Articles
Freedom From the Law
“Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)
Peter had a high view of the law of Moses, but as a Christian he looked back at his life under the law as an unbearable burden. When we study the law of Moses, especially Leviticus, there are a lot of important lessons to be learned, but two points seem to come up repeatedly: 1) the incredible weight of the debt of sin, and, 2) the incredible burden of the law.
The debt of sin is felt as we read about the innumerable animals sacrifices that were performed throughout the Old Testament. The burden of the law is felt when we read the law’s instructions and imagine ourselves actually trying to live by these principles and offer all of the sacrifices that would have been required. The laws concerning uncleanness were so meticulous that a condition of uncleanness could have easily been overlooked. If a person entered the sanctuary in this condition they would be worthy of death according to the law. Thankfully, it seems that the Day of Atonement provided cleansing for these unintentional oversights. However, no honest person could look at the law of Moses and feel confident in their ability to keep it.
Paul had a high view of the law of Moses, but he also called the keeping of the law a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1). Law, by itself, brought condemnation and often increased temptation by specifically identifying the limits of acceptable behavior. Paul found that his flesh seemed to instantly want whatever the law said that he could not have (Romans 7:8). This process often left Paul feeling wretched.
Leviticus, and passages like it, help us who are far removed from the keeping of the law of Moses to better understand weight of sin and the condemnation of law by itself. It’s not that we are not called to live careful and holy lives in Christ, We are under obligation to live according to the Spirit (Romans 8:12, 13). But we are free from the burden of incomplete atonement and from constant reminders of our failings which were built into the old covenant. Now, we may still remember many of the things for which we have received forgiveness. We may still feel like wretched men and behave like wretched men at times. Yet, the removal of the old law and the complete atonement in Christ demonstrates that man’s condition before God has been fundamentally changed.
In Christ, our sins are remembered no more and our failings can be put behind us permanently. In Christ, our failures become our motivation to live zealously for Jesus who has cleansed us: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor.” (1 Timothy 1:12, 13). No collection of our favorite doctrines or laws which seem significant or feasible to us will suffice. Only complete commitment to every word of Christ coupled with the humility to confess our sins to Him when we attempt to take His place on the throne and go after our own desires. The Father is faithful to forgive us, and He is just in doing so because full atonement has been accomplished by the sacrifice of Jesus. We have been set free from the burdensome notion of salvation on the basis of law.
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
