Christians and the Law (To obey or not to obey, that is the question)

There is a lot of discussion today about Christians not obeying

(or saying they do not have to obey the Law)

So Let's look at the Rules, and what it means to be a Christian...

The Old Testament has 10 Commandments, and approximately 600 laws handed down from God, by Moses... Then there is the Talmud, a discussion on the points of the Law, by the learned Rabbi's (If any Jewish people read this, and I have made an error, please let me know).

Christians claim that they do not have to obey the Law, because Christ abolished it. Jesus was a Jew, and obeyed the Law, with a few exceptions. He went to church (synagogue) every sabbath, and then broke the law, by hangin' out with sinners. He touched a leper. Jesus did not chastise the woman with the bleeding problem, that touched him, and according to the Law, made Him unclean. Instead, He blessed her and said, "Woman, your faith has made you whole."

The New Testament has much to say on the Law, and a new concept, Grace. While Jesus walked the earth, He was constantly challenging the leaders of the temple and synagogue because they did not live their faith in such a way as to make life easier on the masses, they made it tougher on them...

Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. Yet when He died, the temple veil was torn in half, from top to bottom. Now, to understand this, you must realize that the veil was woven cloth, 12" thick... It was the wall of separation between God (a very Holy God) and fallen man. Only the high priest, once per year could go into the holiest of holies to offer incense to God, because of the sin in our lives. So when the temple veil was rent in half, it signified the end of the separation between God and man. All men now have access to God because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin once for all time.

A Hebrew zealot named Saul was persecuting the believers in Christ early in the Church history, because they followed Jesus, and believed He was God. Then Jesus knocked him off his horse, blinded him for 3 days, and Saul became Paul, one of the greatest leaders in early church history, and the writer (under divine leading) of 13 of our New Testament books. (See his story in Acts chapter 9). One of the books (It was a letter at the time, and is known as an Epistle) that the Holy Spirit wrote thru Paul, was Galatians. Written to the church in Galatia, Paul dealt with the issue of obedience to the Law. Gal 2:21 -- I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (NIV) He pointed out to them, that if you cannot obey ALL the Law, then you are in trouble if the Law is your yardstick. Christ satisfied the requirements of the Law, because His blood covers our sins. As it is written throughout the Scriptures, apart from the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, and His blood shed once for all men for all time, attains us the opportunity to be right with God thru FAITH, not obedience to the Law.