Why jew got 613 commandments, but christian got 10 only?
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E
How I understand it is that when Jesus was deemed by his group of followers, (then Jewish, now considered Christian), the focus became more about faith rather than Talmudic law. Thus, you see Christianity focusing more on conversion, and the subsequent faith as a means for salvation, while Jewish tradition places more emphasis on understanding and practicing the written law in the Torah. That's not to suggest that its a better thing either way, but that's pretty much what happened. Paul also, I believe, wrote that as long as one believed in Jesus, one was exempt from the other 603 mitzveh. (although I'm not quite sure if that's accurate, I've yet to read the specific bible passage that statement refers to.) I gotta admit, it's really difficult to imagine following all of them, from putting on a Tzitzit (fringe representing 613 mitzveh), to never gossiping.
M
Jews believe God when He said to keep His laws and commandments and that He would bless them for doing so. Jews believe God meant forever when He declared His covenant to be forever. When God said that the covenants of circumcision and Shabbat were eternal, He meant they were to be kept for all time.
Christians reject this interpretation and claim all you need is faith in Jesus Christ. It's all about salvation. Since nobody can earn salvation by following the Law, the Law has become a stumbling block to them. You can't follow the Law perfectly, so why bother? But Christians have a problem because the Torah is part of their canon. So how do they get around God's injunction to keep His commandments? Well, you only have to follow 10 of them. But even these 10 have proven to be too much. The commandment to keep the Sabbath day, written by the finger of God Himself, has been explained away as no longer necessary.
It's not about doing what God said to do it's about believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Christ, that he is the only begotten son of God, that he came and died for your sins and rose on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and is seated at the right hand of the Father and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. That's it. Confess with your mouth, believe in your heart. You're assured salvation. Don't bother with God's commandments. Don't take on the yoke that nobody can keep. Don't build up again that which was destroyed. Don't be a slave to the Law. Don't burden yourself and others with the commandments that are no longer binding since Jesus fulfilled them all. You who say people should follow the Law, do you? "You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Romans 2:21-24
Christians reject this interpretation and claim all you need is faith in Jesus Christ. It's all about salvation. Since nobody can earn salvation by following the Law, the Law has become a stumbling block to them. You can't follow the Law perfectly, so why bother? But Christians have a problem because the Torah is part of their canon. So how do they get around God's injunction to keep His commandments? Well, you only have to follow 10 of them. But even these 10 have proven to be too much. The commandment to keep the Sabbath day, written by the finger of God Himself, has been explained away as no longer necessary.
It's not about doing what God said to do it's about believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Christ, that he is the only begotten son of God, that he came and died for your sins and rose on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and is seated at the right hand of the Father and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. That's it. Confess with your mouth, believe in your heart. You're assured salvation. Don't bother with God's commandments. Don't take on the yoke that nobody can keep. Don't build up again that which was destroyed. Don't be a slave to the Law. Don't burden yourself and others with the commandments that are no longer binding since Jesus fulfilled them all. You who say people should follow the Law, do you? "You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." Romans 2:21-24
S
If you consider "Be fruitful and multiply" a commandment and such as traditional Judaism, okay yes - Christians do not only have 613, they have 614 (John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you...").. However the Torah as a whole is dealt with by Paul in Romans 6 and 7. Specifically in chapter 7..
If you want a very interesting note, in the Talmud in Makkoth 24a (Talmud - Makkoth 24a) it says "But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one [principle], as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
(וצדיק באמונתֹו יחיה
and the just shall live by his faith.
Romans 1:17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Galations 3:11
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
Paul sure nailed it, even the Talmudic Rabbi's (who were not Christians) agreed with Paul here. The entire law is summed up by Habakkuk 2:4 namely "the just shall live by faith"..
Here is another quote:
"Because of the destruction of the Temple and the lack of a functioning Temple priesthood, Jews today can observe, as written in the Torah, only 77 out of the 365 negative commandments and 194 out of 248 positive commandments. This is one of the major reasons that religious Jews pray three times daily for the rebuilding of the Temple and redemption of their people: They are eager to perform the rest of the commandments!" (Are There Really 613 Commandments in the Torah?- Dr. Michael Brown.)
If you want a very interesting note, in the Talmud in Makkoth 24a (Talmud - Makkoth 24a) it says "But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one [principle], as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
(וצדיק באמונתֹו יחיה
and the just shall live by his faith.Romans 1:17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Galations 3:11
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
Paul sure nailed it, even the Talmudic Rabbi's (who were not Christians) agreed with Paul here. The entire law is summed up by Habakkuk 2:4 namely "the just shall live by faith"..
