[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]DidJesus excuse us from the Law of the Old Testament?[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]InMatthew 5:17-19, Jesus says “Do not think that I have come toabolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them butto fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earthpass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until allis accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of thesecommandments and teaches others to do the same will be called leastin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them willbe called great in the kingdom of heaven.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Itwould appear at first glance that even if Jesus came to be thefulfillment of the Law of the Old Testament, which requires us to docertain things, he still wouldn't expect us to see the Kingdom ofHeaven unless we continue to abide by every part of the Law. And tothe faith versus works issue, Jesus is implying that it is by ourworks, such as what is prescribed in the Law of the Old Testament,that we would see the Kingdom of Heaven. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Thereare many who believe that Jesus came to fulfill the Law and theProphets on our behalf, but Jesus says no such thing in the passageabove. But as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “ALL Scripture is breathedout by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,and for training in righteousness,” we are compelled to considerthe other passages of the Bible. In the context of Jesus, though, weare compelled to consider the New Testament in terms of what Jesushas told us, since the New Testament is based on Jesus' teachings. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Jesusalso told us that the Law of the Old Testament, and the Prophets, canbe summed up into two commandments: That we love God with all ourheart, soul and mind and we love eachother as we do ourselves. Wheredoes that leave us? Is Jesus merely making an observation, or is hetelling us that we don't have to abide by the Law and the Prophetsword for word, we need only love God with all our heart, soul andmind and we love eachother as we do ourselves, and doing this insteadof abiding by the 400-plus Laws in the Old Testament, and everythingelse will put us in good steed in God's eyes. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Someof the passages that come after Jesus' crucifixion assert that Jesusis the fulfillment of the Law of the Old Testament, and as such, andby his crucifixion, we are no longer bound to abide by Old TestamentLaw. It is almost as if God was waiting for his only son, his perfectson, the fulfillment of the Law, to make his appearance, and once hedid, God is telling us that we can throw away the Law He laid out inthe Old Testament, because his son is giving us a way to the Kingdomof Heaven through his son. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved theworld, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Somepassages in the New Testament back up the assertion that Jesus hasgiven us a new way to God. Romans 7:6 says, “But now we arereleased from the law, having died to that which held us captive, sothat we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way ofthe written code.” At the same time, other passages give us theoption of abiding by the Old Testament Law, but they warn us that weare cursed if we do not abide by every part of the Law. James 2:10says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point hasbecome guilty of all of it.” What it says in James 2:10 isconsistent with what Jesus said in Matthew 5:19. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Soit appears we have a choice on how God may judge us to have faith inhim, inasmuch as the love of God involves our faith in Him. But if wechoose to follow the path of Romans 7:6, without any guidance fromthe Old Testament, what does the New Testament tell us about lovingGod with all our heart, soul and mind and loving eachother as we doourselves? It says that our love of God is in terms of our faith inHim without our works. It also says that merely by loving eachotheras we do ourselves, that takes the place of the entire Law of the OldTestament. Galatians 5:14 says, “For the whole Law is fulfilled inone word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' “[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Jesus'two commandments makes things eminently simple. But as he said hedidn't come to abolish the Law, we still have a choice of abiding byit. Some of us feel bound by it because of our ancestry. Otherswho've come to have faith in God later, are excused from it if theyso want to be excused, as implied by Colossians 2:14 which says, “Andyou, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of yourflesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all ourtrespasses,by canceling the record of debt that stood against us withits legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]InMatthew 5:17-19, Jesus says “Do not think that I have come toabolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them butto fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earthpass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until allis accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of thesecommandments and teaches others to do the same will be called leastin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them willbe called great in the kingdom of heaven.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Itwould appear at first glance that even if Jesus came to be thefulfillment of the Law of the Old Testament, which requires us to docertain things, he still wouldn't expect us to see the Kingdom ofHeaven unless we continue to abide by every part of the Law. And tothe faith versus works issue, Jesus is implying that it is by ourworks, such as what is prescribed in the Law of the Old Testament,that we would see the Kingdom of Heaven. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Thereare many who believe that Jesus came to fulfill the Law and theProphets on our behalf, but Jesus says no such thing in the passageabove. But as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “ALL Scripture is breathedout by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,and for training in righteousness,” we are compelled to considerthe other passages of the Bible. In the context of Jesus, though, weare compelled to consider the New Testament in terms of what Jesushas told us, since the New Testament is based on Jesus' teachings. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Jesusalso told us that the Law of the Old Testament, and the Prophets, canbe summed up into two commandments: That we love God with all ourheart, soul and mind and we love eachother as we do ourselves. Wheredoes that leave us? Is Jesus merely making an observation, or is hetelling us that we don't have to abide by the Law and the Prophetsword for word, we need only love God with all our heart, soul andmind and we love eachother as we do ourselves, and doing this insteadof abiding by the 400-plus Laws in the Old Testament, and everythingelse will put us in good steed in God's eyes. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Someof the passages that come after Jesus' crucifixion assert that Jesusis the fulfillment of the Law of the Old Testament, and as such, andby his crucifixion, we are no longer bound to abide by Old TestamentLaw. It is almost as if God was waiting for his only son, his perfectson, the fulfillment of the Law, to make his appearance, and once hedid, God is telling us that we can throw away the Law He laid out inthe Old Testament, because his son is giving us a way to the Kingdomof Heaven through his son. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved theworld, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Somepassages in the New Testament back up the assertion that Jesus hasgiven us a new way to God. Romans 7:6 says, “But now we arereleased from the law, having died to that which held us captive, sothat we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way ofthe written code.” At the same time, other passages give us theoption of abiding by the Old Testament Law, but they warn us that weare cursed if we do not abide by every part of the Law. James 2:10says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point hasbecome guilty of all of it.” What it says in James 2:10 isconsistent with what Jesus said in Matthew 5:19. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Soit appears we have a choice on how God may judge us to have faith inhim, inasmuch as the love of God involves our faith in Him. But if wechoose to follow the path of Romans 7:6, without any guidance fromthe Old Testament, what does the New Testament tell us about lovingGod with all our heart, soul and mind and loving eachother as we doourselves? It says that our love of God is in terms of our faith inHim without our works. It also says that merely by loving eachotheras we do ourselves, that takes the place of the entire Law of the OldTestament. Galatians 5:14 says, “For the whole Law is fulfilled inone word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' “[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri, sans-serif]Jesus'two commandments makes things eminently simple. But as he said hedidn't come to abolish the Law, we still have a choice of abiding byit. Some of us feel bound by it because of our ancestry. Otherswho've come to have faith in God later, are excused from it if theyso want to be excused, as implied by Colossians 2:14 which says, “Andyou, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of yourflesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all ourtrespasses,by canceling the record of debt that stood against us withits legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”[/FONT]
