There are many who believe and preach, that the Law is not applicable today, replacing the Law with 'We are Saved by Grace through Faith'
We are Saved by Grace through Faith, but I believe the Law or some of the Law still applies today and will until Jesus Returns and the devil is conquered.
I therefore would like to add my penneth if I may please. That we may learn the Truth in The Word together. I welcome all comments.
I have for some time found it frustrating regarding the statement, we are saved by Grace through Faith, and that the Law no longer applies, I continue praying, collecting scripture and assessing, this is where I feel I am now...
I start with The Sermon on the Mount...
Jesus was a Jew, the scribes and Pharisees were Jews, here in The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus corrects their wrong thinking,
but they thought he was condemning
The Law and the Prophets...
Matthew 5:17-20 (NKJV)
First Jesus clarifies their concerns...
17
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
and then he reassured them by saying...
18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
He then warns of breaking even the least of the commandments, and teaching men to do so, which is used as a further reassurance to them...
19
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus includes here T
he Law and the prophets, the Law being the first 5 books in the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The prophets were commentators upon the law, and both together made up that rule of faith and practice
which Christ found upon the throne in the Jewish church, and here he keeps it on the throne.
All the prophets in the OT are o be included, they were God's spiritually led spokespeople, everything they have said is to be included, large or small prophets, it doesn't matter all are included, everything the prophets said, written in the OT, are included with the Law, therefore encompassing all of the OT.
The OT is a reflection of the New, therefore when our brother
@bibleguy adds the following NT verses ,it is clear I think, that it is encompassing the NT with the OT.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Can the Law save us.
No
Is the Law relevant today,
I believe it is.
Are we saved by Grace through Faith.
Yes
Does this negate the Law.
No.
Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.
Yes, he said so himself
So if He fulfilled it, surely it is no longer applicable.
Not so.
Matt 5:18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law
till all is fulfilled.
The Law, was given to Moses, to the Jews, it was not given to provide life but was given to 'reveal sin' and to prepare the way for 'Christ'
No where in scripture does is say Jesus destroyed the Law or make it invalid in any way.
Jesus came to fulfill the true meaning and purpose of the Law and the Prophets.
Many say Jesus fulfilled the law, so we are now saved by grace, full stop! Can that be right, I think not.
Some quote,
Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15, and say Christians are to obey the Law of Christ, not the law for the Jews.
But this is not what Jesus says,
It all comes back to SIN.
Romans 1:18-32 The Gentile world is guilty
Romans 2:1-3, 8 The Jewish world is guilty
Romans 3:9-20 The Whole World is guilty
Romans 5:17-18
17 "
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Galatians 5:14
14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:34-40
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked
Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
EVERYTHING in the Law and the Prophets hangs on these two commandments
Does that say the Law is Void? No
EVERYTHING in the Law and the Prophets 'hangs on'
-
LOVING the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
-
LOVING our Neighbour as ourselves.
If we LOVE the Lord first, 'His LOVE' is in us, 'His LOVE' is agape Love, Divine Love, 'His LOVE' is hesed Love, steadfast Love.
1 - We will have no other God before me.
2 - We shall not make or worship idols.
3 - We shall not take the Lord's Name in vain.
With His Love in our hearts, we will Love our neighbour as ourselves.
If we love our neighbour as ourself, with the love from God when Jesus abides in us and us in Him, we will
5 - We shall honour our father and our mother
6 - We shall not murder
- 7 - We shall not commit adultery
- 8 - We shall not steal
-
- 9 - We shall not bear false witness
10 - We shall not covet
- We shall obey God's Commands, we shall not carry out that which is forbid
- homosexuality and lesbianism, sex with any one or anything except the sex God planned, in marriage, for husband and wife, each loving and caring for one another, according to God's Word.
Because we will want to do God's will, we will accept his Word, we will not add to it or take from it, we will accept Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, He came to fulfil it, he didn't make it void, he gave new commandments that brought the Law closer, through Grace, through our Faith.
God is light and in him is no darkness, SIN obscures us from the Truth in the Word, SIN veils us from the Truth.
Romans 3:21-26 (NKJV)
21
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24
being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the SINS that were previously committed,
26
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
NOTE: But now the righteousness of God
apart from the law is revealed, this doesn't mean not apply, it doesn't mean void.
The Law reveals sin / LOVE / We are saved by Grace and Truth
LOVE separates the two but does not remove either.
They are set apart by LOVE
Take away the Law and sin is not revealed, take away Grace and Truth we cannot be saved from our Sins!
Without the removal of sin, shown to us in the Law, we cannot experience righteousness.
Matthew 5:20
20
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven
I believe the Law and the Prophets are applicable now, as Jesus states,
Firstly - The Law reveals our Sins
Secondly - We are saved by God's Grace, through our Faith, through the cross, through the blood of Christ, through our Faith, through our prayers, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Our Saviour, the Intercessor of all prayers.
SIN is revealed through the Law -
Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
LAW will remain until Christ's return and the devil is defeated - till all is fulfilled
Matthew 5:18
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."