Below are some thoughts on this question, “According to Paul, was Christ the “goal” or the “end” of the law?”
In Romans 10:4 it says, “Christ is the end of the law.” In order to understand what Paul means by “the end” there are two beliefs about this statement. Some believe that Paul means that Christ is the very end of the law and that it is no longer applicable to any parts of Christianity and following after God. This statement does not completely follow along with what Jesus says in Matthew 5:17-20 very well since Jesus explicitly states that he has not come to abolish, but to fulfill the law. To understand this further we need to look into the Old Testament. The old covenant included faith, but it emphasized obedience. Since no one could do everything the law required, it could never be a means of righteousness. The new covenant, however, is based on faith, so it succeeds where the old covenant could not. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, but its main purpose is to be “schoolmaster” or “tutor” (Galatians 3:24) to bring us to Christ. Many believers miss this point and spend a considerable amount of time debating whether the law is of any use today or that we should follow each rule to be right with God.
Before Paul was a follower of Christ, he found his righteousness in keeping the law, but now he found it through faith in Christ. The word for “end” is (telos) which can mean both “goal” and “terminus.” This means that Paul teaches believers that the law was placed and introduced by God until the coming of Christ and its period of its validity was at an end. Some interpreters have tried to make this statement more pointed and some have tried to lessen the meaning of the “end of the law.” The importance is placed on man’s approach to God, we are no longer under the “yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1) of the law and now we can have forgiveness and salvation through Christ alone and not by living out the law (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Pauline theology about living under the law is completed by the grace that believers have received through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
I think that it is important to remember that we are no longer under the “ceremonial” law of following all of the customs of the Jewish tradition. We are not to throw out the moral code of the Ten Commandments because they are a revelation of the heart of Christ. I believe the most important aspect to apply to life is that we are to follow completely the heart and mind of Christ and in doing so, we are able to be faithful throughout life. The law is not obsolete because it is a guide to bring the lost to see their need for Christ. It is a “mirror” to remind us that we need to be changed by Jesus.
The last thing to remember is that believers are to follow the leadings of God’s spirit to be a “bond-slave” to Christ (Galatians 2:20). The purpose of Christ fulfilling the law is for us to be His servants and to follow after His heart and commandments (Love God, Love People) that he clearly states in Scripture (Matthew 22:37-40). We are reconciled through Christ because of his amazing grace that is revealed through his undying love for us that was shown by the cross.
The real message is that we GET to live for His glory not because we cannot EARN it through being “good.” We are made right with God only through the blood shed on the cross for our sin debt. How can we NOT give back the same love to such a loving savior?
Tags: Background of Scripture, Fulfillment of the Law, Grace, Grace through faith
It is important to remember that meeting people at their point of need is crucial in today’s culture. People want to see results more than information when we talk about God. Without the truth of God there is no reason to be “incarnational” in our approach to evangelism in the world. It is not an “either/or” but important to be clear about the truth of Jesus and His Word.
If we continually share the gospel with an unbelieving world, we must model a servant’s heart. The connection between information and example is that God’s Word is real, alive, and life-changing. I heard a quote from my apologetics course this past week said, “You can love someone to Hell.” Being willing to share Christ is the ultimate revelation of love for another person. The church needs to be focused upon disciples who make disciples.
We must be counter-culture in our approach to speaking with people and following the Holy Spirit’s leading. We are called by God to be, “in the world, but not of the world.” The daily life of a believer must reveal the heart of Christ. We must move from the “head” (information) and let God’s Word move us to the “heart” (action) of sharing our faith.
My prayer is that God would use me and those I influence to lead many to know Christ!
Tags: evangelism, Incarnational evangelism, Sharing the gospel
This current postmodern society is searching for authenticity. People do not want anyone to judge another person based on being authentic, but they inwardly want it from each other. In order for the church to impact the world and their search for truth, we need to be listeners. People desire to be heard, no matter how off-track and lost they are in their life. Jesus always responded with questions (besides some of his face-offs with the Pharisees). If we are to model servant-evangelism, people need to know we care. Many lost people stereotype believers as uncaring, defensive, judgmental and close-minded.
