LAW OF CHRIST

A Summary of the Mosaic Law

Nearly all of us are familiar with the Law of Moses otherwise known as the Ten Commandments. Perhaps you don't recall them all; here's an abbreviated reminder from the English Standard Version in Exodus 20:1-17...

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before me.... You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain... Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy... Honor your father and your mother... You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor’s.” 

The Law of Moses speaks to actions, laws God gave mankind which are meant to guide us and keep us in right-standing with Him; laws which speak to things mankind is prone to do which are unhealthy and unwise and which are displeasing to God. For breaking these laws, God would not hold men guiltless ... there was a price to be paid for breaking the law.

When approached with the question about the Law of Moses, Jesus summarized the Law into two powerful laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul ... Love your neighbor as yourself." Before the Cross, there was still a penalty for breaking the law, still a price to be paid even though He had summarized the law. But, Jesus proclaimed that He didn't come to do away with the Law but to fulfill it. The penalty for breaking the law needed to be dealt with once and for all ... He offered Himself as payment for the penalty of sin for all of mankind. No longer would man suffer the consequences of breaking God's law as given to Moses because Jesus paid it all.

If you look closely at the teachings of Jesus, you'll easily see that the Law of Christ deals with the heart of man. The Pharisees of that day were so bent on keeping every detail of the law that they missed the purpose of the law -- to produce godly sorrow for sin, true repentance and yielding the heart to the transformative power of "every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Deut 8:3, Matt 4:4). To them, it was a matter of legalistic obedience to the law without the transformation of the heart.

The Law of Christ speaks to the heart (things we should or should not WANT to do). Heart transformation produces desire to be Christlike and gives reason to rein in the impulses of the flesh by denying legalistic obedience. Instead, the indwelling Holy Spirit reminds us of the reason we choose not to transgress, the reason being our desire to love God and love people. 

The Law of Christ can be summarized in one word: LOVE. To truly love God and love people is to fulfill the Law of Christ, to rein in the impulses of the flesh and choose to allow the holiness of God who dwells within to lead us, to keep us and to transform us into His image and His likeness.