I note you say that Christians don't have to keep the 10 commandments (the law), in a "physical manner".
Can you explain yourself further.
For example my earlier question as to how God sees the many Christians who do not keep the Sabbath.
Before I started answering you I was also thinking abut the Sabbath so that gives way to common ground for communication. Now to answer your first sentence. Outside of temple worship laws, the Ten Commandments are only just a portion of our responsibility concerning what God has instructed. We all know we cannot perfectly keep them. If we are guilty of breaking one, we are guilty of breaking all of them. When we submit to God, through Jesus Christ, we also submit to the law with our way of thinking. Paul calls that "with the mind I myself serve the law of God."
Romans 7:25 (KJV) For that matter, read
Romans 7:7-25
When Jesus brings us out from underneath the law, we have the Holy Spirit giving us the capability to see the law in a totally different perspective. Even though our flesh wars against being submissive to the law, with our renewed mind, we have a sincere desire to keep the law of our responsibility in every avenue of our lives. So yes, our responsibility can be seen as physical, but the principles of the law are kept and motivated by the gift of faith. The motivation of trying to keep the law of our responsibility without faith causes us to think we are righteous by the works of the law and not the works of faith.
James 4:10 (KJV)
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10 [/SUP]Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Romans 3:31 (KJV)
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31 [/SUP]Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
In summary we desire to keep the law of our responsibility (starting with Exodus chapter 20 through 23) because we are motivated by faith and the indwelling Holy Spirit. So that makes the "Ten Commandments" that are part of the law, our responsibility to keep by the the Holy Spirit of God. That's why I say that the law has to be seen in Spirit, not physical. Physically, we respond to the Spiritual when we are have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Are we then successful? No we have joy in tribulation, and peace with the principles that motivate us. That's why Jesus said.."If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Luke 9:23 (KJV) And Paul said "I die daily."
1 Corinthians 15:31 (KJV)
James 2:17-20 (KJV)
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17 [/SUP]Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
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18 [/SUP]Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
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19 [/SUP]Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
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20 [/SUP]But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Concerning the Sabbath day. It's a day set aside to keep holy, and have spiritual rest, and camaraderie. It is neither Saturday or Sunday according to the Gregorian calendar, and I know some will heartily disagree with that. I do however, say it is very important to assemble and communicate. What is important about the Sabbath day (whenever it really is) is to cease doing our own works, and do God's works. Every day we should strive to enter His rest. The physical day set aside for meeting with other believers for edification is very important. There are Sabbath days relating to the 3 feasts in the law, given to us as a time of spiritual understanding.
Mark 2:27-28 (KJV)
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27 [/SUP]And he said unto them,
The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
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28 [/SUP]Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Hebrews 4:1 (KJV)
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1 [/SUP]Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Hebrews 4:10 (KJV)
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10 [/SUP]For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God
did from his.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV)
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11 [/SUP]Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)
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25 [/SUP]Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some
is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Spiritually motivated, by faith is the key. We still have a fleshly body that we constantly need to fight and put into submission to the inner man where the new temple is located.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
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16 [/SUP]Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
All of the physical stuff of the temple that is gone is now also incorporated with this responsibility of ours called keeping the law, and being subject to the law.
Mark 14:58 (KJV)
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58 [/SUP]We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV)
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13 [/SUP]In that he saith, A new "
covenant," (added word) he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old
is ready to vanish away.
("covenant," is an added word. This chapter begins talking about temple sacrifice. "temple" instead of "covenant" would be more appropriate)
Romans 8:1-9 (KJV)
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1 [/SUP]
There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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2 [/SUP]For the
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
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3 [/SUP]For
what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
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4 [/SUP]That
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
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5 [/SUP]For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
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6 [/SUP]For to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace.
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7 [/SUP]Because
the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
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8 [/SUP]So then
they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
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9 [/SUP]But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
2 Peter 1:5-11 (KJV)
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5 [/SUP]And beside this,
giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
[SUP]6 [/SUP]And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
[SUP]7 [/SUP]And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
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8 [/SUP]For if these things be in you, and abound, they make
you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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9 [/SUP]But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
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10 [/SUP]Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things,
ye shall never fall:
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11 [/SUP]For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
See post # 368