The New Covenant - Does it Abolish God‘s Law?

The New Covenant: Does It Abolish God's Law?

Learn the real purpose of God’s biblical covenants and their vital role in the Creator’s overall plan for the world.

Does the New Covenant negate God’s law and do away with the need to obey the Ten Commandments or other laws of God? What was the purpose of different covenants in the Bible? 

This guide explores:

  • Key elements of the Sinai Covenant, and others
  • Whether Abraham kept the same laws as Moses
  • The truth about Jesus Christ’s relationship with the law
  • How God's law and God's grace work together

Get a detailed look into the series of covenants and what they mean for you today.

Table of Contents

A woman reading a Bible.

Introduction: The New Covenant

5 minutes
To benefit from God's wonderful plan of salvation, it is essential that we correctly understand the meaning and purpose of the New Covenant that Jesus...
An open Bible laying on a table.

God's Magnificent Series of Covenants

27 minutes
Through special covenants made with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David, God long ago began to reveal important details of His plan to produce for Himself...
A Bible laying on top of papers.

Did Abraham Keep the Same Commandments God Gave to Moses?

2 minutes
Most religious teachers say that God's commands given through Moses applied only to ancient Israel and are not for us today.
An old person's hands hold the edges of a Bible.

How Can We Obey God's Commandments?

5 minutes
What is the nature and purpose of God's Ten Commandments?
Bible laying on top of a table

The Sinai Covenant and the 'Voice of the Lord'

2 minutes
The covenant that God made with the ancient Israelites at Mt. Sinai—to give them His special blessings and protection—was conditional on their...
A Bible laying on a table.

God's 'Laws, Statutes and Judgments'

3 minutes
God's instructions to His people and their officials are usually summarized under the three broad categories of statutes, judgments and laws.
A Bible opened to the beginning of the book of Leviticus.

Key Elements of the Sinai Covenant

2 minutes
The Sinai Covenant's total package of law, the entire five books written by Moses, was designed to cover in principle every major aspect of national...
A woman looking out over a body of water.

Rightly Understanding 'Justification' and 'Righteousness'

4 minutes
The words righteous or righteousness in English translations of the Scriptures describe primarily personal character as demonstrated in appropriate...
Stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments.

Did the Ten Commandments Exist Before Moses?

4 minutes
Many people assume that the Ten Commandments and the covenant God established with ancient Israel are identical—and that both were abolished by Jesus...
A woman holding a Bible on her lap.

God's Law: Is It a Burden or a Blessing?

3 minutes
Why did God give His law?
A person looking at a sunset.

A New Covenant for Transforming the Heart

25 minutes
God planned from the beginning to transform the limited and temporary covenant He made with ancient Israel—with its abundance of symbolic sacrifices...
A silhouette of young man with the sun setting in the background.

What Was the Main Weakness of the Sinai Covenant?

2 minutes
What was the problem with the Sinai Covenant?
A woman looking over a valley.

How God Balances Justice With Mercy

2 minutes
God balances justice with mercy by considering what is in the heart—whether there remains any possibility of repentance.
A Bible laying on a table.

How Is the New Covenant 'New'?

2 minutes
The New Covenant unquestionably provides a better relationship with God than the relationship portrayed only symbolically in the former covenant.
A Bible.

The Ten Commandments: Keys in a Law of Love

6 minutes
The love most often spoken of in the bible is an outgoing concern for others as demonstrated by our actions and more meaningful than mere feelings.
Bible laying on top of a table

The High Priest Essential to Salvation

15 minutes
Only by having constant access to a living, permanent High Priest is it possible for us to obey God in a manner that pleases Him.
A Bible laying on a table.

Grace and Law: Why Are They Inseparable?

3 minutes
The word grace is regularly used by some religious people as if it replaces all need to obey God's law. That conclusion is not only inaccurate, it is...
A Bible laying on a table.

A High Priest Eager to Help Us

2 minutes
The key to solving the problem of sin is the help we receive through Jesus Christ.
A Bible laying on a table.

Circumcision vs. a 'New Creation' in Christ

22 minutes
"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation" (Galatians 6:15, NIV).
A person reading a Bible.

