Obedience or Legalism?

INTRODUCTION

When our savior began his Earthly ministry almost 2000 years ago, the popular misconception of the Messiah and his purpose had people looking for a leader to arise within the house of Judah. This leader was supposed to raise up an Earthly kingdom of the Jews, to bring all nations under the supremacy of the chosen nation of God.

After several months of ministry in the Galilee area, word of Jesus was spreading quickly. He had performed many miracles of healing and had already chosen some of his closest disciples. Multitudes were beginning to follow him wherever he went, and the popular opinions of the people were in his favor. The disciples themselves had been misled by the teachings of the rabbis, and also were looking for Jesus to lead an Earthly kingdom.

On this particular morning near the seashore, there had gathered a great crowd of people from all around the region. This was not just the usual Galilee crowd, but people from Judea and Jerusalem, from Decapolis, and from Tyre and Sidon. Seeing the number of people who were gathered, Jesus led them up the hillside, and finding a suitable place he sat down on the grass and began to speak.

Excitement ran through the disciples, as they felt that this would be a special message. They pressed in closer to their master that they might hear about the new kingdom he was going to establish. They were filled with anticipation of great things to happen for the people of Israel. Let us go back to that scene, and as we read our passage today, let’s look at it from the perspective of the people who were listening to that message almost 2000 years ago.

JESUS FULFILLS, NOT DESTROYS

Jesus begins what today we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount - a teaching that inspiration calls “heaven’s benediction to the world, a voice from the throne of God”.
Immediately, the people hearing this message new that it was something different. Beginning with the Beatitudes, Christ began to reveal some of the attributes of the type of people who were to be in his kingdom. It certainly didn’t sound like it was going to be a military operation at all! This teaching was quite contrary to what the people had been taught by the religious leaders of the day.

As he brought forth his message, some of the Pharisees murmured through the crowd that his teachings were in opposition to the Laws that God had given to Moses. Hearing the talk and knowing the thoughts of these men, let us read Jesus’ response:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” - Mat 5:17 - 20

In simple words, Jesus addresses the subject of the law and the prophets. In no way did he indicate that any of the Law was being done away with … in fact he informs the people that until all is fulfilled, no part of any letter of the Law would be done away with! Could he be any clearer? Let’s examine verse 17, just to make sure we know what he’s talking about here.

What is the “law and the prophets” that he’s talking about? Well, we know that the law is generally referred to as the 5 books of Moses or the Torah. The prophets generally included any of the major and minor prophets of what we call the Old Testament today. It is vitally important to know that within the framework of the law itself, there are two distinct parts:

1. The Ceremonial Law - Under the Old Testament the rites and ceremonies of worship were known as the ceremonial law. This law was obligatory only till Christ had finished his work here on Earth. You see, these rites were a type or a shadow of things to come, as we read in the following passage:

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2. The Moral Law - The Decalogue given by the hand of Christ at Sinai revealed the will of God as to human conduct, binding on all men to the end of time. Scripture tells us that:

It is perfect -
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

It is Holy -
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

And as we will discover, the moral law is perpetual.

So what did Jesus mean when he stated that he had come to fulfill these things? A search through the prophets will show that there are over 400 prophecies concerning the messiah’s coming … and that Jesus fulfilled them all during his birth, Earthly ministry, and death, burial and resurrection. No Bible believing Christian will argue with you there. But what about the Law? How did Jesus fulfill the law?

Consult several Bible dictionaries and you will find that the word fulfill can mean to make full, or to accomplish. In fact, the Contemporary English Bible interprets the verse this way:

Mat 5:17 Don’t suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law, by completing the type that was set before us in the Law of Moses. He became the sacrificial lamb, which was slain for the sins of the world! As we noted in Hebrews 10:1, the ceremonial law wasn’t destroyed, but the imperfect type was made perfect or complete through the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Again in Hebrews we read:

Heb 9:13 - 14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

In fact, we can also see that Jesus gave the law it’s full meaning, because he did accomplish the law … as the only perfect example of obedience!

Heb 5:8-9 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

What an awesome God we have! To give the commandments, and then to fulfill the ceremonial requirements for all of us, AND live a life as an example for us to follow in obedience to the moral instructions he gave us!

In my personal career, I have often told others who have been placed under my charge that I would never ask any of them to do something that I was not willing to do, or had not done in the past. You see, a true leader leads by example. I think we can definitely say that Jesus was a true leader for us, not asking us to do anything that he has not gone before us and prepared the way for us to follow.

OBEDIENCE OR LEGALISM?

Now when we bring up the Law, some people get uncomfortable. Some people feel as though by keeping the Sabbath, we have become legalistic. They proclaim that we are not under the law, but under grace, and we are not required to keep any of the commandments! Let’s go back to our passage to see exactly what Jesus says in verse 19:

Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Again, plainly spoken, wouldn’t you say? Whoever breaks one of these LEAST commandments, and teaches others to do the same is the LEAST in the kingdom of heaven!
Jesus is emphasizing the fact that sin is sin, and the least of the commandments is just as binding as the greatest! In fact, later in his ministry a lawyer came up to him and asked him which commandment was the greatest. In his infinite wisdom, Christ summed up the commandments for all of us. We can read this account together in Matthew:

Mat 22:35-40 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 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.

