[FONT="]I believe that the Law is not against Grace? For the past 1800 years most of us have been taught that the Old Testament was all about Law and the New Testament is all about Love. We might have even been led to believe that those of the OT were saved by works and today we are saved by grace...That it is either Law or Love. The scriptures show that the two are actually one. The God of yesterday still defines love the same way that He does today...through obedience to His Word.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Many Christians mimic this saying and keep to it veraciously – “We are no longer under obligation to keep God’s commandments any longer because we have grace, that is to say we have ‘Unmerited favor’”.[/FONT]
[FONT="]When we mention “Law”….people have big issues. Probably first most because it is human nature to not like law or restrictions. Law in our minds equals restriction. There is no blessing in law. Laws restrain us from going 120 mph on the highway. Laws restrain us from killing somebody who really made us mad. We always look at laws as restraining.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Many Christians like to say this saying, “Keeping the law is legalistic and the only thing that God is concerned about is love.” In the 1960’s Love was a big deal.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If God’s only concern is “love”, ie..God is Love, then we need to see how God defines love and what are our responsibilities to it.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is keeping the commandments of God legalistic?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]LEGALISM DEFINED – THE EFFORT TO KEEP THE DETAILS OF THE LAW FOR THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION.[/FONT]
[FONT="]OBEDIENCE IS THE OPPOSITE OF LEGALISM – OBEDIENCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Our parents may have at one time said “If you are going to live in my house, you are going to play by my rules.” Are these parents being “legalistic”? Is that non-loving? Is that mean? Or is there something deeper in their heart that they are concerned about when they make this statement. Perhaps because the parents know what is best for their children?[/FONT]
[FONT="]In the New Testament we have this thing called the Torah. The Pharisees and Saducees were so concerned about breaking the commandments that they made EXTRA laws, called fences, that they would put around the Laws of God, and what they did was “God said here is the boundaries.” The RELIGIOUS LEADERS created all these EXTRA laws to keep God’s people from breaking God’s own law. That was the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s instructions. This is what is called “LEGALISM”. They put their laws above and beyond the laws God and they said you can’t come to God because God will not accept you unless you keep our laws on top of His laws.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So the issue of the day that Jesus and Paul are so adamantly opposed to is this set of laws, called legalism. God’s people couldn’t even enjoy the blessings that came along with keeping God’s laws because they never knew what they actually were. They had all these EXTRA laws piled on top called RELIGION.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Ephesians 2:8 -9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2 Tim 1:9-10 - Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:[/FONT]
[FONT="]These are examples of legalism that show Paul and Timothy and others were fighting against this legalism. They’re saying it is not about “works” and doing what the Pharisee’s are telling you. It is about the “circumcision sect” that is coming in here and telling you that everything we are teaching you is wrong and that you must be circumcised, you must do this and you must do that in order to be saved and Paul is saying it is not about any of those extra things they are piling on you. He is telling them they are twisting and manipulating and raping the word of God.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Galations 3:5 - He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?[/FONT]
[FONT="]But is it not strange that most believe in the end when God judges the world that their good works hopefully outweight their bad works? The truth of the matter is that you cannot DO ANYTHING to please God when it comes to salvation.[/FONT]
[FONT="]LEGALISM in the New Testament was at an all time high. If you do not understand that basic premise that half the arguments in the New Testament, you will by default start pulling meaning out there that doesn’t exist. You must keep that in the back of your mind when you are reading the scriptures. It was all about legalism. Paul was fighting legalism and he was not fighting the Law of God. To say otherwise is ludricous. He is fighting legalism.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People are starting to think that he is talking about God’s Law and he makes the point to say that is not what he is saying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]In keeping the commandments, my only reason is because I LOVE GOD, but for any other reason, then I would be legalistic. I want to please Him and obey Him. These reasons are not legalism. If I did it for some kind of extra favor, then I’ve lost all credit. Legalism kills and you are still under the law. If I thought I must do things because God would not love me, then it is done for the wrong reason.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is proving my salvation. Working out my salvation with fear and trembling because I love Him. It is not about the fine details, it is about my obedience and expression of my love to Him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]IS GOD LEGALISTIC?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lev. 22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Proverbs 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS SALVATION GAINED THROUGH THE LAW?[/FONT]
