Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace – Ephesians 2:15

The verse above makes it clear that Jesus has abolished the law of commandments, contained in ordinances, given to the Jews in the Old Testament. He fulfilled them and abolished them. The laws and commandments of the Old Testament are not relevant to the new creation in Christ Jesus. It’s therefore wrong for you to live your life trying to obey the Law.

Hebrews 7:12 is another verse that gives us an interesting light on this; it says, “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” The Lord Jesus became our High Priest in the New Testament, not in the order of the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood, but in the order of Melchisedek (Hebrews 7:17&21). This signifies an eternal priesthood; a new priesthood, headed by Jesus Christ, different from what obtained in the Old Testament.

Now, the importance of that is this: Jesus Christ has become our High Priest, and He’s not the High Priest of the Old Testament Law; He has a new law. Remember what we read in Hebrews 7:12, that a change in priesthood automatically means a change of the Law. Since the priesthood has been changed and Jesus Christ is now our High Priest in the New Testament, the law has also been changed. That’s why Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Love has replaced all the laws and ordinances of the Old Testament (Read Romans 13:8-10). In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

This however doesn’t mean that the Old Testament is not useful to us today. Romans 15:4 says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” The things written in the Old Testament have been written only for our learning; they’re not the revelations by which we live today as new creations in Christ. Now learn more of what it is to walk in love.

I’d like to invite you to make Jesus your Lord and personal Savior right now if you haven’t done that yet. He came to save you by offering His own blood as your sins sacrifice. Click here for more.

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for your Word and its power in my life. The entrance of your Word into my heart this day has given me light and understanding. I will walk in love to your glory, and not in the darkness of the law, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Further Reading: John 1:17; Romans 6:14, 8:1-3, 10:1-4; Galatians 2:16, 4:21