Good Morning Friends,
Scholars disagree on how Jesus related to the written and oral traditions, but they agree on this—Jesus confronted the religious and political leaders of His day and was never predictable. He honored the Law as God’s revelation, yet He placed mercy above ritual, prioritized moral truth over ceremonial purity, and interpreted the Sabbath for human good. His focus was always the spirit of the law, not the legal system built around it.Today we face a challenging question related to this issue: So, How relevant is the Old Testament Law in an age of grace?
Scripture Summary:
Deuteronomy 4:1, 5–9 calls Israel to hear and obey God’s commands so they may live, flourish, and bear witness among the nations.
Matthew 5:17–19 teaches that Jesus does not abolish the Law but fulfills it, and that its true intent still matters.
Matthew 5:20–48 shows how Jesus deepens the Law—moving from external rule‑keeping to the inner transformation of the heart.
Message: Billy Graham once said that each of us have broken all the ten commandments in our hearts. But that being true does not make the Old Testament laws irrelevant. Instead it shows that rules alone cannot make us good. Its purpose was to shape a people through whom the Savior would come. On the cross, Jesus completed that purpose and wrote a new law on our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows that the Law given to Israel which included moral, civil, dietary, and ceremonial commands—over 600 in total— was fulfilled perfectly only by Jesus. The thing Jesus shows us is that we are not saved by keeping rules; we can however be shaped by the law of love that Christ fulfills in us. All these laws reveal our need for grace. As Billy Graham points out we have all broken God’s law in action, in inaction, and or in attitude. But Jesus offers forgiveness and calls us to be doers of the Word—living out a righteousness formed from the inside out. The law still teaches us, but salvation comes only through Christ, whose Spirit matures us into people who live with moral clarity, compassion, and integrity. The point is that the Law still reveals what God loves, what He hates, and what a flourishing human life looks like. It is not arbitrary; it is the blueprint for human wholeness. We obey not to earn love, but because we already have it. The Spirit empowers us to live out the “law of Christ”—love, justice, mercy, truth. Obedience becomes an act of delight, not fear.
And So be thankful: you are God’s child, saved by grace and called to grow in love. The Law remains relevant because it reveals God’s character. It reveals our sin and drives us to grace. It guides our transformation into Christlikeness. It protects us from the illusion that grace means moral laxity. It grounds Christian ethics in God’s holiness, not cultural trends. Grace doesn’t erase the Law; grace finally makes the Law beautiful all because of Christ.
Pray we rejoice in the grace given through Jesus. Pray we understand that obedience is not salvation, yet love remains God’s moral law. Pray we trust Christ’s righteousness as our own and reflect it in our lives. Pray our character is shaped from within by prayer, devotion, and the Spirit’s work. Pray God writes His law on our hearts and transforms us for His glory and the good of others. Pray we become new creatures in Christ who live wisely and faithfully in our time.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 