[FONT="]A misconception is that many think that in the OT that people where saved by the law and that in the NT people are saved by grace.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Law is being pitted against grace. If you have this concept from the beginning, then the ENTIRE/WHOLE Bible will not make sense. If that is your foundation , not understanding correctly about grace and law, then everything else falls apart.[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS SALVATION GAINED THROUGH THE LAW?[/FONT]
[FONT="]GOD IS SALVATION.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation (H344 – y’shua) : he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]TRUST AND SALVATION[/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation (H3444-y’shua). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 78:22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation (H344 – y’shua)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation (H3444 – y’shua); I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation (H3444 – y’shua). Note: He trusted first, had fear of the Lord and then adds he has also “BECOME MY SALVATION”. We must trust first to believe that we are going to be set free. This is also called FAITH.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.[/FONT]
[FONT="]SALVATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THROUGH FAITH AND IN WHO GOD SAYS HE IS.[/FONT]
[FONT="]There has never been a time in these 66 books we call the cononized scriptures where God says anything other than “I AM SALVATION”.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What does the name Y’shua mean? It means Yahwey is my Salvation. It is not the law is my salvation![/FONT]
[FONT="]Even Paul makes his point in Galatians 3:5-7 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What is Paul saying? What is the argument here in Galations? It is - what does it mean to be saved? Paul is telling them that these guys of the circumcise sect are wrong. Abraham, who was a Gentile, was not saved by all these laws that your religious leaders are telling you, but instead he was saved because he believed and put his trust in God. Paul is making the point that salvation came from belief and trusting and obeying the words of God. That is were Abraham’s salvation come from.[/FONT]
[FONT="]GOD CANNOT BE LEGALISTIC JUST BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Some may argue here that is in the Old Testament. No.. It is in the Bible. Paul and the other writers would have a hard time with this concept Old Testament/New Testament. They wouldn’t get IT!!
[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS JESUS LEGALISTIC?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.[/FONT]
[FONT="]IS JESUS SAYING THERE ARE TWO SET OF COMMANDMENTS?
[/FONT]
[FONT="] I believe that is also a common thought. So I ask, is Jesus pitting Himself against God, His own Father’s commandments? Jesus came to show us who? The Father.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What did Jesus specifically come to tell us? What His Father’s will is. And in the Old Testament we see that God’s will is for us to keep His commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Jesus didn’t say I want you to keep my commandments, but not the Father’s commandments because those are messed up and I am going to nail them to the cross in a few years from now. No, He is saying I want you to keep the commandments the way there were meant to be kept, but they have been severely messed up for the past 1200 years.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 3:22-24 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is John, a follower of Christ and a teacher of Christ and he is Jewish. When he is referring to the commandments, I assure you he is talking about the commandments of God. John is saying this is how you please God and show you love Him by keeping His commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]You can say God’s commandments are legalistic, but the reality is do we have it right?[/FONT]
[FONT="]The argument is often that we only keep the commandments that are listed in the New Testament that Jesus talks about. The argument is that when Jesus says “My Commandments” He is talking about only specific commandments that he mentions in the New Testament. He mentions 9 out of the 10 commandments. But does that hold water to the scriptures?[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Perhaps the new believers are thinking that is a lot of commandments and not sure they can keep them. But what did Jesus say?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Mat 11:25[/FONT][FONT="] At that time Jesus answered and said,.....[/FONT]
