Jesus Fulfilled the Law - Now What?

There’s a phrase I’ve heard repeated in Christian communities, so often, in fact, that for a long time, I accepted it without question: “Jesus fulfilled the law so we don’t have to.” 

It has been used to justify why Christians do not follow laws within the Old Testament. And if someone had asked me eight years ago why Christians don't follow the law, I would have confidently answered: because Jesus did it for us! It sounded right (it was what I had always heard, after all), and it felt liberating. I mean who would willingly want to bear the oppressive weight of the law that Jesus saved us from? 

Or so I thought.

In recent years, I've examined some of the implications that lie beneath the statement. What I once accepted at face value now seems to raise more questions than answers. 

Let me rephrase the statement for you and ask you to sit with it for a moment. I want to be clear: I'm not changing the language to misrepresent the original teaching but to draw out the logical implication that many of us have accepted without much thought. Here it is…

Jesus obeyed the Word of God, so we don't have to. 

Did you wince a little when you read that? Because I did. 

The original statement is laden with the idea that we are relieved of obedience and no longer under an obligation to follow God's word (which is what the law is). It suggests, mistakenly, that grace negates our responsibility and that Jesus' faithfulness exempts us from our need to be faithful.

Ironically, I can't think of a tradition that would openly state we should not obey the word of God. On the contrary, the Church holds that Scripture is sacred. We read it, preach from it, and claim to build our lives on its truth. But despite this, many Christians quietly resist the idea that obedience is required. The Church affirms the authority of God's Word in theory but often avoids its demands in practice. Why?

I believe this happens for two reasons.

First, it is due to a misunderstanding of the law itself. Many believers assume the law was a system given to Israel for them to earn their salvation or that it was some burdensome list of rules on them to keep them in check under God's thumb. Both perspectives are false. I will not spend time unpacking those points here, as I've belabored them in other posts. However, I encourage you to read this post [here] if you've tended to view the law as a means of legalism or control.

The second reason is that we find obedience problematic. The idea of obedience is a non-starter for many of us. Rebellion is en vogue. Do you want to be celebrated? Be a rebel, break from binary categories, and be the self-made individual who answers to no one. 

Obedience? No way! That is oppressive and dangerous. 

While this may sound like I'm describing a largely cultural issue, it is very much a part of the Western Church. Today, churches have understandably sought to distance themselves from the heavy-handed legalism of previous generations, which used obedience in the name of fear and control. 

And in an effort to not repeat past mistakes, Scripture has been softened into suggestions. Our covenantal obligations are viewed as optional or futile. As long as we believe in Jesus, nothing else should matter. The "transformation" of our hearts becomes limited to the changes we personally find suitable for our lives instead of responding with obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

But I’m inclined to ask: What is faith without obedience?

The author of Hebrews wrote, "Eternal salvation is granted to all who obey" (Heb 5:9). This is a clear statement that true faith does not begin and end with simply believing in Jesus. In his letter to the Church in Jerusalem, James wrote that faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17). A belief that does not produce obedience is no faith at all. He went on to sharply remind us that even demons believe in God, but they do not obey (Jam 2:18-19). Their belief is real, but they are rebels. 

In Acts, Luke wrote that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey the gospel (Acts 5:32). Obedience is the condition by which the Spirit is given. If our belief in Jesus does not bring us to obedience, then where is there room for the Spirit in our hearts? Jesus also taught in Luke 12 and Matthew 12 that blaspheming the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin. The Spirit is the one who convicts and guides us. To resist His leading is to resist grace itself, no matter how sincerely you believe in the existence of Jesus.

Scripture plainly states that we must be obedient. We cannot substitute Jesus’ obedience for our own. Without obedience, our faith is hollow, likea velleity, a wish that lacks any will to act.¹ It is, ultimately, worthless.

Why is it that a summary statement of what Jesus did becomes a blanket excuse for what we no longer need to do? Especially when it is so far from what Scripture teaches. 

I have become very passionate about challenging theological "one-liners." The underlying assumptions in these quippy phrases are much more active in our faith than we realize, and if left unchecked, lead to confusion, complacency, or worse, a complete abandonment of our faith.

This "one-liner" presents a significant challenge to our understanding of the Old Testament, the purpose of the law, and Jesus Himself. 

So what do we do with phrases like "Jesus fulfilled the law so we do not have to?" 

We must recognize their limits. 

I believe this phrase rightly emphasizes Jesus' unique role in our redemption. Jesus did fulfill the law in a way that we never could, that is true. But nowhere in Scripture is that level of fulfillment placed on us. Not even Israel was asked to fulfill the law in that sense. Fulfilling and following are two different categories of responsibility and God always planned that fulfillment would come through Himself (Gen 15:17). What God asked of us, both then and now, is obedience (Deut 10:12-13).  [read this post for more on keeping the law].

That is the limit of this phrase. 

But overtime it has been warped and distorted - conflating fulfillment with following, and creating a chasm in our understanding of and application of Scripture. 

Do we follow the law? Should we be obedient to God's word? Scripture would say: Yes.

Jesus did not fulfill the law, so we do not have to. He fulfilled the law to show us what true obedience looks like. His fulfillment did not abolish the law (Matt 5). But allows for us to receive the Spirit and experience new life (Rom 8:3-4). In Jesus, we are not invited to "do less" but to become more, formed into the image and likeness of Christ.

Reflection Questions:

• Have you ever heard or used the phrase “Jesus fulfilled the law so we do not have to”? What assumptions were behind it?

• How have you seen or experienced the church implicitly or explicitly teaching that obedience is optional?

• How does understanding obedience as a response to grace, rather than a means to earn salvation, change your perspective?

• What are some other “one-liners” that you have believed or repeated that may deserve deeper examination?

Footnotes:

1. I recently joined a Word Club and am challenging myself to incorporate the words we explore into my writing if it is appropriate to do so. You can thank Word Club for the use of the term "Velleity." :)