“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5.17, 18

It never fails: All I have to do in a sermon, lecture, or essay is mention something about the Christian’s ongoing responsibility to keep the Law of God, and someone will be there to take me to task. “I’m not under Law, I’m under grace.” “You’re preaching salvation by works.” “This is not a theocracy, you know.” So go the objections, some more passionate than others, but each along the same lines.

What do Christians have against the Law of God? Why are we so adamant to deny any ongoing responsibility for walking the same path Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2.1-6)?

Of course, not all the Old Testament Law of God continues to have validity. The writer of Hebrews explains, in chapters 7-10, that the laws defining and guiding the work of priests changed as the Old Covenant was replaced with the New. While we can still learn principles of holiness and right worship by studying the laws of sacrifice, diet, and so forth, these no longer bind us as ethical norms. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that, “when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (7:12). For the Old Testament priestly rights and duties, Jesus has substituted the sacrifice of His own life, the ordinances and sacraments of the Church, and His ongoing intercessory and sanctifying work.

But that still leaves the Ten Commandments and the civil laws of ancient Israel. The New Testament – beginning with the Lord Jesus – indicates that these have continuing value and must not be neglected or set aside.

Christians are called to keep the Law of God, not in order to be saved but so that they might bring their salvation to light in lives of good works.

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