We must be counter-culture and look at the postmodern questions like, “Is Jesus the only way to God?” as an opportunity rather than an argument. We must re-train our attitude towards the lost and be students of the culture so that we can rightly divide the Word of Truth in real-life situations. Simply, people want to see how we respond with in everyday situations. Are we patient? How do we treat waiters/waitresses when our food isn’t cooked right (after Sunday service)?
The important evidence that the lost are looking for is if we love each other with a sacrificial and encouraging love. Lost people need to see churches reveal their love for each other. We spend too much time talking about loving each other. For example, when a believer needs prayer, we usually tell them we are praying for them rather than praying for them on the spot.
Although the world is constantly changing, the unchanging truth is that Christ is the answer.
Tags: evangelism, Servant evangelism, servant's heart
It is that time of the year. I thought I’d share my personal and ministry goals!
Personal goals:
- Workout at least 2-3 times per week in the gym – I want to put on more muscle and start getting in shape like I was in college.
- Talk less and Listen More. I want to hear more from God this new year. Abiding in a close walk with my heavenly Father is crucial and I need to rely on His strength and not upon my own.
- Spend quality time with God in the morning through prayer, scripture reading and journaling. I’ve signed up for a reading plan on the ESV Bible website.
- Spend quality time with Cassidy – make it a priority to go on dates, have devotions time together and pray with each other.
- I plan to finish my Master’s degree in Christian Leadership by this summer from Liberty Theological Seminary. I’ll be taking four classes this spring and a few in the summer. It will be busy, but I plan to finish well.
- We hope to find a great deal on a home and become homeowners. Please pray for us to make a wise choice.
- I am praying for new opportunities to speak to students at events, D-NOWS, or camps.
Ministry Goals:
- Build Leaders – Encouraging and equipping students to carry out the ministry through training and allowing them to lead. Building ownership! We have a team of students set up called the CORE team and my prayer is that they lead many of their friends to Christ. Equipping parents to continue spiritual leadership in the home is VITAL and must be priority. We will have “Parent-Life” events every quarter (January, April, September). When the family puts Christ at the core, we will see more students become fully devoted followers of Christ.
- Build Community – Students become ministers, not just spectators. Students including and encouraging other students to belong! I pray that students find REFUGE when they come and find true and meaningful relationships with adults and students.
- Build a heart for the un-churched – The phrase we will use is, “Move from a youth group to a youth ministry.” I’m kicking off the new year with a series focused upon helping students learn to have the courage to lead their friends to Christ. Lead students to “Invest and invite – and share their “story” of Christ changing their life. I pray that students do not just COME to church, but are BEING the church.
What about you? Have you thought about your goals for the new year?
Tags: 2010, Goals, Liberty Bap, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, Ministry Goals, New Year Resolutions
I just thought I’d have a quick mind-dump of what God’s teaching me.
I need the presence of God – I’m focusing on the verse “pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.“ (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
- Prayer opens up my heart for God to move – “God, change me to become more like you“
- Prayer aligns our heart with what God is doing – “Show me how to love with your unconditional love”
- Prayer aligns my life to His Will – “I will follow you“
- Praying that God will use me as empty vessel – “Cleanse my heart of sin so I can be pure for you to fill“
- Praying that God will give me the passion to reach the lost with the gospel – “help me to open my mouth more and share Jesus with the lost“
- Realize that life is a journey – “Help me live for truth and have the character to finish strong“
- Realize that prayer is heard by a loving God – “Thank you for Your grace and forgiveness”
- Prayer completes the picture that we are dependent upon God for everything – “You are my source“
Tags: Christian leadership, prayer, Thoughts on life
