The Mission Of Jesus And The Law Of Moses

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

All Authority Resides In God

The question that every person needs to have truthfully answered is “where does authority in true religion reside?” It most certainly does not reside in men. It resides in God. This means one must not put their trust in the creeds and doctrines of men or in humanly established institutions. Men are incapable of infallibility, whereas God is infallible.

The Lord established but one kingdom over which He reigns supreme as Lord of lords and King of kings (I Tim. 6:15). The kingdom and the church are one and the same institution and there is but one head (authority) of the Lord’s church (Eph. 1:22-23).

Those who put their trust in men or in humanly established institutions are deceived. It is only the truth that can set one free from their sins (John 8:3132). That truth today resides in Jesus Christ as it is revealed to us in His last Will and Testament (II Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 1:16).

Hear The Words Of Jesus

“All power (authority) has been given to me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18). “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6).

The book of Matthew was written primarily to Jews who had the Old Testament. The Jews had a misconception of the nature of the promised kingdom. They looked for and expected a materialistic worldly kingdom. The book of Matthew was written to help the Jews see the true nature of the kingdom and to correct their misconception of it. We too should be able to understand the true nature of the kingdom as revealed in the New Testament. At the time the book of Matthew was written, the kingdom was a future promise, but today it is a promise fulfilled (Col. 1:13).

Jesus Fulfilled The Law Of Moses

Jesus taught the Jews that He came not to destroy the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it. Our Lord did this after he had prepared the way for the establishment of the spiritual kingdom, the church, and paid for it in full when He shed His blood on Calvary.

Colossians 2:14 says, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” The handwriting of ordinances was the Law of Moses. It ended at the cross. Today, there is but one law, one Savior, for all of mankind. No man comes to the Father but by Christ (John 14:6).

Under the days of the Old Testament, there was one law for the Gentiles and one law for the Jews. The Patriarchal Law was for the Gentiles and the Law of Moses was for the Israelites (Jews). The two laws created a wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles and resulted in hostility. Read Ephesians 2:11-22. Paul teaches there is but one law for both Jew and Gentile today.

The Great Commission

When Jesus gave the “great commission” to His only ambassadors, the apostles, he instructed them to go into all the world and preach THE gospel to every person (Matt. 28:19-20). When Jesus issued the great invitation, hear His words. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).

No One Is Excluded From The Gospel Of Jesus

Christ

There is one Gospel as there is but one Savior who came and established but one church. When any person comes to Christ according to His instructions, they are forgiven of all past sins. When they obey the Lord’s commands to believe, repent of their sins, confess Him as Lord and Savior and are united with Him by being baptized, He adds them to His church (Acts 2:41,47; Eph. 4:4). All the saved were added to “the” church and not “a” church.

There Is Only One Way

The false notion that there are many ways, many religions, that one may believe and follow to reunion with the true and living God, is just as false as it was when men and women formed and fashioned their own gods and fell down and worshiped them. There is no doubt but that the concept of many religions is politically correct today, but it was also true in days gone by when men and women fell down before their wood and stone images. It was not true then, and it is not true now. However, Satan has done a good job of confusing the multitudes who do not seek and find the true and living God. They look in all the wrong places and not in the word of God.

The reason that God sent His Only Begotten Son to this world was to provide “the” way of redemption. Since the scriptures teach that God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11), the idea that He has numerous religions to suit the desires of various groups is ridiculous.

True religion is not about God finding out what mankind desires by way of reconciliation. It is man who has deserted God and man must find forgiveness on God’s terms. Because God is a God of grace and mercy, He offered His Son in our place for our sins.

Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers (John 17:20-21). He did not pray for the impossible. But if God did in fact provide many religions with many and various beliefs, then the unity of all true believers would be an impossibility.

God Commands Unity!

Later, the apostle Paul actually commanded the unity of all believers as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Cor. 1:10).

Conclusion

There is no question about God’s love for us. The question is, do we love Him. Jesus taught “if you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). There is no salvation for those who do not love God, therefore it is essential that we seek to know and keep His commandments. There is but one place where we will find his commandments. Jesus said, “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47-48).

Have You Obeyed The Gospel Of Jesus Christ?

Have you been baptized into Christ? If you have not been baptized you are still lost in your sins. Jesus says, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Paul said; "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). The words of Jesus teach us that to become a Christian one must: Hear the gospel (John 6:44-45). Believe in Jesus as the Christ (John 8:24). Repent of all sins (Luke 13:3). Confess Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32-33). And Be Baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16). After baptism Remain Faithful to God. (Matthew 10:22).

Our Plea To Our Friends And Neighbors

It is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the gospel today and be saved. Remember the words of Jesus, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23).

If we do just what our Lord commanded we know that our salvation is certain and we will hear Him say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21). Let us go back to the Bible, back to Christ and His church and do exactly what He commanded. Please let us help you in your obedience to the gospel before it is eternally too late.

[This material is presented by the members of the Northside church of Christ - 700 Jolly Road, NW - Calhoun, Georgia 30701. If you would like to have a Bible Study or discuss this subject further please contact one of our elders; Kent Bailey at 706-629-6111 - Ron Hall at 770-548-3167 - Eddie Jones at 706-264-2651]