If we read the Old Testament, we see that the Jews delighted in the Law of God and meditated on it day and night. It was because they were trying to be righteous by the law.

But after 1500 years, they realized the futility of trying to be righteous by works.

Acts 15 “⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” ⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Some of the Jews were self-righteous and they tried to be righteous by the works of the Law and thought that they were superior to the Gentiles who didn’t even bother trying to keep the Law. This is why they were trying to force Gentile believers to keep the Law for salvation.

But Peter admitted that the Jews found the Law a huge burden. It was a curse trying to be righteous by doing ALL the works of the Law (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10).

Peter said that God saw no difference between Jews and Gentiles! There was no point in keeping the Law.

Peter said that we are saved by grace and not works. This was proven when Peter healed the lame man, not by his own holiness but by grace in the name of Jesus.

Acts 3 ” ¹² When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?….¹⁶ By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”

The Ten Commandments (Law) could not save anyone. The Jews could not be righteous by the Law and that is why God saw no difference between Israel and the pagan world !!

The reason God gave the Law was to show that nobody is righteous by works! (Romans 3)

This is why Jesus Christ, the Son of God died on the cross to take away all our sins and He rose from the dead to save us by Grace through Faith and not by works!

Jesus came to abolish the Law and its commandments on the cross to bring Grace to both Jew and Gentile. Through the cross, Jesus showed that God sees all people equally, and all can be saved by grace through faith without works!

Ephesians 2 “¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

We are saved by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. We were all dead in sin but now we are made alive by the resurrection of Jesus through faith!

Ephesians 2 “⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The Law ended on the cross because God brought GRACE through Jesus Christ.

The Law does not exist anymore (Hebrews 8:13). God removed it because it was useless in saving anyone.

All nations are called to receive the GRACE of God by faith in Jesus.

Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is saved by grace through faith and not works!