[FONT="]Mat 11:28[/FONT][FONT="] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:29[/FONT][FONT="] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Mat 11:30[/FONT][FONT="] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you married? What did you do when dating your spouse to be? Did you put on your best, smell your best, smile your best, give your best. Was it too much effort or was it effortless? When you love someone things become easy. When you don’t love someone, you are always trying to find a way out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Then why not do so for our groom? Jesus says we will find His yoke is easy, and that His burden is light. We give our best to the one’s we love and so in loving God and His Son, I keep the commandments. Keeping His commandments doesn’t give me salvation. Salvation is only through the shed blood of Y’shua/Jesus. (H3444 Yah’s Salvation – y’shua). His commandments are written in my heart.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Interesting….the testimony of Jesus Christ is connected with keeping the commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Rev 14:12[/FONT] [FONT="] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If deciding to keep the commandments of God is legalistic as some might say, then anyone who says that we should keep the commandments by default is legalistic. Since Jesus and the Father told us to keep His commandments that would make both of them legalistic.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Can you get around these scriptures and still say that believers are not told to keep the commandments?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Was God being legalistic when He told Adam and Eve in the garden that they could eat of everything BUT…..? That first but in scripture was for the benefit of Adam and Eve. God was not being legalistic because He gave instructions. He gave them EVERYTHING, BUT one tree.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So we can take this perspective that God said you can do anything, but these things because these are for your protection. God was saying “I know things you don’t know”. Why did He not tell them about the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Was it important for them to know the “what” there? Would it have made a difference if God had explained to them what would happen if they ate it? This is what the tree of knowledge of good and evil is all about….55 billion people will die. Do you think Adam and Eve would understand what 55 billion peoples lives ruined meant to them? God could have told them that the people would live in pain of numerous kinds, all because of sin.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So the question is “Will you take that fruit?” If Adam knew, he could have said, No I want eat of that tree…I am building a wall around that tree.” I am going to DO everything I can to obey what God tells me.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you willing to DO everything God says?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you trusting in Him for your Salvation? Do you love Him? Or do you keep on making up excuses (or being deceived by Satan) that you don’t need to obey God?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Many Christians mimic this saying and keep to it veraciously – “We are no longer under obligation to keep God’s commandments any longer because we have grace, that is to say we have ‘Unmerited favor’”.[/FONT]
[FONT="]When we mention “Law”….people have big issues. Probably first most because it is human nature to not like law or restrictions. Law in our minds equals restriction. There is no blessing in law. Laws restrain us from going 120 mph on the highway. Laws restrain us from killing somebody who really made us mad. We always look at laws as restraining.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Many Christians like to say this saying, “Keeping the law is legalistic and the only thing that God is concerned about is love.” In the 1960’s Love was a big deal.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If God’s only concern is “love”, ie..God is Love, then we need to see how God defines love and what are our responsibilities to it.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is keeping the commandments of God legalistic?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]LEGALISM DEFINED – THE EFFORT TO KEEP THE DETAILS OF THE LAW FOR THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION.[/FONT]
[FONT="]OBEDIENCE IS THE OPPOSITE OF LEGALISM – OBEDIENCE OF THE COMMANDMENTS ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE SAVED.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Our parents may have at one time said “If you are going to live in my house, you are going to play by my rules.” Are these parents being “legalistic”? Is that non-loving? Is that mean? Or is there something deeper in their heart that they are concerned about when they make this statement. Perhaps because the parents know what is best for their children?[/FONT]
[FONT="]In the New Testament we have this thing called the Torah. The Pharisees and Saducees were so concerned about breaking the commandments that they made EXTRA laws, called fences, that they would put around the Laws of God, and what they did was “God said here is the boundaries.” The RELIGIOUS LEADERS created all these EXTRA laws to keep God’s people from breaking God’s own law. That was the Pharisee’s and Sadducee’s instructions. This is what is called “LEGALISM”. They put their laws above and beyond the laws God and they said you can’t come to God because God will not accept you unless you keep our laws on top of His laws.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So the issue of the day that Jesus and Paul are so adamantly opposed to is this set of laws, called legalism. God’s people couldn’t even enjoy the blessings that came along with keeping God’s laws because they never knew what they actually were. They had all these EXTRA laws piled on top called RELIGION.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Ephesians 2:8 -9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.[/FONT]
