"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no-one will be justified" (Gal 2:15-16)

"For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law" (Rom 3:28)

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." (Rom 3:21-22)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast" (Eph 2:8-9).

This salvation by faith means becoming part of the people of God without performing any religious rites such as circumcision. This means there are no more divisions caused by the law:

"You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal 3:26-29)

Notice how Paul does not deny the earlier covenants - he does not say the covenant is abolished - but rather he looks to the heart of the covenant not the letter, or as Paul tends to say, the spirit not the flesh. So the covenant of circumcision still stands, the covenant of the law still stands, but we enter them by faith in Christ, not through works.

Acts records the same conflict between those who held Christians had to obey the Torah and those who argued they did not.

Acts 10:9-23 records God telling Peter to eat "unclean" food. Peter says "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean", and God replies "do not call anything impure that God has made clean" (Acts 10:14-15).

In Acts 10:44-48 we read:
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said "Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus announces a new covenant, "this cup is the new covenant in my blood" (1 Cor 11:25), and this new covenant has its own mark or seal, the Holy Spirit.

Paul writes
"Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory" (Eph 1:13-14)

"the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph 4:30)

The covenant of circumcision had the seal of circumcision:
"He [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith" (Rom 4:11)

The Sabbath was the sign of the covenant at Sinai:
"Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us" (Eze 20:20)

So just as circumcision was the sign of Abraham's covenant, and the Sabbath the sign of the covenant at Sinai, so the Holy Spirit is the sign, or seal of the Christian.

Paul writes of the new covenant:
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6)

The law of his new covenant is not written on stone or paper as the covenant of Sinai.

"written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor 3:3)

The Spirit is our seal and our guarantee:
"Now it is God how makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor 1:21-22)

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Rom 8:16).

What then of Christian behaviour - how do Christian's determine right and wrong? Is it by following the Torah? Paul makes it clear this is not the case in Galatians. Having received the Holy Spirit and become Christians, the Galatians have started following the Torah. Paul writes:

"Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (Gal 3:5)

Paul is here saying that not only is the Spirit given because of belief, but we continue to be accepted by God because of belief - not by works.

Paul often instructs Christians in how to live, but rarely refers to the law.

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" (Gal 5:18).

Instead Paul says the acts of sinful nature are "obvious" (Gal 5:19), and describes desirable behaviour as the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22). He even refers to a "law of Christ" (Gal 6:2), which is to "carry each other's burdens" (Gal 6:2).

It is the Holy Spirit which produces good behaviour, Paul writes that we are "sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:16).

"But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor 6:11)

It is interesting to note one of the rare occasions when Paul does use the law to define behaviour. In 1 Corinthians Paul uses the law to justify women remaining silent in church:

"They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission as the Law says" (1 Cor 14:34)

However in all of his letters Paul defines Christian behaviour without reference to the law.

Romans simply defines Christian behaviour in terms of love, with reference to "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom 13:10).

Corinthians again defines Christian behaviour in terms of love (1 Cor 13).

2 Corinthians asks Christians to follow the example of Christ ("that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor" (2 Cor 8:9).

Galatians asks Christians to produce the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22), for what counts is a "new creation" (Gal 6:15).

Ephesians asks Christians to be "imitators of God" (Eph 5:1) and to "live a life of love" (Eph 5:2).

Philippians says:
"Not having a righteousness of my own that comes through the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith" (Phil 3:9)

Thessolonians speaks of "brotherly love" (1 Thess 4:9).

Basically the "law of Christ" (Gal 6:2) is the higher law - the law of love (1 Cor 13).

Christians are not required to obey a law to enter the covenant, we are justified as a "gift of God" (Rom 5:16).

We do not need a written law, "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16), and are "united with him" (Rom 6:5), we are "sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy" (1 Cor 1:2).