J
God's reasons for giving man the Law is 3 fold:
1. To help us understand what God expects from us.
2. To help us understand both the Character and Nature of God.
3. To help us discern the identity of the Messiah (who is Jesus).
When you study at each of the ten commandments, notice how the motivation behind each is SELFLESS. Love they Lord thy God, Do not exalt any other idols, do not take a life of another, honor thy parents, do not covet, do not commit adultery, the list goes on. The very nature of each is selfless, each one being in direct conflict with man's own selfish desires and ambitions, which Paul refers to as "the flesh".
The reason why God says that if we break one we break them all is because to break just one proves that their is selfishness in your heart. Unfortunately for mankind, there is no way that you and can fulfill in and of our own strength. This is why God has given to each believer the Holy Spirit, to lead us and guide into righteousness. If the Holy Spirit truly resides in us then we will manifest the evidences (fruits) of the Spirit being present: peace, love, joy, meekness, tenderness, patience, etc. While Romans 7 reveals to us the depravity of man's nature, Romans 8 reveals to us that we needn't fulfill the lusts of the flesh if we willingly embrace the Divine Nature, letting go of all the bad memories, emotions and desires which tempt the flesh to act our in selfishness.
My definition of sin, which equates with selfishness, has nothing to do with Finney. It was something the Lord Himself placed on my heart regarding the depravity of mankind and the nature of Grace to over come that depravity in our hearts.
1. To help us understand what God expects from us.
2. To help us understand both the Character and Nature of God.
3. To help us discern the identity of the Messiah (who is Jesus).
When you study at each of the ten commandments, notice how the motivation behind each is SELFLESS. Love they Lord thy God, Do not exalt any other idols, do not take a life of another, honor thy parents, do not covet, do not commit adultery, the list goes on. The very nature of each is selfless, each one being in direct conflict with man's own selfish desires and ambitions, which Paul refers to as "the flesh".
The reason why God says that if we break one we break them all is because to break just one proves that their is selfishness in your heart. Unfortunately for mankind, there is no way that you and can fulfill in and of our own strength. This is why God has given to each believer the Holy Spirit, to lead us and guide into righteousness. If the Holy Spirit truly resides in us then we will manifest the evidences (fruits) of the Spirit being present: peace, love, joy, meekness, tenderness, patience, etc. While Romans 7 reveals to us the depravity of man's nature, Romans 8 reveals to us that we needn't fulfill the lusts of the flesh if we willingly embrace the Divine Nature, letting go of all the bad memories, emotions and desires which tempt the flesh to act our in selfishness.
My definition of sin, which equates with selfishness, has nothing to do with Finney. It was something the Lord Himself placed on my heart regarding the depravity of mankind and the nature of Grace to over come that depravity in our hearts.