Here is another quote:
"Because of the destruction of the Temple and the lack of a functioning Temple priesthood, Jews today can observe, as written in the Torah, only 77 out of the 365 negative commandments and 194 out of 248 positive commandments. This is one of the major reasons that religious Jews pray three times daily for the rebuilding of the Temple and redemption of their people: They are eager to perform the rest of the commandments!" (Are There Really 613 Commandments in the Torah?- Dr. Michael Brown.)
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P
If you consider "Be fruitful and multiply" a commandment and such as traditional Judaism, okay yes - Christians do not only have 613, they have 614 (John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you...").. However the Torah as a whole is dealt with by Paul in Romans 6 and 7. Specifically in chapter 7..
If you want a very interesting note, in the Talmud in Makkoth 24a (Talmud - Makkoth 24a) it says "But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one [principle], as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
(וצדיק באמונתֹו יחיהand the just shall live by his faith.
Romans 1:17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Galations 3:11
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
Paul sure nailed it, even the Talmudic Rabbi's (who were not Christians) agreed with Paul here. The entire law is summed up by Habakkuk 2:4 namely "the just shall live by faith"..
Here is another quote:
"Because of the destruction of the Temple and the lack of a functioning Temple priesthood, Jews today can observe, as written in the Torah, only 77 out of the 365 negative commandments and 194 out of 248 positive commandments. This is one of the major reasons that religious Jews pray three times daily for the rebuilding of the Temple and redemption of their people: They are eager to perform the rest of the commandments!" (Are There Really 613 Commandments in the Torah?- Dr. Michael Brown.)
If you want a very interesting note, in the Talmud in Makkoth 24a (Talmud - Makkoth 24a) it says "But it is Habakuk who came and based them all on one [principle], as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
(וצדיק באמונתֹו יחיה
and the just shall live by his faith.Romans 1:17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Galations 3:11
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
Paul sure nailed it, even the Talmudic Rabbi's (who were not Christians) agreed with Paul here. The entire law is summed up by Habakkuk 2:4 namely "the just shall live by faith"..
Here is another quote:
"Because of the destruction of the Temple and the lack of a functioning Temple priesthood, Jews today can observe, as written in the Torah, only 77 out of the 365 negative commandments and 194 out of 248 positive commandments. This is one of the major reasons that religious Jews pray three times daily for the rebuilding of the Temple and redemption of their people: They are eager to perform the rest of the commandments!" (Are There Really 613 Commandments in the Torah?- Dr. Michael Brown.)
C
In fact, those two commandments are just a summary of the law. Thus, Jesus goes on to say, "On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40). This means that the other commandments are applications built upon these "laws" of love.
And those two commands can be collapsed even further:
“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ” (Romans 13:9)
This squares with Jesus satement in light of the following: “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love... If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:8,20)
So it seems to me that, technically speaking, to say "We haven't got ten" is a misapplication of Jesus' (and Paul's and John's) statement. The ten commandments (indeed, all the commandments) are simply examples of what love looks like. That's why "love" is the summary or foundation of the law. So it makes no sense, to me, to try and say that we can do away with the other commandments (without careful qualification).
If I were giving a speech to a group of cops and said something like "Okay, fellas, your duty is to stop speeders, catch thieves, break up disputes, and serve as witnesses when necessary in a court of law. Basically, promote justice."
Would any of those cops think "He said 'basically promote justice.' that must mean that I don't have to stop speeders..."
No. That would be absurd, right? The fact that I summarized those things with the term "justice" hardly excuses any of the cops from carrying out those particular instances of justice that I specified. So I don't see how the fact that Jesus' pointed to two commandments as laying the foundation for the others frees us from the others. Nor do I see Paul's summary of all the commandments into the heading "love" frees us from doing what the commandments specify as love.
Consider this: if you are only commanded to "love" you might wonder what love looks like. Homosexuals maintain that their relationships are loving. But that doesn't square with the biblical definition of love. A Muslim believes that their treatment of women is loving. But, for some Muslims, this doesn't square with what we consider loving. This is why a summary of the law cannot possibly be a replacement of the law. The Bible commands us to love and what is loving is defined in terms of the law.
