​

​

Can we be saved by obeying the law? Or does salvation come solely by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ?

This question lies at the heart of our relationship with God. It also concerns the role of obedience in the Christian life.

The Bible declares that the law is “holy, righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). Yet Paul also teaches that “by works of the law no one will be justified” (Romans 3:20).

How can we understand these two statements?

What was the role of the law given to Moses? Did Jesus come to abolish it or to fulfil it? What does the expression "law of Christ" mean? And if justification is granted by grace, what place is left for commandments, obedience, and works?

Another question arises immediately. Jesus declares that whoever loves him keeps his commandments. John also writes that the love of God consists in keeping his commandments.

Does this mean that Christians must still observe the Ten Commandments, the seventh-day Sabbath, tithes, and the annual festivals integrated into the mosaic law?

This study returns to the biblical texts in order to distinguish two questions that are often confused:

How is a person justified before God?

And how is one called to live in the new life in Christ?

This distinction helps to better understand the respective roles of the law, grace, faith, and obedience in God's plan.

I. Introduction: Mosaic law, law of Christ and salvation

1. Presentation:

The relationship between the mosaic law, the law of Christ, and salvation has long raised many questions.

How is a person declared righteous before God? What role does the law play in salvation? And what place does obedience occupy in the life of the believer?

In this study, the expression “mosaic law” refers to the entirety of the commandments integrated into the covenant made between God and Israel through Moses.

This does not mean that every principle or practice first appeared at Sinai. The seventh day is blessed and sanctified from the account of creation. Israel also receives instructions regarding the Sabbath before the conclusion of the covenant at Sinai.

Sacrifices and circumcision also existed before Moses.

However, the antiquity of a practice is not sufficient to demonstrate that it remains obligatory under the new covenant. It is also necessary to examine the function it has received in each covenant and how Jesus and the apostles taught it.

God gave the law to Israel after delivering the people from slavery in Egypt. The people therefore did not have to earn their deliverance through obedience. God had first saved them, and then taught them how to live in a covenant relationship with Him.

Paul reminds us of the value of this law :

« Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, just and good. »

— Romans 7:12

But he also states :

« For no one will be justified before him by the works of the law, since it is through the law that comes the knowledge of sin. »

— Romans 3:20

The law revealed the will of God and brought sin to light. However, it could not, by its mere presence, erase the faults committed nor produce a new heart.

With the coming of Jesus Christ, the law and the prophets reach their fulfilment.

« Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them. »

— Matthew 5:17

The New Testament then speaks of the law of Christ :

« Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ. »

— Galatians 6:2

It is therefore necessary to understand what remains, what finds its fulfilment in Christ and what specifically belongs to the covenant made with Israel.

2. Objective of the study

Some Christians believe that the Ten Commandments remain directly applicable under the New Covenant. They therefore continue to observe the seventh-day Sabbath and, in some cases, certain practices associated with the Mosaic Law, such as tithing, the second tithe, the third tithe, and the annual Sabbaths, including the Feast of Tabernacles.

They believe that love for God necessarily manifests itself through obedience to His commandments. Therefore, if a believer truly loves God, he should continue to observe certain prescriptions of the Mosaic law.

This line of reasoning raises an essential question: when Jesus and the apostles speak of the "commandments of God" or the "commandments of Christ", do they refer to all the prescriptions of the Mosaic covenant, some of them, or the teaching specific to the new covenant?

Other Christians believe that the Mosaic Covenant reached its fulfillment in Jesus Christ and that believers are no longer under that covenant as a legal system.

Others distinguish between the permanent moral principles and the civil, ceremonial, or national provisions given specifically to Israel. However, the criteria used to establish this distinction are not always explained in the same way.

This study therefore seeks to answer several questions:

Do the Ten Commandments apply today exactly as under the Sinai covenant? Is the Sabbath an obligation of the new covenant? Are tithes and annual festivals still imposed on all believers? How can one love God and keep His commandments without placing the believer back under the entirety of the Mosaic covenant?

The aim is not to declare that every practice from the Old Testament would be bad or useless. It is to determine whether these practices remain universal obligations, whether they pertain to personal conviction, or whether they find in Jesus Christ a new form of fulfilment.

Beyond the theological explanation, the aim is to provide a balanced understanding, based on Scripture, that helps each person discern the place of the law, grace, and faith in their personal relationship with God.

