February 9, 2025 / 3 Minute Read

lay down the law

I assume I’m not the only one who’s struggled to understand the modern relevance of the Old Covenant.

Some believe that thanks to Jesus, we are free of the Old Testament’s laws and that they serve no purpose beyond historical context. 

Others argue that despite Jesus’ work on the cross, we are still responsible for following the Torah to the best of our ability. 

For the majority of my life, I leaned towards the latter interpretation, however, I’m beginning to reconsider my position. 

Admittedly, a large part of my shift in thinking has been due to my own inability to live up to the mosaic standards. 

Despite constant and sincere effort, I frequently found myself falling into sin, and according to the Old Covenant, that simply isn’t good enough. 

For whoever keeps the whole law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.

James 2:10

An important aspect that many fail to realize about a relationship with the law is that it is an all-or-nothing transaction. 

If you’re planning on getting to heaven through legalism, you’d best be prepared to follow each and every rule and regulation to the letter. 

Oh, and for those unaware, there are actually 613 laws listed in the Old Testament, not just the ten commandments.  

Not to be rude, but I doubt you’ll have better luck than me and virtually everyone else in the history of humanity.

Even Jesus’ chosen disciples were left short changed by the wages of sin.

I’ve come to realize that by putting my faith in the law, I was placing responsibility on myself instead of Jesus. 

Instead of focusing on the Son, I focused on sin. 

Every waking thought became “Don’t do this! Don’t do that!” instead of living the engaging, fulfilling life that God wanted for me.

Living by the law made me hate myself, and the constant shame and guilt almost led to a fatal mistake. 

Under legalism, we become selfish and tunnel-visioned, focused on our sin and perceived unworthiness, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden. 

Consider that when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they not only became aware of sin, they hyper-focused on it.

They negated all of the beauty and blessings of the garden surrounding them and solely focused on their nakedness. 

Some may recall an old SpongeBob episode where our titular character becomes a recluse due to his fear of a lurking gorilla, slowly losing his sanity via paranoia and isolation. 

From my experience, living by the law is very similar.

Now, to answer the big question . . .

What is the role of the Old Covenant today?

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Galatians 3:23-26

An apt comparison can be made between the law and the role of a parent.

As children, we are completely dependent on our parents. They establish our behavioral habits for the majority of our formative years. 

However, upon reaching maturity, children abandon the proverbial nest and become independent entities. 

While we still retain many of the lessons our parents instilled in us, we don’t conform to every precept they propagated. 

This doesn’t mean we forget what our parents taught us, or that their rules weren’t valuable, it simply means that there is no law or code that can guarantee a righteous life. 

Only God can do that. 

In short, the law provides a useful reference guide for navigating the trials and tribulations of the world. 

Nevertheless, every child of God must one day learn to lay down the law and pick up a cross.

Bye Chance.