And those two commands can be collapsed even further:
“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ” (Romans 13:9)
This squares with Jesus satement in light of the following: “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love... If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:8,20)
So it seems to me that, technically speaking, to say "We haven't got ten" is a misapplication of Jesus' (and Paul's and John's) statement. The ten commandments (indeed, all the commandments) are simply examples of what love looks like. That's why "love" is the summary or foundation of the law. So it makes no sense, to me, to try and say that we can do away with the other commandments (without careful qualification).
If I were giving a speech to a group of cops and said something like "Okay, fellas, your duty is to stop speeders, catch thieves, break up disputes, and serve as witnesses when necessary in a court of law. Basically, promote justice."
Would any of those cops think "He said 'basically promote justice.' that must mean that I don't have to stop speeders..."
No. That would be absurd, right? The fact that I summarized those things with the term "justice" hardly excuses any of the cops from carrying out those particular instances of justice that I specified. So I don't see how the fact that Jesus' pointed to two commandments as laying the foundation for the others frees us from the others. Nor do I see Paul's summary of all the commandments into the heading "love" frees us from doing what the commandments specify as love.
Consider this: if you are only commanded to "love" you might wonder what love looks like. Homosexuals maintain that their relationships are loving. But that doesn't square with the biblical definition of love. A Muslim believes that their treatment of women is loving. But, for some Muslims, this doesn't square with what we consider loving. This is why a summary of the law cannot possibly be a replacement of the law. The Bible commands us to love and what is loving is defined in terms of the law.
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I
We need to realize that the law is one thing, but what is the truth? Is God a Jew or a Greek?
Does He eat pork, beef or vegetables?
Is He only God on saturday?
Is He a christian, or a muslim?
God is spirit. And if the flesh is dead, then so are the things pertaining to the flesh.
Christians believe in the name of Jesus. Ok. Has anyone seen Him around lately? No! Would anyone recognize Him in the flesh if they were to walk past Him. no! So how is a christian's faith demonstrated in the world? His love for his neighbor! Muslims believe in the name of Allah. Ok. Has anyone seen Allah? No! How is faith in Allah demonstrated in the world? His love for his neighbor! Our love for God is shown through our love for one another as WE are made in His image. It is OUR IMAGE OF HIM that we need to get away from! HE IS A SPIRIT!!
Does He eat pork, beef or vegetables?
Is He only God on saturday?
Is He a christian, or a muslim?
God is spirit. And if the flesh is dead, then so are the things pertaining to the flesh.
Christians believe in the name of Jesus. Ok. Has anyone seen Him around lately? No! Would anyone recognize Him in the flesh if they were to walk past Him. no! So how is a christian's faith demonstrated in the world? His love for his neighbor! Muslims believe in the name of Allah. Ok. Has anyone seen Allah? No! How is faith in Allah demonstrated in the world? His love for his neighbor! Our love for God is shown through our love for one another as WE are made in His image. It is OUR IMAGE OF HIM that we need to get away from! HE IS A SPIRIT!!
In addition, the children of Israel got so many commandments because when God spoke to them, they hardened their hearts against Him, and said that they did not want God to speak to them. So God swore in His wrath that they would not enter His rest, and He gave them a bunch of other commandments, some of which He said were not good for them, because they could not keep them.
C
It's true that to believe in Jesus is a command. The command to love is, I think, simply a summary statement as I pointed out earlier.
I think we need to be careful about saying things like "We only have one command now (or two or ten)!" First of all, I don't see any logical or Scriptural basis for saying that we only have one. Scripture treats love as a summation of the law, so love can't be seen as something contrary to it. Scripture also seems to be very clear that God's moral prescriptions still apply: do not steal, do not commit murder, do not commit adultery. These are commands, right? Moral laws?
This sounds similar to an old dispensational idea that God never intended to give them the law. He only offered it to test them, and wanted them to reject it, but they failed the test by accepting the law. But this has absolutely no Scriptural basis and I'm not aware of any dispensationalists who still hold to this idea.
But what you're saying looks a bit different. It sounds like you're saying that God gave them some commandments as a form of punishment. But I don't see any basis for this either.
Scripture only describes God's law in *very* positive terms (cf. Psa. 119). Even in the NT this positive quality of the law is taught:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–19)
“So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ” (Romans 7:12)
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ” (Romans 7:14)
“Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ” (Romans 7:16)
“Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. ” (Romans 3:31)
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ” (1 Timothy 1:8)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
And there are many other places where Paul quotes particular laws in a positive fashion, assuming that it still has a morally binding quality to it (e.g. do not muzzle the ox).
