Think not that I am come to destroy the law…. (Matthew 5:17)
Imperative law obedience
Don’t let anyone tell you our salvation doesn’t require obedience to Yahweh’s1 law. Obedience is imperative. Our salvation in Jesus Christ is dependent not only upon His atoning blood sacrifice and resurrection from the grave, but also upon His obedience to the law. In fact, anything less than perfect obedience makes Christ a sinner no different from you and I and every other finite human:
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)
To change any law is to abolish that law—to abolish the law is to transgress the law—to transgress the law is sin. Any violation of Yahweh’s law on Christ’s part makes Him a sinner. That, in turn, disqualifies Him as our Savior and makes His crucifixion on our behalf as ineffectual as that of the crucifixion of the two thieves on either side of him.
The following should be one of the principle hermeneutical laws2 for Bible interpretation: Anytime an interpretation of anything Jesus said or did makes Him to violate Yahweh’s law, that interpretation is both illogical and heretical.
Making Christ a sinner
In order for Christ to be our Savior He must be sinless. His being sinless required Him to keep Yahweh’s law perfectly.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)
Our salvation requires His death, burial, and resurrection and His perfect obedience of the law to secure salvation for those who believe and put their trust in Him. Yet, Christians are often found making Christ out to be a sinner.
How? Without intending to, they commonly interpret Gospel passages in such a way as to make Christ to annul Yahweh’s law.
The most ironic of these egregious interpretations has to be how portions of the Sermon on the Mount are falsely construed . Knowing that some of what He was about to say in the Sermon on the Mount would be distorted in such a way as to make Him a sinner, Christ forewarns:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17)
Despite this statement, Christians are nonetheless often heard declaring that in the subsequent verses Christ changed and thereby destroyed the law.
The fulfillment and end of the law
Did Christ fulfill the law? Indeed, He did! In fact, He was the end of the law—that is, the Mosaic Covenant—for righteousness. Under the Mosaic Covenant, the Israelites were required to observe all of the law perfectly in order to be righteous before Yahweh. This was an impossibility for anyone but Christ:
And Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes…. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before Yahweh our God, as he hath commanded us. (Deuteronomy 6:24-25)
Praise God! Christ put an end to this impossible Mosaic Covenant requirement:
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. (Romans 10:4)
He fulfilled and thereby ended the Mosaic Covenant and its requirement for perfect law obedience in order to be justified before God. He furthermore fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant’s entire sacrificial system, which was imperative for the Israelites because of their failure to keep the law perfectly. Christ also fulfilled the moral requirements of the law so that He might be our sinless sacrifice. However, God forbid He thereby eliminated Yahweh’s righteousness as reflected in His triune moral law.
In other words, the Ten Commandments and their respective statutes and judgments are as relevant today under the New Covenant as they were prior to the Mosaic Covenant3:
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:31)
Till heaven and earth pass
How long will His commandments, statutes, and judgments be relevant?
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
Note the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” in the next two verses:
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19-20)
Note, it’s not the kingdom in heaven but the kingdom of heaven. It originates from Yahweh’s throne in heaven and extends over all His creation, to be implemented here on earth by His ambassadors:
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:10, 33)
The kingdom of heaven here on earth was reinstated with Yahweh’s New Covenant remarriage to a remnant of the house of Judah (Acts 2) and a remnant of the house of Israel (Acts 10).4 That the kingdom definitively and progressively exists here and now is further evidence that Yahweh’s triune moral law remains relevant under the New Covenant.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt…. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. (Hebrews 8:8-10)
The antithesis of Yahweh’s law is not grace, but lawlessness and, therefore, sin. Yahweh’s laws are meant to keep us from sinning; grace is the solution after we have sinned. Puritan minister Samuel Bolton (1606-1654) wrote, “The law sends us to the gospel for our justification; the gospel sends us to the law to frame our way of life.”5
Christ “redeemed”
In Matthew 5, Christ upheld the written law as opposed to the scribes and Pharisees’ oral traditions.6 Six different times in Matthew 5:22-48, He contrasts the intent of Yahweh’s written law with what “has been said.” Christ did not change the law in Matthew 5. Instead, he defended the law against those who would change the law for their own commandments:
…Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? …ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:3, 6-9)
Heart worship goes hand in hand with obeying Yahweh’s law, not the other way around. Today’s Pharisees are not those who promote His law, but those who would rescind it.
Whatever some Christians may think Christ said in the verses following Matthew 5:17-20, one thing is for certain: Christ did not abolish Yahweh’s righteousness as reflected in His moral law. Otherwise, you and I would be forever lost in our sins and we would have no divine standard by which to conduct ourselves in His kingdom.
See Part 2.
