Sunday: Jesus did not Change the Law
What does Matthew 5:17-19 teach about Jesus’ attitude toward the law?
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Although the word law is often used to refer to the first five books of the Bible (also known as Pentateuch or Torah), in this case the context seems to indicate that He was referring primarily to the Ten Commandments. When saying He had not come to destroy
the law, Jesus is literally saying, I have not come to make invalid or abolish the Ten Commandments. His statement is very clear and probably meant to show that it was the religious elders, not He, who had been destroying the law, reducing its effect through their tradition (see Matt. 15:3, 6). In contrast, by filling it with a deeper meaning, Christ had come to fulfill
the law, thus giving us an example of what perfect obedience to the will of God looks like. (See Rom. 8:3-4.)
Read Acts 7:38. Who was the Angel who spoke to Moses and gave him the law on Mount Sinai? (See Isa. 63:9, 1 Cor. 10:4.) Why is this important?
Christ was not only the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness . . . but it was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father’s law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved upon the tables of stone.
— Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 366.
The fact that Christ Himself gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai makes it even more important for us to take it seriously. Also, if the Lawgiver Himself further explained it through His teachings, as we find in the Gospels, we would do well to obey that law. One would be hard pressed to find in the life and teachings of Jesus anything implying that the Ten Commandments are not binding on Christians. On the contrary, His words and example teach us the opposite.
Though we know that the law is still binding, we also know that it does not, indeed cannot, save us. (See Gal. 3:21.) How then do we understand the relationship between law and grace?
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The law is one way for us to know when we are not being led by the Holy Spirit because if we are breaking the Law of God we are not being led by the Spirit of God. Even if we might be led at other times by His Spirit, if we are breaking the Law of God we are not being led by the Spirit of God to do that.
As Christians ,we spend a lot of time arguing about the law and the keeping of the law that we appear just as the Pharisees. This is the same tradition that Jesus,while here on earth ,had a problem with. Grace is what saves us and grace is what will take us home. can we focus on grace?
Can we choose to rely on Jesus for his strength and his grace instead of focusing on the keeping of God's law?
Kedeisha, I totally understand and agree with what you are saying. However we must also keep in mind that while Jesus stressed grace He did so because the pharisees were so legalistic. Today the problem on the other extreme is saying there is no law or standard at all. That is not true either. By the way when we stress grace we stress obedience at the same time. Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us grace saves us from a sinful lifestyle and gives us good works. Romans 1:5 tells us grace gives us obedience. Titus 2:11-12 tells us grace helps us live Godly lives in this present world. So as not to go to either extreme we must have the law and grace together. Not just one or the other.
Grace is by what we are truly saved but we don't need it if we have not sinned. The law and grace go hand in hand. Sin is the transgression of the law. Emphasis is not placed on the law if people remind us to keep the law, but some people want to continue in their sinful way because they know that grace is in abundance. Paul pointed out that we do not make the law void but establish it. Some people, too, place too much emphasis on grace, just as how some do with the law. We must be careful of doing that and remember that both go together. The lawgiver, Jesus Christ, was obedient to the law even unto death. Sinners need grace, and the law points out our sins to us. We have no authority to get rid of the law.
In our presentation of God's truth regarding grace and law, if we give as much emphasis to each as did Jesus and Paul and James and John, then we will be safe. They all wrote much about both.
You are very correct @ John because the two are very important for our salvation, without them no salvation for us.
The Grace Alon is not enough to save us,the same to the Law, therefore we all have to keep the law which is all about Love. so that we can obtain the Grace which is the free gift from God, we did not work for it. God will help us in Jesus Name.
Dear David, thank you for your thoughts. Please join me in taking another look at the relationship between the law and grace.
Paul writes that we are justified by faith, independent of works. (Rom 3:28-29) Thus we do not "work" to obtain grace. We receive saving grace by faith. (Gal 2:16) And we do not keep the law "so that we can obtain Grace," (that is akin to Roman Catholic teaching) but we keep the Law because God has bestowed on us His abundant Grace which includes the motivation and the power to keep the Law. Indeed, if we need to keep the law "to obtain Grace," then it is no longer grace that saves us. (Rom 6:11) Thus grace does not come to us because of our works. (2 Tim 1:9)
No works that we do or can do contribute even an iota to our salvation. (Ro 3:20, Gal 2:16) Our salvation is dependent on Christ alone whose sacrifice is all-sufficient.
