Has God’s Law Been Abolished? A Biblical Study
Many believe that God’s Law was abolished at the cross, citing verses that seem to support this claim. However, a careful study of Scripture reveals that these interpretations often distort the true message of the Word. The Law of God remains central to righteousness, judgment, and God’s eternal covenant.
Commonly Misused Verses & Their True Meaning
Many verses are taken out of context to argue that the Law is no longer binding. Here, we examine these verses in their proper biblical and historical context.
1️⃣ Romans 6:14 – “Not Under the Law, But Under Grace”
📜 Misuse: Some claim this verse means we are no longer subject to God’s Law.
📖 Context & True Meaning:
Paul contrasts grace and sin, not grace and obedience.
Being “under the Law” means under its penalty, not free from obedience.
Romans 3:31 – “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
2️⃣ Colossians 2:14 – “Blotting Out the Handwriting of Ordinances”
📜 Misuse: Some argue this means the entire Law was nailed to the cross.
📖 Context & True Meaning:
The “handwriting of ordinances” refers to the record of sin debt against us, not God’s moral law.
Isaiah 59:2 – Sin separates us from God, but Christ’s sacrifice removes the barrier, not the commandments.
3️⃣ Galatians 3:13 – “Christ Hath Redeemed Us From the Curse of the Law”
📜 Misuse: This verse is cited to argue that the Law is a curse and should be discarded.
📖 Context & True Meaning:
The curse is not the Law itself, but the penalty for breaking it.
Deuteronomy 27:26 – Breaking the Law brings a curse; Christ removed this penalty, not the Law itself.
4️⃣ Matthew 5:17 – “I Am Not Come to Destroy, But to Fulfill”
📜 Misuse: Some claim “fulfill” means “to end or abolish.”
📖 Context & True Meaning:
Greek word “plēroō” (fulfill) means to bring to full meaning, not to remove.
Matthew 5:18 – “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.”
5️⃣ John 13:34 – “A New Commandment I Give Unto You”
📜 Misuse: Some claim that Jesus replaced God’s Law with a new law of love.
📖 Context & True Meaning:
Jesus did not abolish the Ten Commandments but summarized them under love.
Matthew 22:37-40 – Jesus confirms that love fulfills the Law, not replaces it.
Romans 13:8-10 – “Love is the fulfilling of the Law,” meaning love is the foundation of obedience, not a replacement for God’s commandment.
6️⃣ Paul & The Law – Did He Teach Against It?
Romans 7:12 – “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”
Acts 24:14 – “Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.”
Romans 3:31 – “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
What the Bible Clearly Teaches About the Law
Scripture overwhelmingly confirms that God’s Law remains in effect.
1️⃣ The Law Reflects God’s Character
Psalm 19:7 – “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.”
Malachi 3:6 – “For I am the Lord, I change not.”
2️⃣ Sin Is Defined by the Law
1 John 3:4 – “Sin is the transgression of the law.”
Romans 7:7 – “I had not known sin, but by the law.”
3️⃣ The Law Is Written on Our Hearts in the New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:33 – “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.”
Hebrews 8:10 – “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.”
Jesus as Our Example: Did He Follow God’s Law?
Some argue that Jesus did not fully follow God’s Law, citing instances like His actions on the Sabbath or eating with sinners. However, Scripture affirms that Christ was sinless and obedient to God’s commands.
1️⃣ Jesus Kept the Sabbath & the Ten Commandments
Luke 4:16 – “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day.”
John 15:10 – “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments.”
2️⃣ Christ Our Sacrificial Lamb – Removing the Punishment, Not the Law
John 1:29 – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.”
Hebrews 9:22 – “Without shedding of blood is no remission.”
📖 Clarification: Christ did not remove the Law but took the penalty of sin upon Himself. Sin still exists because the Law defines it (1 John 3:4). His sacrifice paid our debt, not abolished God’s standard of righteousness.
