I'm not saying it's not sin, I'm saying it's not sin for us to commit them. Actually I don't say that, Paul says it.
Romans 5:13 KJV
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
KJV, good morning.
I looked for so long for this thread to share some wisdom God gave to me concerning this matter we were discussing, in which you said that coveting IS sin, but that when you covet you are not sinning because the law has been done away with, although it may not be expedient for you.
He gave me some of the old and some of the new and fit them together.
In Mathew 5, Jesus says He did not come to do away with even the
least law within all the law and prophets. He said He came to fulfill the law. And He says that whoever annuls the law and teaches others to do so too will be called least in the kingdom of heaven and that whoever
does the law and teaches it will be called greatest because our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees.
He then
proceeds to preach the law. He goes over murder, adultery, and even some of the mosaic law. There are at least six points where He preaches on the law.
But, He reveals, in that preaching, that the law is for the inside of our cup, in spirit and truth, not for the outside as the Pharisees taught.
He wasn't annulling the law (those were His own words.) He was saying the law is spiritual and good and that those who keep it in spirit and truth and teach it in spirit and truth will be called greatest.
So to say that coveting is sin but that we aren't sinning when we do it is not what He said in Mathew 5. It is lacking some understanding and it is using an apostles words to annul our Lords' words to us. (Which would send the apostle shrieking, don't you know!)
And when He teaches in Mathew, He says:
all of the law and the prophets. So while I may not yet understand the spirit of the law on not wearing wool with linen, it has not been annulled. I just haven't known the spirit of it yet, for the inside of my cup.
To say that we do not sin when we covet makes it necessary to then also explain that when we murder we also do not sin. Otherwise, you are taking one of the ten laws and saying it has been annulled but that another of the ten laws has not been annulled, and there definitely is no proof to this claim anywhere in scripture. It also is not proved in our conscience or even to our general sense of common sense. So to argue that when we covet we are not sinning may slide past the notice of some but to claim that when we murder we do no sin will not pass by in the same way. I will make a prediction that you will not find a single, solitary man in here who will agree with that. I could be wrong and be surprised that someone agrees, but I don't think that will be the case.
The righteousness of the Pharisees was the law for the outer man. This is what they taught was righteousness. They didn't hear God when He said, they always err inside, in their heart or when He said, I desire truth in the inward parts.
But our righteousness must exceed their righteousness, and the way it does is by spirit and truth - the law for the inside of the cup. But to claim that there is no longer the outward righteousness of the Pharisees
and also no longer an inward righteousness, is to leave a man with no righteousness at all and no way to it. (I am not pouring milk down anyones throat here and that should be apparent so I am hoping we don't need to go over our initial gift of being covered by Christs' righteousness because no one is saying He won't put swaddling clothes on a baby!)
How is it possible that we have come to the point where...the righteousness of the
Pharisees is now more righteous than
ours when we believe and teach that coveting is sin but I'm not sinning when I covet?? This is holding the truth in unrighteousness and it is claiming to see when one can't see. The only comfort I can take is to grasp at: will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Because to be called least is infinitely better than to be told, I never knew you.
He also showed me Psalm 1. "...but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not wither..."
The psalmist was not saying he meditates on how delightful it is to not wear wool with linen. He was rejoicing at some light that showed him the spirit of the words of the law in his inner man. God had shown this psalmist some of the spirit and truth of law and he was delighting in it.
I can take a stab at the spirit of no wool with linen. It just occurs to me...
Wool comes from a lamb and linen is manmade and woven strands.
It sounds similar to taking off your shoes to approach God because you must be covered, but not with a covering you provide for yourself but the covering of a lamb.
Anyway, I wanted to share this all because Jesus said: anyone who annuls the least point of the law and teaches others to do so also will be called least in the kingdom but anyone who does the law and teaches others to do the same will be called greatest.