Every law in the Old Testament had a purpose.
But some purposes were temporary.
Many Old Testament laws dealt with external habits, not heart issues. These instructions about diet, sacrifices, cleansing, rituals, and holiday observances are not part of the New Covenant.(1)
Jesus didn’t abolish these laws. He fulfilled them (Matthew 5:17).(2)
Some folks refuse to accept Christ's fulfillment and maintain Old Covenant law-keeping.(3)
But most folks are simply confused by Old Testament laws.(4)
So let's remember this essential truth: Old Testament laws showed us we can't be saved or transformed by external law-keeping (Romans 3:20).
And let's grasp the purpose of New Testament commands: they're instructions for walking in the purity, power, and purposes of God's Spirit. They transform our hearts as well as our behavior (Romans 12:1-2).
It’s important to understand these truths because atheists and revisionists often use Old Testament confusion to discredit Scripture.(4)
More 1-minute devotions on laws and law-keeping:
All of Nothing: Christ's Fulfillment of the Law
Did Jesus Really Say That? Must We Obey Old Testament Laws?
Does God Hate Shrimp and Other Dumb Questions
4 Short Bite Size Articles on the Law
The Reason We Obey
Laws, Commands, and Errors
Does God Hate Shrimp
We Are Those Who Have Died to Sin, Not Antinomians
(1) These laws foreshadowed Christ and prepared us for His coming. See Romans 3:20 and Galatians 3:24. In addition to laws which Christ fulfilled, there were temporary civic laws (such as instructions regarding punishments for crimes/sins) applying to the nation of Israel that were never meant to be universal laws.
(2) See also: Romans 8:3-4, Romans 10:4 and Romans 7:4-14.
(3) All of Nothing: Christ's Fulfillment of the Law covers the erros in the Hebrew Roots Movement. These posts offer additional information: Hebrew Roots Movement and Danger of Hebrew Roots Movement. Scripture warns us not to judge other Christians according to the keeping of Old Testament laws. See Colossians 2:16 and Romans 14:3-5.
(4) Here's an easy way to clear up confusion about which Old Testament laws were permanent: those commanded in the New Testament apply to us today.
----------
Why not add some more of God's Word to your schedule by having a 1-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday. Sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet that will help you add joy and depth to your Quiet Time. Find out more HERE.
Bible Love Notes
I am very happy to see this; so many people seek to overlay that which was intended for the Jews upon the new testament Church.
ReplyDeleteRomans 3:31
ReplyDeleteDear Unknown,
DeleteI thank you for this great example of taking a single verse out of context to make a false claim.
Romans 3:31 says "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."
It is in the middle of a two chapter explanation that says what is written in this devotion. The law has an important purpose and nothing nullifies that purpose: it shows people they cannot earn salvation by external law-keeping.
If we read the entire passage, we find the full meaning. If God had nothing more to say to us than Romans 3:31, perhaps we would believe we should keep Old Testament laws. But false teachers must take that verse out of context and ignore the remainder of the passage to make such a claim.
If we want to understand the full message God gives us about Old Testament law, we must read all that God says in His Word, not a single verse taken out of context.
I encourage you to read the full chapters of Romans 3 and 4 for the accurate meaning, but I'll offer a few other passages from that section that are taken in context and clearly show we are not called to keep Old Testament laws:
Romans 3:19-20: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."
Romans 4:13-14: "It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression."
When people wish to twist Scripture to mean something it doesn't mean, they typically use this method: take a phrase or verse out of the context and claim that it means something it doesn't.
it is called the OLD testament for a reason
DeleteThank you for sharing this and explaining within the context what the Scriptures are saying here!
ReplyDelete