Related posts:
Law and Kingdom: Their Relevance Under the New Covenant
The Mystery of the Gentiles: Who Are They and Where Are They Now?
1. YHWH, the English transliteration of the Tetragrammaton, is most often pronounced Yahweh. It is the principal Hebrew name of the God of the Bible and was inspired to appear nearly 7,000 times in the Old Testament. Regrettably, it was deleted by the English translators. In obedience to the Third Commandment and the many Scriptures that charge us to proclaim, swear by, praise, extol, call upon, bless, glorify, and hold fast to His name, we have chosen to memorialize His name here in this document and in our lives. For a more thorough explanation concerning important reasons for using the sacred name of God, see “The Third Commandment.”
2. Hermeneutics: The rules of textual interpretation, especially that of biblical texts.
3. Genesis 26:5, Exodus 18:13-16, etc.
4. For more regarding Yahweh’s prophesied remarriage to a remnant of both houses of Israel, see The Mystery of the Gentiles: Who Are They and Where Are They Now? For more regarding the inauguration of the kingdom of heaven in the First Century AD, see Law and Kingdom: Their Relevance Under the New Covenant.
5. Samuel Bolton, The Moral Law: A Rule of Obedience, http://www.the-highway.com/articleFeb00.html.
6. The oral traditions so vehemently denounced by Christ were, circa 500 AD, codified into what today is known as the Babylonian Talmud. The Talmud is the antithesis of nearly everything moral in Yahweh’s commandments, statutes, and judgments, and is arguably the most anti-Christ piece of literature ever written. Rather than the Old Testament, it is the Talmud that is today’s Jews’ religious book of faith. The traditions of the elders, Talmudism, and Judaism are all one the same. Thus the term “Judeo-Christian ethic” is an oxymoron. It was Hebrewism not Judaism that the Old Testament Israelites observed—that is, when they kept Yahweh’s law. Anything else was what today we commonly identify as humanism.
Antinomianism’s rejection of Yahweh’s unchanging moral standard for today is one form of today’s humanism, a contemporary instance representing the tradition of the elders.
AMEN
Very well done
I’m looking forward to the rest of the story. What antinomians fail to realize is that their claim that Christ abolished the law means that Christ also abolished sin, which is transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). Without the law, there is no sin. Without sin, there is no need for repentance, and Christ’s death was in vain.
Good point! Either way, they eliminate Christ as Savior!!!
amen,what the antinomians,misunderstand,is that.”…. there is therefore now no condemnation to those.who.are in.christ….” rom 8:1.Christ abolished the condeming power of the law.of God for his elect not the law which the c
hristian is.is free to obey the law, not perfectly,but nevertheless,he obeys and is greived,when he disobeys,(rom. 7)
In proving the fulfillment of The Law, Yeshua also proved that Death had no authority over Him, which was witnessed by hundreds (Him walking around alive after the Crucifixion). Yeshua is our ONLY propitiation between Mankind and Yahweh.
Now we need to inhabit His gov’t, and leave Satan’s alone.
There are presuppositions in this article that are not in alignment with the spirit of scripture as a whole. Jesus led a perfect life which made Him a suitable sacrifice. He came not to abolish but to fulfill the law (which He did on the cross) that those who have faith (believe) in Him are not bound to the yoke of the law. (All 613) When a believer sins he does not make Jesus a sinner he increases the burden of the cross. You seem to try to make others twice the child of hell that you are (Matt. 23:15) ignoring the principals set forth in Romans 7:6 and Heb. 8 specifically verse 12 (Heb.5:12 applies) following rules taught by men.
So now we look to the Gospels to see where Jesus ratified the commandments which He did with the exception of the 4th and expanded the 6th and 7th. He said “Those who love Me will keep MY commands” and one warning in Heb.10:26-27 which is amongst many for those who continue to sin without a conscience. (lack of repentance) Jesus brought freedom from the law of the external to the internal (written on our hearts) that we may love spontaneously and authentically. To love is to think of another’s needs and serve them with unselfish service and sacrifice. John 15:17, 1 Peter 4:10
May God Bless you in your search for His truth.
Harry, thanks for joining us.
I’m not sure I’m understanding your point, but it would seem you didn’t understand mine.
Perhaps an answer to the following question will help facilitate a more productive dialogue: Do you believe Yahweh’s commandments, statues, and judgments were abolished or further established by Christ under the New Covenant?
By the way, I am Kingdom Ambassador who wrote this article, otherwise known as Ted Weiland.
