Some Christians may mistakenly believe they must obey the Old Testament law because they misunderstand how the Old and New Covenants relate to one another. The laws given in the Old Testament were part of the Old Covenant, a specific agreement between God and Israel that laid out moral, ceremonial, and civil regulations. However, with the coming of Jesus Christ, a New Covenant was established. This New Covenant fulfilled the Old Covenant’s requirements, making the Old Testament law a foundation rather than an ongoing obligation for Christians. Some misinterpret passages like Matthew 5:17, where Jesus says He came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, as requiring Christians to continue following Old Testament laws. Yet, the New Testament, especially in Paul’s letters, clarifies that while the moral principles of the Old Testament are still relevant, the ceremonial and civil laws are no longer binding on Christians. Instead, believers are now called to follow the law of Christ, which centers on love and grace rather than strict adherence to the Mosaic Law.
- Acts 15:10-11 (MKJV)
“Now therefore why do you tempt God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
Explanation: In this passage, Peter addresses the Jerusalem Council, emphasizing that the Law was a burden even for the Jewish people, and salvation comes through the grace of Jesus Christ, not adherence to the Old Testament Law.
- Romans 3:28 (MKJV)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law.”
Explanation: Paul asserts that justification before God is through faith in Jesus Christ, not through the works of the Law, meaning that Gentiles are not bound to the Old Testament regulations.
- Romans 6:14 (MKJV)
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Explanation: Christians, both Jew and Gentile, are under grace and not under the Mosaic Law. This reflects the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant established through Christ.
- Galatians 2:16 (MKJV)
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Explanation: Paul highlights that justification comes solely through faith in Christ, not through legalistic adherence to the Old Testament Law.
- Galatians 3:24-25 (MKJV)
“So that the law was our schoolmaster until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
Explanation: The Law served as a tutor to lead people to Christ, but once faith in Christ is established, believers are no longer under the Law.
- Ephesians 2:14-15 (MKJV)
“For He is our peace, He who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make in Himself of two one new man, so making peace.”
Explanation: Through His sacrifice, Christ abolished the division caused by the Law, creating unity between Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ.
- Colossians 2:14 (MKJV)
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.”
Explanation: Christ removed the legal requirements that were against humanity, symbolized by the Law, by nailing them to the cross, freeing believers from its demands.
- Hebrews 8:13 (MKJV)
“In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first one old. Now that which decays and becomes old is ready to vanish away.”
Explanation: The establishment of the New Covenant through Christ has rendered the Old Covenant, including its legal demands, obsolete.
Reasoning: Why Christians Are Not Under the Old Testament Law #
The New Testament teaches that the coming of Jesus Christ marked the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law and the establishment of a New Covenant between God and humanity. The Law served as a temporary measure to guide the people of Israel and to reveal sin, but it was never intended to be the means by which salvation was obtained. The Law was a “schoolmaster” that pointed to Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of the Law’s requirements.
With the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the demands of the Law were satisfied. Christians are now justified by faith in Christ, not by adherence to the Law. This shift from Law to grace means that Gentile believers are not required to follow the Old Testament ceremonial, civil, or dietary laws. Instead, they are called to live by the Spirit, which fulfills the moral essence of the Law.
Paul’s letters, particularly Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, clarify that the Law was never capable of imparting life or righteousness; it served to convict of sin and point towards the need for a Savior. In Christ, the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled, and believers are freed from its regulations, walking instead in the newness of life under the grace of God.
