What place does the Old Testament and the Law Play in the life of a Christian?

Yes, we are saying much the same thing. Yet there seems to be a subtle difference which involves the law, the old covenant, and the failure of the law to survive the transition between the old and new covenant.

(response to: The law, by any other name....
Submitted by Julabee Jones on Thu, 2009-11-05 00:14.)

I believe the following two statement are correct even though only one is directly quoting scripture:

1. "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
2. Christ writes the law of righteousness in the heart and mind of every one that believeth.

But notice that the second statement closely parallels the new covenant promise.

So then, could it be that faith in Christ is the climax of the law for righteousness. Or, perhaps the fruition or culmination of the law for righteousness. Anyway, what the people could not do by keeping the law (without faith) Christ will accomplish by faith.

In other words, does the law actually terminate with the old covenant or does its ultimate purpose finally find fulfillment through faith in Jesus Christ? I vote the latter because the new covenant involves, not us attempting to shape our outward behavior by observing the law, but rather God writing the law in our hearts and minds.

How does God write His law in our hearts and minds? Well, through the person of Jesus Christ. Christ perfectly kept (fulfilled) the law and then offered Himself as our sacrifice. The love for mankind exhibited on the cross draws all men to Him. As He personally gains entrance into their lives they become not only recipients of His grace but also of His perfect obedience to the law. As His character is inscribed upon our hearts so too is His perfect life.

Under the new covenant God writes His law in our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Not only is His righteousness imputed to us so that by faith we receive justification from the condemnation of the law, but His righteousness is also imparted to us so that in our sanctification we may be partakers of His divine nature.

So then, does God write "Thou shalt not kill" upon our hearts, figuratively? No, I don't think so. But what He writes is a love for God and neighbor such that the thought of even hating someone is excluded from our mental vocabulary. When Christ is our life we will be involved in taking care of our neighbor, looking after his welfare even above our own. With the attitude of Christ it is hard to do evil against our neighbor. And, as Paul states, love fulfills the law.

So while we are not focused on NOT doing evil we are consumed with doing good--the fruit of the spirit--if indeed Christ dwells in our hearts by faith and we are walking in the spirit of life. Yet, the law remains there, undaunted by the whole process, to condemn the guilty. For not everything has yet been fulfilled seeing that the purpose of the law concerning unrighteousness has not yet been completed. For the sting of death is sin, but the power of death is the law. The law says, "The wages of sin is death." So the law must stand until all things have been fulfilled. It must remain until the last sinner has met its claims on his life. Then, when heaven and earth have passed away and the last of evil has been cast into the lake of fire with hell and death, then perhaps all things will have been fulfilled.

I would like to make comment on each section of your last post, if time allows, to demonstrate just how close we are on this matter. Thank you.

----------------------------------------------------------------
“The path of true piety is so plain as to require
but little political direction.” --George Washington,
re: absence of "Jesus Christ" in U.S. Constitution.