If you look at Hebrews 11 hall of faith you would see that the blood of Jesus was retroactive for those who had faith before the law was given to the Hebrews. This law (ALL 613) was given strictly to the Hebrews as a TEMPORARY guide until the coming of the foretold Messiah. So yes Jesus fulfilled the law so that the Hebrews were no longer bound to it. But they were not off the hook because Jesus ratified as I stated before under the New Covenant. (made on better promises) Then with the Samaritan woman at the well offered living water, the Roman whose servant was healed and the woman at the dinner table who ate the crumbs and others grace and the law of Jesus was extended to the gentiles, again based upon faith.
So yes the Old Covenant and it’s laws passed away, wore out like an old garment, but we can’t say it was abolished because it was replaced with the New Covenant made on better promises through Jesus and His commands.
This is still a little vague for me.
The triune moral law of God and the Mosaic Covenant that Christ fulfilled and ended are not same thing. So, what I’m asking you is whether you believe the Ten Commandments and their respective statutes and judgments remain Yahweh’s standard for how we are to comport ourselves at all levels of society under the New Covenant?
This, of course, not for justification–only the blood atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ justifies, forgives, and saves.
Do you accept the following as a valid summation of Yahweh’s law under the New Covenant?
“The
law sends us to the gospel for our justification; the gospel sends us to
the law to frame our way of life.” (Puritan minister Samuel Bolton, 1606-1654)
I believe the error is in trying to separate the Mosaic and Moral law groups. Paul addresses this issue by specifically including the 10 commandments being fulfilled at the cross in 2 Cor 3:7-13
We can go deeper into this if necessary.
I have written clearly but I will try again…
The Mosaic 603 laws including the 10 laws written on tablets of stone strictly for the Hebrews have passed away and are no longer legally enforceable.
Only those who reject Jesus as the Messiah believe differently.
Jesus ratified the 10 commandments excluding the 4th and expanded the 6th and the 7th.
Jesus brought His law to the heart (beatitudes) for those who have faith extending grace to the Gentiles as well.
Romans 3:11“There is none righteous, not even one”…23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This is why only through faith in Him and keeping His commands we receive the gift of eternal salvation.
Well then Jesus and His Apostles must have all rejected Jesus .as the Messiah:
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled.” (Mathew 5:18)
“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be
called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19)
“…truth [is] in the law.” (Romans 2:20)
“…by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:31)
“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” (Romans 7:12)
“For we know that the law is spiritual….” (Romans 7:14)
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4)
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)
“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” (1 Corinthians 7:19)
“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.” (1 Timothy 1:8)
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3)
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4)
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.” (1 John 5:2)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:17)
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14)
The antithesis of Yahweh’s law is not grace, but lawlessness and, therefore, sin. Yahweh’s laws are meant to keep us from sinning; grace is the solution after we have sinned. Puritan minister Samuel Bolton (1606-1654) wrote, “The law sends us to the gospel for our justification; the gospel sends us to the law to frame our way of life.”
For more, see free online book “Law and Kingdom: Their Relevance Under the New Covenant” at http://www.bibleversusconstitution.org/law-kingdomFrame.html
“Yahweh’s laws are meant to keep us from sinning;” ???
LOL… good luck with that…
Acts 7:53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
Romans 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Do you know the meaning of the word “ratify”???
Can the laws/commands of Jesus be considered and spoken of as the laws/commands of God???
I have given scripture which requires no special interpretation and can be take literally. You provide scripture that has to be interpreted to fit your doctrine which then generates a conflict within scripture.
Bottom line I don’t agree and I won’t relent to twisting of the scripture by those who have had religious indoctrination. I am sure you know very well that the protestant reform allowed Roman Catholic doctrines to bleed into North America…Example, The Trinity doctrine. Read the Book for yourself.
Acts 7:53 refers to the Mosaic Covenant Israelites and contemporary Pharisees, both of whom were without the Holy Spirit:
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4)
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:7)
Tragically, you’re theology that rejects Yahweh’s law as our moral standard is that of the Pharisees:
“…Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? …ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:3, 6-9)
“…Beloved, … I … write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:3-4)
Where the King James translated asélgeian as “lasciviousness,” the New American Standard Bible translates it as “licentiousness.” In his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster defined “licentiousness” as “excessive indulgence of liberty; contempt of the just restraints of law….”
By their rejection of His law, antinomians turn Yahweh’s grace into licentiousness; they are humanists dressed in Christian attire. Without Yahweh’s moral compass, every man is a law unto himself.
Are the examples/commands of Jesus sufficient to guide mortals into alignment with the commandments of the Father???
In a nutshell, you are denying the authority of the Father to transfer authority to Jesus thereby default denying the authority of Jesus making them both liars…
1 John 2:22 (NASB)
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the [Messiah]Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
Nehemiah 6:8
Nehemiah 6:9
You’re correct, I should have added Verse 9 in my response to you.