God’s Instructions

 Devotion: God's Instruction Has Not Been Canceled

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." – Matthew 5:17 (KJV)

Have you ever watched a Christian leader fall—suddenly, tragically, and publicly? It can shake your faith. We wonder, “How could someone so passionate for God end up in such sin?” The uncomfortable truth is that many have lost sight of the foundation that was meant to guide their daily lives: God’s instruction—the Torah.

Somewhere along the line, we were told that “Jesus fulfilled the Law,” and so the commandments of God no longer apply. Just love God and love people, and everything else will work itself out. While this sounds warm and inviting, it dangerously misrepresents what Jesus actually taught.

Jesus did not cancel God’s Law. He fulfilledit—meaning He lived it perfectly and gave it its fullest expression. When He spoke those words in Matthew 5, He wasn’t writing off the Torah, He was affirming it. In fact, in the original context, Jesus likely said “Torah” (God’s instruction), not “nomos” (Greek for law). Torah means far more than rules—it means divine guidance on how to live a life pleasing to the Lord.

I’ll be honest—there was a time in my walk with Christ when I skimmed over the first five books of the Bible. I saw them as mostly ceremonial and obsolete. But as I began to view the Scriptures through a Hebraic lens, I saw that the Torah is not about earningsalvation (Israel was saved from Egypt before they were given the Law), it’s about livingsalvation. It’s about honoring the One who rescued us by walking according to His ways.

When believers ignore or misunderstand God’s instruction, it becomes easy to fall into moral confusion. How many ethical lapses begin when we forget the first commandment—that we are to have no other gods before Him? When anything else becomes more important than obedience to God, trouble follows.

Contemplation:

• How do I view the Torah—God’s instructions for living?

• Do I allow Jesus' fulfillment of the Law to draw me into deeper obedience, or do I use it as an excuse to disregard His commands?

• Am I placing anything—success, comfort, even ministry—before the Lord?

Prayer:

Father, thank You for loving me enough to give me instruction—not to burden me, but to bless me. Forgive me for the times I have treated Your commandments as obsolete or optional. Help me to rediscover the richness of Your Word, especially the Torah, with fresh eyes. Lord Jesus, thank You for fulfilling the Law and showing me how to walk in obedience with grace and truth. Strengthen me to live a life that reflects Your holiness, that I may not fall, but stand in the light of Your Word. In Jesus’ name,
Amen.