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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
March 28
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Today's Pathway:
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Yesterday we saw that the Jews were trying to become acceptable to God by keeping the Law, and thus rejected Jesus. Today in Romans 10:4 Paul states that
"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness".
What does this mean? The word "end" means "a termination, a completion, a consummation, a goal achieved, a result attained." There are three different ideas contained here. First, Matthew 5:17 states that Jesus fulfilled the Law. Colossians 2:16-17 says,
"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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."
The Law was only a shadow, but Christ was the Body. John Phillips wrote,
"The Jews counted 613 separate edicts in the Mosaic law and there never was a single moment when the Lord Jesus did not absolutely fulfill in every detail every commandment. At all times, in all places, in all ways, He kept the law of God. He kept it in letter and in spirit. He kept the law in its injunctions and in its intentions."
Second, Christ was the goal of the Law. The Law pointed men to Christ. Galatians 3:24-25 says,
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
Marvin Vincent wrote,
"Everything about the Jewish religion pointed to the coming Messiah - their sacrifices, priesthood, temple services, religious festivals, and covenants. Their Law, the Temple ceremonies, the sacrifices, etc. were all 'word pictures' given by God to tell His chosen people that they were sinners in need of a Savior. The Law, like the tabernacle, temple, and sacrifices was a signpost, pointing the way. It was a means to an end, not the end itself."
Third, Christ is the termination of the Law. While the first two ideas mentioned above are true, it is probably this third one that Paul primarily has in mind. When a man receives Christ, the Law no longer has any effect on him. Verse 4 says that He is the end of the Law "for righteousness". In Acts 13:38-39 Paul preached,
"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
The Law never produced righteousness. All the Law could do was condemn. However, once a person gets saved, he receives the imputed righteousness of Christ and the Law is no longer the basis for His relationship with God. Warren Wiersbe put it this way,
"Christ is the end of the Law in the sense that through His death and resurrection He has terminated the ministry of the Law for those who believe. The Law is ended as far as Christians are concerned. The righteousness of the Law is being fulfilled in the life of the believer through the power of the Spirit (Romans 8:4); but the reign of the Law has ended (Ephesians 2:15, Colossians 2:14).
'For ye are not under the Law, but under grace' (Romans 6:14)."
According to the end of verse 4 this only is available to those that believe. Belief in Christ as Savior ends the sinner’s futile attempts to gain righteousness through the law, and gives him the righteousness that is necessary to be acceptable unto God.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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