An introduction and review
Matthew Janzen’s Learning to Love His Law challenges one of modern Christianity’s most common assumptions – that God’s Law was abolished at the cross. Instead, he argues that Scripture consistently presents Yahweh’s Torah as a gracious revelation of His character, intended to be loved, obeyed, and written upon the hearts of His covenant people.
The book emphasizes several foundational themes:
- God’s Law reflects His holy character. The Torah is not a burden but a gift that reveals Yahweh’s wisdom, justice, and love for His people.
- Yeshua did not abolish the Law. Matthew 5:17–20 is presented as a declaration that Messiah came to establish and fully embody God’s Law, not to cancel it or abolish it. The common interpretation that “fulfill” means “abolish” is rejected as contrary to the context.
- The New Covenant internalizes Torah rather than replacing it. Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews 8 teach that Yahweh writes His existing Law on the hearts of believers through His Spirit, enabling joyful obedience rather than eliminating His commandments.
- Scripture must interpret Scripture. Later revelation cannot contradict earlier revelation. The apostles faithfully taught in harmony with the Torah, expanding its understanding without overturning it.
- Distinguishing God’s commandments from human traditions. Much confusion surrounding the Law arises from conflating Yahweh’s written Torah with later rabbinic traditions. Yeshua (Jesus) consistently opposed man-made traditions that nullified God’s commandments while upholding the written Torah of Yahweh.
- Believers are called to become diligent students of Scripture. Rather than accepting inherited doctrines uncritically, Christians should emulate the Bereans by testing every teaching against the whole counsel of God’s Word.
Ultimately, Learning to Love His Law calls readers to rediscover the beauty of Torah – not as a means of earning salvation, but as the loving instruction of a faithful Father and the pattern of life modeled perfectly by Yeshua. It invites believers to move beyond inherited traditions and allow Scripture itself to shape their understanding of covenant faithfulness, discipleship, and obedience.
Here is a link to Matthew Janzen’s full text, which you can download for free from his site.
I’ve also linked to his audio walkthrough of the introductory chapter on YouTube here, and I plan to publish articles on each chapter as these come out so let’s review those together.
Finally, here is a link to my YouTube video reviewing this, and I’ve included an intro video from HebrewFest 2026 live with a beautiful rendition of “Come Together (Psalm 133)” by my good friends Linden and Ruth Mitchell of Left and Right Ministries.
