Sermon On The Mount: Laws, Old & New

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till Heaven and Earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these Commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches Them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20 (NKJV)

  • In reviewing God’s Old Testament Laws,*

  • A longer list of New Testament rules,**

  • And countless Christian denominations,***

  • The confusion can be overwhelming!

It can deter us from church and JESUS--which is our enemy's #1 goal.

Remember this phrase? ‘The devil’s in the details.’ Sometimes, he is!

Because Satan loves to complicate things. Paul put it this way: ‘I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ’ (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Bottom Line: Jesus fulfilled the Laws and Commandments that proved impossible for us to keep.****

He canceled our legal indebtedness and delivered His perfect righteousness … if we simply believe and obey HIM!

  • '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 3:23-25).

  • 'For He Himself is our Peace, Who has made both One, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His Flesh the enmity, that is, the Law of Commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace' (Ephesians 2:14-16). 'For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes' (Romans 10:4).

Can all the ‘flavors’ of the Christian faith live happily-ever-after endings, with peaceful co-existence here and now?

YES, if we believe and obey Jesus… and refuse to judge and hate our neighbors.

'Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand' (Romans 14:4).

So, if the rules of your faith don’t match mine, then let's refocus, 'Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith' (Hebrews 12:2).

Because when our time here is said and done… our ‘brand’ of faith is far less important than the love we show.

Sermon On The Mount: Laws, Old & New (Part 8)

* 613 Jewish laws:

http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm; http://www.aish.com/h/sh/se/48945081.html

** 1050 New Testament Commands:

https://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201407/r1308729_17984331.pdf

*** Data on denominations: 

https://www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-700533

**** Great articles on how Jesus fulfilled the Law:

https://www.gotquestions.org/abolish-fulfill-law.html

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-christ-fulfilled-and-ended-the-old-testament-regime

NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban