What did Christ Abolish at the Cross?
While Thursday’s section of this week’s lesson points out the importance of the law, most Christians seems to believe the Ten Commandments were done away with. One problem with that idea is that the Ten Commandments are summarized in two precepts – love God first and love others as yourself, which Jesus often referenced in the New Testament.
The Ten Commandments show us the very character of God, which is “others first.” As God existed from eternity, so His law of love existed from eternity. Jesus fulfilled this law when He put others first while He died on the cross. After the cross Jesus continues to put others first. The Ten Commandments never change. They are never done away with. Even in death Jesus rested in the grave over the Sabbath. He rose on Sunday to get back to work and be about His Father’s business. See John 20:17.
The Ten Commandments were written with God’s own hand.
The Ten Commandments are also God’s covenant or promises to us. He is promising us that we will not need any other gods before Him as He will care for us. He is promising us we will not need idols and He will make us godly so we will not take His name in vain. He promises us the Sabbath rest so we can rest in His grace instead of relying on our works. He promises to give us integrity and to give us all we need so we won’t need to steal or wish for what others have.
In 2 Peter 1:4 Peter tells us to cling to God’s promises so we can escape the corruption that is in the world. God’s character and promises that are portrayed in the Ten Commandments will never fail. See Mathew 5:17-19 and Luke 16:17.
Meanwhile the laws pertaining to the sanctuary services (sometimes known as ceremonial laws) were instituted to point people forward to the Lamb of God Who would die for us on the cross and take our sins away. For example once Jesus died on the cross and became the real Passover, we no longer needed the symbolic Passover feast. The feast Sabbath days were no longer needed as they were only symbolic of actual events to come. However, the weekly Sabbath remains as it was given before there was ever a need for a sanctuary .law (See Genesis 2;1-3) and will continue in the new earth. (See Isaiah 66:23).
So how do we know what is a part of God’s eternal law and character and what is part of the ceremonial law? How do we know which laws are eternal and which laws were abolished at the cross? Let’s take a look at God’s Word to see and understand.
So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. Deuteronomy 4:13 NKJV
The Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark.
And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. Exodus 25:16 NKJV
The Commandments last forever
The works of His hands are verity and justice;
All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever,
And are done in truth and uprightness. Psalm 111:7-8 NKJV
The ceremonial law was written in Moses’ handwriting and was placed in the side of the ark while the Ten Commandments were written by God and placed inside the ark.
So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you; Deuteronomy 31:24-26 NKJV
The ceremonial laws written by Moses lasted only until the “reformation”
concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. Hebrews 9:10 NKJV
The ordinances that were handwritten by Moses were done away with at the cross. The ceremonial laws like the feast Sabbath days and the Passover, which pointed towards the cross, no longer served a purpose after the cross. However, the weekly Sabbath in the Ten Commandments was instituted at creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and continued throughout the New Testament by Jews and Greeks alike. (Acts 18:4) It will continue in the new earth. (Isaiah 66:23)
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:14-17 NKJV
“The requirements that were against them” was the record of their rebellion we saw in Deuteronomy 31:24-26. The Ten commandments were not against them. They were there for their blessing and protection. See Psalm 19 and 119.
The sacrificial system ceased at the cross. The Ten Commandments never ceased.
Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:27 NKJV
In the New Testament commandment keeping continues.
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:9-10 NKJV
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4 NKJV
The Ten Commandments convict us of sin after the cross just like before.
but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. James 2:9-12 NKJV
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4 NKJV
Jesus did not die to do away with the Law. He died so we could be obedient and live righteously.
who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, Titus 2:11-12 NKJV
Those who keep the Commandments by God’s grace will inherit eternal life.
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14 NKJV
Summary and conclusion: The handwritten ordinances and sacrificial systems that pointed towards the cross were no longer needed after the cross. The Ten Commandments were not handwritten by Moses but by God and do not point towards the cross. The principles of the Ten Commandments endure for all eternity.
A recent sermon on the ceremonial and moral law by Yours Truly is available here.
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Not everything handwritten by Moses was ceremonial law. Much of it was moral instruction, applying the principles of the Ten Commandments. As applicable, these precepts are of course still guidance for us today. For instance, swine's flesh did not suddenly become fit for food at the cross.
You are absolutely correct R.G. Thank you for making this point. I’ve had people ask me about the clean and unclean foods before. While hand written it was not a shadow of things to come.
I agree completely. God is not a changing God. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever. Amen
AMEN
GOD,wrote the Ten Commandments with his finger. GOD is the same today, yesterday and forever 
I highly agree with what you have said because Paul in Colossians was talking about the hard written law of Moses that support the God's hand written 10 commandments moreover the law that Moses wrote was to support the principles of the 10 commandments that God gave to Moses so nothing changes like it was written He is the same yesterday, today and forever in addition Jesus Christ Himself said this. The sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, not people to meet the requirements of the sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the sabbath this I think is what Paul was referring to in Colossians
Thank you, William. I merely mentioned that as one example. The cross didn't suddenly make it all right for you to marry your sister, nor did a man lying with a man, as one might lie with a woman -- or the eating of shrimp -- suddenly become less detestable.
