The law exposes our absolute inability to keep the law, which Jesus fulfills completely. The laws of God are good. They show us His goodness and wisdom. If we follow the law it will be well with us. But the issue arises when we make the law religious.
The law was man’s way of being made righteous. By following the laws, Israel would show to other nations what God was really like. The law required complete and absolute obedience from the people of Israel. The law has no power to give life.
We need to remember that the Bible is not a behaviour modification manual. It is a narrative of who God is and who we are in Him.
Although the law shows God’s wisdom and goodness, it reveals man’s complete inability to be God’s faithful partner. There is no way human beings could keep all laws. That is why we needed a saviour. Jesus would be the one that would ultimately come to fulfill the law
And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exodus 20:1-2 NKJV
-God is above nature
-God is personal
-God is good
-God is Holy
“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Exodus 20:3 NKJV
God doesn’t want us to just add Jesus to our lives
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 NKJV
Idols are anything we put in the place of worship in our lives
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Exodus 20:7 NKJV
We are to have reverence for God’s name.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
Exodus 20:8-10 NKJV
This was a preview picture of the rest we have in Jesus
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Exodus 20:12 NKJV
We don’t need to have honourable parents to be honourable children.
The first four commandments were about loving God. The next commandments talks about loving other people.
“You shall not murder.
Exodus 20:13 NKJV
“You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 NKJV
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says,‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:21-24 NKJV
Hating your brother is just as bad as murdering.God is more concerned about your heart than He is about your actions.
“You shall not steal.
Exodus 20:15 NKJV
We can also rob God by refusing to give Him ourselves for obedience and His service
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16 NKJV
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:36-40 NKJV
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17 NKJV
By fulfilling the law, Jesus makes it possible for us to be in right standing with God.
A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26 AMPC
More than fulfilling the law on our behalf, Jesus puts a new heart within us that enables us to fulfill God’s commandments.