Current Confusion Over Christian Freedom

3 minutes
In countering the Galatian heresy, Paul sometimes refers to Christian freedom. But the freedom he describes is very different from the way his words...
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The 'Curse of the Law'

3 minutes
Galatians 3:10-13 is one of the most frequently misused passages in the Bible.
A Bible laying on a table.

Galatians 4 verses 9-10: Are God's Laws Bondage?

5 minutes
Some view Galatians 4:9-10 as condemning Old Testament laws.
An open Bible laying on a table.

Did Paul's Words to the Galatians Contradict His Actions?

2 minutes
One common interpretation of the book of Galatians is that Paul criticized the Galatians for keeping the biblical Sabbath and Holy Days.
An open Bible laying on a table.

Why Paul Used the Term 'the Whole Law' in Galatians 5 verse 3

3 minutes
Was Paul implying that the gentiles' exemption from physical circumcision also exempted them from having to obey any of the laws of God?
A man looking at a sunrise.

What's Wrong With Our Human Nature?

4 minutes
The Bible represents Satan as the master manipulator of human nature.
A Bible laying on a table.

The Holy Spirit: God's Promise of His Divine Help

5 minutes
We need God's help, through His Spirit, to obey Him from the heart and bring our thoughts, attitudes and actions in line with His.
A person holding a Bible.

The Justice and Judgment of God

17 minutes
God is a judge who holds every human being accountable to His law is a theme repeated again and again in the Scriptures.
Bible laying on top of a table

How Faith Puts the Law on “Firmer Footing”

2 minutes
A comment by Paul that many lift out of context and misinterpret in Romans.
A Bible laying on a table.

How Does Justification Relate to Salvation?

5 minutes
In understanding the relationship between justification and salvation, we need to realize the different senses in which these terms are used.
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Biblical Writers Applied Prophecies of “the LORD” to Jesus Christ

2 minutes
The apostle Paul applies several Old Testament passages about the Lord to Jesus Christ.
A night sky filled with stars and visible galaxy.

Jesus Christ’s Apostles Understood Him to Be the Creator

2 minutes
Jesus claimed to be all that God is, and the disciples believed and taught it.
Large rock in the desert.

Jesus Christ—“the Rock” of the Old Testament

2 minutes
The apostle Paul affirms that the God the Israelites of the Old Testament knew - the One they looked to as their "Rock" of strength (see Deuteronomy...
An open Bible on a log.

Jesus and God’s Law: The Missing Dimension

18 minutes
The question of Jesus Christ’s relationship with and teaching on biblical law has an added dimension that’s seldom addressed or discussed—especially...
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Grace and Law: What Does the Bible Say?

17 minutes
Grace is one of the most wonderful things God wants to give to us. It is far beyond just forgiveness of sin, which is extremely important and is also...
A list of scriptures.

How God’s Law Reflects His Mind and Character

1 minute
God’s law is a reflection of God’s mind, nature and character.
An open Bible.

What Does “Not Under Law, but Under Grace” Mean?

6 minutes
Many people point to Romans 6:14, which says, “You are not under law, but under grace,” to argue that Christians, being under grace, no longer need to...
A person sitting on a concrete bench.

Grace, Faith and Law

4 minutes
Paul taught that salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
An open Bible on a table.

“The Law Was Given Through Moses, but Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ”

3 minutes
God’s law was given to mankind for humanity’s own good and benefit.
A person walking on a path.

What Did “Grace” Mean in the First-Century World?

10 minutes
Words can be difficult to understand when they have been far removed from their original context. One such word is grace.
A Bible laying on a table.

Does Romans 14 Abolish Laws Concerning Unclean Meats?

6 minutes
Many believe Romans 14 says that Christians are free from all former biblical restrictions regarding the meats they may eat.
Bibles stacked on top of each other.

Did Paul Teach That All Days of Worship Are Alike?

5 minutes
Did Paul teach that the Sabbath is no different from any other day or that we are free to choose for ourselves whatever day we wish to observe?
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Did Paul Tell the Romans One Thing and the Corinthians the Opposite?

3 minutes
Many people assume that Paul was dismissing any need to keep the Sabbath and other biblical Holy Days.
A person reading a Bible.

Peace and Unity in Christ

13 minutes
Paul's letter to the Ephesians is about God's marvelous plan to bring peace, unity and salvation to all peoples—Jews and gentiles alike.
An old prison cell.

