rom 3:20),
    see     The Book of Galatians.
  3. God doesn't give us the Holy Spirit because we obey the Mosaic Laws 
    (Gal 3:2). We receive the Holy Spirit because we believe and trust in Jesus.
  4. The Mosaic Laws are meant to lead us to Christ, but we are no longer
    under them (Gal 3:24–25). We should now be led by the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence within us as born again Christians, see The Book of Peter.
    Notice then that God will not tell us to do anything that violates his own Word.
    It also doesn't mean that we're doing it perfectly, but we are learning.
The Mosaic Laws contain three types of laws:

  1. Ceremonial laws:
    It deals with ceremonials in which Israel participated,
    such as religious festivals, offerings, and Sabbath keeping.
  2. Civil laws:
    It's about things that apply to daily life in Israel.
    For example, how to treat the poor, dispute between individuals, tithe.
  3. Moral laws:
    It deals with sexual relations and most of The Ten Commandments.
God told the Jews in the Old Testament that he would make a New Covenant
(Covenant of Grace) with them (Jer 31:31–34, Heb 8:6–13, 10:15–18), see:  
It's the Covenant of Grace we now have through Jesus Christ. Even the Jews
can no longer claim the promises of the Old Covenant. God has offered them
this New Covenant through his Son. That most Jesw have rejected his Son 
and the New Covenant doesn't mean that the Old Covenant applies for them 
(Rom 6:14, Heb 8:13), see the articles:
Jesus said: "The Law and the Prophets were until John;
since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached,
and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and Earth
to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void." (Luk 16:16–17).
John the Baptist was like the last Old Testament prophet. Until the time of John, the Law and the Prophets ruled as the Old Covenant for the people of Israel.
Jesus came and spoke about the kingdom of God and introduced 
the New Covenant at the Last Supper for all people on Earth
based on him (Luk 22:19–20, 1 Cor 11:23–26). It was activated
at his death through his blood so that we can be forgiven, 
and confirmed by his resurrection. 

The Old Covenant was a physical covenant for Israel. The New Covenant
is a spiritual covenant  for Jews and Gentiles (Eph 1:3, 2 Cor 3:6, 8).
We aren't "slaves" to the Mosaic Laws. (Gal 2:4, 2 Cor 3:16–17).
"Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him: 'If you abide in my Word, 
you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.'" (John 8:31–32). And Jesus also said: 
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36). 
See differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant explained
at time 21:12–25:43 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024.

The Law will not go away because it's a reflection of God's character,
his holiness and purity, see God's Attributes, and that will never change. 
Jesus created a completely new relationship to the Law by dying on the cross
and sending the Holy Spirit (who is the lawgiver) into our hearts.
Now we as Christians have an inner voice of the Holy Spirit, see Sanctification. 

The ceremonial laws point to and lead us to Jesus (Gal 3:24), who fulfilled these laws (Mat 5:17). See these celebrations explained in the following videos:
The civil laws and the moral laws are brought into our minds by the Holy Spirit 
as Christians in the New Covenant, described in the New Testament 
(Jer 31:33, 2 Cor 3:3, Rom 7:6, Gal 3:23–25, 5:18, Heb 7:18–19).
As Christians, we should be led by the Holy Spirit within us, 
see time 32:55–34:55 in 1 Timothy 4 (Part 1) :1-5 • A Warning for Later Times.
Christ is the end of the Law, so that there is righteousness for everyone
who believes and trusts in him (Rom 10:4). However, the moral laws
are the same and even stricter in the New Covenant
as in the Old Covenant (1 Tim 1:8–11), see The Ten Commandments.
See what Jesus said at The Sermon on the Mount. 
See also Life in the Spirit in The Book of Romans.

There is always a risk of falling into Legalism which isn't biblical.
It's keeping man-made rules and regulations so that we can be considered righteous in God's sight. It's done to be acceptable to God. See Legalism 
in The Book of Colossians and Disputable Matters in The Book of Romans.

Tithing is under the Mosaic Laws of the Old Covenant. See it explained
in The Book of Malachi (Mal 3:8–10). As Christians we aren't under the Mosaic Laws. We are under the New Covenant described in the New Testament.
The New Testament doesn't require believers to tithe. The principles of giving
in the New Covenant are described at the end part of The Book of Corinthians.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law (Mat 5:17). It includes all the three types of laws above. It means that he came to satisfy the demands of the Law and to fulfill all
that it points to. The requirements of the Law are the requirements of righteousness that God has established. None of us can measure up to them. Whoever keeps the whole Law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10).
Because we fail, we are under the curse of the Law which is death (Rom 7:9–11).
The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23a). See this further described at the times: 
By fulfilling the demands and the requirements of the Law,
Jesus released us from the curse. Jesus kept the Law perfectly as a man
but also as Son of God (Heb 4:15). Keeping them perfect gave Jesus the ability to pay the debt we owe to the Law. Through his physical death on the cross 
he payed the price and fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us all (Heb 9:15),
see The Crucifixion of Jesus. Whoever is hanged on a pole is under God’s curse 
(Gal 3:13, Deu (5 Mos) 21:23). Jesus took the curse for us. By doing so,
he satisfied the requirements of the Law. Our part in this is to acknowledge it, believe and trust in Jesus, and invite him into our heart (John 1:12), see Salvation. See also time 24:16–27:46 in Bible Q&A • Episode 32.

This can be compared with dispensationalism, see these videos:

See also Some stories in the Gospels at the end of The Four Gospels.
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