3️⃣ Addressing Common Misinterpretations
📜 Mark 2:23-28 – The Disciples Picking Grain on the Sabbath
Some argue that Jesus broke the Sabbath here. However, He pointed to David eating the showbread (1 Samuel 21:6), showing that acts of necessity and mercy are lawful on the Sabbath.
📜 Matthew 12:10-12 – Healing on the Sabbath
Critics say Jesus broke the Sabbath by healing. Yet, He clarified that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Isaiah 58:13 – The Sabbath is about delighting in the Lord, not rigid legalism.
📜 Matthew 9:10-13 – Eating with Sinners
Jesus did not break any laws by eating with sinners. Instead, He came to call them to repentance (Luke 5:32).
📖 Hebrews 4:15 – “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Early Christians & the Law: Biblical and Secular Evidence
Many claim that early Christians abandoned the Law, but both Scripture and historical records prove otherwise.
1️⃣ Biblical Evidence of Early Christians Keeping the Law
Acts 13:42-44 – Paul and Barnabas taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and Gentiles requested to hear more the next Sabbath.
Acts 21:20 – “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law.”
1 Corinthians 7:19 – “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”
2️⃣ Secular Historical Evidence
Eusebius (Church Historian, 4th Century AD) – Records show that early Christians observed the Sabbath and followed many Old Testament laws.
Epiphanius (4th Century AD) – Wrote about groups of believers in Christ who still adhered to God’s commandments and Sabbath-keeping.
Roman Persecution Records – Some early believers were persecuted for refusing to participate in Roman customs that violated God’s Law, including eating unclean foods and honoring pagan gods.
God’s Law is not just a set of rules—it is a divine principle governing creation, salvation, and eternity.
🏛 The Ten Commandments in the Ark – The Law was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant, signifying its eternal value (Exodus 25:16).
🔥 The Law in the End Times – Revelation 14:12 describes the remnant as those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
⚖ The Law in Judgment – James 2:12 states that we will be judged by the Law of liberty.
❌ What Is Sin If Not Transgression?
Some argue that sin exists apart from the Law, but Scripture clearly defines sin as the breaking of God’s commandments. Without the Law, there is no sin.
1️⃣ The Biblical Definition of Sin
1 John 3:4 – “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Romans 7:7 – “I had not known sin, but by the law.”
James 2:10-11 – “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
2️⃣ If the Law Were Gone, Sin Would Not Exist
Romans 4:15 – “For where no law is, there is no transgression.”
Romans 5:13 – “Sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
Hebrews 10:26 – “If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
📖 Clarification: The Law defines sin. If God’s Law was removed, then sin would no longer be possible—yet we know sin still exists (Romans 3:23). This proves that the Law is still in effect.
1️⃣ Difference Between Moral & Ceremonial Law
Hebrews 10:1 – “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things.”
Matthew 5:18 – Jesus affirms that not one jot or tittle of the Law will pass.
Colossians 2:16-17 – The ceremonial law was a shadow of things to come, fulfilled in Christ.
2️⃣ The Law in Prophecy – End-Time Commandment Keepers
Revelation 14:12 – “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
Revelation 22:14 – “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.”
The idea that the Law was abolished is a misinterpretation of Scripture. Jesus fulfilled the Law, not by ending it, but by showing its full depth and meaning. The commandments remain central to our faith, guiding us in righteousness and preparing us for His Kingdom.
The Bible warns against those who distort God’s truth and lead others into lawlessness. Sin is still defined by transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4), and righteousness is still measured by obedience to God’s will (Matthew 7:21-23). If the Law were removed, then sin would cease to exist—but we know sin remains, and thus, the Law still stands.
God calls us to walk in obedience, seek His will, and turn away from deception before it is too late. The world is being conditioned to reject His commandments, and only those who stand firm in His truth will endure. “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14).
📖 Final Plea: Search the Scriptures. Pray for wisdom. Conform to the will of God while there is still time.
“Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.” – Isaiah 40:3