Do Christians have to obey the Old Testament Laws?

The law summarized is what we are to keep. Love your neighbor as yourself. In that, all the law is fulfilled. Romans 13:9,10.

2 ways of approaching the subject of holiness for a Christian: 1 newness of the Spirit 2 letter of the law 1 died with Christ/risen with Christ/dead to sin/new nature within/dead to the law/walk in the Spirit/Spirit empowers you to be holy 2 letter of the law brings awareness of sin/condemnation/awakens sin within us/causes us to sin even more/brings about pride/brings about judgementalism/brings about self righteousness

2 Corinthians 3:9---- If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

Galatians 2-----16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

The Judaizer would say that if we claim to be under grace that we are saying it's ok to sin. Much to the contrary. Romans 6 tells us that we should not continue in sin so that grace can abound. Roman's 6 also tells us that sin will not have dominion over you because you are not under law but under grace. The law cannot break sins authority over a person. Grace is what does that. We are called to walk in the Spirit and when we do that, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Not by keeping the law. By walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5).

Galatians 3:10 10 All those who depend on works of law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not remain in all the things written in the scroll of the Law by doing them.”

These videos are way better than Gospel Coalition’s in that they’re simplified answers but not overly simplified and don’t treat the viewer like a simpleton who the speaker in the video won’t go into much detail with. Perfect balance.

I, for one, appreciate the video. He does a very good job explaining the subject for us and I would say most agree. We are NT believers under the new covenant promises. We are under Gods amazing grace. Thank you for posting this video. Blessings

In Matthew 22 Jesus sums up the law for us. 34  But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35  Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 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." Then and John 13 Christ gives us a new commandment. This commandment would be just as binding upon New Testament Christians as the law of Moses was upon Israel in the Old Testament. Why? Because Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. He is our Lord. 31  So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. 32  If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. 33  Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you. 34  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Then, Christ reiterates this commandment in John 15. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13  Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  The Apostle John repeats this commandment in 1st John 3. 22  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23  And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. The law of Christ which our Lord and Savior gave us himself.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.~Galatians 6:2

An exposition of Romans 10:4, which says: "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes," will help in understanding what is means that Christians are not under the law. The apostle Paul clarifies the effects of original sin in Romans 2:12, stating "All who sin apart from the law will perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law." All men stand condemned before God, whether they are Jews or not, or to put it another way, whether they have the Law of God or not. Paul also states "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). If we are without Christ, we are justly condemned in God’s sight by the Law that was given to His servant Moses. However, we might argue that those who are not Jewish and therefore do not benefit from the knowledge of the Mosaic Law (including the moral and ceremonial laws), should not be condemned in the same way. This is dealt with by the Apostle in Romans 2:14-15, where he states that the Gentiles have the essence of God’s legal requirements already ingrained and so are just as much without excuse. The Law is the issue that has to be dealt with in order to bring us into a right relationship with God. "Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:16). This passage reveals that the Law cannot justify or make righteous any man in God’s sight, which is why God sent His Son to completely fulfil the requirements of the Law for all those who would ever believe in Him.  Christ Jesus redeemed us from the curse that has been brought through the law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He substituted Himself in our place and upon the cross took the punishment that is justly ours so that we are no longer under the curse of the Law. In doing so, He fulfilled and upheld the requirements of the Law. This does not mean that Christians are to be lawless, as some advocate today—a teaching called antinomianism. Rather, it means that we are free from the Mosaic Law and instead under the law of Christ, which is to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Christ became the end of the Law by virtue of what He did on earth through His sinless life and His sacrifice on the cross. So, the Law no longer has any bearing over us because its demands have been fully met in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ who satisfied the righteous demands of the Law restores us into a pleasing relationship with God and keeps us there. No longer under the penalty of the Law, we now live under the law of grace in the love of God.

In the end the only thing that matters is what God's word says. Everything else is secondary. Cultists seem right, on the surface, until you dig deeper into what they're saying. Thankfully, for us as Christians, we have the Holy Spirit guarding our soul and keeping us from falling prey to doctrines of demons.

If as Christians we are under the new covenant to love on another... my question is how much? Will Jesus NOT pay the penalty for those of us who may NOT have ENOUGH love for others? HOW much shall we love them? How much is enough love that we have to feel and exercise in our lives to be welcomed by God unto heaven when our earthly life ends? This is where I see works of love and service to others become a form of people working out their own salvation, after they understand and accept the free gift of what Jesus did on the cross for them. It seems natural that those who understand and accept the gift of Jesus’s act of love for them... a person naturally would want to love God back and pass that love on. But there still will be times of selfishness and other sins. It’s scary when I hear Christians talk about acts of love like they’ve acquired a certain amount like notches in their belts for salvation. When we think that way it takes Jesus off the thrown of being the very sacrifice for us that he was, for our salvation. We don’t earn our salvation by our actions but rather by the acceptance and belief in who he is and what he did, acknowledging our inability to follow the law and not sin. The whole old testament proved that it was impossible to not sin, it was impossible to follow all the laws and commands. God saw our problem and provided the solution in Jesus. Confessing this truth and accepting the free gift compels us to love.

