Law of God
In the Bible, the "Law of God" refers to the instructions, moral codes, and commands God gave to humanity to show us how to live in a right relationship with Him and with each other. In the New International Version, this is often summarized by the Ten Commandments and later distilled by Jesus into Two Great Commandments.
Summary of God’s Laws
The Law of God can be broken down into three main "levels" throughout the Bible:
The Foundation (The Ten Commandments): Found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. These are the ten core "words" God spoke to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. They are divided into two parts: the first four deal with our relationship with God, and the final six deal with our relationship with other people.
The Heart (The Greatest Commandment): In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked which law was the most important. He summarized the entire Old Testament Law into just two commands: Love God and Love your neighbor. He said all other laws "hang" on these two.
The Goal (The Purpose of the Law): The New Testament (specifically Romans and Galatians) explains that the Law acts like a mirror or a "guardian." It shows us God's perfect standard, reveals where we fall short (sin), and ultimately points us to the need for a Savior (Jesus).
The Heart of the Law (Matthew 22 & Exodus 20)
To understand the Law of God, we must look at where it was given and how Jesus perfected our understanding of it.
The Ten Commandments: The Moral Compass
In Exodus 20:1-17, God speaks directly to His people. He begins by reminding them of His love: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). The laws that follow are not meant to be a burden, but a blueprint for a free and holy life:
Vertical Laws (God): No other gods, no idols, do not misuse His name, and keep the Sabbath holy.
Horizontal Laws (People): Honor your parents, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, and do not covet.
Jesus & the Summary of the Law
Centuries later, an expert in the law tested Jesus, asking, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (Matthew 22:36). Jesus did not pick one of the ten; instead, He went to the very "soul" of the Law by quoting two passages from the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18):
"‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." — Matthew 22:37-40
The Fulfillment of the Law
A common question is whether the Law still applies today. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." He "fulfilled" it in two ways:
Perfect Obedience: He was the only human to ever keep the Law perfectly.
Internalizing the Law: He taught that the Law isn't just about outward actions (like not killing), but about the heart (like not holding onto anger). In the New Covenant, God promised, "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts" (Hebrews 8:10).
Why Do We Have the Law?
According to Galatians 3:24, the Law was our "guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith." It is like a fence around a playground—it doesn't exist to stop the fun, but to keep the children safe from the "cliff" of sin and destruction.
Laws of the Kingdom
When Jesus began His ministry, He didn't just repeat the Old Testament laws; He introduced the "Laws of the Kingdom."
If the Ten Commandments are the "foundation," the Laws of the Kingdom are the "heart." Jesus taught that it is not enough to obey with your hands; you must obey with your soul.
Summary of Kingdom Laws primarily from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
The Laws of the Kingdom are often called "Upside-Down" laws because they flip human logic. In this kingdom:
The Heart is the Courtroom: Sin starts in the thoughts, not just the actions. Anger is treated with the same weight as murder; lust is treated with the same weight as adultery.
Love has No Boundaries: You are commanded to love not just your friends, but your enemies, and to pray for those who persecute you.
The Law of Reciprocity (The Golden Rule): "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12)
The Law of Secret Righteousness: Acts of faith (giving, praying, fasting) should be done in secret for God’s eyes only, rather than for public applause.
The Higher Standard – Laws of the Heart
In Matthew 5:20, Jesus makes a shocking statement: "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." The Pharisees were famous for following every tiny rule perfectly. Jesus was saying that the Kingdom of God requires something deeper than rule-following—it requires transformation.
The "But I Tell You" Commands
Six times in Matthew 5, Jesus quotes an old law and then raises the bar. This is known as the "Antitheses." He is moving the law from the "letter" to the "spirit."
On Anger: "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder...’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment" (Matt 5:21-22).
On Adultery: "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:27-28).
On Revenge: Instead of "an eye for an eye," the kingdom law says, "Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also" (Matt 5:38-39).
The Law of Active Love
The most radical kingdom law is found in:
Matthew 5:44: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Jesus explains that even tax collectors and "pagans" love those who love them. To be a "child of the Father," a citizen of the Kingdom must show the same sun-and-rain grace that God shows to both the good and the evil.
The Law of Priorities
The "Specific Law" that governs the daily life of a believer is found in:
Matthew 6:33: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [food, clothes, needs] will be given to you as well."
This law commands a total shift in focus. We are not to worry about tomorrow or focus on earthly treasures. The "Law of the Kingdom" is a law of Total Trust, where the King provides for the needs of His subjects as they focus on His work.
The Law of Judgment
Finally, the Kingdom law regulates how we treat others' faults:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged" (Matt 7:1-2).
This isn't a ban on discernment, but a command to examine the "plank" in our own eye before pointing out the "speck" in someone else's.
The Kingdom Law of the Sabbath
The Sabbath is a perfect example of a Kingdom Law. Under the Old Law, the Sabbath was a strict day of "no work" meant to honor God's rest at creation. However, in the Kingdom of God, Jesus taught that:
People are more important than rules:
The Sabbath was made to serve humanity's well-being, not to be a burden that prevents doing good.
Perpetual Rest:
In the Kingdom, rest isn't just about one day a week; it is a spiritual state of resting in the finished work of Jesus.
Restoration:
Jesus intentionally performed many of His healings on the Sabbath to show that the "rest" of God is actually a time for restoration and life.
The Sabbath & the Lord of the Kingdom
In the New Testament, one of the primary points of conflict between the religious elite and Jesus was the interpretation of the Sabbath. This conflict highlights the shift from a legalistic view of God's Law to a Kingdom view of God's Heart.
The Purpose of the Law
In Mark 2:27, Jesus provides the definitive Kingdom perspective on this law:
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Under the strict interpretation of the day, "work" was defined so narrowly that even picking a few heads of grain to eat or healing a sick person was considered a violation. Jesus corrected this by teaching that the Law was a gift of grace—a day for human flourishing—rather than a cage.
The "Work" of Mercy
In Matthew 12, Jesus’ disciples were criticized for picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus responded by citing the example of King David, who ate the consecrated bread when he and his companions were hungry.
He established a Kingdom priority: Necessity and mercy overrule ritual. He followed this by healing a man with a shriveled hand, asking the crowd: "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:11-12).
The Lord of the Sabbath
Perhaps the most radical "Kingdom" claim Jesus made regarding the Law was in Matthew 12:8: "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." By saying this, He was claiming the authority to define what the Law meant. He wasn't just a teacher; He was the King of the Kingdom, and He was declaring that the "rest" promised in the Old Testament was now found in Him.
The Kingdom Reality: Entering His Rest
The book of Hebrews (Chapter 4) explains that the Sabbath day was a shadow of a greater reality. The ultimate "Law of the Kingdom" regarding rest is that we no longer "work" to earn God’s favor. Instead, we "enter His rest" by trusting in what Jesus has done.
In the Old Law, you worked six days to earn your rest.
In the Kingdom Law, you start from a place of rest (grace) and work out of gratitude.
