I swallowed the same error Mr Potts is teaching here years ago for lack of available sound teaching. You cannot read Psalm 119 and accept his conclusion.
I swallowed it too, but then it was taught under the guise of Dispensationalism. It matters not how the Adversary disguises his lies, or how seductively or persuasivly they are presented, they are still lies, and I have seen the results of it worked out in the life of congregations of professors and posessors and I want no part of it ever again.
Ps 119 clearly states: "Oh how I love thy Law, it is my meditation all the day". This is one of the verses that the Lord "brought with power to my soul" when He first began to call me out of this error. Now, were I to accept Mr. Potts teaching, I could no longer do that, that is "love thy Law", for then I would be a Judaiser and I would be in bondage to the Law again. But I freely confess to Mr. Potts that I do, by the grace of the Spirit, I do love the law, all of it, for to love the law is to love the lord my God with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind and all my strength and my neighbor as myself, for in this is all the Law and the prophets.
The Lord no where taught that the Moral law was to be set aside by grace, but rather, it is too be lived out by grace, and the Spirit uses that Law to teach and guide his elect children.
When Mr Potts gets around to exegeting the verses, or even one of them, that Pilgrim has requested, it will be interesting, and revealing, to see how his exegesis of those commandments EXCLUDES God's moral Law, for that is the gist of what Mr. Potts is teaching.
I too love the law Gerry in that it is holy, just and good. It reveals much of God's righteousness, but not all. There is nothing wrong with the law, except that sinful man under it is unable to keep it.
That is the same for believers as well as unbelievers as believers still have the flesh.
But the believer is not under the law, he is under grace. He fulfils the requirements of the law by faith, not by law. He is not under the law's yoke, but is yoked to Christ, whose yoke is easy.
This is exactly what Huntington teaches and I thought from some of your other posts that you liked Huntington's writings?
"Law" in Psalm 119 really refers to the Books of the Law, the books of Moses, or in other words the Word of God, as it was at the time. We all love the Word of God (Mosaic Law included) but that doesn't mean that we are under the law. We are under grace.
My exegesis of the verses you mention won't exclude the righteousness as described by the law Gerry. It is never right to steal, to commit adultery, to worship idols, to murder. That isn't the point. The point is how we fulfil such a righteous walk - by law, or by faith? I answer by faith, yoked to Christ, as led by the Spirit.
In fact I have already said enough about similar verses to those for you to understand. I have said that Christ's commandments are to believe in Him and to love Him and one another. Well, that's the fulfilling of the law isn't it? To love God and our neighbour? But that isn't the same as being bound to the law in order to achieve that. This is love which springs from the heart of the new man of grace, as a fruit of the Spirit within us, which causes us to fulfil what the law demands. But if we go to the law as an outward rule of life to TELL us to do that (rather than keeping our gaze by faith upon Christ) the result is the opposite. We actually end up breaking the very law which we strive to keep, because it stirs up the sin in our flesh. The end 'objective' is the same you see (righteousness) but there are two ways of trying to get there, one is by faith, and one is by the works of the law. The latter never achieves it, but faith does. Faith worketh by love. This is the work of God within us, which produces fruit. It's something of a mystery, a paradox perhaps, but God's children come to learn these things by experience. Believe me - I know by bitter experience what it is like to fail miserably under the law until all it became to me was condemnation, the good that I would I could not do. But God delivered me from this body of death and sin by crucifying my flesh with Christ, and raising me up in newness of life with him. And now I walk in the Spirit and actually fulfill the demands of the law, not by the law, but by faith in Christ, and by the Spirit's leading.
I don't wish to court controversy, so I am happy to leave this topic to yourselves to debate for a while. If you have any further questions of me I will be happy to answer them.
Last edited by Ian_Potts; Thu Feb 12, 200410:41 AM.
I don't wish to court controversy, so I am happy to leave this topic to yourselves to debate for a while. If you have any further questions of me I will be happy to answer them.
Not so fast Mr. Potts! You have some 'spaining to do first about the verses Pilgrim posted.
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John 14:15 (ASV) "If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. . . . 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him."
John 15:9-10 (ASV) "Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love. 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."
