One of the most common critiques of Christianity is that believers “cherry-pick” the Bible. Skeptics point to Old Testament commandments, like not wearing clothes made from mixed fabrics (Leviticus 19:19) or not boiling a goat in its mother’s milk (Exodus 23:19), and ask why Christians obey some biblical commands while seemingly ignoring others. Are we being inconsistent? The short answer: no, but the issue deserves a thoughtful, biblical explanation.

A Book Full of Commandments

The Bible is filled with commandments, some moral, some ceremonial, and some civil. With such a wide variety, how can Christians discern which commands are still binding today?

Critics argue that Christians follow the commands they like and ignore the rest. But historically, Christians have never approached Scripture in that way. Instead, the Church has interpreted the Bible within the framework of its overarching storyline and covenantal development.

Understanding the Covenants

The Bible presents a narrative shaped by covenants—formal agreements between God and His people. Two central covenants help explain the relationship between Christians and Old Testament commands:

1. The Old Covenant (Mosaic Covenant)

Made with Israel at Sinai, this covenant included detailed laws, moral, ritual, and civil, that set Israel apart as a holy nation among pagan peoples. These laws governed everything from worship to dietary restrictions to legal procedures.

2. The New Covenant (in Jesus Christ)

Prophesied in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, and fulfilled through Christ’s death and resurrection, the New Covenant is fundamentally different. It offers internal transformation through the Spirit, not just external obedience.

The New Testament teaches that the Old Covenant has passed away as a complete package (Hebrews 8:13). Christians are not under its direct obligations. That doesn’t mean God’s moral expectations have changed, but how they are expressed has shifted.

So Are Any Old Testament Laws Still Binding?

The better question is not “Why don’t Christians keep all Old Testament laws?” but rather, “Why do Christians keep some?”

The answer: Because certain Old Testament commands are reaffirmed in the New Testament, not as part of the Mosaic Law, but as part of what Paul calls “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21).

This law is grounded in love.

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
— Galatians 5:14

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart… and your neighbor as yourself.”
— Matthew 22:37–39

Jesus and the apostles taught that love fulfills the law. Moral commands like “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” and “Honor your father and mother” remain binding—not because they are in the Old Covenant, but because they reflect the heart of God’s will and are repeated in the New.

The Law of Christ: Love as the Guiding Ethic

This shift to the “law of Christ” does not mean lawlessness. Rather, it means that Christians are governed by a higher ethic: self-giving, Christlike love. This love:

  • Does not murder or commit adultery.

  • Tells the truth.

  • Honors others.

  • Gives sacrificially.

The New Testament outlines this in broad moral terms, rather than providing exhaustive legal codes. It gives principles, not political laws for a single nation-state. That makes sense: the Church is now global, not a single theocratic nation like ancient Israel.

Are Christians Arbitrary in What They Obey?

Not at all.

Christians don’t arbitrarily obey some Old Testament commands while ignoring others. We understand Scripture through the lens of its full story. We see that Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, ushering in the New. We obey the commands reaffirmed in the New Covenant, not because they appear in the Old, but because they embody the love of Christ. We are no longer under the Mosaic Law but under the “law of Christ,” which is grounded in love and shaped by the gospel. Loving as Christ loved the Church allows us to fulfill the demands of the law. The New Testament, specifically in Romans 13:8-10 and Galatians 5:14, emphasizes that love fulfills the law.

Conclusion: Following Jesus Faithfully

In the end, Christianity is not about legalism; it’s about following Jesus. We imitate Christ’s love, which He demonstrated most vividly on the cross. Our obedience is not an effort to earn salvation, but a grateful response to the One who saved us.

“Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us…”
— Ephesians 5:1–2

So no, Christians are not being inconsistent. We are being faithful to the Bible’s big story—and that story centers on Jesus.