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Hebrews 8:6-7 says,
“But as it is, Christ has obtained a
ministry that is as much more excellent than
the old as the covenant he mediates is
better, since it is enacted on better
promises. For if that first covenant had
been faultless, there would have been no
occasion to look for a second.”
• The Law
imprisoned us:
Galatians 3:19, “Why then the law? It was
added because of transgressions, until the
offspring should come to whom the promise
had been made, and it was put in place
through angels by an intermediary.”
•
The Law was only a guardian until Christ
came:
Galatians 3:24-25, “So then, the law was our
guardian until Christ came, in order that we
might be justified by faith. But now
that faith has come, we are no longer under
a guardian,”
• We have died to the
law through the body of Christ:
Romans 7:4, “Likewise, my brothers, you also
have died to the law through the body of
Christ, so that you may belong to another,
to him who has been raised from the dead, in
order that we may bear fruit for God.”
• The Law arouses our sinful passions
and produces fruit leading to death:
Romans 7:5, “For while we were living in the
flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the
law, were at work in our members to bear
fruit for death.”
• We have been
released from the law:
Romans 7:6, “But now we are released from
the law, having died to that which held us
captive, so that we serve in the new way of
the Spirit and not in the old way of the
written code.”
• The Law increases
sin which produces death:
Romans 7:7-8, “What then shall we say? That
the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had
not been for the law, I would not have known
sin. For I would not have known what it is
to covet if the law had not said, “You shall
not covet.” But sin, seizing an
opportunity through the commandment,
produced in me all kinds of covetousness.
For apart from the law, sin lies dead.”
• The Law has come to an end:
Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone who
believes.”
• The letter of the Law
kills:
2 Corinthians 3:6, “who has made us
sufficient to be ministers of a new
covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit
gives life.”
• The Law was a ministry
of death:
2 Corinthians 3:7, “Now if the ministry of
death, carved in letters on stone, came with
such glory that the Israelites could not
gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory,
which was being brought to an end,”
•
The Law was a ministry of condemnation:
2 Corinthians 3:9, “For if there was glory
in the ministry of condemnation, the
ministry of righteousness must far exceed it
in glory.”
• The Law has no glory at
all:
2 Corinthians 3:10, “Indeed, in this case,
what once had glory has come to have no
glory at all, because of the glory that
surpasses it.”
• The Law was brought
to an end:
2 Corinthians 3:11, “For if what was being
brought to an end came with glory, much more
will what is permanent have glory.”
•
The Law had to change:
Hebrews 7:12, “For when there is a change in
the priesthood, there is necessarily a
change in the law as well.”
• The Law
was set aside:
Hebrews 7:18, “For on the one hand, a former
commandment is set aside because of its
weakness and uselessness”
• The Law
is obsolete:
Hebrews 8:13, “In speaking of a new
covenant, he makes the first one obsolete.
And what is becoming obsolete and growing
old is ready to vanish away.”
• The
Law was done away with:
Hebrews 10:9, “then he added, “Behold, I
have come to do your will.” He does away
with the first in order to establish the
second.”
Many things from the
Old Covenant Law have plainly changed:
Under the New Covenant, we are
not required to keep:
The
Seventh-day Sabbath:
(Colossians 2:14-17;
Ephesians 2:11-16; Galatians 4:10-11; 4:21; 5:1-4; Romans 14:5-12).
The Rite of
Circumcision:
(Acts 15; Romans 2:25; 1 Corinthians 7:18; Galatians 5:2; 6:12;
Ephesians 2:11-16).
The Dietary restrictions of Leviticus 11:
(Mark 7:18-23;
Romans 14:14; Galatians 2:11-17; Colossians 2:20-22; Acts 10:15; 1 Corinthians 8:7-9; 1 Corinthians 10:23-30; Titus 1:13-16; 1 Timothy 4:1-5).
The New Moons
Celebrations:
(Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:11-16; Galatians 4:10-11).
The Holy
Days:
(Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:11-16;
Galatians 4:10-11).
The Annual Feasts:
(Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:11-16;
Galatians 4:10-11).
The Levitical
Priesthood:
(Hebrews 7:11-19; 4:14-16; 13:15-16; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Revelation 5:10).
The Animal Sacrifices:
(1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 2:5; 2:24; Hebrews 10:1-4; 13:15-16).
The Promised
New Covenant:
(Deuteronomy 29-30; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-30)
Jesus instituted the
New Covenant with His disciples the night
before he died (Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Romans 11:27;
1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6-11;
Hebrews 7:22; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 9:15;
Hebrews 10:16; Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:20)
and brought it into effect by His death and
resurrection three days later (Hebrews 9:12-17; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 1:7;
Hebrews 8-10). Jesus made a complete remission of
sins for all those who believe in Him. He
paid the price for our redemption with His
own blood (1 Peter 1:18, 19) and freed us
from sin’s curse and the demands of the Old
Covenant Law to become the children of God
when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior
(Galatians 3:13; 4:5). The Old Covenant
sacrifices were unable to completely atone
for sin. The sacrifice Jesus made sets aside
all of the Old Covenant practices and
secures total forgiveness and sanctification
for God’s people (Hebrews 10:1-18).
Hebrews 8:13 says,
“In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the
first one obsolete. And what is becoming
obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish
away."
The Old Covenant Law (including
the Ten Commandments) is not required of
Christians under the New Covenant.
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