Devotionals

The Law Has Changed

by Michael Edwards 
08/07/26
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Under the New Covenant, everything has changed. The writer of Hebrews explains it clearly: “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also” (Hebrews 7:12 NASB). Jesus is our new High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, not the order of Aaron. Because the priesthood has changed, the law itself has changed.

Jesus fulfilled the Father’s law—the law of sin and death—perfectly on our behalf. Deuteronomy declares the seriousness of that old system: “Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them” (Deuteronomy 27:26 NASB). James echoes the same truth: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10 NASB). One failure placed a person under the curse, and the end of that curse was death.

But Christ took that curse upon Himself. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13 NASB). He fulfilled every requirement of the Law of Moses for every believer. The old covenant law is not the rule of life for the righteous. “Knowing that the Law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious” (1 Timothy 1:9 NASB). We who are in Christ have been made righteous by His finished work.

The Ten Commandments still serve a purpose. They act as a schoolmaster that leads people to Christ and restrain the worst expressions of our fallen nature in society. “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:24-25 NASB). Once we come to Christ, we are no longer under that tutor.

Believers now live under a higher and better set of commands: love God with all your heart, love others as Jesus has loved us, and believe the gospel. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you” (John 13:34 NASB). This is the law of Christ.

Love is the true spirit and intention behind every command God ever gave. “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10 NASB). Paul says the same in Galatians: “For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14 NASB).

The law has changed because the priesthood has changed. We are no longer under the ministry of death written on stone. We are under the New Covenant of grace and truth, married to Christ, and empowered by the Spirit to walk in love. Love fulfills the law. Stay in that love, and you will walk in the freedom Jesus purchased for you.

Many more New Covenant Bible Studies HERE. Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross. And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." Luke 22:20