I’m setting out to study God’s Law because I trust Jesus when He said that He didn’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
Jesus also stated that not a jot or tittle would pass away from the Law until everything is accomplished. I understand this to refer to His physical return.
In His same sermon, Christ warned that those who teach others to ignore the least of the commandments of God would be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, and those who are careful to observe the least of these will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. See Matthew 5:17-19.
So which laws are the least of God’s Commandments?
The answer to this question varies from church to church and denomination to denomination. Some say there are no commandments at all, merely “suggestions.” Others teach a three-fold nature to the law: Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral — and claim we are only obligated to keep the moral.
We know decisively that the sacrificial elements of the Ceremonial Laws are no longer necessary because Christ is the final sacrifice. Now, when we need forgiveness for sins, we don’t have to slay an animal. Rather, we look to Christ, the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.
How do we know which laws are valid today?
But how do we know precisely which laws are ceremonial? And which laws are civil? If they are valid? And if they’re the “least” of these commandments? Or is Jesus merely talking about the 10 Commandments?
More often than not, ministers and lay people alike, seek to understand these laws in such a way that they can choose which laws to ignore. They draw heavily upon the New Testament for support. But preachers often contradict each other, usually in an attempt to do the very thing that Jesus warned against in Matthew 5 — to ignore and teach others to ignore the least of these commandments.
I’ve never yet found a church where the preacher warned his parishioners to practice and keep the least of God’s commandments — nor to help them identify what the least of these commandments are.
I don’t claim to have the answer to these questions — which is why I am studying God’s Law to see if I can come to a greater understanding. I certainly don’t want to be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
My two main textbooks will be the Holy Bible and the Institutes of Biblical Law by R.J. Rushdoony under the tutelage of Andrea Scwartz of the Kingdom Driven Family.
As I continue to study, I will share my thoughts here as the Lord allows me.
Are you excited about studying the Law of God? Reach out to me and I will help you enroll in a FREE program.
Curious about what else the Bible says about God’s Law?
Check Out:
My Favorite Bible Verses About the Commandments
