Does Old Testament Law Apply to Christians?

Most Christians have heard some version of this teaching:

“The Old Testament Law was for Israel. Jesus fulfilled it. We now live under grace, not law.”

For many Believers, this conclusion seems obvious. After all, the New Testament speaks often about grace, faith, and freedom. Yet when we slow down and read these passages carefully, in the context of the rest of the Bible, a different conclusion begins to emerge.

Before we get into this discussion, I’ll clarify one thing. This article is not a denial of salvation by grace. I am not suggesting that we obey Old Testament Law as a means of being saved, but as a way of life for God’s people, after they’re committed to serving Him. 

In light of modern, traditional Christian teachings, the simple, Biblically centered question we need to ask is:

Does the New Testament really teach that God’s Law no longer matters?

The New Testament does offer some criticism of the Law, but is it teaching that it has been thrown out entirely? For Jesus’s and Paul’s followers, this message would have been groundbreaking. It would have been groundbreaking news, requiring extensive clarification. Neither audience would have readily accepted the message that God, who said, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to, nor take away from it” (Deut. 12:32), decided to dissolve the Law without warning. They would have certainly also thought of Psalms, where it says, “…every one of your righteous rules endures forever”.

But God doesn’t change, and the Old and New Testaments cannot contradict one another. When the New Testament critiques “the Law,” what exactly is being critiqued—and what is not?

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1. “We Are Not Under Law but Under Grace”

This verse, written by Paul in Romans 6:14, is often understood to mean that believers are no longer obligated to obey the Old Testament commandments. When paired with statements like “you have died to the law” (Rom. 7:4) and “Christ is the end of the law” (Rom. 10:4), the conclusion seems clear: the Law has been set aside.

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All Believers agree the Law does not save us. Where they differ is what Paul means by “under the law.”

In Paul’s letters, “under the law” frequently refers to being:

• under the Law as a system of justification, or
• under the Law’s condemnation because of sin

Paul himself insists that faith does not cancel God’s Law:

“Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.” (Rom. 3:31)

Grace removes the penalty of sin; it does not redefine sin. Paul even says that the Law is “holy, righteous, and good” (Rom. 7:12).

In this reading, grace changes our relationship to the Law. It does not make obedience irrelevant.

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2. “The Law Was Only a Temporary Guardian”

In Galatians 3:24–25, Paul describes the Law as a “guardian” until Christ came, after which believers are “no longer under a guardian.” This verse is often taken to mean the Law was a temporary measure that has now served its purpose.

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Galatians was written to address a specific crisis: Gentile believers were being told they must be circumcised and keep the Law in order to be saved. Paul strongly rejects this.

But rejecting the Law as a means of salvation is not the same as rejecting it as God’s instruction for living.

Paul even says explicitly:

“Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not!” (Gal. 3:21)

Importantly, long after this controversy, Jewish believers in Jesus are still described as observing the Law:

“They are all zealous for the law.” (Acts 21:20)

The issue in Galatians is how people enter God’s covenant family—not whether God’s moral instruction still matters.

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3. “Food Laws, Feasts, and Sabbaths Were Just Shadows”

Paul tells believers in Colossians 2:16–17 not to let anyone judge them regarding food, festivals, or Sabbaths, calling these things “a shadow of what was to come.” This is often read as permission to disregard these practices entirely.

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But Paul does not say, “Do not keep these things.”
He says, “Do not let anyone judge you regarding them.”

Paul’s comment suggests the Colossian Believers were already observing Biblical rhythms and were being criticized – likely by outsiders with different standards.

In Scripture, a “shadow” is not something false or useless. It points forward to something greater. Even the Old Testament prophets describe future worship that still includes Sabbaths:

“From Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me.” (Isa. 66:23)

Rather than being abolished, these practices are seen as Christ-centered and forward-looking.

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4. “The Law Was Abolished to Unite Jews and Gentiles”

Paul says in Ephesians 2:15 that Christ abolished “the law of commandments expressed in ordinances,” often understood as the Mosaic Law itself.

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The context of Ephesians 2 is hostility between Jews and Gentiles, not God’s moral standards.

Many scholars note that the term translated “ordinances” refers to legal decrees and boundary-making rules that separated Gentiles from Jewish community life – not to God’s eternal instruction itself.

God’s Law elsewhere is described as enduring:

“Every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.” (Ps. 119:160)

Christ removes barriers between people without removing God’s definition of righteousness.

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5. “Jesus Fulfilled the Law, So It No Longer Applies”

Jesus says in Matthew 5:17 that He came to “fulfill” the Law, which is often taken to mean the Law is now complete and no longer binding.

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Jesus immediately explains what He means:

“Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter shall pass from the Law.” (Matt. 5:18)

Rather than lowering the bar, Jesus raises it—moving obedience from external behavior to the heart. He warns against setting aside even the least commandment (Matt. 5:19).

In Jewish context, “fulfill” means to live out fully and teach correctly, not to abolish. Also, other places where the Greek word (pleroo) translated “fulfill” in Matt. 5:17 is used make it clear that it does not mean “do away with”. It’s also used in Ephesians 5:18, where Believers were “filled” with the Holy Spirit.

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6. “Jesus Declared All Foods Clean”

Mark 7:19 is frequently cited as Jesus abolishing kosher laws.

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The passage addresses ritual hand-washing traditions, not unclean animals. Jesus rebukes elevating human traditions above God’s commandments.

Notably, years after the resurrection, Peter says:

“I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” (Acts 10:14)

Peter’s comment suggests the apostles did not understand Jesus to have overturned dietary laws during His ministry.

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7. “The Apostles Ruled That Gentiles Don’t Need the Law”

The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 is often seen as the final word: Gentiles do not need to keep the Law.

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The council answers a single question:
Must Gentiles be circumcised to be saved? The answer is no.

The four instructions given are practical starting points for fellowship, not a complete definition of Christian obedience. James concludes:

“For Moses has been preached in every city… being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21)

James says this to imply continued learning, not rejection, of Scripture.

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8. We’re under the New Covenant

In defense of not following Old Testament Law, many cite that we’re now under the New Covenant, so those laws don’t apply anymore.

However, the New Covenant did not do away with the Law but changed its location from stone tablets to our own hearts. The promise is not the removal of God’s instruction, but its internalization:

“I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” (Jer. 31:33)

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A Final Reflection on the Law for Christians

All Believers agree:

• Salvation is by grace alone
• Faith is in Christ alone
• No one is justified (saved) by works of the Law

The remaining question is this:
What does grace produce in the life of a believer?

Shouldn’t our actions align more and more with the righteousness of God as we mature in a relationship with Him? Does our belief in Jesus’s power to save result in a change in the way we live our lives?

My goal is not to call the Church back to legalism, but to invite Believers to reconsider whether Biblical obedience might still be part of faithful devotion to God.

I encourage all Bible teachers to take Jesus’s words in Matthew 5:19 very seriously, “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Looking for more info? Here are some other things Jesus taught in support of the Law. And here’s how the Apostle Paul upheld Old Testament Law.