A New Priest in Town

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

A NEW PRIEST IN TOWN

Rom 10:1-4

10:1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.   3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

NIV

Now, we cannot see how this cannot be any clearer about the end of the law. Once again, we understand that Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. There is a distinct difference in the two Greek words, the one Paul used in that Christ is the end of the law, and what Jesus said about not abolishing. First, let us take this Greek word, kataluoo, which means to dissolve, making no more, cancel it. The other Greek word that Paul uses here is, telous, meaning to end, termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be. Why is this important? Did Paul contradict Jesus? Well, because Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law, the limits of the law have been met and according to John, the law was given through Moses, however, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Paul has already said that sin came before the law, but that until the law sin was not taken into account because there was no law. The preacher of Hebrews also made it clear that if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood, for on the basis of it the law was given to the people, then why was there still a need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? The conclusion is if there is a change in the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law. This Hebrew preacher goes on to say the former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw to God. It is clear that the better hope is Jesus. Again, why is this important? It would seem to us that it is too easy to just tell me how many laws, rules, and regulations that I must follow in order to be a “Good Christian”. If we can abide good enough, with a few slipups along the way, which we keep asking to be forgiven for, then we are “Good Christians”. However, if we abide in Christ and he in us, then our perfection is already complete in Christ, and he put an end to that old system that could not make us perfect. There is a new priest in town; he is a priest forever and has accomplished what no man could do. He brought the limit to that old useless way of laws, that only could bring death instead the life Jesus brought. Yet, we cling to the law, in some sense, perhaps out of guilt, not wanting to put an end to what Jesus put an end to, or thinking we know better than the word of God?  Is that disbelief? Is that disobedience? No, we will do what Jesus did, and what the rest of God’s word says to us. We will put the law aside, paying it no due, and we will set all our hopes on Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. Does that mean we should run wild doing anything we want? Absolutely not, but if we pay close attention to what Jesus said are the greatest of all commands. It is for us to love the Lord our God with our whole being, and love each other as both, as he loves us, and as we love ourselves. If we simply live according to love, we will not disappoint God, and we will do no harm to others, but simply love them. We must remember, there is a new priest in town.