1 John 5:3 (ASV) "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
Gerry said:I swallowed it too, but then it was taught under the guise of Dispensationalism. It matters not how the Adversary disguises his lies, or how seductively or persuasivly they are presented, they are still lies, and I have seen the results of it worked out in the life of congregations of professors and posessors and I want no part of it ever again.
Gerry, that is so true! I admit that I even had a distain for God's law at the time and I thought those who would say that they "loved the law" were negative and legalistic. But a true Christian loves what God loves and hates what God hates. How can we love God if we can disregard or diminish His Word?
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The Lord no where taught that the Moral law was to be set aside by grace, but rather, it is too be lived out by grace, and the Spirit uses that Law to teach and guide his elect children.
When Mr Potts gets around to exegeting the verses, or even one of them, that Pilgrim has requested, it will be interesting, and revealing, to see how his exegesis of those commandments EXCLUDES God's moral Law, for that is the gist of what Mr. Potts is teaching.
I'm pleased that you are so keen to read what I have to say Susan!
But as I said before, how come I have to do all 'work' here. What about a proper reply to each of Gadsby's points from yourselves?
I'll try to get to the verses, but not today. The thing is do you really want to hear the truth regarding them, are you wanting to learn from what I have to say, or are you just trying to 'trip me up'? If I don't exegete those verses I could be accused of having no answer to them, and if I do exegete them then I daresay you'll try to find flaws in my exegesis.
But actually all these verses say is similar things to the verses I have already spoken about. They mention keeping Christ's and the Father's commandments, which aren't grievous. I have shown that the 'law' is not being spoken of in 1 John already. These commandments respect believing in Christ, abiding in Him, loving Him, and loving one another. That's not the same as being bound by the law.
What else are you looking for me to say about the verses? Perhaps you'll offer your exegesis too. How can they refer to the law which was a burden the fathers could not bear? If Christ's yoke is easy then it is a different yoke, isn't it?
Again I say, you are corrupting what Paul was inspired to write in his Epistle to the Galatians, the purpose of which was to combat and refute the heresy of the Judaisers who taught that faith must be mixed with the keeping of the ceremonial law (you must become a Jew) with faith in order to be justified. He is NOT presenting a case for a sanctification without conformity to the moral law of God. The text itself is more than clear that the focus is upon justification by faith alone, apart from the works of the law.
I give you Dr. William Hendriksen's excellent exegesis and commentary, in part, on Gal 3:10-12.
10. For as many as rely on law-works are under a curse; for it is written: “Cursed (is) everyone who does not continue in all the things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” This is a modified quotation from Deut. 27:26, which, according to the Hebrew reads: “Cursed (is) he who does not confirm the words of this law, to do them.” In the Old Testament these words form the conclusion of the chapter that contains the curses that were to be pronounced from Mt. Ebal after the children of Israel would have passed over the Jordan. Now the curse which the law here pronounces is very real. Unless this be granted Gal. 3:13 will be meaningless. Nevertheless, it is a fact, often ignored, that in Deuteronomy not only the blessing which was to be shouted from Mt. Gerizim but also the curse occurs in a setting of love, the idea being that by means of proclamation of this blessing and curse Israel, tenderly addressed as “the people of Jehovah thy God!,” shall live a consecrated life to the glory of their merciful Deliverer. Paul’s intentional departure from the Hebrew text when he writes, “the book of the law” may have been occasioned by his desire to emphasize the thought that the entire law, with all its precepts, considered! as a unity, is meant. His reference to “everyone” and to “all the things” reminds one of the LXX rendering: “Cursed (is) every man who does not continue in all the words of this law, to do them.” But these changes are not of an essential nature.
