Christ and the Law

Introduction

Base Text: Galatians 3

Recall - Mark 3:1-6 —> John 5:17, 46

Jesus appealed to the Pharisees that beneath the law was a spirit of the one who made it, and that the spirit of mercy, salvation, and redemption runs strongly in the law. Mark 2:27

So, we’ve made the point up till now that Jesus legitimately kept the letter of the law, but that he also acted in step with the spirit of the law.

In the process of noticing this, we have had numerous points of contact with the law where a point would be made such as: the Sabbath was made for man, and Christ is not abolishing the law here, but teaching about how it is rightly fulfilled.

These sorts of comments lead to a very natural question:

Q: How should believers interact with the law?

Should I have an attitude that says: The law says don’t do x, so I don’t do it?

Q: In looking into the Sabbath passages of the OT like Ex. 31:14-15, is it inconsistent for us to have a “keep the sabbath” attitude, but NOT put people to death?

SQ: I know, based on Matthew 5:17 that Christ came to fulfill the law and the law’s requirements. How does Jesus’s fulfillment of the law map inform whether or not I follow it too?

ASQ: I know that there are a few places in Paul’s writing, such as Gal. 3:10-11, 19 which seem to indicate that Christians ought not base their lives in works of the law, but in faith in Christ.

Rom. 6:14 “You are not under the law” | Gal. 5:18 “You are not under the law”

Confusion arises because we have these passages but also Romans 3:31

Or even worse, 1 Co. 7:19

How does a framework like what Paul adopts influence how we understand the law?

How should I think about these statements of Paul concerning ‘the law’ which Jesus is engaging with in the gospels?

How should we take passages of Scripture such as Psalm 119 which seems to be a lavish love of the law?

The purpose of this sermon will be to treat these questions about the law.

I will argue that the Christian should interact with the law in six ways:

(3 “The Law is...” 2 “The Law is not...” and 1 Statement about the Holy Spirit)

The Law is prophecy which speaks forward to Christ in His first and second coming.

The Law is wisdom in that it conveys the values of God as well as the structures which lend to better life.

The Law is history in that it goes beyond rules or prophecies and provides case studies to grapple with its contents.

The Law is not the means by which a person earns right-standing with God or is saved

The Law does not impute power or grace to follow it, but the Holy Spirit does.

The Holy Spirit calls forward in us a love which empowers us to be lovers of God and neighbor which fulfills the law.

Result

Christians ought to love to curate a love for the law of God because it speaks about Christ (John 5:39, 46), it gives us timeless wisdom and the displays the heart of God, it provides us with examples and tons of substance for enjoying and loving God and others well. The way in which the Christian engages the law and has a right relationship with it is through the realities of Christ. That is that justification and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit empowers a person to not be crushed by the law but instead press into it, find Christ there, and experience to heart of God in vibrant ways.

Launch Pad: All Scripture Belongs to Christ

2 Tim. 3:16-17

Profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, and equipped for every good work

Recognize: Amount of OT Citation in the NT

Note that when you read the NT, the law is always one or two steps away.

Upwards of 33% of your NT is actually just OT being referenced.

[SIDE NOTE]

“The Law” has varying ranges of scope in the NT

Whole OT

John 10:34 - “the Law” here is actually a reference to the Psalms (Ps. 82:6)

1 Co. 14:21 - “the Law” here is actually a reference to the Prophets (Is. 28:11-12)

Torah

John 5:46 - What Moses wrote

613 Commands of Moses

Gal. 3:17

Whatever the Scope, Luke 24:44 helps us bridge into the first topic of how Christians ought to think about the Law: Christ is the Telos

Christ is the Telos of the Law

Romans 10:4 - Paul utilizes the word “telos” to describe Christ’s relationship to the Law

The word “telos” is akin to the word “goal.” It is what one thing is working towards. It is the end, the goal, the final destination, etc.

If you take a “Torah” view of “The Law” this is extremely evident.

(BTW) This is what we were doing even in unpacking “the Sabbath.” Note: Ex. 20:9-11 which is part of the ten commandments does this same thing when God, within the command, urges us to find the foundational reasoning for that Law in Genesis 2:1-3.

Genesis

Begins with God in relationship with man, and as soon as the Fall occurs, God promises that a figure will crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15) —> Right at the beginning of humanity’s fall, God has already spoken of a Messianic seed. So our eyes as readers are angled in anticipation of a coming Messiah King.

Covenantally, these expectations are intensified by God’s dealings with Abraham who says that “in your seed” all the nations of the earth will be blessed. (Take Gen. 22:17-18 and Gal. 3:8, 16)

You might be fine with this, but object: “Jamie, Genesis isn’t law in the way that anyone is thinking about it.”

No, but Genesis serves as the sort of prologue to the Law. Pre-fall Genesis also helps us get a vision of where God is going because this is a point or state of sinlessness (though Revelation has heightened realities not present in Genesis)

Exodus

Already given the example of Sabbath (20:9-11 and Gen. 2:1-3)

Leviticus

Lev. 26:12, Gen. 3:8 —> God in his Law inserts the expectation of God himself walking among His people.

Both Exodus and Leviticus

Utilize Genesis imagery in the construction of the Temple

Connect with older promises made by God to Abraham concerning

blessing the nations (Gen. 12:3, Ex. 19:4-6)

possession of a promised land

d (Gen. 15:7, 12-19) and (Ex. 3:8)

Reiterated in Deuteronomy

Deut. 28-30

Packaged Expectation of the Law (Whole)

God is going to redeem humanity and bring them back into communion with himself

Through a messianic seed

From Abraham

From Israel

(From David)

Who loves and follows the Law

Nuances of the Law - Weirdly Eschatological

One of the expectations of the Law is that the people who are following it have God as their King

Returning to the Sabbath/Sticks example: (Num. 15:32-36)

One of the key through-lines in conversations about Christian use of the Law is the recognition of the full realities at play:

Moses rules on cases, but the rulings and wisdom come from Yahweh as King and not a sinful man.

If the Law prohibits coveting (Ex. 20:17), how could anyone enforce that standard?

What about Sabbathing?

What about x?

The Law speaks of realities where God, in his sovereign rule, stands as the King of his people.

One of the stories which the OT unpacks is the process by which God retrieves his throne in the hearts of men.

1 Sam. 8:4-9 - “They have not rejected you, but have rejected me from being king over them...”

This is a re-playing of Gen. 3 and is satisfied in the lives of believers who know of King Jesus who, by His Spirit reigns in their hearts (Col. 3:15, Rom. 5:17, 14:17) and is seated above all powers on His throne in heaven (Col. 2:6-15)

Excursus: Why the Framers of the US Constitution built so many safeguards against tyrants and made the government inefficient

TURN HERE TO THE REALITY OF SIN AND CHRIST’S FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW IN JUSTIFICATION

THE LAW WAS GRACE TO A SINFUL WORLD, BUT DID NOT PROVIDE POWER IN ITSELF TO DEFEAT SIN (GAL. 3:21)

THE POWER OF THE LAW WAS TO EXPOSE SIN AND THE NEED FOR THE SAVIOR (GAL. 3:22)

JESUS TAKES THE CURSE OF SIN, EXPOSED BY THE LAW, UPON HIMSELF (GAL. 3:13-14)

WE ARE JUSTIFIED (RIGHTEOUSED) BY CHRIST’S WORK THROUGH FAITH (GAL. 3:22)

Prophet, Priest, King (Return to this)

Isaiah’s Revelation

Is. 9:6-7

Fulfilled in Christ

Hebrews (Application)