Yeshua said He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfil it.. How does Yeshua accomplish this? Firstly what is the "Law" is it simply a list of do's and don'ts.. And by keeping the do's and avoiding the don'ts we are assured of Gods favour. Yet, we cannot keep the law, no matter how hard we try it is not possible for mankind to keep every jot of the law perfectly. As God is perfect then we would have to keep to the law perfectly if it is to have any benefit to us in eternity.
The law is a manifestation of the perfect holiness of God, and was given to us (humanity) to show how utterly unable we are to meet God's standard by our own means, strength or works. It shows us our sinfulness as a contrast to God's holiness. Old Testament saints who were called righteous relied upon the grace of God for their right standing with God... not their success at keeping the law. Because we know they sometimes failed in this.
When Jesus is said to have fulfilled the law, it means that He perfectly kept the law of God, and never sinned. This was therefore... as Christians believe, a manifestation of and testimony to His deity. Obviously something no other man could possibly do as only God is unblemished by sin.
He didn't come to abolish the law means that the law remains the law and is (still) perfect. Even after we enter the New Covenant in Jesus' blood which places believers under grace not under law, therefore in a sense abolishing the law for believers, the law remains as a testament of God's holiness and our inability to meet His standard. Something that remains true even after conversion.
Christians understand that Yeshua never sinned, and therefore that He is God.. In essence and nature (something I know is awful for muslims to hear) but I explain how from a Christian perspective we see His being sinless was the reason for the Virgin birth, without this the crucifixion is meaningless. As a result of His sinless being, it also means His sacrifice was a full (infinite) payment for sin, and therefore that the just punishment for transgression of the law (of all believers) was fulfilled too. He fulfilled the law for us, because we couldn't. He didn't come to abolish the law, because He didn't just say "the law no longer applies", He came to pay the penalty for the breaking of the law.
For example as a way to understand this is to compare it to the difference between cancelling ("forgiving") a debt, and paying the debt. In one, payment is made which fulfills the obligations of the debt, and in the other payment is withheld and the obligations of the debt are not met. This is an important point because it shows that God's justice is not violated in dispensing mercy and forgiveness to believers. God remains just while at the same time able to show mercy to sinners. Something that is present in no other belief system outside of biblical christianity.
That's how we see Yeshua fulfilled the law, He didn't simply abolish it.
The law is a manifestation of the perfect holiness of God, and was given to us (humanity) to show how utterly unable we are to meet God's standard by our own means, strength or works. It shows us our sinfulness as a contrast to God's holiness. Old Testament saints who were called righteous relied upon the grace of God for their right standing with God... not their success at keeping the law. Because we know they sometimes failed in this.
When Jesus is said to have fulfilled the law, it means that He perfectly kept the law of God, and never sinned. This was therefore... as Christians believe, a manifestation of and testimony to His deity. Obviously something no other man could possibly do as only God is unblemished by sin.
He didn't come to abolish the law means that the law remains the law and is (still) perfect. Even after we enter the New Covenant in Jesus' blood which places believers under grace not under law, therefore in a sense abolishing the law for believers, the law remains as a testament of God's holiness and our inability to meet His standard. Something that remains true even after conversion.
Christians understand that Yeshua never sinned, and therefore that He is God.. In essence and nature (something I know is awful for muslims to hear) but I explain how from a Christian perspective we see His being sinless was the reason for the Virgin birth, without this the crucifixion is meaningless. As a result of His sinless being, it also means His sacrifice was a full (infinite) payment for sin, and therefore that the just punishment for transgression of the law (of all believers) was fulfilled too. He fulfilled the law for us, because we couldn't. He didn't come to abolish the law, because He didn't just say "the law no longer applies", He came to pay the penalty for the breaking of the law.
For example as a way to understand this is to compare it to the difference between cancelling ("forgiving") a debt, and paying the debt. In one, payment is made which fulfills the obligations of the debt, and in the other payment is withheld and the obligations of the debt are not met. This is an important point because it shows that God's justice is not violated in dispensing mercy and forgiveness to believers. God remains just while at the same time able to show mercy to sinners. Something that is present in no other belief system outside of biblical christianity.
That's how we see Yeshua fulfilled the law, He didn't simply abolish it.