Christ and the Law: Fulfillment, Not Abolition

In this sermon, Reverend Jack Hamilton continues his exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, focusing on Christ's words in Matthew 5:17–20: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Hamilton contrasts the ceremonial and judicial laws, fulfilled and set aside in Christ, with the enduring moral law that reflects God's holy character. He emphasizes that the law exposes sin, drives us to Christ as our only hope, and remains the standard of righteousness. Believers are called to live not by legalism, but by grace that produces obedience, love for God, and love for neighbor. Key Themes: • The Sermon on the Mount as God's description of true Christian character • Christ's fulfillment of the law: ceremonial, judicial, and moral distinctions • The Ten Commandments as the unchanging moral law of God • The law as a mirror of sin and a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (Romans 3, Galatians 3) • Righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees—an inward purity vs. outward appearance • Grace does not abolish the law but empowers obedience • Love for God and love for neighbor as the fulfillment of the law (Mark 12, Romans 13) • Danger of antinomianism (misusing grace as license to sin) • Christ's substitution: our sins imputed to Him, His righteousness imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:21) • The believer's obligation to live in holiness, reflecting God's character