The Law As A Guide

When Christ came and finished the sacrifice for sin—granting pardon for all who have faith in Him—the Old Covenant schoolmaster gave way to the New Covenant power within every believer. Now our obedience not only reflects the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:30–31) but also sums up the expression of the Law in all of its moral and ethical intention. Laws reflecting exclusive devotion to God and sacrificial love toward others do not change; they are mirrored in the New Covenant. All laws foreshadowing redemptive realities to be fulfilled in Christ are no longer ethically binding now that He is the fullest expression of those truths:

•​No more civil and national separation from other nations—because we are now set apart in Christ and sent into the world for the gospel.

•​No more circumcision—because circumcision is now “of the heart” (Rom 2:29).

•​No more clean/unclean things—because “God has cleansed” (Acts 10:15).

•​No more holy days—because redemption and rest are gained in Christ (Heb 4:11).

•​No more sacrifices—because Christ was sacrificed “once for all” (Heb 7:27).

•​No more central temple—because believers are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:17).

Yet, the love ethic inherent in God’s Law crosses over into the New Covenant since God’s love is not merely a foreshadowing of Christ’s saving purpose but the supreme expression of His Person.

Evangelicalism’s current one-sidedness with the doctrine of sanctification has produced serious confusion about the role of God’s Law, and even nurtured in some a rash disregard for the Ten Commandments specifically and all biblical commands in general. All of this is not only unnecessary, it is unhelpful. Just like the psalmist, we can delight in the Law of God because it reflects Who He is, it defines our obligation before Him, and it guides our life toward Him. The Law is not a burden from God, it is a grace. Just as sure as we love God, we must love His Law.

Adapted from Free to Be Holy: The Liberating Grace of Walking by Faith by Jerry Wragg and Paul Shirley