Not an Iota, Not a Dot – The Law of God in the Life of the Church (1)

Not an Iota, Not a Dot

The Law of God in the Life of the Church (1)

“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.” Matthew 5:17, 18

It never fails: All I have to do in a sermon, lecture, or essay is mention something about the Christian’s ongoing responsibility to keep the Law of God, and someone will be there to take me to task. “I’m not under Law, I’m under grace.” “You’re preaching salvation by works.” “This is not a theocracy, you know.” So go the objections, some more passionate than others, but each along the same lines.

What do Christians have against the Law of God? Why are we so adamant to deny any ongoing responsibility for walking the same path Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6)?

Of course, not all the Old Testament Law of God continues to have validity. The writer of Hebrews explains, in chapters 7-10, that the laws defining and guiding the work of priests changed as the Old Covenant was replaced with the New. While we can still learn principles of holiness and right worship by studying the laws of sacrifice, diet, and so forth, these no longer bind us as ethical norms. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that, “when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (7:12). For the Old Testament priestly rights and duties, Jesus has substituted the sacrifice of His own life, the ordinances and sacraments of the Church, and His ongoing intercessory and sanctifying work.

But that still leaves the Ten Commandments and the civil laws of ancient Israel. The New Testament—beginning with the Lord Jesus—indicates that these have continuing value and must not be neglected or set aside.

Christians are called to keep the Law of God, not in order to be saved but so that they might bring their salvation to light in lives of good works.

Sign up to receive Crosfigell, our thrice-weekly email devotional, featuring T. M. Moore’s insights to Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition.

–

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