Amen, I tell you: Until heaven and earth pass away, not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter, will in any way pass away from the Law until everything is fulfilled.

Matthew 5:18 (EHV)

 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told His disciples that not even the smallest letter, or even part of a letter of the Law would disappear until He had fully met and fulfilled everything in it (cf. Hebrews 9:10–11; 10:1–4).

Until Jesus came, no one could fulfill the Law in its entirety, resulting in death. Even though the Law was good, holy, and just, it serves as a "ministry of condemnation" (2 Corinthians 3:7) for those who follow it.

According to the Apostle Paul, the Law played an important role in God's salvation plan, but it was only temporary. Once Christ fulfilled the Law through His perfect righteousness and vicarious atonement on the cross, He made the Old Covenant obsolete and established a New Covenant.

The Law disappeared when Jesus has finished His work. This is why we are not under the Law as Jesus was. As believers, we have no obligation to the Law because it has already been fulfilled in Christ. This frees us from seeking after a righteousness based on our works. Rather, we rest on Christ’s righteousness for our salvation and eternal life.

As we abide in Christ, He enables us to be fruitful in all good works. Good works differ from works of the Law. A fruitful life is the result of abiding in God's love rather than His Law. God's love in us gives us the courage to go above and beyond the demands of the Law. Thus, the Christian life is not about doing more for God, but about doing what matters to God.