Do we have to obey the law to be saved

Seek and you will find

Do we have to obey the Law to be saved?

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

So the Law will be there until the next age, so it is relevant today.

2 Timothy 1:9
who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

But it is by God's grace that we are saved. The Law is the mark which we should live in order to live a righteous life. But we humans have all sinned and fallen short of that mark. So the Messiah came to us under the Law to become a sacrifice for our sins under that law, in order to fulfill the laws required punishment for us, namely death. He set us free from the curse of the law. The Law is made for the sinner, not the righteous and we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1: 9
We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

Romans 5:21
so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So righteousness is given to us through Jesus Christ and the Law is not made for us while we are in Jesus. But that doesn't make the law irrelevant. While there is sin, the Law is relevant. But Christ is the end of the Law for us, because he has dealt with our sin. The next scripture sums this up nicely.

Philippians 3:9
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith:

Now listen to the words of Christ to the Keepers of the Law in Matthew 23:23
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices, mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law, justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Here we can see that Christ condemned the Pharisees not because they didn't obey the letter of the law, because they did. No, he condemned them for not obeying the spirit of the law, which is justice and mercy.

This is why Christ said in Matthew 23:2-3 to do as they say, but not as they do.
2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

If we love God with all our heart, soul and mind and we love our fellow man as we love ourselves, then we fulfill the law in spirit.

Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Galatians 5:14
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Therefore we are to keep the spirit of the Law lest we become like the Pharisees who only kept the letter of the law. Jesus fulfilled the letter of the law for us and if we are to keep the spirit of the law, we must love and show mercy. In doing such things we fulfill the law and the lack of love and mercy will incur the judgement of God.

I will conclude with Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

For more info you could try the Grace vs Law page.
Start up a discussion based on this subject.

Got a Question? Post it in the forums

Home - Salvation - Questions - Writings - Prophecy - Visions