What the Gospel is to the New Testament Christian, the law is to the unsaved religious.
The conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees was of a spiritual nature. The Pharisees didn't need a Messiah. Their Messiah was the law. They were not interested in Jesus or his miracles, they were happy and content with the law. The law was their Jesus. When Jesus called them hypocrites they were crushed. No one had ever called them hypocrites. Don't sell the Pharisees short. They were professional religionist. They even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23. Paul said that his life as a Pharisee was blameless, Philippians 3:6.
The problem with trying to be religious and keeping the law is that the law will cause one to sin. Listen to what Paul said about the law.
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust: except the law had said, THOU SHALT NOT COVET. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came sin revived and I died and the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death" Romans 7:7-10.
There is nothing wrong with the law. The law is not the real problem, the real problem is that we are sinners. When sinners are told not to do something they want to do it. God told Adam and Eve "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden". Before God said that there was no concern about the tree in the midst of the garden. But now God said, "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden". I am sure that they both had to go look at the tree.
Where there is law there is sin. Where there is law there is judgment and condemnation. This is why Paul said to the legalistic Galatians,
"Tell me that you desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? Galatians 4:21.
This is why Jesus in our name and on our behalf fulfilled the law and then abolished it. The law is contrary to us, no one can keep it or do it, Colossians 2:14. This is also why Paul said that "The Just Shall Live By Faith" Romans 1:17. and not by rules, laws or religion. The religious don't want to hear that the law has been abolished, because the law is their Jesus.
In the Gospel Jesus comes into to the world to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. His purpose is to provide salvation for fallen man. By his perfect sinless life he fulfills all of the demands of God's Holy Law. He does this in our name and on our behalf for our justification, Romans 3:26. Having fulfilled the law, he then abolished it, Ephesians 2:15. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus we can now stand in God's Holy Court as justified. Where there is law there is judgment and condemnation.
"There is no condemnation to those that are "In Jesus Christ" Romans 8:1.
There is no condemnation because there is no law. We are now called to live by faith and the Holy Spirit and not the letter of the law. "The law kills, but the Spirit gives life" 2 Corinthians 3:6. The Holy Spirit and the Gospel are close companions. Where ever the Gospel is preached the Holy Spirit is there to convict people of their need for Christ. The law can also bring one to Christ, but after they become Christians the law is no longer needed, Galatians 3:24, 25.
The conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees was of a spiritual nature. The Pharisees didn't need a Messiah. Their Messiah was the law. They were not interested in Jesus or his miracles, they were happy and content with the law. The law was their Jesus. When Jesus called them hypocrites they were crushed. No one had ever called them hypocrites. Don't sell the Pharisees short. They were professional religionist. They even tithed down to the mint in their gardens, Matthew 23:23. Paul said that his life as a Pharisee was blameless, Philippians 3:6.
The problem with trying to be religious and keeping the law is that the law will cause one to sin. Listen to what Paul said about the law.
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust: except the law had said, THOU SHALT NOT COVET. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came sin revived and I died and the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death" Romans 7:7-10.
There is nothing wrong with the law. The law is not the real problem, the real problem is that we are sinners. When sinners are told not to do something they want to do it. God told Adam and Eve "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden". Before God said that there was no concern about the tree in the midst of the garden. But now God said, "Don't eat of the tree in the midst of the garden". I am sure that they both had to go look at the tree.
Where there is law there is sin. Where there is law there is judgment and condemnation. This is why Paul said to the legalistic Galatians,
"Tell me that you desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? Galatians 4:21.
This is why Jesus in our name and on our behalf fulfilled the law and then abolished it. The law is contrary to us, no one can keep it or do it, Colossians 2:14. This is also why Paul said that "The Just Shall Live By Faith" Romans 1:17. and not by rules, laws or religion. The religious don't want to hear that the law has been abolished, because the law is their Jesus.
In the Gospel Jesus comes into to the world to do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. His purpose is to provide salvation for fallen man. By his perfect sinless life he fulfills all of the demands of God's Holy Law. He does this in our name and on our behalf for our justification, Romans 3:26. Having fulfilled the law, he then abolished it, Ephesians 2:15. Because of the doing and the dying of Jesus we can now stand in God's Holy Court as justified. Where there is law there is judgment and condemnation.
"There is no condemnation to those that are "In Jesus Christ" Romans 8:1.
There is no condemnation because there is no law. We are now called to live by faith and the Holy Spirit and not the letter of the law. "The law kills, but the Spirit gives life" 2 Corinthians 3:6. The Holy Spirit and the Gospel are close companions. Where ever the Gospel is preached the Holy Spirit is there to convict people of their need for Christ. The law can also bring one to Christ, but after they become Christians the law is no longer needed, Galatians 3:24, 25.
