14. Unchanging Standards

Both Jesus and the Father are in complete harmony with the standards of the Law.  These standards have their origin in their very natures, and they uphold them without exception.

Matthew 5:17 (ESV) "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.”

We live in a society that challenges the idea of absolute truth. It regards moral values as relative, and individuals can decide what is best for themselves.  What we consider right for some may not be valid for others. I remember discussing this idea of relativism with a young man some years ago. He was trying to persuade me that there were no absolutes in life, and so he was free to choose his own standards. I was putting forward the case that some things are always unacceptable, and an example of this would be murder. I could not convince him about this, and to challenge his thinking, I acted out a small scenario. I suggested that if I had a knife in my hand, it would be wrong for me to stab him with it. And in saying this, I pushed my empty, clenched fist toward his stomach. I thought he would have to agree with me that this was unacceptable. But, to my surprise, he stated it would not be wrong for me to stab him, but it would be wrong for him to be stabbed. This took me aback. This one action of stabbing him was acceptable or otherwise, depending on which end of the weapon we were. 

We do not have the space to elaborate on this debate in more detail here, other than to say that the Bible states there are real, universal standards of right and wrong. These values come from the heart and nature of God, and they protect us as individuals and as members of society. Murder is always wrong. Rape is always wrong. Child abuse is always wrong. Similarly, adultery too, is also always wrong. 

In our previous reading, we saw Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery.  The Law taught that they should stone her to death, yet Jesus seemed to ignore this standard and absolved her.  

This apparent contradiction has led some to believe there is a difference between Jesus’ standards and those of the Father. They perceive the Father to be a harsh, judgmental lawgiver. While they see Jesus as gracious and merciful.  

In previous chapters, we have seen Jesus represented the Father in all He did and said. So how do we reconcile this seeming contradiction between the Old Testament and the actions and heart of Jesus?  

We will discover the answer to this supposed difference when we explore in our next reading the Biblical truth of redemption. We will see that both Jesus and the Father are in complete harmony with the standards of the Law. These requirements have their origin in their natures, and they both uphold them without exception.  

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfil it. 

Further reading: Ps 40:6-8; Heb 10:3-12

Although we have broken the Father's standards, He sent Jesus into the world so that we might be forgiven.

This is an extract from my free book Knowing God as Father, which is available for download at Knowing God as Father.