Abolishment of the Old Law

I. Introduction: There are many people who will try to justify religious practices based on the Old Law. We are to base our practices on the New Testament

II. The Bible covers three specific time periods:

A. Patriarchal Age.

B. The patriarchs were the fathers who led entire families.

C. God spoke directly to the patriarchs.

D. Adam Noah Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob During this period God made the promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed, a promised fulfilled by Jesus. This spans our book of Genesis.

E. Mosaic or Law Age

F. God told Moses to lead the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt to Mt. Sinai where He gave them His Law. The people were under this Law until Christ came. The Age of Law covers the rest of the Old Testament. The events of the gospels take place during the Age of the Law as well.

G. Christian Age

H. We are living in this age. Christ died on the cross, abolishing the Old Law and establishing a new kingdom under His law. The New Testament contains the new law. Even though Jesus lived under the Old Law, we submit to His doctrine recorded in the gospels.

III. The Age of Law

A. The Old Testament law was a covenant between God and the Jews.

B. Exodus 24:3, 7-8 Deuteronomy 31:20-21 They were bound by the covenant to obey God. If the Old Law were still in force, we would not be bound to it because we are not Jews.

C. The old Law was not just the Ten Commandments.

D. Include the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:17. Pentateuch, Luke 2:22-24. Psalms, John 10:34 (Psalm 82:6) Luke 24:44 gives the divisions: Law (Pentateuch), Psalms, Prophets.

E. The purpose of the Law.

F. Galatians 3:19-20 – Because of transgression.

G. It defined sin and the punishment for sin. V.21 – It could not give life.

H. Bring us to Christ, Galatians 3:22-25.

I. Literally, the law was a school bus to bring us to the teacher. Those who cling to the law today are like students who get to school, stay on the bus, and expect the bus driver to teach them their subjects.

J. The law kept the people and prepared them for Jesus.

K. There were prophecies of the Christ that would come. The law manifested the need of a savior.

L. The temporary nature of the Law.

M. Matthew 5:17 – It would pass away, when fulfilled. Galatians 3:19 – Abide until the Seed came, which was Christ. Galatians 2:16 – Could not justify man. Hebrews 10:1 – Was a shadow of the things to come.

N. Hebrews 8:7-13 – It was not faultless

O. The fault was with the people. Even Jeremiah prophesied that a new covenant would be established. A second covenant would make the first one obsolete, unnecessary.

P. Summary

Q. The Law of Moses was a covenant made with the Jews, not all men. For those who would say that only the ceremonial part of the Law was taken away, the New Testament considers the Pentateuch, Psalms, Prophets, and Ten Commandments all part of the Law. The law was made to be temporary to identify sin and prepare the nation of Israel for Christ. Even Jeremiah prophesied that a new covenant would be established which would necessitate a removal of the first covenant. The first covenant could not take away sin, could not justify man, and the people would not keep it thus being condemned by it.

IV. The Old Law was removed

A. Ephesians 2:14-15 – The Old Law was abolished.

B. Colossians 2:14 – Blotted out and nailed to the cross.

C. Romans 7:4 – Dead to the Law through Christ.

D. Romans 7:6 – Discharged from the Law.

E. Hebrews 7:12 – Priesthood changed/Law changed.

F. Hebrews 10:9 – The first covenant removed to establish the second.

G. The books of Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews were written to demonstrate the difference and superiority of the New Law of Christ over the Old Law of Moses and urges the people not to return to the Old Law.

V. We must not seek to live under the Old Law

A. Acts 15 – Jerusalem meeting that established the fact that you do not bind the ordinances of the Old Law onto Christians.

B. Galatians 5:1-4

C. Estranged from Christ when seeking to keep part of the Old Law. Obligated to keep the whole law (they just picked out circumcision; people today pick out Sabbath worship, or instrumental music in worship).If we are going to take instrumental music or Sabbath worship, why not animal sacrifices, incense burning, pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship, priesthood, law of the surviving brother, etc.

VI. Conclusion: The Old Law was removed to make place for Christ’s covenant, a better law, with a better priesthood, a better sacrifice, remission of sins, and justification.