Abolish or Fulfill?
The passage below was a statement made by Jesus shortly after He said, “I didn’t come to abolish but to fulfill it” and “anyone who takes the least pen stroke out of the law will be the least in the kingdom of heaven” so how can we no longer be “under the law?”
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” – Matthew 5:23-24
Let me ask you this question, what was the last gift you took to the altar?
Or here is another one, was Jesus “the One Perfect Sacrifice” or wasn’t He?
My point is this, when Jesus comes in All the law has been fulfilled because the purpose of the law was always to get you to the alter of permanent reconciliation where Jesus, the Last High Priest patiently waits to Permanently Reconcile you to The Father.
What Jesus knew here was that the hearts of men due to the father of lies think that they don’t need what He freely offers through His death on the cross. Jesus knew that in this passage He was talking to the religiously comfortable who meet the letter of the law or give the right amount of money to the temple or the repeated sacrifice year after year for their sanctimonious safety net without ever grasping that it isn’t what God wants!
So what does God want? Same chapter just a breath earlier:
“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:20
At this point you have a few options:
- Give up – you will never be as legally righteous as the Pharisees and teachers of the law so why bother.
- Comfort up – find the laws that you are comfortably safe with (the “comfort laws” that most Christians follow) and feel good about and believe that Jesus took care of the rest.
- Jesus up – this is giving up on any idea of any righteousness legally and “by Grace through Faith” Trusting that when Jesus said, “it is finished” He was talking about your Full payment to the law, the “Perfect Sacrifice” in Whom “the Seed” had been planted and because of that you are now and forevermore without blemish before God Almighty Reconciled, Redeemed, Justified and Righteous!
Care to go in depth on the Only Real Option and “Jesus up”?
Go to the link below and start The Journey – I promise you will be eternally grateful you did:
BeGraceFull.com