This Comes to an End in Christ 

1 Kings 2:3-4 CSB

and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

Jesus is the man on the throne of Israel. Jesus is Lord. As Lord, he taught and obeyed the law in all of its glory, see Matthew 5-7. And then at the cross he took all of those obligations that are opposed to us and against us away by nailing them to the cross. We have died in relation to the law through the body of Christ, Romans 7.

 

Now. Our minds are being renewed to think differently about our relationship to the law that was given through Moses. We no longer live under the rule and curse of the good and holy law. If you walk in the Spirit you are not under the rule of the law. 

 

We Have New Laws for the New Covenant:

1. The law of faith – where we are righteous & holy as a gift. Romans 3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 

John 6:28 “What can we do to perform the works of God? ” they asked. 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God — that you believe in the one he has sent.”

 

2. The law of Christ – Galatians 6:2 Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 

John 15:12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus laid down his life to set us free from Moses.

1 John 3:23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. We can love one another by setting each other free from Moses.

 

3. The law of freedom – (freedom from the law of Moses law) The law of Moses is written on every heart. It seems right to us, but in the end it leads to death. Turning away from the law is a work of God. Our daily repentance. James 2:12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

 

4. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ – This law means we no longer live under the rule of the love God & love neighbor law. Instead, we have permission to live spontaneously in the Spirit. We will receive many opportunities to use our gifts, abilities, vocation to help our neighbor out. And we may do so as we are willing and able to, without Moses accusing us of all that we have left undone. Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, 2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

If you walk in the Spirit you are not under the law of Moses you are under grace. 

This is a renewed mindset and a different way that we can think about our life in Christ, and what it means to abide in Christ. My mind is still in the process of being renewed to think this way.

Since the law of Moses is not abolished Paul communicates to us that it is the world’s wisdom. As the glory of the law begins to fade in our minds. This is how we can now think about it.

1 Corinthians 1 talks about how the law of Moses becomes the wisdom of the world. Verses

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 19 For it is written,

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,and I will set aside the intelligence of the intelligent.

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?

Ten verses later, instead of the good and holy law being our wisdom, Christ is our wisdom 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us — our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

Romans 13 talks about the law of Moses being used for civil government. Verse 1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. The law of love – Romans 13:8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.  9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law. 

If our conscience is being set free from Moses, Romans 13 continues on and gives us appeals to a freed conscience. I personally read this next portion through the lens that the law is darkness and Christ is light.

11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk with decency, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t make plans to gratify the desires of the flesh.

If you are curious about pursuing this way of thinking, these are some of the conversations that we are having around here.