Law or Love?

          As you know, in the mind of virtually every Jew, God was angry and they needed to appease His wrath, in order to live in peace with Him. As a result, life in the Old Covenant centered around making sacrifices, burning offerings, and keeping the Law—not only the Ten Commandments, but also the 600+ laws that were the fruit of the original “ten” commandments. As you can see, for these Jews, appeasing God’s wrath was something they had to do, not something He had to do. In their efforts, they presented sacrificed animals to Him; consequently, their efforts failed because the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins (see Hebrews 10).

          God, however, had a much better plan, a perfect plan. one that the sacrificed animals merely shadowed. He presented to HIMSELF a single sacrifice, a person—HIMSELF—and His sacrifice was efficacious because HE offered HIMSELF TO HIMSELF as a propitiatory substitute for us, that not only appeased His wrath, but also remedied our sin problem.

          His remedy begs this question: Now that His work is finished and we live in the New Covenant, what must we do in order to live at peace with Him? The answer? Nothing! Why? He has already done everything through His vicarious sacrifice.

            Let me ask the correct question: What does He ask of me, as a member of the New Covenant, not in order that I may live in peace with Him, but because I do live in peace with Him?

            This is His answer: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35 NASB).

            This is Paul’s answer: “For  you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the [one]statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:13-15 NASB’ emphasis added).

          Now, with that, I want you to listen carefully to these words of Jesus: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; jut as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:10-12 NASB).

          Notice how Jesus contrasts “My commandments” [love God and love one another] with “My Father’s commandments” [the Law]. Surely, you can see this idea of “shadow” and “substance” coming into play again.  

          Surely, you can see that Jesus is attempting to make His listeners aware that the Christian life—the New Covenant life—does not center around sacrifices and laws, but around grace and love; not around what we do to appease His wrath, but around what He has done to appease His wrath.

          You think about this—

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29 NASB).