Even though the Old Testament (OT) Law was absolutely holy and perfect, it couldn't make people holy. It only served to show them how sinful they were and the devil used it, as he still does today, to accuse, condemn, guilt-trip and enslave people. God never intended for the OT Law to make anybody perfect, but rather to show us how woefully inadequate we were and our desperate need for a savior.
Let us also remember that the OT Law was given to the Jews only, no other nation or people group was given this Law, let alone required to observe or keep it. Why was that? I believe that this was part of God's masterplan in orchestrating the salvation of the entire human race, didn't He promise Abraham that through his Seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed? God's wisdom is unfathomable, really! Think about it, I mean, the devil knew that "the Seed of the woman would crush His head" but he had no clue how that would come about, he was in constant panic mode all along and now he's completely stripped of every ounce of power he had and had acquired from Adam's fall, and it all happened when he thought he had the upper hand. When he was championing the crucifixion of Christ, little did he know that that was his undoing....as the Good Book says, "had he known, he wouldn't have crucified the Lord of Glory". I just marvel at the infinite wisdom of God, isn't He just awesome, His thoughts are higher than ours, His ways are higher than ours, He has our best interests at heart...but I digress...let me get back to this "Law" thing...
The very first believers were all Jewish, the very first church of Jesus Christ was made up of Jews most of whom continued to observe bits and pieces of the Law and other Jewish ceremonial rituals, they continued to go to the temple in Jerusalem as well as to the various synagogues wherever they lived, but they preached Jesus Christ as the only Savior and the only way to God. This resulted in many of them being persecuted and in some cases they were thrown out of synagogues, so they continued from house to house. After the church was dispersed from Jerusalem by way of persecution, the Gospel spread to the regions round about and eventually non-Jews aka gentiles. heard and believed the Gospel, were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.
It is interesting to note that some Jewish believers were determined to get the gentile believers to observe the OT Law of Moses, from circumcision to the whole nine yards, and after much disagreement or as the NKJV puts it... "Therefore...Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them" - Acts 15:2 .. they finally decided to send the matter to the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem. To call their response eye opening is an understatement. Here is part of what the apostles, elders and brethren had to say (the full account can be found here: Acts 15: 1-29 NKJV):
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
Notice, God the Holy Spirit guided and endorsed the decision that was made by that council. So if you were still wondering if you should keep the OT Law, that fact alone should settle it for you. You have the Spirit of Jesus in you to guide you into all truth, His New Commandment, found in John 13:34 has been written in your heart. In Christ we have been set free from the OT Law, let's keep it that way! Blessings!
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