Did He say the law was done away with when he died on the cross, or that it still applies to Christians today? Let’s take a look in Matthew.

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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.

The law was given to Moses in the Old Testament. Among the most known Ten Commandments, God also gave other laws. Some laws were specific to conducting sacrifices or to entering and living in Jerusalem. The rest, we can only assume, are still in effect.

I’d be hard-pressed to find a person who has never heard of sin. The word circulates among all types, genders, ages, and religions. But do people really understand what it means? If I conducted one of those street interviews, I’d pick my perfect spot like a heavily traveled sidewalk in a big city or a college campus. I’d hold my steaming hot coffee in one hand and my fancy microphone in the other as I repeatedly asked passersby, “What is sin?”

The answers would come naturally. Spontaneously. Honestly. Some of them being pretty close in result, even if not in actual meaning.

“Bad stuff people do.”

“Hurting other people.”

“Doing things you’re not supposed to, like stealing.”

“Stuff that makes God mad.”

Generally speaking, people get the idea that sins are things we shouldn’t do. Yet, how can we know for sure what those things are? Who determines the list of no-nos?

That’s easy! The Bible defines it for us. 1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

If sin is the transgression of the law, we better be sure we know what the law is and what applies to us today. Some teachers impart the idea that Biblical law in the Old Testament was completely done away with when Jesus died on the cross. They claim that His sacrificial shed blood covers our need to keep the law and we now live under God’s grace. See, this is where Satan ensnares us with a partial truth. It sounds Biblical, seems like a good plan, and is easy to believe. The teaching is partially true in that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice, so there was no more need for animal sacrifices. It’s also true that after Jesus died on the cross, we have grace when we mess up in keeping the law. Grace, meaning there is forgiveness if we ask for it in sincerity, not that we get it if we don’t try to keep the law at all.

In addition, some Bible teachers will say that the New Testament only gives two commandments, and all of the other commandments are rolled up into these two. Matthew 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

In this passage, Jesus was disputing with those who opposed him. He wanted to make it clear that if you only obey the laws without the love of God and love for others, you’re not really adhering to the law, since the intent of the law is to show love for God above all, and to show love to others. If you’re doing it for religiosity, or to look like a stand-up citizen, then your heart is not really in it. And I don’t need to remind you how concerned God is with your heart.

Let’s break it down and summarize:

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. – The law was not destroyed.

18 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. – The law is still relevant until heaven and earth pass away.

19 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. – Preachers, this one is for you. Are you teaching your church to obey the law?

20 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. – Again, God is concerned with our hearts. Romans 3:10 tells us As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Though they weren’t righteous, the scribes and Pharisees obediently followed the law, but they did it without heart. Believers are blessed to have Christ’s imputed righteousness, but only if we truly love Him by obediently following his laws, and you guessed it, with heart!

Fully immersed in The Scarlet Letters.