II. The Mosaic law — Origin, covenant, role, and limits

1. A law given to Israel after the exodus from Egypt

The Mosaic law, also called the law of Moses or Torah, refers to the commandments transmitted by God to the people of Israel through Moses.

God gives this law after delivering the Israelites from slavery.

This order is important. Israel did not obey to deserve its liberation. God first delivered it, then taught it how to live as His people.

The law was therefore not a means to buy God's grace. It was the framework of life for a people already liberated and placed in a covenant relationship.

2. The framework of the covenant made at Sinai

At Mount Sinai, God declares:

"Now, if you listen to my voice, and if you keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession among all peoples, for the whole earth is mine; you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

— Exodus 19:6

The law concretely expressed this covenant. It defined how Israel was to honour God and live among the nations.

Obedience was linked to the blessings of the covenant. Persistent disobedience exposed the people to discipline and judgment.

This does not mean that every obedient Israelite became perfect or automatically deserved eternal life. The law primarily concerned Israel's relationship with God as the covenant people.

3. Practices prior to Sinai

Certain principles or practices integrated into the Mosaic law existed before the conclusion of the covenant at Sinai.

After creation, God rests on the seventh day, blesses it, and sanctifies it (Genesis 2:2-3). The text does not yet report a commandment addressed to all humanity, but it establishes the particular importance of the seventh day.

In Exodus 16, Israel receives specific instructions regarding the Sabbath before arriving at Mount Sinai.

Abraham also gives a tithe to Melchizedek. Jacob promises God a tenth of what he will receive. Sacrifices appear as early as the first chapters of Genesis.

However, a practice prior to Moses is not automatically a universal obligation for Christians.

Circumcision provides an important example. It was given to Abraham several centuries before Moses. Yet, the apostles explicitly refused to impose it on believers from the nations as a condition of belonging to the people of God.

Therefore, it is necessary to examine not only the antiquity of a practice but also its function in each covenant.

3. A law to organise the worship and life of the people

The Mosaic law framed the entirety of Israel's life.

It included the Ten Commandments, but also instructions regarding sacrifices, the priesthood, festivals, food, purity, family, justice, land, debts, and social relations.

The Ten Commandments reminded of the duties towards God: to reject idolatry, to respect His name, and to observe the Sabbath.

They also taught how to live with others: to honour one's parents, not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie, and not to covet.

Commandments are sometimes classified as moral, civil, ceremonial, or dietary laws. This distinction can be useful. But the Torah itself presents them as different components of one and the same covenant.

The law also had an important social dimension. It protected the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners. It condemned injustice, false testimony, violence, and exploitation.

Israel was called to reflect the holiness, justice, and mercy of God.

5. The Sabbath as a sign of the covenant

The Sabbath has a link with creation, but it receives a particular function in the Mosaic covenant.

In Exodus 31:13-17, it is presented as a sign between God and the children of Israel. It recalls creation in Exodus 20 and the deliverance from Egypt in Deuteronomy 5.

The Sabbath therefore cannot be studied only as an abstract principle of rest. It was also part of Israel’s religious and national identity under the Sinai covenant.

The question for the Christian is whether this function of a sign remains obligatory under the new covenant.

6. The tithes in the life of Israel

The Mosaic law contained several provisions regarding tithes.

One tithe was intended for the support of the Levites, who did not receive territory comparable to that of the other tribes (Numbers 18:21-24).

Deuteronomy also describes a tithe consumed during the festivals, as well as a tithe collected in the third year for the Levites, the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows (Deuteronomy 14:22-29; 26:12).

Some traditions refer to these provisions as the first, second, and third tithe. The Bible does not always name them this way, but it does present several practices related to tithes.

These prescriptions were linked to the harvests, to the land of Israel, to the Levitical priesthood, to the festivals, and to the social organisation of the people.

It is therefore necessary to determine whether the New Testament imposes the same system on believers, with the same functions and the same beneficiaries.

7. The annual festivals

Leviticus 23 sets forth the appointed feasts of the LORD, including the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

These feasts shaped the religious and national life of Israel. They commemorated God's mighty acts and also carried prophetic significance.

Jesus and the first disciples participated in several of these feasts as members of the Jewish people.

Their participation, however, does not alone demonstrate that these festivals were imposed on all believers from the nations after the establishment of the new covenant.

