The Fulfilled Law in Us
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“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. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Intro
Intro
Tension
Truth
Truth
I. Christ came to fulfill the law, not to repeal it.
I. Christ came to fulfill the law, not to repeal it.
“In fulfilling the law, Jesus does not alter, replace, or nullify the former commands; rather, He establishes their true intent and purpose in His teaching and accomplishes them in His obedient life. The Law, as well as the Prophets, points forward to Christ.” -Dr. R.C. Sproul
Fulfillment doesn't equal annulment. Many today are in great error by claiming otherwise. In saying He fulfilled the law, Christ declares to us that He has met all of its requirements in our place. Even more than that, He has written the law of God on the hearts of Christians (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 10:16).
II. The fulfilled law is a more active law, not a passive one.
II. The fulfilled law is a more active law, not a passive one.
Whereas we used to have to work to make sure we were stepping through all the right hoops just to keep within reasonable distance of the law, now the law is written on our hearts and we can live out its true intent.
Through the Spirit's presence in us, we are able to walk out true covenant righteousness in Christ according to, and even above the standards of the law. We are called to exceed the righteousness of those who came before us but who didn't have the Holy Spirit.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
III. Those who reject the Old Testament’s authority for the Christian are actively resisting Jesus and hurting people.
III. Those who reject the Old Testament’s authority for the Christian are actively resisting Jesus and hurting people.
We all know that there are a variety of crazy issues affecting our culture today. We don’t have to compromise truth in order to love people. In fact, if we really love people we will tell them the truth in love.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Application