Now what was really the purpose of God’s law? God gave his law in order that man, by nature a child of wrath, and thus lying under the curse (Gal. 3:13) ,as definitely declared in Deut. 27:26; John 3:36; Eph. 3:2, might be reminded not only of his unchanged obligation to live in perfect harmony with this law (Lev. 19:2) , but also of his total inability to fulfil this obligation (Rom. 7:24). [That total inability is brought to light even more sharply when the law is interpreted in its true, inner meaning. Thus Jesus showed that, in order to qualify as a murderer, being angry with one’s brother would suffice, while similarly the lustful glance would suffice to make one an adulterer (Matt. 5:21-48)] Thus this law would serve as a custodian to conduct the sinner to Christ (Gal. 3:24; cf. Rom. 7:25) , in order that, having been saved by grace, he might, in principle, live the life of gratitude. That life is one of freedom in harmony with God’s law (Gal. 5:13, 14). However, the Judiaizers were perverting this true purpose of the law. They were relying on law-works as a means of salvation. On that basis they would fail forever, and Deut. 27:26, when interpreted in that framework, pronounced God’s heavy and unmitigated curse upon them; yes, curse, not blessing. The law condemns, works wrath (Rom. 4:15; 5:16, 18).
11. The fact that the opponents were diverting the law from its true purpose and that this attempt was bound to result in tragic failure is brought out clearly, as Paul continues: Now it is evident that by law no one is justified before God, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” The law has no power to subdue man’s sinful tendencies. It cannot destroy the power of sin within man (Rom. 8:3). How then can a sinner ever attain to the ultimate blessing of being righteous in the sight of God? How can that true, rich, full life in which man is at peace with his Maker, and abides in sweet communion with him, ever be reached? The answer, which holds for both dispensations, the old and the new, and for people of every race or nationality, whether Gentile or Jew, is this: “The righteous shall live by faith.” It is the man who has placed his entire confidence in God, trusting him implicitly, and accepting with gladness of heart the gracious provision which that merciful Father has made for his salvation, it is he, he alone, who shall live. This living consists in such things as: a. enjoying the peace of God which passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7), in the knowledge that in the sight of God’s holy majesty the believer is righteous (Rom. 5:1; 8:15) b. having fellowship with God “in Christ” (John 17:3); c. “rejoicing greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1 :8); d. “being transformed into the image of the Lord! from glory to glory” (II Cor. 3:18); and e., last but not least, striving to be a spiritual blessing to others to the glory of God (I Thess. 3:8)
12. Continued: But the law does not belong to faith; on the contrary, “He who does them shall live by them.” In its own setting the included quotation from the book of Leviticus (18:5) is beautiful and comforting. It is introduced as follows: “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, I am Jehovah y o u r God” (verse 2). This encouraging assurance is repeated in verse 4, and is followed by “Y o u must therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which, if a man do, he shall live by them: I am Jehovah” (verse 5).. In summary this means: “As y o u r sovereign God I have a right to order y o u to keep my statutes, and as y o u r faithful and loving God I will help and strengthen y o u to observe these statutes out of gratitude.” So interpreted, observing God’s law is the believer’s joy. Did not the Psalmist exclaim: ‘O how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day”?
However, when one begins to “rely on law-works” (Gal. 3:10), as if such obedience to law amounts to a ticket of admission into the kingdom of heaven—and that, after all, is the context here in Galatians—he should bear in mind that, so conceived, law is the very opposite of faith. The two cannot be combined. Leaning on law means leaning on self. Exercising faith means leaning on Christ. As avenues by which men attempt to obtain salvation the two simply do not mix. They are thoroughly antagonistic. Paul himself supplies the best commentary: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward man appeared, he saved us, not by virtue of works which we ourselves had performed in a (state of) righteousness, but according to his mercy through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4, 5). Cf. John 1:17. Those who expect to be justified by observing all the statutes and ordinances of the law should remember that “He who does them shall live by them.” They are even more foolish than those who imagine that they can quench their thirst by drinking salt water. Lev. 18:5 now becomes their accuser, but that is their fault!
Ian Potts wrote: Thanks for the article by Murray. I haven’t time to comment on that just now, but I would like to make some brief comments on what you say above.
“We do not keep the Law to be saved” you say, as though we are justified by faith alone, without the works of the law, yet for sanctification the law is a rule of life.
However the very verses which teach us that we are not justified by the law also demonstrate that we are no longer under it in an ongoing state. We are dead to the law, meaning not just for the purpose of justification but for sanctification – we are dead to it. We are married to another, Christ, and therefore to go back to our old husband, the law, would be to commit spiritual adultery – to break the very law you claim we are bound to! See Romans 7.