8. The law reveals sin

Paul explains:

"It is through the law that comes the knowledge of sin."

— Romans 3:20

The law therefore acts like a light. It makes sin visible.

It can also be compared to a mirror. A mirror reveals a person's state, but it cannot clean them. Similarly, the law shows the fault, but it cannot, by its mere presence, transform the one who disobeys.

This limitation does not come from a defect in the law. It comes from the weakness of human beings.

The Torah already required an inner obedience:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength."

— Deuteronomy 6:5

The problem was therefore not that the Old Testament would have been limited to external acts. The problem was the human heart, often unable or unwilling to obey faithfully.

5. The sacrifices and the necessity of atonement

The law provided for a system of sacrifices and a priesthood.

These sacrifices showed that sin had consequences and that atonement was necessary. The Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16, held a special place in the life of Israel.

However, these sacrifices had to be repeated. They therefore did not constitute a definitive solution.

The epistle to the Hebrews explains:

"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."

— Hebrews 10:4

The sacrifices announced a greater and definitive atonement.

6. What the law could not accomplish

The law could teach, correct, protect, and reveal sin. But it could not provide definitive justification.

It could not fully take away sin nor produce, by its mere presence, a new heart.

That is why God announces a new covenant:

"I will put my law within them, I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

— Jeremiah 31:33

The answer to the human problem therefore did not simply consist of adding more commandments. A definitive atonement and an intervention from God in the heart were needed.

This promise does not necessarily mean that every prescription of the Sinai covenant would be reproduced identically in the heart. It must be understood in the context of the new covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ.

III. Jesus Christ — Fulfilment of the law and new covenant

1. "Not to abolish, but to fulfil"

Jesus declares:

« Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them. »

— Matthew 5:17

To fulfil does not simply mean to keep every provision of the Mosaic covenant without any change.

Jesus fulfils the law by realising its purpose. He also fulfils the prophecies, the promises, and the figures that announced his coming.

The law and the prophets find in him their coherence and their culmination.

2. Perfect obedience

Jesus lived without sin.

Where human beings have disobeyed, he remains faithful to the Father. His life perfectly reveals the justice, love, mercy, and holiness of God.

His obedience is not limited to external conformity. It expresses total fidelity to the will of his Father.

He can thus offer his life for others, not for his own sins, but for those of humanity.

3. The ancient figures fulfilled in Christ

The Passover lamb, the sacrifices, the priesthood, and the sanctuary prepared the understanding of the work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is presented as the Lamb of God, the high priest, and the mediator of the new covenant.

The sacrifices are therefore not simply abolished without fulfilment. They find their definitive reality in the sacrifice of Christ.

The same is true of the priesthood. The epistle to the Hebrews states:

"For when there is a change of priesthood, there is necessarily a change of law."

— Hebrews 7:12

The new covenant is therefore not a mere copy of the covenant of Sinai with more spirituality. It rests on a superior mediator, a definitive sacrifice, and another priesthood.

4. The definitive sacrifice

The epistle to the Hebrews contrasts the repeated sacrifices with the unique offering of Christ:

« He, after offering one sacrifice for sins, sat down for ever at the right hand of God. »

— Hebrews 10:12

Forgiveness therefore no longer rests on the repetition of animal sacrifices. It rests on the work accomplished by Jesus Christ.

5. The will of God revealed in all its depth

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows that sin does not only begin in visible acts.

Anger may be at the root of murder. Covetousness may be at the root of adultery. Hypocrisy may hide behind seemingly righteous religious practices.

Jesus does not make the will of God less demanding. He reveals its depth.

True justice concerns behaviour, but also the heart, motivations, forgiveness, mercy, and truth.

This inner dimension already existed in the Torah. However, Jesus places it at the centre of the lives of his disciples and associates it with the transformation produced by the Holy Spirit.

6. The establishment of the new covenant

At the last supper with his disciples, Jesus speaks of his blood as the blood of the new covenant.

This covenant rests on his sacrifice and on the action of the Holy Spirit.

The epistle to the Hebrews takes up the prophecy of Jeremiah and states:

"In saying: a new covenant, he has declared the first old; now what is becoming old and growing aged is ready to disappear."

— Hebrews 8:13

The text speaks of the covenant becoming old. It does not mean that the Old Testament would now be useless or devoid of authority.