[FONT="]2 Tim 1:9-10 - Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:[/FONT]
[FONT="]These are examples of legalism that show Paul and Timothy and others were fighting against this legalism. They’re saying it is not about “works” and doing what the Pharisee’s are telling you. It is about the “circumcision sect” that is coming in here and telling you that everything we are teaching you is wrong and that you must be circumcised, you must do this and you must do that in order to be saved and Paul is saying it is not about any of those extra things they are piling on you. He is telling them they are twisting and manipulating and raping the word of God.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Galations 3:5 - He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?[/FONT]
[FONT="]But is it not strange that most believe in the end when God judges the world that their good works hopefully outweight their bad works? The truth of the matter is that you cannot DO ANYTHING to please God when it comes to salvation.[/FONT]
[FONT="]LEGALISM in the New Testament was at an all time high. If you do not understand that basic premise that half the arguments in the New Testament, you will by default start pulling meaning out there that doesn’t exist. You must keep that in the back of your mind when you are reading the scriptures. It was all about legalism. Paul was fighting legalism and he was not fighting the Law of God. To say otherwise is ludricous. He is fighting legalism.[/FONT]
[FONT="]People are starting to think that he is talking about God’s Law and he makes the point to say that is not what he is saying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]In keeping the commandments, my only reason is because I LOVE GOD, but for any other reason, then I would be legalistic. I want to please Him and obey Him. These reasons are not legalism. If I did it for some kind of extra favor, then I’ve lost all credit. Legalism kills and you are still under the law. If I thought I must do things because God would not love me, then it is done for the wrong reason.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is proving my salvation. Working out my salvation with fear and trembling because I love Him. It is not about the fine details, it is about my obedience and expression of my love to Him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]IS GOD LEGALISTIC?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Lev. 22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Proverbs 7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS SALVATION GAINED THROUGH THE LAW?[/FONT]
[FONT="]A misconception is that many think that in the OT that people where saved by the law and that in the NT people are saved by grace.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Law is being pitted against grace. If you have this concept from the beginning, then the ENTIRE/WHOLE Bible will not make sense. If that is your foundation , not understanding correctly about grace and law, then everything else falls apart.[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS SALVATION GAINED THROUGH THE LAW?[/FONT]
[FONT="]GOD IS SALVATION.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation (H344 – y’shua) : he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.[/FONT]
[FONT="]TRUST AND SALVATION[/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation (H3444-y’shua). [/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 78:22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation (H344 – y’shua)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Is 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation (H3444 – y’shua); I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation (H3444 – y’shua). Note: He trusted first, had fear of the Lord and then adds he has also “BECOME MY SALVATION”. We must trust first to believe that we are going to be set free. This is also called FAITH.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Psalms 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.[/FONT]
[FONT="]SALVATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THROUGH FAITH AND IN WHO GOD SAYS HE IS.[/FONT]
[FONT="]There has never been a time in these 66 books we call the cononized scriptures where God says anything other than “I AM SALVATION”.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What does the name Y’shua mean? It means Yahwey is my Salvation. It is not the law is my salvation![/FONT]
[FONT="]Even Paul makes his point in Galatians 3:5-7 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What is Paul saying? What is the argument here in Galations? It is - what does it mean to be saved? Paul is telling them that these guys of the circumcise sect are wrong. Abraham, who was a Gentile, was not saved by all these laws that your religious leaders are telling you, but instead he was saved because he believed and put his trust in God. Paul is making the point that salvation came from belief and trusting and obeying the words of God. That is were Abraham’s salvation come from.[/FONT]
[FONT="]GOD CANNOT BE LEGALISTIC JUST BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Some may argue here that is in the Old Testament. No.. It is in the Bible. Paul and the other writers would have a hard time with this concept Old Testament/New Testament. They wouldn’t get IT!!