The Law, as a standard, serves to point out sin (Ro 3:30) - to let us know that we need a Savior because we cannot save ourselves. That's all it can do.
When we love Jesus because we have experience and understand His grace, we will never think that "we have to keep the Law," because the Law becomes a delight to the person who has Christ living within. (Ps 1:2, Ps 40:8, Ps 119:77) It is a delight to the believer, because it reflect the character of God, and the believer wants to be like God in character.
Our "works" are the fruit or evidence of our salvation, not the cause or grounds of our salvation. That's what James is referring to when he says that faith without works is dead. (Ja 2:17) It's not genuine faith if it does not bear the fruit of works.
David,
A bit of encouragement here.
Although it might be put slightly differently, if the following is close to what you intended you are in line with the voice of prophecy:
"While we are to be in harmony with God’s law, we are not saved by the works of the law, yet we cannot be saved without obedience. The law is the standard by which character is measured. But we cannot possibly keep the commandments of God without the regenerating grace of Christ. Jesus alone can cleanse us from all sin. He does not save us by law, neither will he save us in disobedience to law." (Signs of the Times July 21, 1890)
It is a tragedy to be saved by grace alone, only to be lost by disobedience.
That's right Hugh: We are not saved without works, but we are not saved by works, as the texts (and context) I quoted makes clear.
Our "good works" are the fruit of our salvation and not its cause.
If, by looking in the mirror of God's Law we see that we are not bearing the "fruit" of good works, there's no point in concentrating on the Law and trying to hang good works on a non-producing tree. We need to look to Christ to provide a heart transplant - to make the tree new. Then the fruit will grow.
Focusing on law and works will never save us - not only because we cannot produce enough good works to save us, but also because it doesn't "work." That is, focusing on the Law will not help us to keep the Law as Christ would have us. Only looking to Jesus and allowing Him to be Lord of our lives will result in the kind of "law keeping" that is pleasing to God. When we are "in Christ" (i.e. covered with His righteousness) and He is in us, through the Holy Spirit, we are in a saving relationship.
I think you're absolutely right Kedeisha. I think grace has been virtually marginalized and even totally misunderstood since it is always seen in light of obedience to the Law, i.e. the view that says only through obedience to the Law do we obtain grace, or the view that says grace gives us power to keep the Law that together save us. Either way, it becomes a 'salvation by works' religiosity. And until it is understood we are saved by grace apart from the works of the law we will never be able to accept Jesus' atonement or be relevant to God's plan as a movement.
In fact, I would say controversially that this understanding of the Law is no different to Roman Catholicism's idea of grace and works. Read the following excerpt:
“Wherefore, when receiving true and Christian JUSTICE [Justification], they are commanded, immediately on being born again, to PRESERVE IT PURE AND SPOTLESS, as the first robe given them through Christ Jesus … so that they may BEAR IT BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL of our Lord Jesus Christ and MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” - The Council of Trent, under Pope Paul III, Session VI, “Chapter VII: In What the Justification of the Sinner Consists, and What Are Its Causes,” January 13, 1547
Grace will take us home. Obedience is our main caracteristic, Rv 12:17, 14:12. So, we need to totally surrender our lives to Jesus, that he drives us according to his will, Galat. 2:20. That is obedience. That is the plan of salvation... May God help us understand all the feature of this plan and keep us from ignoring any of them. Amen
Did you know that Yeshua's grace and strength comes through our willful obedience to the Ten Commandments of Yahweh? They are as inseparable as faith and works. To live as believers we keep Yah's laws because we love him and not so we can be saved so we do and think on these things. One isn't greater than the other for they work hand in hand. As Paul wrote it's only the carnal man that does not receive the law of Yah for the law is spiritual and it's only for those who walk in spirit and truth. Shalom
I think, the right balance between law and grace ought to be clearly seen without degrading one or the other. For His righteousness sake God has promised to magnify the law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). The context shows that Israel has fallen short of both. God is magnifying the law in order for His people to recognize their sin in need of salvation. Being confronted with the holy law, Israel is to recognize that their own righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). In that desperate situation grace steps in: The sinner is clothed with the garment of salvation and covered with the robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). The apostle Paul in his letters to the Romans and Galations has the right inspired view on law and grace regarding its use and misuse (Romans 3:24; 9:30-31; Galatians 3:16)
Keeping the law after being justified by grace alone is carried on by sustaining grace. Our keeping of Gods commandments is growing out of being intimately connected with Christ as illustrated by the example of the vine and its branches (John 15:9-10). Observing the commandment of love which includes the ten commandments, is the outcome of being connected with Christ, the true vine. There is no way of doing it on our own. It is all about abiding in Christ. And abiding in Christ is abiding in His love and in His grace.
