Christians Keeping the Law

Are Christians required to keep the Law of Moses?

Acts 15:5–12 (LSB)

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.” 6 Both the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” 12 And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

the context is some believed that gentiles could not be saved unless they were circumcised according to the customs of Moses.

Matthew 5:17 (LSB)

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

How Did Jesus fulfil the Law?

Romans 8:3–4 LSB

3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

How is this the Law fulfilled in us?

Christ is the End of the Law

Romans 10:4 LSB

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Christ is the goal of the law, meaning the Law is supposed to lead you to Christ

To whom does this refer to?

Acts 13:39 LSB

39 and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from through the Law of Moses.

What are the shortcomings of the Law?

Galatians 3:10–14 LSB

10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; rather, “He who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

So what good is the Law ?

1 Timothy 1:8–10 LSB

8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,

The Law exists to identify wickedness. The Law exposes sin. The Law shows us how far apart we are from God

As Christians, to meet the standard of God, we us this in evangelism

What Law do Christians Keep?

1 John 3:23–24 LSB

23 And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He gave a commandment to us. 24 And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

this is the law of Christ, not the Mosaic Law

romans 5:6

Romans 5:6 LSB

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.