[/FONT]
[FONT="]WAS JESUS LEGALISTIC?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.[/FONT]
[FONT="]IS JESUS SAYING THERE ARE TWO SET OF COMMANDMENTS?
[/FONT]
[FONT="] I believe that is also a common thought. So I ask, is Jesus pitting Himself against God, His own Father’s commandments? Jesus came to show us who? The Father.[/FONT]
[FONT="]What did Jesus specifically come to tell us? What His Father’s will is. And in the Old Testament we see that God’s will is for us to keep His commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Jesus didn’t say I want you to keep my commandments, but not the Father’s commandments because those are messed up and I am going to nail them to the cross in a few years from now. No, He is saying I want you to keep the commandments the way there were meant to be kept, but they have been severely messed up for the past 1200 years.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 3:22-24 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.[/FONT]
[FONT="]This is John, a follower of Christ and a teacher of Christ and he is Jewish. When he is referring to the commandments, I assure you he is talking about the commandments of God. John is saying this is how you please God and show you love Him by keeping His commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]You can say God’s commandments are legalistic, but the reality is do we have it right?[/FONT]
[FONT="]The argument is often that we only keep the commandments that are listed in the New Testament that Jesus talks about. The argument is that when Jesus says “My Commandments” He is talking about only specific commandments that he mentions in the New Testament. He mentions 9 out of the 10 commandments. But does that hold water to the scriptures?[/FONT]
[FONT="]1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Perhaps the new believers are thinking that is a lot of commandments and not sure they can keep them. But what did Jesus say?[/FONT]
[FONT="]Mat 11:25[/FONT][FONT="] At that time Jesus answered and said,.....[/FONT]
[FONT="]Mat 11:28[/FONT][FONT="] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Mat 11:29[/FONT][FONT="] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Mat 11:30[/FONT][FONT="] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you married? What did you do when dating your spouse to be? Did you put on your best, smell your best, smile your best, give your best. Was it too much effort or was it effortless? When you love someone things become easy. When you don’t love someone, you are always trying to find a way out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Then why not do so for our groom? Jesus says we will find His yoke is easy, and that His burden is light. We give our best to the one’s we love and so in loving God and His Son, I keep the commandments. Keeping His commandments doesn’t give me salvation. Salvation is only through the shed blood of Y’shua/Jesus. (H3444 Yah’s Salvation – y’shua). His commandments are written in my heart.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Interesting….the testimony of Jesus Christ is connected with keeping the commandments.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Rev 14:12[/FONT] [FONT="] Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.[/FONT]
[FONT="]If deciding to keep the commandments of God is legalistic as some might say, then anyone who says that we should keep the commandments by default is legalistic. Since Jesus and the Father told us to keep His commandments that would make both of them legalistic.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Can you get around these scriptures and still say that believers are not told to keep the commandments?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Was God being legalistic when He told Adam and Eve in the garden that they could eat of everything BUT…..? That first but in scripture was for the benefit of Adam and Eve. God was not being legalistic because He gave instructions. He gave them EVERYTHING, BUT one tree.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So we can take this perspective that God said you can do anything, but these things because these are for your protection. God was saying “I know things you don’t know”. Why did He not tell them about the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Was it important for them to know the “what” there? Would it have made a difference if God had explained to them what would happen if they ate it? This is what the tree of knowledge of good and evil is all about….55 billion people will die. Do you think Adam and Eve would understand what 55 billion peoples lives ruined meant to them? God could have told them that the people would live in pain of numerous kinds, all because of sin.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So the question is “Will you take that fruit?” If Adam knew, he could have said, No I want eat of that tree…I am building a wall around that tree.” I am going to DO everything I can to obey what God tells me.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you willing to DO everything God says?
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Are you trusting in Him for your Salvation? Do you love Him? Or do you keep on making up excuses (or being deceived by Satan) that you don’t need to obey God?[/FONT]
