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Summary of Our Duties Towards Men
He who penetrates into the above-mentioned new commandments of Christ, will notice that He does not talk much either about the sinner’s breaking of the Law of Moses or about the penalties imposed thereon. These principles were written in the old Scriptures thousands of years ago and there was no need to bring them back or repeat them once again.
Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses. He revealed and examined the intents in the sinner. Christ does not aim to punish us, as is required by the Law, but to deliver us from the evil motives in us that dominate us and to sanctify us to the uttermost. Therefore, He renews our aims, changes our purposes, establishes love in us and leads us into purity and temperance. The Christian Law is neither hidden nor pressing on man. Christ does not want to educate the sinner by punishment and break him through penalties. He rather intends to change us into His own image, into the image of His Heavenly Father, that the purpose of creation could be fulfilled in us “God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him” (Genesis 1:27). Christ loves and purifies the sinner, but He fully rejects the sin and consequently reveals our innermost thoughts. Because of our weakness, He bore our sins on His heart and took upon Himself our severe judgment to fulfill in Himself the love required from us. On the basis of His atonement He poured His Holy Spirit into our hearts to create new understanding in us so that we might love one another as He loved us.
The essence of His Law is love, for God is love and Christ carries out His law in us by changing our intents and giving us the power of the Holy Spirit that we may comply with His law. Thus, the prophet David prayed and said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
QUESTION:
- What is the radical difference between the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ?