Christ’s role in fulfilling the law does not abolish the law but rather brings it to its rightful fulfillment in the life of the believer.
Romans 10:4 – "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 10:4 is interpreted as Christ being the "end" of the law, which is the fulfillment of the law's purpose, not the abolition of the law itself. This means that Christ's perfect life and sacrificial death meet the demands of the law that humanity, due to sin, could never perfectly keep. Through Christ, righteousness is made accessible to those who believe.
In 1 Timothy 1:5-9, Paul underscores that the purpose of the law is to reveal sin and to guide those who are not living in accordance with God's will. The law is still valid for those who are outside of Christ and who are living in sin. The law's function, according to Paul, is to show the need for a Savior and to guide believers to live holy lives. The law is good when understood properly because it helps believers identify sin and strive to live in accordance with God's will, aided by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 10:4 and 1 Timothy 1:5-9 teach that Christ is the end (or fulfillment) of the law in the sense that He meets the law's demands for righteousness through His life, death, and resurrection. This does not mean that the law is abolished or that it no longer has relevance. Instead, it means that Christ has provided the righteousness the law requires for those who believe. The moral law, including the Ten Commandments, remains a guide for how believers should live, empowered by the grace of Christ, who fulfills its righteous demands in them.
Jesus, in Mark 12:31 quotes Deut. 6:5, linking Jesus' Law of Love, with the loving Father's Moral Law.
Romans 10:4 – "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 10:4 is interpreted as Christ being the "end" of the law, which is the fulfillment of the law's purpose, not the abolition of the law itself. This means that Christ's perfect life and sacrificial death meet the demands of the law that humanity, due to sin, could never perfectly keep. Through Christ, righteousness is made accessible to those who believe.
- Christ's Fulfillment of the Law: Christ's life was the perfect fulfillment of the moral law, including the Ten Commandments. Jesus did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). His perfect obedience to the law is credited to the believer through faith, and this provides the righteousness that the law demands. The "end" of the law in this verse refers to its purpose being realized in Christ, where the law’s requirement for perfect obedience is met in His life.
- The Law's Function in the Life of the Believer: Christians are justified by faith in Christ and not by the law (Romans 3:28), the law still serves as a guide to holiness and godliness. The righteousness available through Christ, by faith, is not a means to neglect the law but to fulfill its righteous demands through the power of the Holy Spirit. Righteousness by faith does not mean freedom from the law but the empowerment to live according to the law.
In 1 Timothy 1:5-9, Paul underscores that the purpose of the law is to reveal sin and to guide those who are not living in accordance with God's will. The law is still valid for those who are outside of Christ and who are living in sin. The law's function, according to Paul, is to show the need for a Savior and to guide believers to live holy lives. The law is good when understood properly because it helps believers identify sin and strive to live in accordance with God's will, aided by the Holy Spirit.
- The Role of the Law for Believers: For believers, the law is no longer a condemning force but a guide to holiness. When one accepts Christ by faith, they are justified (made right with God), but this does not free them from the moral law. Rather, they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in harmony with it. This emphasizes that the law's purpose is not to bring salvation but to reveal God’s will and expose sin.
- Christ and the Law's End: Christ, as the "end" of the law, does not abolish it but brings its purpose to fulfillment. While the law cannot save (since it only exposes sin), Christ’s righteousness satisfies its demands for those who believe. Through His sacrifice, believers are empowered to keep the law, but they are not saved by obedience to the law alone. Rather, faith in Christ brings righteousness, and by that faith, believers are enabled to live in obedience to God's law.
- Christ Fulfills the Law's Righteous Demands: Christ is the fulfillment of the law, providing what the law demanded but could not give—righteousness. Christ did not abolish the law but fulfilled it. The righteousness of the law is now available through faith in Him, and this faith empowers believers to live in harmony with the law.
- The Law's Role Continues: Although believers are justified by faith, the law is not done away with. Instead, the law continues to serve as a guide for living a godly life. It shows us God’s will and reveals sin, but with Christ’s righteousness, believers can fulfill the law's moral requirements.
- Righteousness Comes Through Faith, Not the Law: This makes clear that the law cannot justify anyone. It points out sin, but it cannot save. Righteousness comes through faith in Christ, who has met the law’s demands on behalf of believers. But this does not mean the law is irrelevant; rather, it is fulfilled in Christ and becomes a guide for Christian living.
- The Law and Grace Are Not Opposites: The law and grace are not in opposition. Grace empowers believers to live according to the law, not as a means of salvation but as a way of honoring God through obedience.
Romans 10:4 and 1 Timothy 1:5-9 teach that Christ is the end (or fulfillment) of the law in the sense that He meets the law's demands for righteousness through His life, death, and resurrection. This does not mean that the law is abolished or that it no longer has relevance. Instead, it means that Christ has provided the righteousness the law requires for those who believe. The moral law, including the Ten Commandments, remains a guide for how believers should live, empowered by the grace of Christ, who fulfills its righteous demands in them.
Jesus, in Mark 12:31 quotes Deut. 6:5, linking Jesus' Law of Love, with the loving Father's Moral Law.