Paul Imprisoned Over a Man-Made Taboo

2 minutes
Both internal and historical evidence indicates that Paul was in prison when he wrote his epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians.
A Bible laying on a table.

The Corruption of Apostolic Christianity

2 minutes
Almost immediately after the Roman armies destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its temple in A.D. 70, intense prejudice against Jewish beliefs and...
A Bible laying on a table.

What Was 'Wiped Out' by Jesus Christ's Death?

6 minutes
The inadequate and misleading translation of a passage in Colossians 2 in some Bible versions is often used to support the flawed belief that God's...
A Bible opened to book of Colossians.

What Does 'Shadow of Things to Come' Mean?

2 minutes
Paul explains in Colossians that God's weekly Sabbath day and sacred festivals are a shadow of things to come.
A stack of books.

What Calendar Was Used by the Earliest Christians?

2 minutes
The following quote from a book by Dr. Troy Martin, professor of Religious Studies at Chicago's Saint Xavier University, on Paul's letter to the...
A stack of books.

What Ascetic Philosophy Was Affecting the Colossians?

4 minutes
Paul warned the Christian gentiles in Colosse against misguided human philosophy, not against the need to keep God's law.
A Bible opened to book of Colossians.

Colossians 2 verses 16-17: Are God's Laws Obsolete?

3 minutes
Many people assume from Colossians 2:16-17 that Paul is saying that God's laws about the Sabbath, Holy Days and clean and unclean meats are no longer...
A open Bible on a table.

The Apostles, the Old Testament and God's Law

12 minutes
One of the most misguided conceptions of the New Covenant is the idea that through it Jesus Christ canceled obedience to the laws contained in the Old...
A person holding a Bible.

Jesus and Paul Emphasize the Law's Correct Focus

2 minutes
By the time of Jesus and Paul, some Jewish religious leaders had distorted the focus of God's law.
A person holding a Bible.

Paul Regularly Used the Old Testament as the Authority for His Teaching

2 minutes
In many Bible versions it can be difficult to tell when a New Testament writer is quoting from the Old Testament.
A Bible opened to the book of Acts.

Acts Shows What the Early Church Believed and Practiced

5 minutes
The book of Acts is a key historical record of what the early Church believed and practiced.
A person holding a Bible.

What Did Paul Mean by 'Christ Is the End of the Law'?

2 minutes
Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, is a perfect replica of what God's law teaches. Pointing us to His character and work is the "aim" of the law.
A Bible opened to the book of Acts.

The Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15: What Was Decided?

5 minutes
Some people believe that the early Church's decision in Acts 15 freed Christians from the need to obey the laws revealed in the Old Testament. But is...
A Bible opened to the book of Matthew.

Jesus' Teaching on God's Law

17 minutes
Perhaps the most widespread controversies about the teachings of Jesus concern His attitude toward the laws of God recorded in the Old Testament.
An open Bible laying on a table.

Other Important Ways Jesus Fulfilled the Law

3 minutes
Consider for a moment the penalty that each of us brought on ourselves by sin.
A person holding a Bible.

Does the New Covenant Abolish the Commandments?

4 minutes
The popular belief that the New Covenant abolishes God's law reflects a misunderstanding of both covenants.
A young woman reading a Bible.

The “New” Part of Jesus Christ’s “New Commandment”

2 minutes
Did Jesus replace God's previous commandments with just this one new commandment?
A man praying over his Bible.

Confusion Over Legalism: What It Is and Isn't

4 minutes
The religious authorities who accused Jesus Christ of breaking the Sabbath have been described as having a legalistic approach. But what does the term...
A woman reading a Bible.

Does God Set Conditions on His Gift of Eternal Life?

6 minutes
Eternal life comes as a result of God's grace. It is His gift, unearned and undeserved on our part.
A man reading a Bible.

All the World Under the New Covenant

7 minutes
When God confirmed the Sinai Covenant with ancient Israel, He summarized how He wanted the people to respond.
An open Bible laying on a table.

Liberty Through God's Law

2 minutes
Today's democratic system of government in Western nations is based on liberty that is both defined and guaranteed by law. Biblical freedom or liberty...
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A Covenant of Marriage

6 minutes
Few people realize that the Old Covenant was essentially a marriage covenant.