The Law and the Kingdom

Keeping the Law of Moses does not bring anyone into the Kingdom of God.

The law of Moses and the Kingdom of God are two different things. While one demands "doing", the other requires "believing".

Mark 12:28 Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [ in its nature]?

The scribe had a good question? Religion always "tries" to have good things but in the end messes things up.

The man asked Jesus which was the first and most important COMMANDMENT. Jesus replied by satisfying what the man wanted to hear.

Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is:Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;
30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.
31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

 Looking at these verses what Jesus replied to that man we see that the commandment required a "doing". Religion always wants its believers to DO and keep on DOING. Religion demands a PERFORMANCE.

Hearing this the man was very happy....of course he should be happy....it's what he expected Jesus to answer. He was like so many RELIGIOUS PREACHERS today. The man expected Jesus to quote from the 10 commandments, and quote he did. Unfortunately, that was not what was going to help that man or ANY OTHER MAN.

The man was elated and replied....

Mark 12:32-33 And the scribe said to Him, Excellently and fitly and admirably answered, Teacher! You have said truly that He is One, and there is no other but Him;
33 And to love Him out of and with all the heart and with all the understanding [with the faculty of quick apprehension and intelligence and keenness of discernment] and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

UNFORTUNATELY there is just so much that RELIGION or the LAW OF MOSES can do.....give you goosebumps. It can make YOU feel good about yourself. But feeling good about yourself is not going to get you in the Kingdom of God. Shocker!!!

Well that's exactly what we see happening next here.

Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered intelligently (discreetly and having his wits about him), He said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one ventured or dared to ask Him any further question.

The LAW OF MOSES and RELIGION can cause you to answer intelligently.....but that does not mean that you are in the KINGDOM. It can get you NEAR the Kingdom of God but it leaves you there...right at the DOOR.

The law of Moses is a schoolmaster that brings us to Christ, but then getting into the Kingdom can ONLY be through JESUS CHRIST.

Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

We are NO LONGER under the schoolmaster, but we are under CHRIST, the DOOR.

The law can bring us to Christ but to get into the KINGDOM we must go through JESUS CHRIST, through FAITH in Him, in the FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, through GRACE.