Confession: I used to always skip over reading most of the Old Testament.
I felt like the Psalms were good and Proverbs offered some wise insights, but I wasn't sure about books like Leviticus and Deuteronomy … all those laws!
Yes, I believed everything else in the Old Testament was true, but I didn’t think they had much application to my daily life. They were just for the Israelites, right? I mean, who could follow all those rules and sacrifices you read about?
But after a sermon at my church, I discovered I was wrong!
The Old Testament, the Law, and New Testament should all be important to us. The Bible is God’s living Word – all of it!
So why does God's law from the Old Testment matter today? In this article, I'm going to look at two reasons.
1. The law shows us what we were before Christ
When reading through Leviticus, I had to wonder if these people really followed all the commands and precepts. I mean, with more than a whole book of rules, how could they?
And the truth is, no, they didn't. They disobeyed and failed tons of times.
They grumbled about how little food they had, they went after idols, they killed each other. They were just as sinful as we are.
And this is one reason why we need the law: to show us that we are sinful and in constant need of God’s grace.
The law shows us that God has the highest standards … and we constantly fail to meet them. The law makes us aware of our own failings.
“… if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.” —Romans 7:7
Sometimes we like to think we aren't as bad as other people. But in reality, we are. The law is there to show us what sin is, and to remind us that we are just like everyone else, sinful.
2. The law reminds us how great God is
When the Israelites sinned and broke God’s holy law all those years ago, God could have abandoned them. He would have been perfectly just to do that.
The amazing thing is, He didn't! We wouldn't be here today if it wasn't because of God’s great mercy.
He sent His Son to die for all 'law breakers' including you and me. He loved us when we were at our darkest. We were slaves of sin, breakers of the law, and a rebellious people.
”but God shows his love for us in that we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8
The law is there to remind us how broken we were before Christ, but it also shows us how loving, merciful, and faithful God is by sending Jesus.
Teen, the whole entire Bible is perfect, inspired by God, and should be used for our sanctification.
Get out there and read it. And give thanks that through Jesus, you are no longer condemned as a law breaker!