"Let no (pagan) therefore judge you..."

[Luc Lefebvre]

Do not be decieved....
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:4

Or, the "goal" - the goal of Torah is be like Christ. Even Jewish theology says that after the 40 year journey described in Torah you reach Messiah, therefore, messiah is the "end of Torah".

"Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Acts 13:39

As far as I understand it, the Law of Moses was never for justification. This does not mean the Law of Moses is without value.

"Do you not know, brothers, for I am speaking to men who know the law, that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?" Romans 7:1

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God." Romans 7:4

We died to the power of the Law to condemn us to death (as the Law reveals sin and the penalty of sin is death). This does not mean the standard of righteousness as revealed in the Law is of no use. But we observe it by faith, according to the power of the Holy Spirit.

"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3:3

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." 2 Corinthians 5:14

We have died to the power of sin and our "old self", born from the beginning as new creatures in Messiah, living for Him (as verse 15 says) and not our old nature. And indeed, we live for Him by keeping His very commandments, as this is the love of God (1 John 5:3).

"To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law." 1 Corinthians 9:20

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14

"In the same way, consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." Gal 5:18

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." Romans 6:14

Being under the Law means being subject to it's penalties - i.e. curses and the ultimate consequence of sin: death. But neither have power/dominion over us because God has reconciled us to Himself by His Son. But this again has no relevance on following His commands. We simply do so by His strength, not our own.

"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Romans 7:6

The old way of the written code sounds a little bit funny. A more accurate rendition would be "and not in oldness of the letter". But first, let's cover being "released from the law". As the Law defines sin and condemns us to death, our free gift, the pardon available through Christ, releases us from the penalty of breaking the Law (therefore we are not bound to die), but it does not absolve us from living Holy, righteous lifestyles, of which the Law defines. However, what Christ taught very clearly as He magnified the Torah, was that it goes far beyond ritualistic observance. If our heart and spirit are not right then our works are in vain. Indeed, the letter of the law without the spirit of the law is worthless, and this in fact taught in Judaism and is not unique to Christianity (see the Midrash on Deuteronomy.. specially 6:18 if I remember correctly). But Messiah taught and demonstrated this very clearly, and so we walk after His example (we follow His halacha - which is what the law/instruction of Christ that Paul is subject to, being not without the Law of God in 1 Corinthians 9:21 is). We don't follow the oldness of the old religious rituals because now that Messiah has come and brought forth the treasures of the Torah and the Spirit of the living God has been poured out, why would anyone do such a thing?

Cultural context and understanding the Scripture is important. Now, a change in temple and priesthood service as Paul mentioned above is another story completely.

Oh, and I'm free from the bondage of sin and death, but not free from all bondage as I am a slave to righteousness as Paul points out in Romans 6. A yoke is not a bad thing when it's the right one.

Just my two shekels worth.