The Apostle Paul explains how God's grace covers all sin, no matter how bad. Now I just said, "No matter how bad it was," and an AI proofreading system I use tried to change that "was" to "is," but I figure it's best to keep sin in the past and try to move on from there. We see this in Romans 5:20-21 which says, "The Law came in so that the offense would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."Basically, it doesn't matter what you've done; you can be forgiven through faith in Jesus. However, Paul anticipates a potential misunderstanding: if grace increases to cover more sin, should people sin even more to receive more grace? This logic might seem to justify sinful behavior by claiming it leads to greater demonstrations of God's grace. This is a very childish way of looking at it, but many Christians still think like this, engaging in sinful behavior and claiming "it's all good" because they are forgiven.
Jesus said in his own words, as recorded in Matthew 5:17-18: "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." Understanding this passage requires exploring several layers: what "the law" meant, how Jesus fulfilled it, and what this means for Christians today. Obviously, this pertains to Christianity, so if you are not a Christian, none of this applies to you anyway. Of course, the Noahide laws do, and you can read about that later. I'll post a link at the bottom of this article.
So, what Is "The Law"?
In this context, "the law" refers to the Torah, which includes:1. Moral Laws (such as the Ten Commandments)
2. Ceremonial Laws (such as rituals, sacrifices, and purity laws)
3. Civil Laws (such as governance of Israelite society)
4. Dietary Laws (such as kosher regulations)
5. Sabbath Observance (weekly rest on the seventh day)
"The Law and the Prophets" also refers broadly to the entire Old Testament, emphasizing that Jesus' teachings align with God's revelation through these texts.
Jesus' Fulfillment of the Law
When Jesus said He came to "fulfill" the law, He meant that He was the completion and ultimate purpose of the law. The entire text was pointing toward him. His life, death, and resurrection accomplished what the law pointed toward:There is the Moral Law: Jesus perfectly kept the moral commandments and showed how they should be applied inwardly, not just outwardly. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, He intensifies the meaning of the commandments by focusing on the heart. This was where he said, don't just not murder people, don't hate them. Don't just not have sex with random people; don't lust after them. Don't just not steal; don't be jealous of other people's stuff.
Then we have the Ceremonial Law: The sacrificial system and temple rituals find their fulfillment in Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. Hebrews 10:1-10 shows us, "For the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices, there is a reminder of sins year by year, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when he came into the world, he said, "sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have taken no pleasure. "then i said, 'behold, i have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me) to do your will, o god.'" After saying above, "sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you have not desired, nor have you taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then he said, "behold, i have come to do your will." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus christ once and for all."
The ceremonial law in the Old Testament included detailed instructions regarding sacrifices, temple rituals, and practices of purification. These laws were given to the Israelites and were central to their worship and relationship with God. The purpose of the ceremonial law was to Acknowledge Sin and Guilt and to Point Forward to a Greater Reality. The sacrifices, especially those involving animals, were meant to symbolically atone for the people's sins, offering a way for them to be temporarily cleansed and restored to fellowship with God. The sacrificial system was always intended to foreshadow something greater—a more perfect and final sacrifice that would truly deal with sin.
Because of this, to continue offering animal sacrifices under the New Covenant would be seen as denying the sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice. For Christians, this would contradict the belief that Christ's death fully accomplished what the sacrificial system pointed toward.
The ceremonial law was not abolished by Jesus but fulfilled. The rituals and sacrifices served their purpose in pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ. They were "a shadow" of the reality that would be fully revealed in Him. Once Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice, the old system was no longer necessary. The ceremonial law's ultimate purpose was realized in Christ, who brought complete and lasting redemption. This is why, under the new covenant, Christians no longer practice the sacrificial rituals of the Old Testament. The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus has done what those rituals could never fully accomplish: the complete forgiveness and purification of sin.
There are laws in the Torah specifically given to Israel as part of their unique covenant with God, such as circumcision, dietary restrictions, and temple rituals. These laws served to distinguish Israel as a holy nation. With the coming of Jesus, these ceremonial and civil laws are seen as fulfilled and no longer binding for Christians. This is supported by passages like Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14, which emphasize freedom regarding dietary practices and special days.
The Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) required resting on the seventh day. In the New Testament, there is a shift from legalistic Sabbath-keeping to finding rest in Christ Himself (Hebrews 4:1-10). While some Christian traditions continue to observe a Sabbath (often on the incorrect day, thanks to the catholic church), others see it as a matter of personal conviction rather than law (Romans 14:5-6). While worship is important, the day you go to church and rest on the sabbath are not necessarily connected, as you should worship every day, and a church is more than just a building.
Jesus upholds the moral core of the law while fulfilling its deeper intent. He highlights the spirit behind the letter of the law. Christians are not under the Old Covenant but under grace, leading to freedom from ceremonial and civil regulations, as we see in Galatians 5:1. The moral principles of the Old Testament (justice, love of neighbor) still guide Christians, but the ritual and national laws tied to Israel's covenant do not apply in the same way. While Jesus upheld and fulfilled the law, Christians are not required to adopt all the laws given to Israel. Instead, they follow the law of Christ, which emphasizes love, faith, and the ethical principles behind the commandments.
The Old Testament dietary laws (e.g., prohibitions against eating pork or shellfish) were given to Israel as part of their covenant holiness. In the New Testament, however, according to one interpretation, Jesus declares all foods clean in Mark 7:18-19, a teaching confirmed in Peter's vision in Acts 10, where God tells him not to call anything impure that God has made clean. Paul reiterates that dietary restrictions are not binding for Christians (Romans 14:1-4).
I will say that there is a reason that God said not to eat certain foods, and many of the non-kosher foods are either common modern-day allergy triggers or are extremely unhealthy for a number of reasons. Shellfish and pork are prime examples of this. For this reason, I do my best to avoid these foods since I believe that if God at any point told people not to eat them, there must have been a good reason. A pro tip here: get a frozen cheese pizza and throw some turkey pepperoni on it. You're welcome!
Now, of course, keeping kosher is not exactly required because it was a part of the ceremonial laws that were fulfilled in Christ. However, it's not necessarily "wrong" to observe these practices out of cultural respect, health reasons, tradition, or personal conviction, as long as it's understood that they do not contribute to one's righteousness or salvation. Really, it is no different than choosing a Mediterranean diet because that's how Jesus likely ate.
The Civil Laws governed ancient Israel as a theocracy and are not directly applicable to Christians outside of that covenant context. Although I would love to see my country turn into a theocratic state, that's simply not what it is. We are a democracy, which is a fancy word for godless mob rule.
So, Should Christians Be Jews?
That is a very valid question. Christians are not required to convert to Judaism or follow all the Mosaic laws, as much of this was specific to Israel. The New Testament clarifies this in several passages, notably in Acts 15, where the early church decided that Gentile converts were not obligated to be circumcised or follow the full Mosaic Law. Instead, they highlighted a few basic moral requirements, which we can find in Acts 15:19-29, which reads, ""Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. "For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every sabbath." Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to antioch with paul and barnabas—judas called barsabbas, and silas, leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them, "the apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in antioch and syria and cilicia who are from the gentiles, greetings. "since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved barnabas and paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our lord jesus christ. "therefore we have sent judas and silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. "for it seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.""The Apostle Paul further emphasizes that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus, not by works of the law, this is found in Galatians 2:16 which reads, "Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified."
Of course, the Noahide Laws are a set of moral laws derived from the story of Noah and considered as binding on all humanity, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or even Athiest. These are the minimum level of religious law that must be upheld by all, regardless of viewpoints. You can see more about this if you click here.