This does not mean that we can live as we please and expect God to forgive us. So then, there is an expectation that Christians adhere to certain standards of conduct. Where do we find those standards defined? We see that the New Testament affirms the moral laws of the Old Testament. But it raises the bar as well, as the following passage demonstrates:

Galatians 5:13-24 - You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The Old Testament also contains dietary restrictions, holy days and festivals which were required for the Israelites to observe. Paul argues in Romans 14 that that these are left as a matter of personal choice for Gentile believers.

Romans 14:1-10 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

We would all to well to take Romans 14:10 to heart, leaving room for fellow believers to follow Jesus with a clear conscience free from the judgement of those whose beliefs on these matters differ. Let us spur one another one to love and good deeds - Hebrews 10:24.

Churches existed apart from synagogues. Recognizing the distinction helps clarify the meaning of this verse.

It is not expecting Gentiles to adopt Jewish laws over time. The first requirement for someone to follow Old Covenant laws was circumcision.

This was never a requirement for Gentile Christians and was vehemently opposed by the Apostle Paul.

Churches existed apart from synagogues. Recognizing the distinction helps clarify the meaning of this verse.

It is not expecting Gentiles to adopt Jewish laws over time. The first requirement for someone to follow Old Covenant laws was circumcision.

This was never a requirement for Gentile Christians and was vehemently opposed by the Apostle Paul.

More specifically, Paul claims that we have been released from the law:

Romans 7:4,6 - Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

And in Galatians, mentions that being circumcised would obligate one to keep the law. This assumes the corollary to be that a Gentile believer was not under that obligation. Paul concludes that being circumcised would be an inferior choice to their current relationship to God via grace:

Galations 5:2-4 - Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.