Old Testament versus New Testament

One major purpose to the laws of the Old Testament were to “reveal sin”, exposing our need for a savior  who would one day overcome the “sin of the world”.  Paul explains in Romans 3:20 that we would not know we were born into sin if not for the law; “for through the law comes the knowledge of sin”. And Paul continues to explain in Romans 7:9 how the commandments ever further “amplified” our sin consciousness by saying ….”but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive”.

In other words, sin was revealed and brought into the light of our consciousness, through the law. Without the law, no one would know what a sinful state we were born into after the original fall of Adam and Eve. The “law” and our consistent inability to follow it while in our fallen state, brought to light the depth of our sinful nature found within our “old man” which every man is born into since the fall of Adam and Eve. This is why every man must be born again as a “new creation in Christ”, and “put off the old” nature.

That said, one major purpose of the New Testament was/is to reveal freedom from the law of sin for all men by God’s great plan of redemption, through His Son Jesus. In Romans 8:2 Paul explains this by saying; “for the law of life-giving spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” The apostle John sums it up nicely when captures John the Baptist’s comment in John 1:29 with; “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.

Jesus was the one and only person who ever fulfilled all the Judaic laws found in the Old Testament ( 613 laws ), which no man could ever fulfill. In doing so, He became the perfect substitute for us, taking on himself “the curse of the law” and all our inequities (sin). Galatians 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”).

Because of His perfection in doing what no other man could do, we have been redeemed by the offering of His blood sacrifice, and brought back to “right standing children” of the most high God. Because of His sacrifice standing in our place while taking on God’s wrath, those who accept Christ, no longer stand as “sinners of this world”, because now that Jesus has come,  the world has been forgiven! Amen! John 12:47 ……“I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.” and in Matthew 9:13 Jesus said …..“I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”.  and 2 Corinthians 5:19 further expands this by saying, “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

That is and was, the turning point between the Law of the Old Testament, and the Mercy of the New Testament and means all the sacrifices of the old testament were no longer desired by God because the law of the old testament was fulfilled through mercy and grace of the Father who sent His son. In doing so, the sacrifice of Jesus replaced the old covenant, with a better covenant, as scripture states, “once and for all” (for the very last time, for all of us).

Aren’t you glad God sent His son to free us from the law of sin and death?

God Bless you,

Scott L