About Jesus Steve Sweetman
The New Meaning Of The Law
I’ve suggested that part of the prophecies of the Law have already been fulfilled by Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension. Why would I say this? Many of the regulations of the Law were instituted to temporarily cover the sin of individual Jews, but these rules spoke of something better to come.
Jesus’ sacrifice was the permanent fix to the sin problem and was the fulfilled reality for every lamb that was killed and every rule that was to be obeyed. For this reason Paul says in Rom. 10:4 that "Christ is the end of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes". So what does that mean?
Paul was grieved over the fact that most of his fellow Jews to whom the Law was given had rejected its fulfilled reality in Jesus. They felt that being righteous in God’s eyes came through their own human effort which included obeying God’s Law as well as obeying their own commentary and interpretations of God’s Law.
Paul preached that the days of human effort were over. God now viewed people as being righteous if they put their trust in Jesus, not their own human effort. In short, when Paul says that "Christ is the end of the Law", he means that Christ Himself has fulfilled and replaced the Law. Obedience to the Law for the purposes of righteousness was replaced by obedience to Jesus. No longer does obeying rules make anyone righteous, even if those rules were God’s rules. No longer is an animal sacrifice needed to cover our sin.
You might put it this way. The shadowy imagery of the Law concerning the sin problem has found its reality in Jesus. The rules and regulations of the Law that God gave Moses have come to an end and do not apply to New Testament Christians because we now have what these rules foretold.
I’m not saying that the Law is completely abolished because there is still more to be fulfilled at the return of Jesus. Yet that part of the Law that pertains to our salvation has been fulfilled and therefore does not apply to us because "Christ is the end of the Law". I know for some this presents some questions and problems, and may even be confusing, but don’t give up on me yet. Let me continue to explain.