65) In Christ believers satisfy the law’s demands

John 15:10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.

In this passage Jesus makes a clear distinction between His commandments and His Father’s commandments. Since Jesus was born under law to Jewish parents, His Father’s commandments would include the Ten Commandments. The nation of Israel was required legally by covenant to fulfill the law and Ten Commandments to receive God’s blessings. None even came close to obeying and fulfilling their covenant obligation to God’s law, but a small remnant turned to God in repentance for mercy and was saved by faith in a promised redeemer. By fulfilling these commandments as our surety, Jesus became the redeemer that saves all who are in Christ by faith. By His life of perfection and death as atonement for sin, Jesus secured the promised blessings of the Old Covenant for those who believe.

Therefore, Jesus does not send believers back to the Old Covenant that He fulfilled on their behalf. That would be to send believers back to the ministry of death that condemned them in the first place [Romans 8:2, Acts 15:10, Galatians]. Instead, He commands believers to keep His commandments that are found in the New Testament. Being under grace instead of law means obedience has changed from a yoke to heavy to bear [Acts 15:10] to a yoke that gives rest for the soul [Matt. 11:29-30]. Grace transforms believers into new creations in Christ with the motivation to keep the commandments of Christ [see Hebrews 8]. While believers fail to perfectly keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, grace and forgiveness cover their sins, since they are not placing themselves under the covenant contract of the Law. Galatians 3:10 points this out: For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Galatians 3:23-26 points out that the Law was a guardian until Christ and faith came. Christ and faith have come and we are no longer under the Law as a guardian. We are not under the Law for justification and we are also not under Law for sanctification. Paul stated it as follows in Romans 6:14: For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Our focus should be on Christ. His burden is light and He provides rest for our souls. ALL [100%] that we need is found in Him and His New Covenant teaching.

Focus on Christ #65