Why Old Testament Laws Are Invalid. Null. Void.
Some of you might be shocked 😳 to hear that the Old Testament laws are invalid for Christians. I mean, that sounds like crazy talk, right?
Don’t murder. Don’t lie. Don’t commit adultery.
How can any real Christian say those laws don’t apply? Isn’t that hypocrisy? 🤔
Actually… no.
And that’s what we’re unpacking today. 🧠📖
⚖️ Let’s Start With Some Less Popular Laws…
Before we get to the big ones—the 10 Commandments—let’s peek at a few other laws in the Old Testament that no one is fighting to keep:
📜 Leviticus 11:10
“But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales… you are to regard as unclean.”
Shrimp cocktail lovers? GUILTY. 🍤❌
📜 Leviticus 19:27
“Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
All my bearded friends with a fade: ⚠️🚫
📜 Deuteronomy 21:18–21
“If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son… all the men of his town are to stone him to death.”
If we followed this, there wouldn’t be many men left today. 😂👀
📜 Leviticus 15:19
“When a woman has her regular flow… anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening.”
Try quoting that one to your wife. 🥊💢 Good luck.
📜 Deuteronomy 25:11-12
“…if she grabs a man’s private parts during a fight, cut off her hand. Show her no pity.”
Yeah… that escalated quickly. 😳✋✂️
📜 Leviticus 19:28
“Do not put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.”
Have a tattoo? Eternal punishment? 🤨😬
📜 Deuteronomy 22:28–29
“…if a man rapes a woman, he must marry her and never divorce her.”
Seriously? That’s not God’s heart. That’s a warning bell. 🚨💔
📜 Deuteronomy 25:5
“…your brother dies? You marry his wife.”
Yeah, no thanks. 😅👰♀️➡️👨👦
📜 Exodus 31:15
“Whoever works on the Sabbath must be put to death.”
Laundry? Emails? Mowing the lawn? GUILTY. 😵🧺💻🌿
📜 Deuteronomy 6:5
“Don’t plant with two seeds. Don’t wear clothes of mixed fabrics.”
Your cotton-polyester shirt? 😬🚫
So here’s what a lot of Christians do:
They throw out all these laws ⛔ but still cling to the 10 Commandments.
Especially nine of them. But skip the Sabbath. That one’s too hard. 😅 you know, that would mean you’re not allowed to mow the lawn, washed dishes, do laundry, or respond to email.
💡 So Am I Saying It’s OK to Lie, Cheat, Murder?
Absolutely not. 🙅♂️
But I am saying the 10 Commandments are no longer the standard for righteousness.
Jesus raised the bar. ✝️🔥
🔹 “If you’re angry with your brother, it’s murder in God’s eyes.”
🔹 “If you look at someone with lust, you’ve committed adultery.”
Jesus didn’t lower the standard. He exposed how unreachable it was. So it might be a good idea if we start pounding our chest telling people we can do this.
📉 The Law Was NEVER Meant To Save You
✅ It’s perfect.
❌ You aren’t.
And under it, no one is declared righteous. Not one. 😔
Still wrestling with this idea? Let’s let the Bible speak:
📖 Hebrews 8:13
“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete…”
Old Covenant = Obsolete 🗑️
📖 2 Corinthians 3:7
“…the ministry that brought death, engraved in letters on stone…”
Only one law was written on stone. The 10 Commandments. Paul calls it the ministry of death. 😳💀
📖 Hebrews 7:18–19
“The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless…”
Yup. Not my words. God’s Word. 📖🗣️
🤯 Gentiles Were Never Under the Law!
That covenant? It was made with Israel, not you. Not me. If you’re not a Jewish person, you are a gentile. You never had a chance in the first place. You were completely exempt from any of these promises.
📖 Romans 2:14
“When Gentiles, who do NOT have the law…”
That’s us, friends. We were never in the club.
📖 Ephesians 2:12
“…EXCLUDED from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants…”
You weren’t under the Law. But God had a BETTER plan. 🙌
💔 So Why Not Keep the Law to Stay Good?
Because it doesn’t work. It never did. The Law exposes sin. It doesn’t cure it.
It points its finger and says:
“You lusted. Guilty.”
“You got angry. Guilty.”
And if you mess up once?
📖 James 2:10
“…whoever stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
One lie = guilt of murder. No passes. 😞
🙌 The Answer? JESUS.
📖 Romans 4:15
“…the law brings wrath. Where there is no law, there is no transgression.”
We are not saved by law-keeping.
We are saved by grace, through faith, in Christ. ✝️💖
📖 Ephesians 2:8-9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.”
🎯 That’s it. That’s the gospel.
So stop obsessing over rules that were never meant to save you.
Let Jesus live in you, and through you. You are a new creation. 🕊️❤️
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