The Old Testament remains the word of God. It bears witness to Christ, reveals the character of God, and instructs the believer.

But God's people are no longer governed by the Sinai Covenant as their legal framework. They now live under the New Covenant, under the authority of Jesus Christ.

7. The council of Jerusalem

Acts 15 is a central passage for understanding the relationship of believers from the nations with the Mosaic law.

Some believers taught:

"If you are not circumcised according to the rite of Moses, you cannot be saved."

— Acts 15:1

Others claimed that non-Jews should be circumcised and ordered to observe the law of Moses (Acts 15:5).

The apostles refused to impose this yoke on them. They did not ask the believers from the nations to enter into the Mosaic covenant through circumcision or to observe the entirety of the law given to Israel.

The instructions retained concerned notably idolatry, sexual immorality, food sacrificed to idols, and blood.

Acts 15 does not constitute a complete list of all Christian morality. But it clearly shows that the Church did not impose the whole Mosaic law on believers from the nations.

It is also significant that circumcision, the Sabbath, the system of tithes, and the annual festivals are not presented as necessary conditions for their belonging to the new covenant.

IV. The law of Christ — Love, obedience and inner transformation

1. What does the expression "law of Christ" mean?

Paul writes:

« Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfil the law of Christ. »

— Galatians 6:2

He also states that he is not without law toward God, but is "under the law of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:21).

The law of Christ includes his teaching, his example, and the authority he exercises over his disciples.

It should not be understood as merely a shortened version of the Mosaic Law. Rather, it describes the way of life of those who belong to Christ and have received His Spirit.

The believer is therefore not without moral direction. He is called to listen to and follow Jesus Christ.

2. Love God and love your neighbour

Jesus summarises the law and the prophets with two commandments:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. […] You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

— Matthew 22:37-39

These commandments already existed in the Torah. Jesus does not invent them.

But he places them at the centre of the life of his disciples and shows that all other commandments must be understood in the light of love.

Love is not a vague feeling that allows each person to decide for themselves what is right. It is expressed through faithfulness, righteousness, service, truth, and obedience.

Paul writes:

"Love does no harm to a neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilment of the law."

— Romans 13:10

3. "If you love me, keep my commandments"

Jesus declares:

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

— John 14:15

This word clearly affirms that love for Christ produces obedience.

But Jesus speaks here of his commandments. The context of the Gospel of John particularly emphasises faith in Christ, the act of abiding in his word, and brotherly love.

John also writes:

« For the love of God is to keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. »

— 1 John 5:3

This statement must be understood in the general context of the letter. John himself summarises God's command in the following way:

« And this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, just as he commanded us. »

— 1 John 3:23

John also speaks of righteousness, truth, and the refusal of sin. He does not therefore reduce obedience to a feeling without moral content.

It cannot be used, without further demonstration, to automatically equate God's commandments with every regulation of the Mosaic Covenant.

Sacrifices, circumcision, and the regulations concerning the sanctuary were also commandments given by God. Yet the New Testament shows that they find their fulfillment in Christ and are no longer practiced in the same form.

The real question is not to choose between love and obedience. It is to determine what obedience is required under the new covenant.

4. « As I have loved you »

Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment:

« I give you a new command: Love one another; as I have loved you, so you must love one another. »

— John 13:34

The command to love already existed. The novelty particularly appears in the measure and model of this love: as Jesus has loved us.

This love is humble, faithful, and ready to serve. It does not seek to dominate others. It cares for the vulnerable and is willing to sacrifice itself for their good.

The law of Christ therefore demands a concrete love, visible in relationships.

5. Bear one another's burdens

Paul directly links the law of Christ to bearing burdens.

This means supporting those who suffer, helping the one who falls and gently restoring the person who goes astray.

The Christian life is not just about defending right doctrines. It is also manifested in the way we treat others.

A community may possess important knowledge and yet miss the law of Christ if it humiliates, crushes or abandons fragile people.

Faithfulness is therefore not measured solely by the observance of days, festivals, or financial practices. It is also seen in love, justice, mercy, and service.

6. A life led by the Holy Spirit

The law of Christ cannot be lived out by the mere strength of human will.

Paul calls believers to walk according to the Spirit:

"Walk according to the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the desires of the flesh."