The fact that we cannot keep the law doesn't make the law bad. And there are not good laws and bad laws. The Bible depicts the laws in a unified fashion:
“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ” (James 2:10–11)
The New Testament repeats the command to "Be holy" as the Lord is holy (1 Peter 1:16; Leveticus 11:44). But who can live up to that standard? I don't think anyone can, but to say that, therefore, the command is bad seems very odd to me. Isn't it more reasonable to say that we cannot keep the command and therefore *we* are bad?
I think we need to be careful about saying things like "We only have one command now (or two or ten)!" First of all, I don't see any logical or Scriptural basis for saying that we only have one. Scripture treats love as a summation of the law, so love can't be seen as something contrary to it. Scripture also seems to be very clear that God's moral prescriptions still apply: do not steal, do not commit murder, do not commit adultery. These are commands, right? Moral laws?
This sounds similar to an old dispensational idea that God never intended to give them the law. He only offered it to test them, and wanted them to reject it, but they failed the test by accepting the law. But this has absolutely no Scriptural basis and I'm not aware of any dispensationalists who still hold to this idea.
But what you're saying looks a bit different. It sounds like you're saying that God gave them some commandments as a form of punishment. But I don't see any basis for this either.
Scripture only describes God's law in *very* positive terms (cf. Psa. 119). Even in the NT this positive quality of the law is taught:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–19)
“So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. ” (Romans 7:12)
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. ” (Romans 7:14)
“Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. ” (Romans 7:16)
“Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. ” (Romans 3:31)
“Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ” (1 Timothy 1:8)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
And there are many other places where Paul quotes particular laws in a positive fashion, assuming that it still has a morally binding quality to it (e.g. do not muzzle the ox).
The fact that we cannot keep the law doesn't make the law bad. And there are not good laws and bad laws. The Bible depicts the laws in a unified fashion:
“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ” (James 2:10–11)
The New Testament repeats the command to "Be holy" as the Lord is holy (1 Peter 1:16; Leveticus 11:44). But who can live up to that standard? I don't think anyone can, but to say that, therefore, the command is bad seems very odd to me. Isn't it more reasonable to say that we cannot keep the command and therefore *we* are bad?
Jesus replied
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest coimmandment and the decond is like it. Love your neighhbour as yourself. Matt22:37
Those two commandments you mentioned were God's commandments according to the scripture you quoted, not Jesus
And this is his commandment. That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. 1John3:23
I was refering to the two commandments Christ gave to those who are his followers, (those who are Christians already) therefore they wouldn't need to be told to believe in him. I apologise for not making this plainer
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest coimmandment and the decond is like it. Love your neighhbour as yourself. Matt22:37
Those two commandments you mentioned were God's commandments according to the scripture you quoted, not Jesus
And this is his commandment. That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. 1John3:23
I was refering to the two commandments Christ gave to those who are his followers, (those who are Christians already) therefore they wouldn't need to be told to believe in him. I apologise for not making this plainer
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You raise some very good points here. Yes the Ten Commandments are what we basically know now as the moral law(at least this is what I am continuously told). And yes, God's moral perscrriptions still apply, but the question is how to uphold them.
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 for God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies so that we bore fruit for death. 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. Rom7:5&6
What law is Paul refering to here?
In the next five verses he gives a personal account of how one of the Ten Commandments/moral laws condemned him. His mind became full of lust, concupiscence(sexual desire) when he tried to uphold the commandment. 'Thou shalt not covet.' Sin used the good laws of God to arouse all kinds of sin in Paul and condemn him.
When the law was given it did not just reveal sin, the sin increased. Rom5:20 And the sin increased in Paul when he strove to obey the commandment.
Paul said, that only by dying to the law could we live for Christ.
For sin shall not be your master, for you are not under law but under grace. Rom6:14
Christ died for every sin the sincere Christian could ever commit. Therefore
Bind up the testimony, seal up the law among my disciples. Isiaih8:16
It is because we are not under law as the basis for salvation, or the basis to keep our salvation that we can actually far better uphold it. We are under the law of faith in Christ.
The power of sin is the law. 1Cor15:56. Sin/satan used the good laws of God to condemn the believer. But now that no Christian is actually under the law, sin must lose its power in our lives, because the power of sin(the law) has been removed.
