Lesson 02 - What MUSt i Do? Laws that Remain for Those In Covenant with God.
In the first lesson we established from Jesus’ own words that the Law has not been abolished. Not one iota or dot passes away while heaven and earth remain. The question that naturally follows is: Which parts of the Law are still binding on those who belong to God through Christ?
Scripture itself answers this by distinguishing the enduring moral will of God from the temporary ceremonial and national regulations given to ancient Israel.
The Moral Law Reveals God’s Unchanging Character
The moral core of the Law reflects who God is. These commands are repeated, reinforced, and applied to believers in the New Testament. They are not cancelled; they are written on the heart by the Spirit so that we actually keep them (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10; Romans 8:4).
Jesus summarized the entire Law in two commands:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)
Paul echoes the same truth:
“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14) “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10)
The Ten Commandments Remain the Clear Moral Standard
The New Testament repeatedly upholds the Ten Commandments as still relevant:
No other gods / no idols (1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 John 5:21)
Honor God’s name (Matthew 6:9)
Honor father and mother (Ephesians 6:1–3 – Paul quotes the commandment and its promise)
Do not murder (Matthew 5:21–22; Romans 13:9)
Do not commit adultery / sexual immorality (Matthew 5:27–28; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; Hebrews 13:4)
Do not steal (Ephesians 4:28; Romans 13:9)
Do not bear false witness / lie (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9)
Do not covet (Romans 7:7; 13:9)
Keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11)
Jesus intensifies these commands rather than relaxing them (Matthew 5:21–48). He does not lower the standard; He shows its full depth and then gives the Spirit so we can walk in it.
What the Apostles Required of Gentile Believers
When the early church faced the question of how much of the Mosaic Law Gentile converts must keep, the apostles and elders, guided by the Holy Spirit, gave a clear answer in Acts 15:
“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” (Acts 15:28–29)
They did not require circumcision or the full ceremonial system. They required moral purity and separation from idolatry. This decision stands as the New Testament pattern for what is binding on all believers.
Ceremonial and Civil Aspects Fulfilled or Limited
The sacrificial system, temple rituals, and purity laws pointed forward to Christ. He is the once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9–10). These are fulfilled, not repeated.
The civil laws governed Israel as a theocratic nation. The principles of justice remain; the specific national penalties and regulations belonged to that covenant administration.
Food laws and calendar festivals were shadows (Colossians 2:16–17). The substance belongs to Christ.
How We Keep the Law Today
We do not keep the Law in order to be justified. Justification is by faith in Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16).
We keep the moral will of God because we have been brought into covenant with Him, the Spirit has written His law on our hearts, and love for God and neighbor now defines our lives. Obedience is the fruit and evidence of belonging to Him (1 John 2:3–6; John 14:15).
In short: Love God wholly. Love your neighbor as yourself. Turn from idolatry, sexual immorality, murder, theft, lying, and coveting. Honor authority. Walk in the Spirit. These are the enduring requirements of the Law that remain for everyone who is in covenant with God through Jesus Christ.