Mr. Potts, I would encourage you to read the Murry article I've provided for you in my reply because it may help you understand the purpose of the law especially as Paul deals with it in Romans 7. The law is not the problem sin is! The law reveals the will of God, it serves as a mirror for us to see our sins, and it also provides guidelines for living a life of gratitude. As Murray writes "the burden Paul bemoans is not the law but that which is its contradiction, the other law in his members warring against the law of his mind (Romans 7:23)."
You speak of being dead to the law. Well, when Paul wrote that quote in Galations he was making it clear that he had passed from under its power, in respect to non-justification or condemnation. He didn't discredit its usefulness as you do. What Paul was teaching in this Galations pasage is that he died with Christ and now lives a life of faith. This is true for every believer who can say with Paul, "It is no more I who live, but Christ who lives in me."
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Ian Potts wrote: You go on to say “But rather, "by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him." (I John 2:3-5)”
Absolutely we do keep Christ’s commandments, and we keep His word. The word “Keep” here in the Greek fundamentally means to keep in our minds, to treasure, to store up, to lay hold of, not to forget. Obviously if so doing it will lead to obedience to Christ’s words, but obedience is the consequence of such keeping whereas ‘keep’ itself is the treasuring up, the remembrance, the belief of these words.
To keep His commandments means something more than to keep in our minds, to treasure, to store up, to lay hold of, not to forget. John is saying, if we know Him, we will obey Him! This means both in word and deed. Just as he wrote in the Gospel of John where he quotes Jesus saying, "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved of my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." For the believer who is in relationship with Christ there will be a hearty acceptance and willing subjection to God's whole revealed will. Faith will be demonstrated by love and obedience.
In verse 14. “all the law”— Greek, "the whole law," namely, the Mosaic law. Love to God is presupposed as the root from which love to our neighbor springs; and it is in this tense the latter precept (so "word" means here) is said to be the fulfilling of "all the law" ( Lev 19:18 ). Love is "the law of Christ" ( Gal 6:2 Mat 7:12 22:39, 40 Rom 13:9, 10 ).
“Is fulfilled”--Not as received text "is being fulfilled," but as the oldest manuscripts read, "has been fulfilled"; and so "receives its full perfection," as rudimentary teachings are fulfilled by the more perfect doctrine. The law only united Israelites together: the Gospel unites all men, and that in relation to God
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Ian Potts wrote: So in summary, at the heart of Christ’s words, His ‘commandments’ are “That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment”.
Your summary here is good. Unfortunately you have changed the meanings of some of these terms along the way by your interpretation in this thread. Jesus said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." This is a summary of the law. It has been fulfilled in Christ and should be evident in the lives of all his disciples.
Wes
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts
John is saying, If we know Him, we will obey Him! He makes it very clear that if we say we know Him and don't keep His commandments we are liars, and the truth is no in us. A genuine faith will be demonstrated by love and obedience.
Wes
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts
When Mr Potts gets around to exegeting the verses, or even one of them, that Pilgrim has requested, it will be interesting, and revealing, to see how his exegesis of those commandments EXCLUDES God's moral Law, for that is the gist of what Mr. Potts is teaching.
I beg to differ Gerry. The point is Gods Law not a so-called moral law. Did you ever understand Gadsby or do you think he died a heretic ? Gadsby and Potts have said they delight in the law. They refer to Law as Gods law - not a hybrid God/man (moral) law. Why do you think they hate the law ? Have you a copy of Gadsbys hymns ? I will send you one should you wish to re-evaluate his position.
Wes, why do you say Mr.Potts ,Gadsby et al, "discredit its(law) usefulness" ? Or have I missed something - again ?
Are they not refering to the whole counsel of God and his Law rather than a small section of a so-called moral law ?
What does the Bible say about "moral" law ?
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary says of "Moral law" : the body of requirements in conformity to which virtuous action consists;one of these requirements.OPPOSED to "positive" or "insituted" laws.
So is the moral law ,as you see it , opposed to Biblically insituted law as it meaning implies ?