— Galatians 5:16

The Holy Spirit does not remove the responsibility of the believer. It leads them to struggle against sin and to produce new fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Life under the law of Christ is therefore a life under the authority of Jesus and led by the Spirit.

V. The Sabbath, tithes, and festivals under the new covenant

1. The Ten Commandments under the new covenant

The Ten Commandments occupy a unique place within the Sinai Covenant.

The New Testament clearly reiterates several of the requirements they express: to reject idolatry, honour one's parents, not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to lie, and not to covet.

These requirements do not apply because believers would be placed back under the covenant of Sinai. They are confirmed and deepened in the teaching of Jesus and the apostles.

However, the New Testament does not present the Ten Commandments as a block simply transferred, without any change, from the old covenant to the new.

The question of the Sabbath requires particular examination, as its status is treated differently from the prohibitions concerning idolatry, murder, adultery, or theft.

2. The Sabbath under the new covenant

The seventh day is blessed and sanctified in the creation account. The Sabbath is then commanded to Israel before the arrival at Sinai, and then integrated into the Ten Commandments.

In the Mosaic covenant, it also becomes a particular sign between God and the children of Israel.

Jesus observed the Sabbath. This is natural since he was born under the law and lived among the Jewish people.

He corrected, however, the legalistic interpretations that turned the Sabbath into a burden. He taught that the Sabbath was made for man, that the Son of man was its master, and that it was permissible to do good on it.

These words reveal the value and beneficial purpose of the Sabbath. However, they do not alone settle the question of its obligatory status for the whole Church under the new covenant.

However, after the resurrection, the apostles do not explicitly require Gentile believers to observe the seventh-day Sabbath.

Acts 15 does not include Sabbath observance among the requirements given to the Gentiles.

Paul also writes:

"Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or regarding a festival, a new moon, or Sabbaths: these were a shadow of things to come, but the substance is in Christ."

— Colossians 2:16-17

The interpretations of this passage vary.

Some think that Paul is only targeting a misuse of these practices or the annual Sabbaths. Others consider that the succession "festival, new moon, Sabbaths" naturally corresponds to an annual, monthly, and weekly cycle.

Whatever the precise interpretation given to the mentioned Sabbaths, Paul's central instruction remains clear: believers should not allow themselves to be condemned or judged regarding these observances.

Romans 14 does not explicitly name the Sabbath. However, Paul establishes an important principle there:

"One person makes a distinction between days; another considers them all alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."

— Romans 14:5

This passage alone is not sufficient to settle the whole question of the Sabbath. However, it shows that the distinction between certain days should not become a reason for contempt or judgment among believers.

Hebrews 4 also speaks of a rest reserved for the people of God. The interpretations of the term used vary. The passage mainly focuses on entering into God's rest by faith and on the necessity of not imitating the unbelief of Israel. It does not contain an explicit command imposing the weekly Sabbath on the entire Church.

A Christian can therefore choose to observe the Sabbath on the seventh day in order to honour God, to rest, and to dedicate themselves to Him.

But the New Testament does not clearly present it as a universal condition of the new covenant, as a means of justification, or as the decisive test to determine who truly loves God.

3. Tithes under the New Covenant

The New Testament clearly teaches generosity.

Believers are called to support those who teach, to help the poor, and to give freely, according to their means and with a willing heart.

Paul writes:

"Let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver."

— 2 Corinthians 9:7

It also reminds that those who proclaim the Gospel may live by the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13-14) and that the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches (Galatians 6:6).

These texts establish the responsibility of sharing and material support. But they do not explicitly reimpose the complete system of Mosaic tithes.

The fact that Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek shows that this practice existed before Moses. However, the account reports a specific act of Abraham after a victory. It does not contain a universal command addressed to all believers.

Hebrews 7 uses this event to show the superiority of the priesthood of Melchizedek over that of Levi. The passage does not formulate a command imposing a Christian tithe.

Matthew 23:23 is also sometimes cited. Jesus reproaches the scribes and the Pharisees for giving a tithe while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Jesus is addressing people living under the Mosaic covenant before his death and the inauguration of the new covenant. This text shows that they should not use their religious precision to neglect the most important requirements of the law. It is not sufficient, on its own, to establish a mandatory system of tithing for the Church.

A Christian may choose to give ten percent, more, or according to another regular discipline. Such a decision can be wise, generous, and helpful.

