“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to those who believe.”
Let me say clearly so that you are not left thinking the wrong thing..Jesus Christ did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.
It was a surprise to me that the word should rightly be translated as ‘goal of the law’…or ‘end goal’, or ‘aim of the law.’ When I saw that , I was surprised that I had not seen it myself previously.
So if the right translation says
Rom 10:4 For Messiah is the goal of the Torah as a means to righteousness for everyone who keeps trusting. Tree of life version
What does that mean as far as the Old and New Covenant go?
As I understand it, the Old Covenant was based on our ability to keep the Law—to do the works of the Law. But as we know,
Paul taught that no one is justified by the works of the Law. Gal 2:16
Paul said in Rom 10:2 that his brethren(Israel) had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.(Inner revelation) They are ignorant of God’s righteousness(new covenant) and seek to establish their own righteousness(old covenant) based upon keeping the Law.
Righteousness is a free gift from God. This is such an offense to the religious man who wants to earn righteousness by his own efforts.
In Acts 15 when the early church leaders had to deal with Gentiles coming into the faith in large numbers…the question of the Law was central.
They said,
Act 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving them the Ruach ha-Kodesh(Holy Spirit)—just as He also did for us.
Act 15:9 He made no distinction between us(Jews) and them, purifying their hearts through faith.
Act 15:10 Why then do you put God to the test by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples—which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
Act 15:11 But instead, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, in the same way as they are.”
The Pharisee believers in the church wanted the Gentiles to keep the Law…but here they call that whole idea of trying to be made righteous by law keeping an unbearable YOKE—in other words- bondage.
Christ in us fulfills the Law, and makes us pleasing to God. It is by faith that we come to perfection. Does that mean that we can break the law and get away with it? Certainly not! There are consequences for breaking God’s law.
The Law is for sinners, not for a righteous man…to quote Paul in Timothy–
1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
1Ti 1:9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
1Ti 1:11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
I wrestled over all this as I struggled with issues of sin.
Am I a Righteous Man? Am I a Sinner?
The truth is that all who call Jesus LORD ARE Righteous by nature now and have died to the Law. They live by the power of His Life and grace in their spirit. All who are still unbelievers can only live by the sin nature that indwells them.
But it is not so simple is it?
All Christians know that even though they are Righteous by nature through faith in Christ, they still choose to sin, even though they are not technically Sinners any more.
Therefore, if my actions are lawless and I still practice sin then the Law of God still applies to me. To be specific, the Law applies to my flesh like a rod of discipline. I may quote Scripture saying “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus”….but if in actions I am still walking in uncleanness and fornication then the Law will condemn me. I am then one who deceives himself saying He is Righteous, but acting in an unrighteous fashion.
If I am a sinner and a lawless man then the law still applies to me and will discipline me.
1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
1Ti 1:9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,
I believe that Paul taught us to walk by faith in the new creation man that we have been gifted. Not identifying ourselves with the old man of sin that can never please God or never keep his law.
We need to come through to see that we are not in any way related to the old man we used to be anymore. The old mindset will force us to try harder to be righteous…to IMPROVE that “I”…but God has done away with that I. We are a new creature now in Christ Jesus. THis new person we are in COMPLETE ALREADY and does not need to be trying to walk right with God.
We do not try to walk in spirit….WE ARE WALKING IN THE SPIRIT by faith in Jesus–simply trusting him daily.
If we are trying to walk according to the spirit by watching closely everything the flesh wants to do, and then trying to stop it from having its way…then we are still feeling the condemnation that comes from the law of sin and death.
The righteous requirement of the law IS BEING fulfilled in us –for WE ARE walking according to the spirit. Done!
Unbelief and self righteousness says–“No…we are not walking according to the spirit, but the flesh…because we still do this and still do that wrong”. Listening to the voice of the accuser to see whether we are walking in the spirit or not is the way of unbelief…and religion. No peace there, no joy, no anything…I know!!
Listening to the Holy Spirit’s teaching through Paul which assures us that we are in the spirit and not in the flesh- Rom 8:9
We are accepted, we are washed, cleansed, purified by faith, set free, redeemed, —NOT to go on sinning–but to walk in Christ Jesus by faith alone.
Being hard on our selves in order to make our selves a better Christian is such bondage!!
Our new self is pleasing to God without us having to do anything.
