Do Christians have to keep the law also? No, they do not because Christians are not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14). During the apostles’ time, a few people taught the brothers saying that if they were not circumcised according to Moses’ law, they could not be saved. Peter answered them saying, “Therefore why are you now testing God by placing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10). Afterwards, they wrote to the brothers asking them only to abstain from the contaminations of idols, fornication, what is strangled, and blood; they did not ask the disciples to be circumcised (Acts 15:1-29).

On the other hand, while the Lord was on the earth, and before He died and resurrected, He was the expression of the law and all the ceremonies. Therefore, the disciples had to continue keeping the law at that time. For example, both the Lord and Peter paid a temple tax at that time (Matt. 17:27). It was not until the Lord died that the law ceased. Once the Lord died, the law and all the rituals were fulfilled. This is related to the matter of dispensation.

After the Holy Spirit descended and the church was established, Peter still kept the ceremonial laws by refraining from eating unclean things as mentioned in Leviticus 11. How did God teach him? “The things that God has cleansed, do not make common” (Acts 10:9-16). There is a change under the New Testament. Galatians tells us that circumcision is a very important law to the Jews. But Paul told them seriously, “Behold, I Paul say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law” (Gal. 5:2-3). Paul said that once a person is circumcised, he has to keep the whole law. Regarding the law, we have to either keep all or none of it; we cannot take what we want and reject what we do not want. From this verse, we see clearly that we are not under the law.

The “kingdom of the heavens” in Matthew 5:19 does not refer to the church but rather to the Lord’s reigning in the millennial kingdom after His second coming.

Some think that even though Christians do not have to keep the ceremonial laws, they still have to keep the moral laws. They also think that since they are saved through faith, they have the power to attain sanctification through their own conduct and by keeping the law. However, we must realize that just as keeping the law is not the condition of salvation, keeping the law is not the principle of our living throughout our life.

Matthew 5:20 says, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” To say that the Pharisees have righteousness is to say that they have kept the moral laws. Can a Christian enter the kingdom of the heavens just by having the righteousness of the Pharisees? The Lord said definitely not. In this passage of the Bible (vv. 17-20), the Lord said twice, “I say to you.” In verse 18 He told the disciples that the law cannot be abolished but rather that it should be fulfilled. In verse 20 He told the disciples that He came to supplement the lack of the law. Verse 17 says, on the negative side, that the law is not to be abolished, and on the positive side that it has to be fulfilled. Verses 18 through 19 show us the Lord’s attitude toward the law on the negative side: the law is not to be abolished. Then verse 20 shows us the Lord’s attitude toward the law on the positive side: the law is to be fulfilled, that is, filled to the brim. Because of the difference in these two aspects, the Lord said twice, “I say to you.”

There is a difference between “your righteousness” in verse 20 and the justification of the law. God’s justification is given to us by God, and it is received through faith. “Your righteousness” has to do with our own behavior and is obtained through the working of the Holy Spirit. When we mention justification, it is with reference to sinners. These words were spoken to the disciples. Therefore, the righteousness here is not the righteousness given by God but the righteousness attained by the disciples.

Even if the scribes and the Pharisees did their best, they could only fulfill the righteousness of the law. But the disciples who are not under the law should have a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the law. Their standard should be higher than that of the scribes and the Pharisees. No Christian can enter into the kingdom of the heavens by keeping the law. Christians have received the teachings of Matthew 5-7. If they do not keep them, they cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Let us be clear about one more point. Every believer has the eternal life, but not every believer can enter into the kingdom of the heavens. We obtain eternal life through the righteousness God has given us, but we enter the kingdom of the heavens through the righteousness we work out ourselves. Once we believe, we obtain eternal life and will never lose it. However, only the overcomers can enter into the kingdom of the heavens. We can obtain eternal life in this age, but the kingdom of the heavens will only be established when the Lord comes again. The Gospel of John mentions the matter of obtaining eternal life through believing nine times. However, Matthew 11:12 says, “The kingdom of the heavens is taken by violence, and violent men seize it.” Once we believe, we obtain eternal life, but to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, we have to pursue it daily. God selects some from among this world to receive eternal life, and He selects some from among those who have received eternal life to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. There is no difference between being great and being the least in obtaining eternal life, but there is a difference between being great and being the least in entering into the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, if we, the saved ones, want to reign at the Lord’s second coming, we have to work out our own righteousness through the Holy Spirit. How can we not believe in the Lord’s words!
Home | First | Prev | Next