However, it should not be presented as a condition of salvation, as a financial obligation allowing an organisation to control believers, or as a superior proof of faithfulness.

The principle of the new covenant is that of a voluntary, generous gift, proportionate to each person's means and motivated by love.

4. The Annual Festivals under the New Covenant

The biblical feasts belonged to the religious and national calendar of Israel. They carried a rich historical and prophetic significance.

The Passover recalled the deliverance from Egypt. The unleavened bread, Pentecost, the trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles each had a particular function in the life of the people.

The New Testament shows that several of their symbols find their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Paul particularly presents Christ as our Passover. He also uses the image of unleavened bread to call believers to live in sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

This language shows the spiritual and prophetic richness of these festivals. It does not necessarily constitute a commandment imposing their literal observance on all Churches.

The early Jewish believers naturally continued to participate in certain festivals within their cultural and religious context.

However, the apostles did not impose them on believers from the nations as a condition of salvation, obedience, or belonging to the Church.

Acts 15 does not mention them among the instructions given to non-Jews. Colossians 2 also asks that no one judge believers regarding a festival, a new moon, or sabbaths.

A Christian may choose to commemorate certain biblical festivals in order to better understand the history of salvation and the work of Jesus Christ.

Such a practice should not be despised. It should also not be turned into a universal obligation without explicit apostolic teaching.

5. Voluntary practice or universal obligation?

There is an important difference between practising something out of personal conviction and imposing it as an obligation of the new covenant.

A believer may choose to rest on the Sabbath, celebrate certain festivals, or give ten percent of their income.

These practices can be carried out sincerely to honour God.

But they must not become:

• a means of earning God's favour;
• a condition of salvation;
• a unique proof of love towards God ;
• a criterion for determining who is a true Christian ;
• a means for a religious organisation to exercise control over consciences.

Conversely, one who does not practice these things should not despise one who observes them.

Christian freedom is not a licence to live without God. It is the freedom to follow Jesus Christ without being placed under a system that the apostles did not impose on the Church.

VI. Salvation — Grace, faith, works and sanctification

1. The works of the law cannot justify

Paul states :

"No one will be justified before him by the works of the law."

— Romans 3:20

Justification is the act by which God declares righteous the one who believes in Jesus Christ.

The works of the law cannot produce this justification. The law reveals that all have sinned and that no one perfectly meets the justice of God.

The law can show what is right. It cannot erase the transgressions already committed.

If justification depended on perfect obedience, no one could be declared righteous.

2. Salvation offered by grace

Salvation comes from God's initiative :

« For it is by grace that you are saved, through faith. And this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast. »

— Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace is an unmerited gift.

It does not reward a person who has managed to become sufficiently righteous by their own efforts. It offers forgiveness and reconciliation to the one who turns to God through Jesus Christ.

Salvation therefore does not rest on the quality of our performances, but on the work accomplished by Christ.

3. Faith in Jesus Christ

Faith is not merely recognising intellectually that Jesus existed.

It consists of placing one's trust in him, receiving his work, and submitting to his authority.

Paul writes:

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

— Romans 5:1

Faith does not constitute a work that earns grace. It receives what God offers.

It also leads to repentance, for believing in Christ involves recognising our sin and our need for forgiveness.

4. Works as the fruit of a living faith

Ephesians 2 does not stop at verse 9.

Paul continues:

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

— Ephesians 2:10

Works are not the cause of salvation, but the fruit of it.

James asserts that faith without works is dead. He does not say that works earn forgiveness. He shows that true faith does not remain without consequence in life.

Love, justice, generosity, service, and obedience testify to a living relationship with God.

5. The grace that transforms

Grace is not a permission to continue willingly in sin.

Paul asks:

"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Certainly not!" (Romans 6:1-2)

— Romans 6:1-2

Grace forgives, but it also transforms.

It teaches us to renounce ungodliness and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives (Titus 2:11–12).

It does not say that sin no longer matters. It frees the believer so that they can live differently.

6. Sanctification

Sanctification refers to the progressive transformation of the believer.

The believer does not become immediately perfect. They continue to struggle against sin, to learn obedience, and to grow in love.

This growth relies on the action of the Spirit, but it also involves faith, repentance, and perseverance.

One must distinguish conviction from condemnation.