Winfried Stolpmann
Hi Winfried, I believe that the "balance between law and grace" is a matter of defining clearly what we are referring to:
Are we referring to our law-keeping? In that case, there is no "balance." We are saved by grace alone, apart from works of the law. (Ro 3:28-29)
Referring to the Law of God as a reflection of His character of love is quite another things. Grace is necessary because of the broken law - because humanity is out of harmony with God and only God can restore this harmony.
If we keep this distinction clear each time we refer to the "law of God," I think what we say about law and grace would become a lot clearer.
Grace and Obedience will take us home! Rev.12:17.
"in this case the context SEEMS to indicate that He was referring primarily to the Ten Commandments". "Jesus is LITERALLY saying"....
"His statement is VERY CLEAR and PROBABLY meant to show that it was the religious elders, not He, who had been destroying the law, reducing its effect through their tradition (see Matt. 15:3, 6). In contrast".
Jesus Christ is love. Jesus Christ gave His laws governing the universe based on the law of love. No probably or seems. We who are sinful cannot be the reflection of His love without the transformation of the Holy Spirit, as we surrender our lives to Him. May our Father fill our hearts with His love
By the way, I don't think Jesus was referring only to the Ten Commandments in Matthew 5:17-19. He was using "the Law and the Prophets" in a way His readers would understand - and that meant He was referring to all the revealed will of God. "The Law" would refer to the Pentateuch, and "the Prophets" would refer to the prophetic books.
He came to destroy none of these. He "fulfilled" the sanctuary laws by living out the reality that was only pre-figured in the sanctuary services. And He "fulfilled" the Ten Commandments by being a living example of the Law of God.
Forgive me if I am mistaken, but what is the point of grace to cover our shortcoming in keeping the law, if the law does not matter? I think if I focus on His Grace only to cover my sins, then I feel like I am home free, cause grace is covering me, so there is no need for me to strive and struggle to keep His law. My thinking is there has to be some importnace to keeping the law, or Satan and his menions could have stayed in heaven. There would have been no need for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to test man's obedience to the law. Just my thoughts.
Kimberly, I don't think anyone is saying that "the law does not matter."
The Law of God is the foundation of His government and a reflection of His character of love. It is also the divine standard in the judgment. Only those who are in perfect alignment with the Law of God are eligible to be citizens of Heaven. Now that leaves all of us out, since "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Christ saw our helpless state and came to this planet to create a way of salvation for us. The plan is this - that if we accept Him as Saviour and allow Him to be Lord of our lives, then we are saved "in Him." Then His life stands for our life in the judgment - the judgment that has the Law of God as its standard.
We can never be saved by law-keeping, but that does not mean it is not important. We need Christ as Saviour precisely because the Law is important. It is the standard of God's government. The Law - understood as perfect love for God and man - is like a mirror that reveals the dirt in our lives, but the Law cannot save us. Only Christ can.
So what is the solution when we see that we are sinful, as judged by the perfect Law of Love? If I focus harder on keeping the law, it will still not assure my salvation, because all our "righteousness" is as "filthy rags." The only way I can be saved is through Christ.
So would it not be better to focus on strengthening our relationship with Christ, rather than to focus on keeping the Law?
When we cling to Christ, He will keep us from sinning and fill our lives with "good works."
Trying to keep the Law won't do it.
So again, what makes our understanding of Grace and Works, any different from Roman Catholicism? The question is not Whether we should keep the Law – I think that is a given. The question is Why we should keep the Law – in other words, the Motivation, such as do we keep it as part of the criteria to be saved. Yes Grace atones for us at the Cross. But what happens after we accept it – do we have to be perfectly keeping the commandments (through grace) to be saved? Therefore if we don’t does that imply Jesus’ Atonement was incomplete? Is our salvation dependent both on the Atonement and our Sanctified Works – or Salvation by Grace and Works – not by Grace alone? And then, doesn’t that mean we can’t fully say that we Have (in the present tense) Salvation until those works are determined at the Judgment to be truly worthy?
And again, how would any of what we understand between this relationship of Grace and Works in the light of Salvation be any different from the Roman Catholic position? The RCC had a Council (“considered to be one of the church’s most important councils” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Trent)) that countered and refuted the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther’s understanding of Salvation: “Most importantly, the council rejected Luther’s teachings on justification,” (David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity: A History of 2,000 Year of the Christian Faith, p. 272).
