The next aspect about the Ten Commandments that we want to look at is—how did the coming of Jesus Christ into the world affect the law? To thoroughly examine this subject let us try to break down each facet into its simplest terms.

1. Jesus came to “magnify the law, and make it honourable.” Many people view God’s law in a negative way. They only see it as restricting their desires and condemning them for their faults. However, as we have seen, the law reflects the nature of God and therefore it must be good. The problem is that sinners cannot see beyond the letter of the law, to see the goodness of the law. Jesus came to show us the true nature of the law by living according to its precepts. He came to fulfill the true purpose behind the law by showing us God’s love. Those who are antinomian—against the law—fail to understand its spiritual aspects. This book is not teaching against the Ten Commandments, what we are trying to do is to put the Ten Commandments in their proper Biblical perspective.

Isa 42:21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Psa 119:77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

Psa 119:159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.

Matt 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 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.
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.

2. Jesus came to keep the law on behalf of all His people. Although He needed no righteousness of His own—He is God—He came to work out a righteousness that He might give to those whom He would redeem. Therefore, He was born a Jew, born under the Mosaic Law, that He might live according to the perfect standard of the law. After living for some thirty-three years on this earth, He was examined by God Who said—“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” His own people were given the opportunity to point out any faults in His life when Jesus asked them—“Which of you convinceth me of sin?” Even the Gentile ruler said—“I find no fault in this man.” He lived out a perfect life under the law that we might be clothed in His merited righteousness.

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Matt 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Luke 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

3. Jesus came to satisfy the debt of His people who had broken God’s law. Breaking God’s law demands death and that penalty must be paid. However, God allowed a substitutionary payment to be made on the sinner’s behalf. Therefore, Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died in our place, so that the debt we owed was fully paid for. His suffering and death propitiated—satisfied—God concerning His broken law. Those who do not partake of Christ’s offering must pay their own sin debt.

2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Eze 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

4. Jesus came to free us from the rigors and demands of the law. As we have already said, He did not come to set at naught the law; but because we were unable to meet the demands of the law, it became a tyrant over us; and we were unable find any peace or hope in trying to satisfy its requirements. In order for His people to ever know the blessings that are in the law, they first had to be set free from it. Jesus died under the law and unto the law when he gave up His life on the cross. When He arose, He arose as the head of God’s new creation and was no longer subject to the laws demands. Those who are in Christ died and arose with Him, and enjoy the same freedom that He does. Those who would make the Ten Commandments, or any portion of the law the duty of those in Christ, are again enslaving them to their old master and making Christ of none effect in their lives.

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

5. Jesus came not only to work out a righteousness on our behalf; to pay the sin debt we owed for breaking God’s law; to free us from the demands of the law; but He came to enable us to keep the Law of God. However,—and this is where many well-intended preachers and teachers misconstrue the New Testament doctrines concerning the law—He did not come to place His people under any set of written laws, rules, regulations, or any other kind of carnal commandments in order to control them. Jesus came that His people might fulfill the righteousness of the law by living and walking in the Spirit.

2 Cor 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

When those who become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ are redeemed, they are also given a new nature, even the nature of God Himself. As we have already taught—God does not live under any set of laws that dictate to Him what He must do or not do; but, whatever God does always fulfills His law because that is the nature of God. Even so, His children inherit this same nature and begin to live according to the expression of that nature. His children are no longer controlled by an outward set of do’s and don’ts, but by the indwelling Spirit of God who now begins to work out the righteousness of the law in our lives.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.