Cost of Disipleship: The Righteousness of Christ

Which is our final authority, Christ or the law? To which are we bound?

Discipleship means adherence to Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ fulfills the law. Is one a disciple if they strictly adhere to the law?

No.

"Adherence to the law is something different from following Christ...it means that a legalistic adherence to His person is equally removed from the following of Him. It is, however, Jesus Himself who points to the law those to whom He has granted His whole promise and His whole fellowship. Because it is their LORD who does this, they are bound to acknowledge the law. The question inevitably arises, which is our final authority, Christ or the law? To which are we bound? Christ has said that no law was to be allowed to come between Him and His disciples. Now He tells us that to abandon the law would be to separate ourselves from Him. What exactly does He mean?"

Difference between old law and new law. New law because Christ binds his followers to it.

The law is required to enter the kingdom of heaven, for it is the indispensable condition of discipleship.

The law is not itself God, nor is God the law.


Only in personal communion with Him is the law fulfilled.

Jesus, the champion of the true law, must suffer at the hands of the champions of the false law.

The law matters. It matters to Jesus. It matters to me as a follower of Jesus. I must abide by the law.

"It is possible to teach the law without fulfilling it" (pg. 107)

Only the doer of the law can remain in communion with Jesus.

"Again, it is not enough to teach the law of Christ, it must be done" (pg.109)