Were the 10 Commandments really only for the people who lived during the Old Testament times? Is the New Testament all grace and no law? It is true that God gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments after He delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 20). It’s also true that Jesus ushered in the New Covenant with His death, burial and resurrection (Hebrews 12:24). Is it really Old Testament law and New Testament grace?
I’d submit to you that God showed mercy to Adam and Eve even after they sinned in the Garden of Eden. Abraham received grace along with Lot and Lot’s daughters. God showed Noah and his family much grace. Also, God worked mightily through Moses and David and they were both murderers. I’d say God showed them abounding grace too. How many times did the Israelites turn away from God and then back to Him again? God very much showed the Israelites mercy and grace.
God also showed mercy and grace to the people of Nineveh. In fact, Jonah admits that is why he ran from God and didn’t originally warn the Ninevites. Jonah 4:3 says, “And he prayed to the LORD, and said, I pray you, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before to Tarshish: for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and you repent of the evil.” Yes, the Bible makes it clear that God was merciful and full of grace, even in the Old Testament.
How about the New Testament? Yes, Jesus came to fulfill the Law. He came to give us the New Covenant. We are not under the 613 commandments of the Jewish law. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. He lived a perfect and sinless life. Jesus always did the will of God the Father. He suffered tremendously at the hands of the Roman soldiers and He hung on the cross for six torturous hours. God’s wrath was poured out on Him while He hung there in agony. Jesus was buried and on the third day rose again. He defeated sin, death and Hell. God offers eternal salvation to those who believe in Jesus and turn from their sins.
But is God only a God of grace in the New Testament? Acts 5:1-10 tells us about Ananias and his wife Sapphira. They sold some land that they owned and they kept part of the proceeds for themselves and brought the rest of the money to Peter. But they told Peter that they were donating all the proceeds from the sale. What happened to them? God struck both of them down and they died – for telling one lie!
In Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable about the wheat and weeds. Jesus says that the weeds are gathered and cast in the fire. He further says that He will send His angels at the end of the age and they will gather those who are lawbreakers (those who commit sin) and that they will be cast into the furnace of fire where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
How do you know that you are lawbreaker unless there is a law to break? That’s what the 10 Commandments are for. God gave them to us in order for us to see our own sinfulness when compared to His perfect standard. The apostle Paul said that he would not have known what sin was except for the Law. Yes, that even means for those of us living today. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Folks, when we tell a lie, we break the 9th Commandment. So there is definitely Law in the New Testament as well as the Old.
Many people want to make a god to suit themselves. But this is not the God of the Bible. God never changes (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is loving, merciful and full of grace (Exodus 34:6). He is also righteous, Holy and just (John 17:25). Because of His goodness, He must punish sin (Romans 2:4-5). That punishment is eternity in Hell. Whether you agree or not or whether you believe in Hell or not, it is real. It also is God’s final judgment against guilty sinners who die in their sins as unbelievers (Revelation 20:11-15).
Thankfully, because of His great mercy and love, He made a way of escape for us. All sin must be atoned for. Jesus paid the fine for guilty sinners. He was our atonement, our substitute for guilty sinners who put their trust in Him. There is nothing more merciful or more loving than someone else taking the punishment for your crime. That’s exactly what Jesus did. So please, receive this amazing gift. Repent and believe the Gospel. Submit your life to Jesus Christ today. Escape the wrath of God that is yet to come against unrepentant sinners!