If the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ, ...?

Question

If the Old Testament is fulfilled in Christ, then why are so many Christians claiming that you have to observe the Old Law?

Answer 1

Here is how it works, in simple terms...

The Law convicts and shows us a need for a savior. All have fallen short of the Glory of God? How can we know? Compare our lives to the Law, and it will show us if we've lied, we're liars, if we lusted, we're adulterers at heart according to Jesus.

Jesus, God himself, came down to save us. He walked on this earth, and during that time didn't break any of the law. If he never broke the law, then he fufilled the law. How? Jesus never lied, so the law is fulfilled in Jesus' not lieing. Jesus never lusted, so he fufilled the purest form of not committing adultry. Jesus never hated... murder, etc. If you look at the law as the blueprint for the perfect man, then when you look at Jesus, he fulfills all of the qualifications of the law.

So Jesus, sinless, didn't deserve death, but died anyway, and he offered his sacrifice of a sinless life to the father in trade for the souls of man, who deserved (according to the law and justice) eternal punishment. Jesus took the eternal punishment for sin, and was able to survive it because He is God Himself. That's why Isaiah 53 says he was bruised for our iniquities. Imagine how huge God is and that he can get hurt to the point of being bruised, and that took all the sins of all mankind from day 1 till the last day.

Jesus rose again and that was the proof that he was truely sinless, because death could not hold him.

Now, as a true Christian, if you think about your sins and what you deserve. If you look into the depths of hell and consider what you were saved from and what Jesus went through for you, and look at Jesus and his sacrifice for you, it should break your heart, and if it doesn't, I'd question if you are really a Christian.

This makes you appriciate how good and loving God is. It shows you how great and powerful He is, and it shows how gentle and kind He is that he would empty himself to come down here and walk with us.

So how does the law fit in? Jesus said if you love me you will obey my commands. We can not in ourselves obey these commands, but when we are reborn through repentance and faith in Christ, the bible says that Christ dwells within us, and He conforms us to Him. By loving, and focusing on him, and allowing Him to work and form us, we do obey the laws, not because we Have to but because of the Great Love Christ has shown us, and our love for him.

If a Christian claims that observing the old law will do anything to add to salvation, then that is heracy according to the bible. It is taking credit away from Christ's sacrifice and proclaiming that we had something to do with it. This is pride in it's worst and most deceptive form, and I would suggest staying away from it.

When paul talked about not being under the law any more, this is true. We are no longer under the law and we are no longer forced to obey the law, however we do anyway, in the same way a child who loves his parents will want to obey them.

If you read 1 John, it says that if you continue to sin (habitually), you are a liar and the truth is not in you. There are two concepts that work in the Christian life...

1) Justification - The one time forgiveness of sins and the initial repentance of sins and trust in Christ. This is the inital leap of faith, and this is where your name is written in the lambs book of life.
2) Sanctification - This is the gradual walking with Jesus where sinful behaviors stop, and you start walking in obedience to Jesus's commands. This means that God has taken hold of your life as a father will care for his newborn baby, instructing him in His ways and disciplining him as needed.

If you say you are justified, but over time you are not growing in holyness, and habitual sin is still in your life, then you are not a Christian, and you have never truly repented. Hypocrites are those who try to fufill the law by their own merits, and not by God leading them. Jesus said that hypocrites will get the worst punishment.

The Christian life is all about God and never about "me" or "self". If it ever becomes about self, then God is not with you. If you repent to get to heaven, you should rethink why you've repented. Heaven may be a wonderful reward, but unless you repent for nothing but the love for Christ and even if there were no heaven but only a small portion of Christ's love, then that would be worth every trial and temptation that satan will throw at you. God cares far more about the intentions of the heart than the outside appearance.

Be careful of those wolves in sheeps clothing who take your eyes off Jesus and put them on the experience, or the power, or the healing, or the money, or the successful life, or anything other than the cross. If they continue without repentance, great will be their punishment for thier sins, because they will have misguided countless multitudes to hell.

Be strong in Christ by making yourself lowly. Submit to authorities because all authorities have been placed there by the Father. Listen and read the word, because it is the food that sustains you each day. And each day forget about yourself. Die to yourself. Put on your cross and follow Christ. Care not about food, or drink or what you will wear, but always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within you, and study to show yourself approved to God, a workman who does not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2 Amen.

Answer 2

They are being taught by the followers of Saul Antichrist. He made sure that Gentiles were converted, and taught that they did NOT have to learn the Torah to mature as Jesus-followers (short-circuiting the individual growth of great masses of people and making them dependent upon the teachings of their priests). Not having any knowledge of the Torah themselves (most of the time), nor even any awareness that the Old Testament is a simplistic translation of only one out of about 20 layers of meaning in the Torah, they base most of their teachings on the Antichrist's letters in the New Testament and when they run out of that, they integrate either Jesus' teachings or the Antichrist's teachings with quotes from the Old Testament.

Answer 3

I am still confuse with this one and trying to understand. I have seen Christians quoting from Old Testament and when sometimes i see questions being asked quoting Old Testament Verses they are said not to be valid anymore since Jesus brought New Testament. How do we know when to rely on Old Testament and when to not?

Answer 4

. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest part or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place." (Matthew 5:17 NAB)

Jesus (pbuh) said I am not here to abolish laws of Moses, but in todays Bible this cocept distorted abd so many changes introdused by people who even never met Jesus. they just said they dreamed and preached to oaccept those dreams.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (the Old Testament) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke or a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (the Old Testament) until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)"

http://www.irf.net

Answer 5

I've often wondered that myself. Christ DID say to keep the 10 Commandments, but that was all. Yet they go on and on about all the rest. And Christ WAS the New Covenant.

Answer 6

Because Yeshua never said NOT to stop with the old laws. He never contradicted G-d or the Torah. Before Yeshua left this world, he said for his disciples to go and teach all that he has taught them...thusly, keeping the Laws of the Torah preserved.

Answer 7

Sin is still sin.

He came as a sacrifice so those who believe on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.


Read Hebrews Chapter 9 and 10.
.

Answer 8

Hypochristy.

Answer 9

Ever notice how they say "Old testament doesn't count, LOLZ" and then say "Old Testament says being gay is evil, so it's evil LOLZ"?

You're gonna have to talk to them about that one, mate.

Answer 10

They have been deceived by false teachers.