Conviction reveals a specific fault and leads to repentance and a return to God.

Condemnation crushes the person and makes them believe that they must earn their forgiveness or that they no longer have any access to grace.

Paul writes:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)

— Romans 8:1

This does not mean that the believer no longer needs correction. It means that they can acknowledge their faults and return to God relying on the work of Jesus Christ.

VII. Four confusions to avoid

1. Believing that obedience can earn justification

Obedience is important, but it cannot buy salvation.

Seeking to become righteous before God through one's own performance often leads to guilt or pride.

Guilt arises when the person realizes that they can never be perfect enough.

Pride arises when they compare themselves to others and think they have succeeded better than them.

In both cases, the focus turns away from the work of Christ.

2. To believe that grace removes all obligation to obey

The opposite error is to think that grace allows one to live without concerning oneself with the will of God.

Grace does not turn evil into good. It does not remove the call to repentance, justice, faithfulness, and love.

Christian freedom is not the absence of all authority. It is the freedom to follow Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

3. To automatically identify God's commandments with the entire Mosaic law

To assert that the love of God produces obedience is biblically correct.

The difficulty arises when one assumes that all the prescriptions of the Mosaic covenant remain obligatory in the same form.

The sacrifices, circumcision, the rules of the sanctuary, and the Levitical priesthood were indeed commandments given by God.

However, the New Testament shows that they find their fulfilment in Christ and no longer apply in the same way.

The expression "commandments of God" must therefore be understood according to its context, in the light of Jesus Christ and the new covenant.

The real issue is not to choose between love and obedience. It is to faithfully identify the obedience required of Jesus' disciples.

4. Turning Practices into Conditions for Salvation

A believer may choose to observe the Sabbath, certain feasts, or a regular giving discipline in order to honour God.

Such a practice should not be despised.

It should also not be turned into a means of justification, a unique proof of love towards God, or a condition imposed on all believers.

A religious organisation should not use these practices to keep its members in fear, making them believe that they would lose salvation by leaving the organisation or demanding a loyalty that belongs to God and Jesus Christ.

Conversely, one who does not practice these things should not despise the one who sincerely observes them. Beyond the theological explanation, the aim is to provide a balanced understanding, based on the Scriptures, that helps each person discern the place of the law, grace, and faith in their personal relationship with God.

VIII. Conclusion — Saved by grace to live in Christ

1. The place of the law, grace, and faith

The Mosaic law was given to Israel within the framework of the Sinai covenant.

It revealed the will of God, defined sin and organised the life of the people. Its sacrifices and priesthood announced a greater work.

Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets. Through his life, death and resurrection, he inaugurated the new covenant and offers a definitive atonement.

Salvation is granted by grace, through faith. It does not rest on human merits.

2. A freedom that leads to obedience

The believer is no longer under the Mosaic Covenant as a legal framework.

But he is not without law before God. He is under the law of Christ.

This freedom does not lead to indifference. It leads to a new obedience, produced by faith and the Holy Spirit.

The Christian does not obey in order to earn God's love. He obeys because he has received that love and desires to follow Jesus Christ.

3. Love God and keep his commandments

To love God truly means to obey him.

But this obedience must be defined by the Son that God sent and by the teaching passed on to believers under the new covenant.

It is therefore not enough simply to say, "We must keep God's commandments." We must also examine which commandments are reaffirmed, fulfilled, or transformed in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.

The law of Christ does not remove all moral requirements. It places the believer under the authority of Jesus and in the service of love, justice, truth, and mercy.

4. Respecting conscience without imposing one's practices

A believer may observe the Sabbath, certain biblical festivals, or a discipline of tithing out of personal conviction.

Paul calls everyone to act with full conviction, while refusing contempt and mutual judgment.

However, these practices should not become conditions for salvation or criteria for determining who truly belongs to God.

What matters in Jesus Christ, Paul writes, is:

“The faith that is active through love.”

— Galatians 5:6

We are not saved by our works.

We are saved by grace, through faith, in order to walk according to the Spirit, to practice the works that God has prepared, and to increasingly reflect the character of Jesus Christ.

Note on biblical quotations: unless otherwise stated, biblical quotations are taken from recognised English Bible translations. When a passage is abbreviated, omissions are indicated by ellipses in brackets. Reformulations and summaries are presented as paraphrases and are not placed in quotation marks.