Some say we would use this as a licence to sin. For the true Christian this would be impossible. In the OT the Israelites never in their hearts really wanted to follow God. He said to Moses that as soon as they reached the promised land they would rebel against him. Israels history then was about continued rebelling against God and returning to him when things became dire for their country.
But now for the Christian their hearts have been circumcised by the Holy Spirit and God's laws written on their hearts and minds. I like the way the Living Bible puts it. This means that in our hearts we now want to live as God would have us live. So we would never use freedom from law as a licence to sin.
The law can only crush the true sincere Christian if they look to it and strive to obey it as the basis for their continual salvation, and they are ignoring the cross of Christ
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law Christ died for nothing.
But as you quoted what is the end result of a life lived by faith in Christ?
Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather we uphold the law. Rom3:31
Spurgeon said it was like approaching an incredibly high mountain that had to be crossed. Most people started to climb the mountain. He likened that to trying to obey the law. At the foot of the mountain was a narrow gorge, it was so narrow that most people failed to see it. It was the way of Jesus and led through to the other side
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 for God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies so that we bore fruit for death. 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. Rom7:5&6
What law is Paul refering to here?
In the next five verses he gives a personal account of how one of the Ten Commandments/moral laws condemned him. His mind became full of lust, concupiscence(sexual desire) when he tried to uphold the commandment. 'Thou shalt not covet.' Sin used the good laws of God to arouse all kinds of sin in Paul and condemn him.
When the law was given it did not just reveal sin, the sin increased. Rom5:20 And the sin increased in Paul when he strove to obey the commandment.
Paul said, that only by dying to the law could we live for Christ.
For sin shall not be your master, for you are not under law but under grace. Rom6:14
Christ died for every sin the sincere Christian could ever commit. Therefore
Bind up the testimony, seal up the law among my disciples. Isiaih8:16
It is because we are not under law as the basis for salvation, or the basis to keep our salvation that we can actually far better uphold it. We are under the law of faith in Christ.
The power of sin is the law. 1Cor15:56. Sin/satan used the good laws of God to condemn the believer. But now that no Christian is actually under the law, sin must lose its power in our lives, because the power of sin(the law) has been removed.
Some say we would use this as a licence to sin. For the true Christian this would be impossible. In the OT the Israelites never in their hearts really wanted to follow God. He said to Moses that as soon as they reached the promised land they would rebel against him. Israels history then was about continued rebelling against God and returning to him when things became dire for their country.
But now for the Christian their hearts have been circumcised by the Holy Spirit and God's laws written on their hearts and minds. I like the way the Living Bible puts it. This means that in our hearts we now want to live as God would have us live. So we would never use freedom from law as a licence to sin.
The law can only crush the true sincere Christian if they look to it and strive to obey it as the basis for their continual salvation, and they are ignoring the cross of Christ
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law Christ died for nothing.
But as you quoted what is the end result of a life lived by faith in Christ?
Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather we uphold the law. Rom3:31
Spurgeon said it was like approaching an incredibly high mountain that had to be crossed. Most people started to climb the mountain. He likened that to trying to obey the law. At the foot of the mountain was a narrow gorge, it was so narrow that most people failed to see it. It was the way of Jesus and led through to the other side
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I understood what you were saying, and I knew about the place where Jesus said these things.
What I was making reference to was the new commandments, which are ours as those who follow Jesus. Loving God is not like believing in the One whom He sent, and loving your neighbor as yourself is not like Jesus' new commandment that we love one another even as He has loved us.
Jesus was answering a member of the house of Israel about the commandments which God gave to them. And even when Paul mentions this commandment, he states that all of the Law is contained in this commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
But here is the key, if you will allow. If I love my neighbor as myself, it is with my love. If I love you even as Jesus has loved me, it is with God's love. The new commandment which we have from Jesus.
and so,
In His love,
vic
What I was making reference to was the new commandments, which are ours as those who follow Jesus. Loving God is not like believing in the One whom He sent, and loving your neighbor as yourself is not like Jesus' new commandment that we love one another even as He has loved us.
Jesus was answering a member of the house of Israel about the commandments which God gave to them. And even when Paul mentions this commandment, he states that all of the Law is contained in this commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
But here is the key, if you will allow. If I love my neighbor as myself, it is with my love. If I love you even as Jesus has loved me, it is with God's love. The new commandment which we have from Jesus.
and so,
In His love,
vic