Kingdom Greatness – The Use of the Law

Kingdom Greatness

Matthew 5:17-19

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus taught that the Law must continue as a vital component of the divine economy for as long as heaven and earth remain.  Further, He insisted that those who keep the Law, and teach others to do so, would be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, satisfying all that is necessary for men to stand before God. And He bore the judgment against Law-breakers of which the prophets warned with such urgency–and which is due to all of us. Here, at the very inception of His public ministry, He instructed His followers to keep the Law in high regard, to obey it, and to teach it to others. Thus would they find greatness in the Kingdom He had come to bring near.

What would “great in the Kingdom” look like in your life? How can you begin to pursue such greatness with more consistency and intent?

Let Your greatness show in me this day, O Lord, by…

Daily meditation in the Law of God helps us along the path of holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Rom. 7:12). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compilation of the Mosaic Law for contemporary believers, by going to www.MyParuchia.com, point your browser to “Publications,” then click on the drop-down option, “Waxed Tablet Publications.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.