Skip to main content

Ephesians 2:15: Abolishing the Law


Ephesians 2:15
[15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (ESV)

All of mankind is made up of lawbreakers.  We rebel against God's law.  We find it intrusive to our selfish desires.  So, when Paul tells us in our verse today that Jesus abolished the law of commandments does that mean we are off the hook?  Have we found a loophole to God's Law that accommodates our rebellious heart?  Not exactly.  Dr. John MacArthur puts it this way:

"Through his death, Christ abolished Old Testament ceremonial laws, feasts, and sacrifices, which uniquely separated Jews from Gentiles. God’s moral law (as summarized in the Ten Commandments and written on the hearts of all men, Rom. 2:15) was not abolished but subsumed in the New Covenant, however, because it reflects his own holy nature."
- Dr. John MacArthur, Study Bible Notes

Because of Christ's once and for all sacrifice for our sins, we no longer live according to a code of animal sacrifices, celebrations of holy feasts, and other ceremonies.  We are free.  But that freedom is not an invitation to lawlessness.  Rather, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we are free to obey God's moral law which has never changed.  The important factor to bear in mind is that God's standard of holiness has never changed and never will.

There seems to be a notion that some people have that in the Old Testament God is mean and scary, but in the New Testament God is gentle and loving.  The fact is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He hates sin just as much in the New Testament as he hates sin in the Old Testament.  And he shows grace and mercy to whom he chooses in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament.  How we are required to respond to him changes because of Christ.  Because Jesus did away with the ceremonies and rituals, we are set free to come boldly before him as his children.  True children obey out of love.

How do you approach God?  Do you avoid him, fearing his wrath?  Because of Christ, you can come to him, confess your sins and receive his grace.  Are you trying to appease him, keeping rituals that you think he demands?  Instead, why not freely follow his leading.  Find the joy in simply being his child and doing what you know he desires.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their