By Alden Ho, minister
Let’s begin by asking the question, what exactly was nailed to the cross? Well, we know that Jesus was physically nailed to the cross, along with a sign that said, “The King of the Jews.” But what about symbolically? Was there anything else symbolically nailed to the cross as a result of the death of Jesus?
The apostle Paul said something was taken away by being nailed to the cross of Christ. What was he referring to? Let’s see what he said in Colossians 2:14, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” When I study, I like to read this from several different Bible versions to help me better understand. Here’s the same verse from the Contemporary English Version: “God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.” And one more from the New Living Translation: “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”
According to this verse, it was not the Law of God that so many traditionally believe was nailed to the cross, but rather it was the charges against us, meaning our sins. A further clue is found in the previous verse 13: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” It’s clear Jesus paid the price for our sins. “The wages of our sins, our debt, is death” (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ was willing to pay that debt by dying in our place, thus blotting out the record of our debt and pardoning our sins.
But what about the moral law that mainline Protestantism teaches was also nailed to the cross? Matthew 5:17-19, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Paul further emphasizes this by saying, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law (Romans 3:31).”
So, Jesus came not to do anyway with the law, but to fulfill the law of righteousness, which is to live rightly. He came to show us the way for us to live Godly lives through obedience to the law, meaning the Ten Commandments. Here’s something to reflect on. If someone committed a serious crime and somehow they were pardoned of the crime, that pardon by no means does away with the law that was broken, but it just emphasizes that the law carries force. Without that pardon, the criminal would die. Paul says, “for where there is no law there is no transgression (Romans 4:15).”
James 2:10: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
God’s moral law is not a buffet where you can pick and choose what you like, and leave what you dislike, rather it’s an all or nothing deal. These ten laws are not to be changed as they were written by the finger of God in stone. Malachi 3:6, tells us, “For I am the Lord, I do not change.” God doesn’t change His mind.
If the law of God was indeed done away with then why would a minister who commits adultery lose his position? If the church treasurer was caught stealing from the church funds that should be totally fine since there is no law. On the other hand, how will God judge us if there is no law? The truth is, the law was never done away with despite what many profess to believe. God is in fact wanting to do the opposite as Hebrews 10:16 points out, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.”
Paul say in Romans 2:12-16, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
Think again, all ten commandments have not been done away with. They will be used to judge us regardless of what tradition says. John the Revelator says, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).”