[448 words]
One of the most misunderstood religious subjects pertains to whether or not the Christian today is under any law from God. This confusion may be eliminated, however, by realizing that the Christian is not under the Law of Moses but rather the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses, which encompasses most of the Old Testament, was fulfilled by Jesus and ultimately removed by God himself (Matt 5:17; Eph. 2:15). Paul said God took it, the Law of Moses, out of the way, nailing it to the cross (Col. 14). One of the primary purposes of the Old Law was to serve as a tutor or schoolmaster to bring people to Christ. But now that Christianity has been established the apostle declares we are no longer under the Law of Moses (Gal. 3:23-25). This does not mean there is no value in studying the Old Testament (Rom. 15:4). But it does mean that the child of God today is no longer obligated to offer animal sacrifices, be circumcised, or go to the Jerusalem temple in order to worship God acceptably. God removed the first covenant in order to establish the second covenant or the New Testament (Heb. 10:9). Today if a Christian goes back to the Old Law in order to seek justification they become unfaithful to God in that they “fall away from grace” (Gal. 5:4). All living people today are amenable to God under the New Testament, not the Old.
If it is true that Christians today are not amenable to God under the Law of Moses then what law are we under? The answer to that question is the Law of Christ. The apostle declares that as a Christian he was not under Moses’ Law but rather “under law to Christ” (1 Cor. 9:20-21). Today Christian s are to live in such a way as to fulfill “the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Does Christ have a law? According to the terminology of the Bible He does. Another writer calls this the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12). Since Christians today are not under the Old Testament law but under the New Testament, Paul could say “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the New Testament, made me free from the law of sin and death, the Old Testament” (Rom. 8:2). Is the Christian therefore under a law from God today? Yes, but it is the Law of Christ and not the Law of Moses. If you will make this distinction then any confusion about the Christian being under a law from God today will be eliminated.
Stephen Wiggins
San Augustine church of Christ
San Augustine, TX