The law referred to in Hebrews 7:12 is the law of the priesthood. It
necessarily had to change because Jesus was not a Levite. He was from the
tribe of Judah. This point Paul makes just 2 verses beyond the chapter and
verse you quoted. We must always allow the Bible to interpret itself and not
allow our minds to be biased by the popular teachers of our day who
carelessly or ignorantly misconstrue the clear word of God.

Clearly then, the verse I quoted in 1 John 3:4 is referring to the
moral law; the Ten Commandments. It says that "sin is the transgression of
the law." In other words, it is a sin to break God's law. This describes the
carnal mind which is enmity against God. It actually hates righteousness.
Furthermore, Romans 8:7 says that "it is not subject to the law of God;
neither, indeed can be." Sin is something we do which is against God. It is a
problem that lies deep in our heart. Only God can change that.

Can you imagine that after Jesus died on the cross for our sins,
after taking our stripes, that He would say that it is no longer a sin
against God to steal, or kill, or covet, or commit adultery, or lie, or bear
falsewitness, or dishonor parents? Or worse, that we no longer need to love
God above all else, idols are all right, and you can take His name in vain
and profane the Sabbath day. I don't think so, do you? Don't you think rather
that His dying, so that we might have life eternal, would cause us to love
Him even more?

Jesus is righteousness embodied. If we say we love Jesus, then we are
saying we love righteousness and justice. Jesus made this very point when He
said, "If you love me, then keep my commandments." He is holy and just and
good and righteous. To love Him is to love holiness, justice, goodness, and
righteousness. "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for
if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law." "Wherefore the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good." Jesus said He came to fulfill the
law. Love is the fulfillment of the law. What greater love hath a man than
that he should lay down his life for his friends. Jesus laid down his life
for his friends. You are his friend, "if ye do whatsoever [He] command you."

It occurs to me that the sacrificial laws did cease after Jesus'
death. They were a shadow of the true. They were symbolic of the ministry of
Jesus and pointed to His death as the Lamb of God. There is no further need
to offer animal sacrifices which can't remove sin anyway. It required the
blood of Jesus to effect our atonement and redemption and reconciliation.
Hebrews also mentions this; "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls
and of goats should take away sins." (Heb 10:4). But John the Baptist said of
Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."
(Daniel 9 also confirms this cessation of the animal sacrifices and sin.)

To sum it up: you cannot be good enough to keep the law in your
weakness. But if you love Jesus and wish to be like Him then you will seek
righteousness from the only True Source, Jesus Christ. "For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

May the Lord bless the hearing and reading of this post.

Jeff Logan
Bakersfield, CA