THE UNFINISHED REFORMATION · INVESTIGATION 09

Did God Abolish His Moral Law?

What role do the Ten Commandments have after the cross?

The New Testament rejects law-keeping as a means of earning justification while affirming God’s moral will. Jesus deepened the commandments rather than trivializing them. Paul says faith does not make the law void. The covenant question is not whether believers are saved by law, but whether grace produces a life aligned with God’s character.

Reformation principle. The cross condemns sin. It does not redefine sin as irrelevant.

SCRIPTURE TO EXAMINE

Read the biblical evidence

  • Romans 3:31Faith does not make the law void. It establishes it.
  • Matthew 5:17–19Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law or prophets.
  • Romans 7:7Paul identifies coveting as sin by appeal to the commandment.
  • Hebrews 8:10The new covenant writes God’s laws in the heart.
STRONGEST OBJECTION OR ALTERNATIVE READING

Examine the challenge

The New Testament also speaks of laws and covenantal provisions that no longer govern Christians in the same way. Careful interpretation must distinguish moral principles from ceremonial and national provisions.

YOUR VERDICT

If the new covenant writes God’s law in the heart, what has changed most directly?

  • God’s moral character
  • The location and relationship of the law to the believer
  • Nothing