So what did Martin Luther believe? He believed this:
“The doctrine of JUSTIFICATION is this, that we are PRONOUNCED RIGHTEOUS and are SAVED SOLELY BY FAITH IN CHRIST, and WITHOUT WORKS.” (Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, p. 1535).
What did the RCC believe? The Council stated:
“For FAITH [i.e. Grace], unless hope and CHARITY [i.e. Works] be added to it, NEITHER UNITES MAN PERFECTLY WITH CHRIST nor makes him a living member of His body.” (The Council of Trent, under Pope Paul III, Session VI, “Chapter VII: In What the Justification of the Sinner Consists, and What Are Its Causes,” January 13, 1547). In other words, to be one with Christ in His Atonement and part of the body of believers (the Church) one needed Both Grace and Works.
The Council also stated that Jesus “continually infuses strength into those JUSTIFIED, which strength always precedes, accompanies and follows their GOOD WORKS,” and “BY THOSE VERY WORKS which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law,” so much so that it “truly merits eternal life.” (The Council of Trent, under Pope Paul III, Session VI, “Chapter XVI: The Fruits of Justification, that is, The Merit of Good Works, and The Nature of that Merit,” January 13, 1547). In other words, those that are Justified by Grace are given Strength to Accomplish Good Works, both of which are necessary in satisfying God’s Law and Meriting Eternal Life.
How different is this from saying that if we have no Works as well as Grace we are not saved?
Let me try: Christ is the LAW incarnate... By beholding Him, we see purity of His character (He is fully compliant to the law), while we are totally uncompliant. We proceed with Him to the cross, and see Him bearing the punishment which is rightfully ours - sacrifice, and grants us freedom from damnation - which we rightly deserve on the face of the law. (GRACE).
In baptism (by the Holy Spirit), He gives us a new nature (spiritual nature - heart of flesh) so that we can make the decisions to obey Him fully even when tempted by our sinful propensities. Salvation is a two stage process: justification (granting us the right to heaven) and sanctification (making us fit for heaven). Both are critical.
Thank you, Tomas, for presenting the choice so clearly.
If we say we need both grace and works in order to be saved, we are following Roman Catholic tradition, not the Bible.
The Bible teaches that we are saved by God's grace alone, as I have mentioned in another comment published above. The fruit of our salvation is demonstrated in good works.
If the fruit is absent, one should question the nature of the plant, I would think. 😉 That said, God did not give us the job of being "fruit inspectors." We are to examine ourselves to see whether we are "in the faith," not others. (See 2 Cor 13:5) In the context of this discussion it is interesting to note that we are to examine ourselves whether we are "in the faith." The corollary would seem to be that being "in the faith" is the deciding factor in our salvation.
Yes we are saved by grace, but we can only appreciate God's grace by living exemplary holly lives. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.
Thanks for your response. Very true and clear for those who have problem with God's law.
Grace is a gift from God to us,(Ephesians.2:8). Obeying God's law is saying
Thank you to God for this gift(John.14:15).
How then is possible that grace can be separated from the law? Jesus demonstrated how to live on grace and the law... To put aside the aside the law. The promise of grace may be compromised to us who believe in Jesus Christ the Lord.
If we can understand that law represents love just as much as grace does, I think we would spend less time arguing over law vs grace. Laws have a purpose, an end-point. Laws shw who has authority over one's life (God), laws provide for organization and order (note the law of gravity, rotation of the planets), everything in nature follows laws put in place at creation. We, because of sin, are unable to keep the law - that's why grace is in place. Thanks be unto God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can obey His law. The focus has to shift from what I can to what God by His grace and power can do in me.
Joyce. If I may offer a different view. The "law of gravity" and other physics "laws" are not fixed laws of God. They are definitions created by human scientists. (Side note: all of these "laws" completely fall apart and are invalidated inside “black holes”).
Your post suggests that God, the Creator of all things, is somehow bound by "laws" of nature... the very nature He created. Your post also suggests that rotation of the planets and other "laws" were put in place at creation.
Nowhere does the Bible say anything like this. Instead, each breath you take, each sunrise, each rain is directed by our Heavenly Father. The illusion that nature works like a clock, independent of God, is a falsehood spread by Satan in his efforts to convince God’s creation that God is unnecessary and that we have no need to depend on Him. The "laws" you talk about would not allow any of the many miracles mentioned in the Bible (e.g., 2 kings 20:8-11). God is constantly keeping His universe functioning and in order (John 5:17) and without Him, everything stops (e.g., rotating planets, gravity, etc) and nothing exists.