Are we not to delight in the insituted Law of God rather than the philosophical traditions ,customs ,ethics and morals of men ? (Col 2:8)
Pilgrim, Here are some thoughts on those passages for you… I hope they will be helpful, In God’s grace, Ian
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35
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"If ye love me, keep my commandments. . . . He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:15,21
At the commencement of the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus Christ is introduced as the Word of God, He who is life, who is the light of men, which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. He was sent unto His own (the Jews) but His own received him not.
Despite all the religion which the Jews had, the priesthood, the law, the tabernacle, the promises, they are still depicted in John 1 as being in darkness when Christ came into the world, and they received not Him who is the light of men. That’s where their enlightenment in religion, in the law brought them – darkness.
But Christ is LIGHT. John is a book about light, about life.
Christ is described as being full of grace and truth. This is contrasted with the law and Moses in 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”. Clearly there is light in Christ which wasn’t revealed in the law. Though there was a glory in the law, compared to the light in Christ, compared to the glory which excelleth it is but a shadow, like a candle held up to the light of the sun it is but darkness.
In John 14 we have this point picked up on in verse 6: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me”.
Again we see here that Christ is ‘the life’. He is the Word of God and His words are life as we read in John 6:63:
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“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
We can see from this that there is something different about Christ’s words, His commandments. They are life, they are life-giving commandments. They are attended with power. Why? Because of who Christ is – The Son of the Living God.
In chapter 14 Christ demonstrates how He is the revelation of the Father, that He and His Father are one. That he who believes on Christ believes on the Father, and he who rejects Him rejects the Father. The Father is glorified in the Son 14:13.
In verses 16-19 Christ talks of sending the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, as He himself is about to depart from the disciples. It is the Spirit who leads God’s people into truth. So we have a chapter in which the great truth of One God in Three Persons is set forth.
It is in this context that we read in verse 15 “if ye love me, keep my commandments”, and in 21 “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”. In verse 23 we read “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”, whereas in verse 24 “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.”
The key to understanding what these commandments, these sayings are, and what ‘keeping’ them means is picked up in verse 26, where the Comforter’s role is developed:
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“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
This is the keeping of Christ’s commandments, His sayings. It is to ‘keep’ them in remembrance, to be taught them, to believe them, and consequently to walk in obedience to them. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to teach us these things, to bring them to our remembrance.
The only people who will ‘keep’ Christ’s words, sayings, commandments, are those who have the Spirit sent unto them, who receive from Him FAITH. But not all men do – see verse 17. The Jews who rested in the law and rejected Christ didn’t know the Spirit, or His leading into truth, and they didn’t believe Christ’s words, or receive them let alone ‘keep’ them.
The end of all these commandments, these words, is that we love God. We love Christ. We dwell in Him. We have eternal life because Christ IS our life. The union of Father, Son and Holy Ghost is set forth in John 14, and our union with God, as those who ‘keep’ (believe, remember, treasure up) Christ’s commandments, words, sayings, is shown forth in the love we have for God and our brethren.
All of these ideas of union, of abiding in Christ, in His love, in His life, His light, keeping, loving His words, as the words of truth and grace, is developed in chapter 15 where we read of the true vine and the branches. Our life as believers is inextricably linked with Christ’s. We are branches on His vine. We abide in Him and His love, and thus we love His words, His sayings, His commandments, we ‘keep’ them. As it says:-
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“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 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.” John 15:9-10
So, if we ‘keep’ Christ’s words of truth and grace in our minds and hearts, if we abide in Him, then we shall abide in Christ’s love. There is no other way to remain in His love. And out of love we willingly do all that Christ asks us to. We love His word, we treasure it, we believe it by faith. And we walk in faith. Faith produces works, works of faith. It is all a matter of abiding, of walking in the light, which only those chosen of God, born of the Spirit can do. For they have eternal life.
This is the message of John. That light has shone in the darkness. That Christ is that light, that He has revealed the Father, that to love God we must be in that light, we must partake of that life, we must abide in Christ’s love, we must walk in the Spirit, and believe in Christ by Faith. And it is the work of God that we do just that – not of the will of man, but of God.