Since I concentrate so much on the dietary laws, I have conveniently forgotten how much more the laws of Moses are applicable to our every day life. Thank you so much for both of your comments bringing to light the laws of life.
10 Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’ 11 Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
Ezekiel 33:10-11
Thanks for this quotation Newbegin.
This is an excellent passage illustrating that it is not God that is the causative-source of death - it is “our transgressions and our sins” (ie living in violation of the Law/laws that are essential to maintain life: 1 John 3:4).
The cause and effect relationship is reflected: transgression and sin leads to (causes) “wasting away” unto death. Hence the question, “how can we live?”
God’s response affirms this reality that transgression and sin is the direct causative-source of death. God takes no pleasure in seeing this phenomenon take place.
Because it is transgression and sin that is the direct causative-source of death, God’s desire is that people instead would “turn, turn from their evil ways” that are directly causing their demise.
Key to being able to understand this is keeping in mind what transgression and sin actually is - lawlessness. Lawlessness means attempting to live without law. How that actually plays-out is that people attempt ‘living’ in a manner that is out of harmony with the Law/laws of life that are essential/necessary for maintenance of life. While they may believe they are living, the reality is they are actually merely “wasting away”.
This passage is also reflected in Psalm 1:6; Galatians 6:7,8; James 1:14,15; Romans 6:23 and 2 Samuel 14:14. So the above ‘worldview’ is not resting on merely one single passage.
Sin (lawlessness) is the causative-source of death. And sin is the causative-source of sin-consequences (ie ‘punishment’ - negative consequences that are inherent to the process of wasting away). This world-view casts God in a very different light.
I appreciate your pointing out that God is not the cause of death but that "lawlessness" is. However, putting it that way sounds rather theoretical.
The way I see it, God's Law is the transcript of His character, which is self-giving love. Thus "lawlessness" is living out of harmony with self-giving love. In other words, it is selfishness. It is disconnection from the Creator and Upholder of life. Very simply, sinners choose to disconnect from the Source of life and therefore they die - as a light bulb goes out when disconnected from the source of power.
A relationship with God - evidenced by obedience - is being connected to the Lifegiver both in this life and the life to come.
Thanks.
I agree with what you wrote about the way you see it.
I have written in a more ‘theoretical’ way in order to ground what I am outlining in solid biblical evidence and reasoning. This is to substantiate that it is not merely personal opinion that I am outlining/proposing. It also outlines the details that comprise the worldview so that others can make more focussed critique if they feel some aspect is in error.
I have a variety of ways I write depending on the purpose at the time.
The only death that really counts is the Second Death, which is directly meted out by God in accordance with each one's just deserts, fire raining down on him from the sky. He who is destroyed will have destroyed himself, because persistence in sin so hardens the heart that repentance becomes literally impossible. The finally impenitent is permanently and irrevocably unfit to live in God's good universe, and even he has to agree that his own destruction is the only way forward. By God's grace, may this never be your fate or mine!
Are we required to let the land rest every seven years?
I guess that you are a farmer, Willie. This Old Testament requirement was based on God's ownership of the land of Canaan, and the idea that the children of Israel were His servants. That said, if this is also how you view your land, it's hard to see how something that was such a good idea, back then, could be a bad idea now.
Nowadays, the practice of cover-cropping between normally harvested crops would seem to serve the same purpose. It is particularly beneficial for soil life to be undisturbed for a full year. Judging by God's direction to the Israelites, the best practice would be to do this every 7 years.
Putting 1/7 of the land into cover crops every year would ensure that all the land gets the benefit.
Clean and unclean were ceremonial from the first sin. Noah made that very clear. Washing dishes and bathing were also ceremonial but with a little common sense we use those laws to our benefit. The apostles taught that the only laws of Moses that were to be required of the church had to do with blood and food offered to idols. The apostles also said that the rest of Moses would be taught from Sabbath to Sabbath.
I have to go back to RG. Washing hands was instructional as much as digging a hole outside the camp to bury human excrement. Yes the priest washing of hands was in the bowl outside the temple inside the court, was ceremonial as well as cleanly, and done away at the Cross, along with killing of the lamb without blemish. However I would not say that washing hands inside the family tent or outside the camp was ceremonial, rather instructional for the health of the people.
Touching on keeping the law. When we die in Christ we have put ourselves at the foot of the Cross. Being at the foot of the Cross empowers us to do the will of the Father. I believe the will of the Father is to obey out of love, seeing what He has done for us, and He lives forever to intercede for us who turn to Him, a daily mental process as we read, meditate, and pray, we are mentally being born again. Christ told Nicodemus, to be born of the Holy Spirit(a mental process between us and the Holy Spirit)as well as the water. John 3:1-5.
It is very simple concerning the Laws of Moses. When Christ died on the cross, the Mosaic Laws were abolished. Not just one or two but all. The laws were a burden to the people and served as a yoke upon their necks. They were freed of that bondage then and forever. On the cross Jesus provided a new salvation and a new covenant. Even today most churches and pastors strive to place that yoke and burden back on our necks for their greed and self gain. Ephesians 2:15.