Lets think for a moment about the popular sports,what would happen if the rules kept on changing according to tie participant's wishes,no doubt the sports would deviate from their intent,right!Now what of our God of order,will He change His will to us anyhowly?Certainly not,instead He needs us to have a deeper understanding of His law.He needs us to know that mudder is not just hacking somebody but that hatred is equaly bad,adultery is not that act but that desire is worse.The law still stands.
POTIPHAR,am buying ur idea. in addition if i borrowed my friend suit because is nice I woundnt like to get it spoil cause the suit may still be helpful to me again. but if I do,am under the law an not from GOD.check I john 3:4.
As the sinner looks to the law, his guilt is made plain to him and pressed home to his conscience, and he is condemned. His only comfort and hope is found in looking to the cross of Calvary. As he ventures upon the promises, taking God at His word, relief and peace come to his soul. He cries,
Thou hast promised to save all who come unto Thee in the name of Thy Son. I am a lost, helpless, hopeless soul. Lord, save, or I perish." His faith lays hold on Christ, and he is justified before God. {FW 99.3}
But while God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ's righteousness while practicing known sins or neglecting known duties. God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, living faith that works by love and purifies the soul.{FW 100.1]justication by faith can not be separated from the law of God, because God expect to see the works of faith and then justification through the merits of Jesus Christ is given to every soul surrendering to God.
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Vs 19 'whosoever breaks one of the least of these commandments...will be called least in the kingdom of heaven...'
Will Heaven be an hierarchy based placed where some are considered least, & some considered Great? And pls does the text seems to imply that those who break @ least one will be in heaven even though they'll be called 'least'?
I'd rather be a toilet washer in heaven than a wealthy man in hell.
Please help clarify these issues.
Ayo: Regarding Matt 5:19 - Christ didn't imply that a commandment breaker would be in heaven, he was saying that those in the Kingdom would look upon that person as "least" & of an unfit character to be allowed in heaven.
Ayo: Maybe, Just MAYBE during the opening of the books in heaven, when the rightous are allowed to look and see how fair Christ has been to those who are not in heaven. To see the times the Lord pleaded with them and the Holy Spirit was rejected, just maybe at that time while in heaven we will see who is the least and who is great. But I like you was wondering about that turn or phrase, because seeking to be greater than he was created to be is how Satan got his name.
I agree whole heartedly with the Sister Charles comment. Jesus said I have given you a New commandment Love God and Love your Neighbour........
I find that it is only grace that will take us home. God's grace alone through Christ our Lord should be accepted as the only complete way to our salvation. Unless we realize this, we will still feel that keeping the law is part and parcel of the equation to salvation. Keeping the law, of course not legalistically, is a post-condition of our acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Saviour (God's grace). The Pharisees on the other hand thought keeping the law is part and parcel of the equation to salvation neglecting the giver of the Law, Jesus himself! No wonder they received condemnation from Christ! And Christ perfectly summed up the law not as a series of do's and don't's but rather in love - loving God with all thy heart and loving thy neighbour as thyself! A Christian living in grace lives a christ-like life and if they sin, they have where to run to for forgiveness of sin - Christ! The Spirit of God convicts the sinner of the need to repent of sin, in other words, it points us to Christ after we violate the law which unfortunately helplessly condemns us to death! God's grace through Christ saves us from the condemnation of the law! I thus choose grace as my only way to salvation!
Thank you Bennett and Inge for clearly describing the nature of grace and salvation based on the Bible. Even love (1 Corinthians 13) is the fruit of salvation, not the root.
I do not understand why many Christians (including SDAs) insist that God's grace is not sufficient... that by works, we can improve on God's great plan for our salvation.
Regarding the Angel who spoke to Moses and gave him the law on Mount Sinai, are there other supporting Bible verses?
God has promised to "write His Laws on our hearts" remember Heb. 8:10?
When we are justified (by grace) and given a new birth spiritually, we then have a desire to obey God, which is keeping His Law. The Holy Spirit then works in us, changing our sinful characters into the character of God (which the law is). Of course it is Grace that works through the Holy Spirit to do this. As long as we allow this work (not our own but God's) to be done in our hearts and minds, this will fit us for heaven.