Not to break into a bible study here, but I don't want christianity to be misrepresented. Don't read if you don't want to learn a bit about it, I'm just providing the info.
SKluck said:
Christians don't follow the Old Testament FYI. It's there for history mostly.
Actually we are supposed to. Jesus said so in the sermon on the mount...
Matthew 5
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
"until everything is accomplished" = final judgement, establishment of new heaven & earth (see 1 Cor 13:8-10)
A lot of ceremonial commands were fulfilled in Christ and another big chunk was to be upheld by the Israeli judicial system, not on a personal level. With that, the debate over theonomy (the extent to which we are to apply this to our current governments) is quite extensive. But yeah, Christ didn't come to do away with the law, but He came to establish a new covenant by which that law was applied/fulfilled. So the form and function by which we live according to God's covenant changed, but not the law by which that covenant is based on. If you're interested, Hebrews talks about Christ and the covenants in detail.
Though your average person likes to assume all commandments in the OT are the law, rather than instructions on how to live according to the old covenant. This isn't true, but it's also not true that the whole OT is just there for history. Nobody would throw out what Christ said were the two greatest commandments (paraphrased: love God with all your being and love others as yourself), but those were already existing OT commandments, and a lot of others still apply to us in the same way.
However notice in looking at Deut 6:3-12 that there were some ceremonial practices that went along with the greatest commandment, but Christ doesn't mention them in Matt 22/Mark 12. That is because He brought fulfillment to those parts, yet the heart of the command still remains. But then aside from the ceremonial parts, we see from other teachings of Christ and the Apostles that some other specifics in Deut 6, such as teaching your children to love God and talking (in encouragement, instruction, thanksgiving) to each other about God's commandments and meditating on them also still apply.
It can be a difficult task to discern what we are to follow and what we aren't, then an even greater task to actually follow it. But so it is, and if you want to follow Christ it is commanded of you.
2 Tim 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
John 14:15
If you love me, you will obey what I command.
As for how much disobedience damns you, that can be a bit complicated to answer. You don't want to go too far to either extreme (legalism or antinomianism), there are clear warnings to obey but Christ came for a reason. The extremely summarized conclusion is to do your best to love and obey God by the strength of the Holy Spirit not your own, and have faith in Christ's grace shown in His work on the cross to save you not your works.
Hope you enjoyed my mini-sermon this good sunday morning, lol. As for me it's time to get ready to go to church for real, laters.
