How Much Of The Law Is A Christian Under?

[wyguy]

Talking to various Christian friends of mine, it seems they all have a different perspective when it comes to the Mosaic Law and how much a believer is under it.

Some say we are to still obey the Law including all the Feast Days. Others say we are no longer under the Civil Law but still under the Moral precepts of the Law. And finally, some maintain that we are no longer under any aspects of the Law because Christ did away with it on the cross.

What say you guys?

[OneLight]

I believe in Mark's record of the words of Jesus.

Mark 12:29-31

Jesus answered him,

[PeterH]

Jesus also said:

John 14: 15

[Smalcald]

It depends by what you mean by "under the law"?

If we were truly under the Law then we would all die. Christ already satisfied the Law for me so in that sense I am not under the Law at all in any way.

Now if you mean how can we show love to Christ; we would do that by following His commandments as shown in scripture. The discussion would then be how can we best do that. I think we can argue about that, but we are not under the Law.

[OneLight]

I hear there is somewhere near 613 laws in the OT. Are you speaking of all of them or are you talking about just the 10 Commandments?

[Guest LadyC]

sorry, i'm lame when it comes to actually looking up the references, so please forgive me...

the purpose of the law is so that we know what is pleasing to God and what is not. we're not "under the law", because to be under it would mean to be oppressed by it. to the contrary, we are freed BY the law... we are free to love and be loved knowing how to please our Father!

let's put it in human relational terms. if we're in love with someone, but we don't know what makes them tick, we tend to screw up. we constantly feel burdened by the fact that everything we do is wrong and we can't ever do anything right. we are in constant fear that we're going to screw up so badly that we'll lose the man or woman of our dreams... that one day the one we love will realize that we're just not compatible. but if we know the person we're in love with, we know what makes them happy and what will not, and we're secure in our relationship with them. and there is great freedom in feeling secure.

[nebula]

Some say we are to still obey the Law including all the Feast Days.

I believe we miss out on the roots and richness of our faith without the Feast Days. There's a strong prophetic element to them that enables us to understand the plan and heart of God better with them than without them.

But I wouldn't say they are required.

What I can't understand is why so many Christians regard these feasts as burdens?

Others say we are no longer under the Civil Law but still under the Moral precepts of the Law.

Jesus said that the Law and the Prophets were summed by the commands to love God and love our neighbor. The written Law gives us awesome guidelines into what love actions do and do not look like.

Case in point: The "do nots" of the 10 Commandments are examples of what not-love does. Avoid these, and you are on the right track.

And finally, some maintain that we are no longer under any aspects of the Law because Christ did away with it on the cross.

And that's where Paul had to write about not using your freedom as a license to sin. If you think that because the Law is done away with on the cross, and thus you can worship the god of Islam, steal from your neighbor, etc. you are one lost puppy. So I really don't understand the "done away with" argument. Sin is sin. If the Law is what defines sin and you do away with it, then there is no more sin . . . and why do you have to accept Jesus if sin is obsolete? See the problem?

We are under the Law of Grace, true, but we need to keep in mind that Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law, not end it.

The new Law is written on our heart. Do you want to rebel against that?

[Guest]

Jesus said, in Matthew 5:17-20:

[Smalcald]

Is sin fun is it something that we don't do because we want a reward? Deep in our heart do we yearn for sin but hold back because of either fear or expectation of reward?

I think as a Christian we face temptation but we do not honestly want to break the Law we are sorry for doing so.

[Guest shiloh357]

It bears pointing out that "under the law" is a phrase that Paul uses to denote a person's standing before God. The same can be said for "under grace."

A sinner stands before God "under the law" A Christian stands before God "under grace." Too often we read "under the law" as if it means to live within the framework of the law, but that is not what Paul means.