The Christian’s Relationship to the Law
We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:8
The Pharisees were strict in keeping the law, but they added many rules and regulations that were intended to keep believers from breaking the law. Their tactic was similar to building a fence around the law, but in practice the fence itself soon became a law. We do the same thing today. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 6:14 we are told not to be unequally yoked. So, to keep our Christian children from marrying a nonbeliever, we establish additional rules like, “You can’t date nonbelievers or associate with them.”
That may be wise in some cases, but it is not a law. Jesus ignored man-made rules, but He never violated the law. In fact, Jesus said, “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” (Matthew 5:17). How, then, do we as believers relate to the law?
The term “law” in Scripture is often associated with specific commands, especially the Old Testament Mosaic Law. But the concept of law is much broader. The Hebrew word torah, which is the basic word for “law” in the Old Testament, is related to the Hebrew word hora, meaning “to teach or instruct.” The fundamental meaning is not “command” but “instruct.” The word eventually came to be used for the entire Word of God. The Jews use the word “Torah” to refer to the first five books of the Old Testament. Christians have used the term “law” to describe sections of Scripture and Scripture as a whole, including commandments as well as promises. The latter is what Jesus meant when He said that He came to fulfill the Law. He kept all the commandments and fulfilled all the promises.
The law of God is an expression of His will. Just as there are physical laws that govern nature, so there are His moral and spiritual laws, which are the expression of His moral nature, that govern the personal and moral spheres of God’s creation. For this reason, in the Old Testament both believers and unbelievers were subject to the overarching principle that following God’s laws led to blessings, while disobeying them led to misery and destruction.
New Testament believers “in Christ” are not related to the law in the same way. Nonbelievers stand before the law in themselves—that is, as sinners and, consequently, lawbreakers. They live under the condemnation of the law. But believers “in Christ” have the same relationship to the law as Christ. God’s righteous principles for life are all fulfilled in Christ. We are free from the legal bondage of the law. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
The law became our tutor to lead us to Christ so we could be justified by faith (see Galatians 3:24-25). Now that we are alive in Christ, the law is no longer our tutor. What we could not fulfill in the flesh, Christ fulfilled for us. Now that we are “in Christ,” we can actually live righteous lives that are consistent with the moral laws of God. However, the means by which we attempt to live righteously have changed. We now relate to God by faith, and live by the power of the Holy Spirit who is our Tutor.
some questions to consider
Why did the Pharisees add rules and regulations to the law? How do we do the same thing today?
What does the concept of “the law” in Scripture encompass?
How were Old Testament believers related to the law? How are New Testament believers related to the law?
How have the commandments of the law become promises for you—for instance, “Thou shall not steal or kill” to “I will not steal or kill”?
How has living by the letter of the law kept you from living a liberated life?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.