An Assumption: That the Testimony in Heaven is "Different":
It is an assumption that just because the testimony or covenant is different, that the laws must read different. I would argue that a new covenant has nothing to do with the moral law changing. I believe it has to do with a change of location, from tables of stone to the tables of your heart. These Ten Commandments must be written in our hearts, and that is the New Covenant promise to all those who love Jesus and surrender their lives to Him. Once that happens, these laws will be manifested in the character in an untold number of ways--for which Christ greatly elaborated upon.
Are we to suggest that heaven's testimony reads "This is the Law of Love"? May I ask what that means?
What does "love" mean? and how does "love" translate? How is it "manifested"? There has to be a foundation. Picture Jesus the embodiment of love. On his right hand hangs Table 1 (love to God), and on his left hand hangs Table 2 (love to man). From these 2 principles of love, hang ALL the law and the prophets (Matt. 22:40). Or picture Jesus the "chief cornerstone", holding up the foundation (Tables of Stone), and the great principles of love, embodied in His Temple, the Church or God's people, built on that foundation.
The Ten Commandments, out of the 613 laws, were seared in solid stone--to impress an indelible reminder concerning their perpetual and eternal nature. All of Christ's laws were extensions, or magnifications rather (Isaiah 42:21) of this sacred law, for which Paul said was "holy", "just", and "good" (Rom. 7:12).
Keeping the commandments is going to be an automatic fruitage and revelation of love. Love is revealed and translated in how we treat one another, and how we treat God. When we break the Sabbath, we are showing disrespect to God. God put the Sabbath there as a test for Christians, just like he put the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for Adam and Eve. Those who fail the test will exchange eternal life for eternal death.
But it doesn't end there. Jesus wants to go BEYOND the elementary basics of the Ten Commandments.
Jesus gave two examples of what it means to be living in the New Covenant:
Example 1:
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matthew 5:21,22)
As we can see, Jesus is in no way negating the law. In just 3 verses earlier, he said "till heaven and earth pass" not one jot or tittle will pass away from the law, then He goes on to give examples of what it means to live out that law in your life. He shows here that it is more than just "not killing". It also has to do with the intents of the heart---beyond not killing, don't even be ANGRY with your brother! Is it possible to kill your brother, yet not be angry with him? Of course not. The spirit never erases the letter. But if it is done only in letter, it means nothing for the soul.
Example 2:
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:27,28 )
As we can see, Jesus is not "negating" or "replacing" the "commandment of old" to not commit adultery. But He is AMPLIFYING it. Is it possible to commit adultery yet not lust after another woman? Of course not. Jesus is talking about our thoughts. These were principles that the Jewish nation had lost sight of. They didn't understand that God's law was to be kept from the heart. There were few men, however, that did. David's Psalms and Solomon's Proverb's are two examples.
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
As we can see, Israel broke the covenant because they relied on their own strength (see Exodus 24:7), their own human weakness to keep God's laws, but it was not the Lord working in and through them to give them strength (see Phil 2:13), because they kept it out of legalism. Not out of love. The New Covenant promise is where God will take those SAME moral laws (not new moral laws), and write them in their hearts.
Paul repeats the words of Jeremiah in Hebrews:
"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." (Hebrews 8:7-10)
"Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:15-17)
We see how Israel broke their end of the covenant, their "agreement". We see then why it became absolutely necessary to make a new covenant. God never broke the covenant, but Israel did. The covenant became faulty, but God's law is always perfect (Psalm 19:7). Therefore, it was a new covenant that needed to be made, not a new law. The covenant became imperfect when Israel broke it, and this is why God said he found fault with "them" (Israel), not the law. This is why the old covenant had to "vanish", because it was based on legalism, and trying to attain the law of righteousness by works, and not by faith. (See Romans 9:31,32). New Covenant Christians keep God's commandments
by faith, not by works. Works has to do with a
wrong motive, by trying to earn a ticket to salvation, and save ourselves. It has nothing to do with a heart-felt motive where faith is exercised that works by love and purifies the soul. When those same laws are implanted in the heart, it springs forth in our soul into good fruit!