Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Law, Love and Fulfillment



m sure that there are some people who read this blog and might think " Why does he always talk about the Law?... Shouldn't he be talking about Jesus more instead? 

Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: No. 

Let me explain that. 

The focus of everything here is to point to the Savior, Our Messiah, Our redeemer. 
When I talk about the Law of God, I am talking about the things that Jesus taught about. When I talk about keeping commands of God, I am talking about what Jesus kept. When I talk about following in his footsteps, I am literally talking about what scripture refers to as the path
"And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."- Isaiah 2

"Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that w
I'e may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."- Micah 4 



Now in my study I have heard people, in some cases pastors tell me that the law has been done away with. THat usually causes me to take their words and compare it to the Word of God. This is the contrast I see:


17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. - Matt 5


This really does seem to say that Jesus didn't come to render the Law of Our God to not be followed. In fact, he said it. Now, when I have pointed out that he fulfilled the law, not rendered it not to be followed... many people still think fulfill means to keep once and then discard. The text above points out that the heaven and earth thing hasn't happened yet, and there are other scriptures that talk about that too.

Lets take a closer look at that line of thinking in comparison to some other scriptures. 

"But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 1 cor. 7 

Fulfill his duty. Looking into the wording on that... that means... you know... husband wife time.  Getting busy.... being fruitful and multiplying so to speak. Yeah, It means to biblicaly " Know" each other. 

How silly would it be to think that the scripture is saying that once you're married, get it done only once... then you have done away with marital relations and therefore rendered them obsolete. Or to say that marital relations was some sort of burden instead of a God orchestrated blessing WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF MARRIAGE.

I couldn't fathom that.
 Moving on.


"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2

If we take this scripture and apply the "Fulfill means to render not following" mindset... then by bearing the burdens of one another, we are disregarding the law of Christ? We're making the Law of Christ to not be followed? 

According to scripture that doesn't make sense. 

8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.- James 2

IF you are doing away with the royal law according to scripture love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing good? NO WAY!!! IF you are keeping God's law, you are loving your neighbor as yourself. You are loving God with all your heart and soul and resources.


Isaiah 8:20 says this:

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.


I'd like to point out that most of those who call on the God for their salvation, who read the word and seek to live like Christ, are following a lot more of the Law of God than they realize.

Regarding this text in Isaiah, I was thinking about this today.

I remember who I was before Jesus came into my life. I remember what I thought was acceptable. I know that there were things and lines of thinking that I thought for sure, were fine. I'd tell God, " Look God, This is fine. I don't need to change that, because really this thing... this thing in my life is no big deal." 


but... that thinking doesn't line up with the word of God.
It doesn't co-inside with the Truth. 

The truth is that if something God says isn't acceptable, then there isn't two ways about it. It's unacceptable. Granted, he'll give you grace and be patient with you as you and Him work on other things in your life, but the standard isn't going to change. HE's just got to get your heart to a place where you take His word for what is right and what is not, or you remove Him from your heart. 

Man cannot serve two masters. He either hates one or he hates the other.

There is war in the body between the spirit and the flesh, Paul writes in Romans. He tells a story about the law of the flesh ( carnality) being in contention with the God's law.
I remember before I began to keep more of God's law, looking at the scriptures and my fleshly mind saying that they were a burden. In my sin, I would look at things like Leviticus 11 on where God says do not eat certain things, because I am God and you are not, and in my fleshly mind I would think... man... what a bunch of rules. What a bunch of restrictions. What a bunch of stuff that isn't .... exalting me.

I prayed about it and I searched God's word. In drawing closer to Him I could see that it was insane to think that it was some great mill stone around my neck to not eat something that God calls an abomination. 

It was quite easy actually. In my heart, I really wanted to abstain from the things that are unpleasing to God according to His definition  and not my standard.
The Sabbath rest? That is a delight!!! God says I have set the 7th day aside for you and I FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME! How could I possibly think that Gift from Him is anything other than wonderful?

....because that flesh sometimes wants something else. It says things like " Forget God, you need money..."  or " God helps those who help themselves ( not actually in scripture)" 


....that flesh says, Let's be God because we know better. 

... That flesh says  forget the scripture and just think of the taste

.... that flesh says don't help them, because they can't give you anything. 



The word says :
1 John 5:2-3
 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." 
Love and Fulfillment. 



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