Why do we accept the writings of the apostle Paul as believers? The apostles not only accepted the Old Testament and Jesus' Word's as authoritative, they also began to see that their writings were on the same authoritative level. Being led by the Holy Spirit, they believed they were speaking for Christ. The Apostle Paul, for example, wrote thirteen letters that have been recognized as Holy Scripture by the Christian church. Who was this man? What evidence do we have to call Paul's writings Scripture? Who Was Paul? We have no physical description of Saul of Tarsus given to us in Scripture. Early tradition says that he was a small man with a bald head. No matter what he looked liked, his writings have become part of the Word of God as found in the New Testament. He was born Saul of Tarsus - a city which is in modern-day Turkey. Tarsus had been part of the Greek world for some time. Although the family of Saul were Jews, Saul himself was a Roman citizen. While still a young man Saul traveled to Jerusalem to train as a Rabbi. In Jerusalem, he became acquainted with a group of people who believed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. Saul relentlessly persecuted these people while all the time thinking that he was serving God. The Conversion Of Saul Of Tarsus While heading for Damascus to further jail believers in Jesus, Saul had a blinding vision that knocked him to the ground. The voice that spoke to Saul identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth - the one whom he had been persecuting. Thus began one of the great turnarounds in history. The greatest antagonist of the Christian faith - Saul of Tarsus - became its greatest missionary - the Apostle Paul. During his lifetime he penned thirteen different works that have become part of the New Testament. It is impossible to overestimate the influence that Paul played in the spread of the Christian faith. He Believed His Message To Be Divine The first thing that must be noticed is that Paul believed his message to be divine. He wrote. If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:37). He wrote to the church at Thessalonica. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Paul Spoke Of My Gospel Paul spoke of "my gospel." He said the preaching of Jesus Christ had been kept secret but now had been revealed. Now to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith (Romans 16:25,26). However, believing to have a divine message does not make it so. What evidence do we have of this message having been sent from God? Paul Received Direct Revelation From The Lord The Bible teaches that Paul received direct revelation from God. Paul wrote. Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:1). After an encounter with the ascended Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul had it explained by Ananias: The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know his will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of his mouth. For you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard (Acts 22:14,15). Disobeying His Writings Brings Discipline Paul said that anyone who disobeyed his writings was to be disciplined by the local church. He wrote. If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame (2 Thessalonians 3:14). To the Corinthians he wrote. I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you (2 Corinthians 13:2-3). Paul also wrote. If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored (1 Corinthians 14:37,38). His Writings Were Considered Scripture During His Lifetime The final point is that the New Testament recognized Paul's writing as Scripture. Peter wrote: Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which some things are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:15,16). The writings of Paul complete the New Testament. He was the chosen instrument to explain the meaning of the two comings of Jesus Christ. Summary Saul of Tarsus was a great enemy of the church. However he was converted on the road to Damascus while in the midst of persecuting Christians. He became the Apostle Paul - the greatest missionary the church has ever seen. Paul was given the task of explaining the ministry of Christ to the Gentile (non-Jewish) world. We find that he received direct revelation from the Lord. Paul also believed his message to be divine. The Apostle Peter confirmed Paul's words as Scripture. He was God's chosen instrument to reveal much about the central truths of the Christian faith. Paul also explained the necessity of the two comings of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3--------10-11 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

Everyone is "under the law" before salvation because we are under its judgement. Therefore, nobody can be justified before God by keeping the law. Romans 3:19-24 19  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Righteousness through Faith 21  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22  even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,  Only by faith in Jesus Christ is a person justified before God.

There have always been groups of Christians who believe that in order to honor God’s authority in the Old Testament we must continue to obey the food laws and other ceremonial laws, lest we be found in disobedience. There is a good impulse in this and a profoundly bad impulse in this. The good impulse is the desire to obey God. There’s nothing wrong with that. That belongs to what it means to be a Christian. The bad impulse is the failure to obey Christ who teaches us how to obey God in regard to the Old Testament. So, the good impulse starts, perhaps, with a text like Matthew 5:17–18. Jesus says, “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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” And the good impulse puts the emphasis on every dot, every iota of the law standing until the earth passes away. And the bad impulse neglects the words, I have come “to fulfill them,” and the words, “until all is accomplished.” In other words, the bad impulse fails to see in Jesus the kind of fulfillment and the kind of accomplishment of the Law and the Prophets that God always intended in the Old Testament as the consummation and the end of the ceremonial laws. So, the effort to hold on to the prohibition of eating pork is, in effect, a refusal to submit to God’s plan for the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus.

Acts 15-------10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

The key to understanding the relationship between the Christian and the Law is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments, for example). Some of the laws were to show the Israelites how to worship God and atone for sin (the sacrificial system). Some of the laws were intended to make the Israelites distinct from other nations (the food and clothing rules). None of the Old Testament law is binding on Christians today. When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:15).