Two commandments? Are these new? Some people will tell you that these two commandments have replaced the old commandments given to Moses … but we find that is not true! These are actually written within the Old Testament Pentateuch – the books of the law. Jesus said that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets … the very same things he said he did not come to destroy! Why?

Because when we study the commandments closely, we realize that the first four deal with our relationship to God, and the last six deal with our relationship with our fellow man … if we fulfill the two great commandments given to us by Christ, we will have fulfilled the Decalogue given from Sinai.

Jesus continues in verse 20:

Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Knowing the hearts of those who questioned his teachings, he directs this comment to them. The scribes and the Pharisees of Jesus’ day were the religious leaders, the holy men, if you will. They followed the letter of the law, the ceremonial and the moral law they upheld to the greatest degree. And now, Christ was telling the multitude that their righteousness must exceed the scribes or Pharisees or they wouldn’t be allowed into the kingdom of heaven! What did this mean? How could this possibly be?

You see, while the Pharisees honored God with their lips, their hearts were far from him. They didn’t even recognize the Messiah in their midst, instead partaking in condemning him to his death, fulfilling the very prophecies they studied and cherished.
They performed the tasks to fulfill their obligations to the law out of legalism, not TRUE obedience. Only through true obedience, rather than legalism, will our righteousness exceed that of the scribes & Pharisees. This is because only through true obedience will we be able to put on the robes of Christ’s righteousness.

So how can we distinguish between true obedience and legalism? Well, Websters Dictionary defines legalism as it relates to theology as the doctrine of salvation by good works! Salvation by keeping the commandments … but this is not from where our salvation comes! We can only be saved through the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But what about obedience? Again to Webster, we find that obedience is the state, fact or instance of obeying, or a willingness to obey; also submission.

Submission, a willingness to obey … but why? The motives behind our obedience are what makes the difference! God doesn’t want our obedience out of fear, but out of love… just as Jesus told us was the greatest commandment! Some of the most memorable messages of other protestant denominations proclaim with great conviction the fiery judgment that awaits the sinner in the hands of an angry God. The message converted many, but only out of fear of the wrath and anger that God was portrayed with!

God desires our sincere obedience out of love for him, because he first loved us! If we can ever come to grasp the sacrifice that was given for us at Calvary, and let that permeate our hearts and our very being, we will become eternally grateful. Never again would we question obedience to the Holy lamb of God.

Again, it is only through the true obedience that is born out of Love of Christ can we obtain the righteousness that is greater that of the scribes and the Pharisees. Paul confirms this when writing to the Romans in the following passage:

Rom 6:16 - 18 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

CONCLUSION

Today, in our country, we have many laws in place, to help us maintain a community and a society which we consider civilized. However, not everyone obeys all of the laws of the land.
Look around you and you can make a simple observation. You will see some parents who put their children into age appropriate car seats, and some who don’t. Some parents feel it is too restricting, while others see it as the best way to keep their children safe. They don’t do it because it’s the law … they do it because they love that little person that God has entrusted into their care, and they want what’s best for the child.

It’s the same way with us, and God’s commandments. God directs us over and over again throughout his word to turn away from our iniquities and keep his commandments and his Sabbath! It’s not because it’s the law … it’s because it is what is best for us! We should be willing to keep the commandments not out of some sort of legalistic requirement of our salvation, but out of Love for our Savior who died on Calvary that we might live!

We should all consider the following things in our daily walk with Christ:

1. Do we strive daily to keep the commandments of God?

2. Do we keep the commandments out of fear?

3. Or, do we keep the commandments out of Love and respect?

4. How can we deepen our relationship with Christ so we can submit to his will with an attitude of Love?

Let’s turn away from anything in our lives that may be keeping us from God! Not because of the law, but because of Love for him!

In closing, I would like to consider a passage from The Desire of Ages, pp366:

Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly. Rapidly are men ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. Restlessly are they waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. There are those who are waiting and watching and working for our Lord’s appearing. Another class are falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. Few believe with heart and soul that we have a hell to shun and a heaven to win.

The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual round, and the heavens still declare the glory of God. Men are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage. Merchants are still buying and selling. Men are jostling one against another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation’s hour is fast closing, and ever case is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that his time is short. He has set all his agencies at work that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied and entranced, until the day of probation shall be ended, and the door of mercy be forever shut.

Solemly there come to us down through the centuries the warning words of our Lord from the Mount of Olives: “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Let us examine ourselves, and be honest with ourselves. Only you know if your works are done out of love rather than fear … true obedience rather than legalism. Let’s renew our commitment to Jesus today, to honor His will and His commandments, out of love for the one who lives to make intercession for us today in before the throne of God.