It is these truths, these sayings, which we believe. That Christ is the light of men. That He is eternal life. That we can only know the Father through the Son. That those who abide in Christ will love the Father. That Jesus has the words of eternal life. These sayings, are at the heart, they are the essence of the commandments mentioned in the Gospel of John and in 1st John.
These commandments are mentioned in 1 John 5:3:
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“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3
What commandments are these? The law? No, for we are dead to the law by the body of Christ (Romans 7). And these commandments are not grievous whereas the commandments of the law were – they were a burden our fathers could not bear. This easy ‘yoke’ of Christ’s commandments is mentioned in Matthew 11:
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“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:27-30
Now who are those who are burdened, who are heavy laden? Why, those who were under the law of course, who found it to be hard labour striving to keep all its demands, who found that the sin within them only multiplied under the law and condemned them so that the good that they would they could not do (Romans 7). But Christ calls them to take his yoke which is easy. This is the yoke of His commandments, which unlike the burdensome law, are easy to bear, they are not ‘grievous’ as 1 John 5:3 tells us.
What commandments are these? Well they are mentioned throughout 1 John, but chapter 3:23-24 summarises them:
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“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”. 1 John 3:23-24
The commandments are summarised as to believe on the name of God’s son Jesus Christ, and love one another. How can we do that? Only by the work of the Spirit. No one without the work of the Spirit in granting the gift of faith can believe. And no one can love God or their brethren except the Spirit worketh that fruit, that love, within them. But if the Spirit does work, then we willingly believe on Christ, we love Him and our brethren. We dwell in God and He in us. He abides with us by the Spirit. We walk in the light and not in the darkness. We have eternal life. We BELIEVE these things.
All of this is just the same as that taught in John 14 and 15. The connection between abiding in Christ, and being led into truth by the Spirit, and keeping the commandments of believing in Christ, loving Him and the brethren is so strong in all these passages. When we abide in Him, we love Him. These commandments, these words of Christ are words of life – they result in the things commanded.
None of this has to do with law. It simply isn’t mentioned, though we see it contrasted in John 1:17. Christ’s commandments of believing in Him (faith) and loving Him and the brethren will certainly fulfil all the demands of the law, but it is in no way a sending of believers back to Moses. For that would be to have the burden we couldn’t bear put back on our shoulders. Those commandments ARE grievous. And they work wrath. As we see in the following verses:
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“ Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” … “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.” Acts 15:10, 28-29
“For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.” Romans 7:9-11
But Christ’s commandments are not burdensome. For they are in the light, whereas the law never brought light, it left men in darkness. It is under the Gospel, by the Spirit that we have light, we receive eternal life, we abide in the love of Father, Son and Spirit, and in which we walk by faith, looking unto Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, ‘keeping’, believing, holding onto His words, sayings, commandments, and by which we love God and our brethren.
In John 13:34-35 we read:-
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“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
A new commandment? Yes, but an old commandment too. Then why a new commandment? Because although Christ’s commandments of faith and love are a fulfilment of the old (the Law) nevertheless they are new, they are not the law, but Gospel. They are words of life, they are the living word, the ministration of righteousness, whereas the Old Covenant condemned to death, it was a ministration of death.
There is a huge contrast between the commandments in the Law of Moses and those words of life, full of grace and truth which come from the lips of Jesus. The Law demanded works from man without ever providing the ability to perform those works. All the ability was demanded from man. But man being full of sin just finds that he is utterly incapable of keeping those commandments. Even the believer who loves them and would desire to keep them finds that when he tries, the good that he would he cannot do. The law simply fires up the sin which is in the flesh, and man finds himself completely condemned by the law.
The words of Christ however are living words. They are ‘the words of eternal life’. When Christ commands power attends the command, life attends it, ability to do what is requested is provided. When Christ called to dead Lazarus to ‘Come forth’ Lazarus came forth! Nothing was expected of Lazarus – the words provided the life. When Christ commanded the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda to “Rise, take up thy bed and walk” (John 5:8) “immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked”. Such are the commands of Jesus, life giving commands, which we are called to ‘keep’.
And who do ‘keep’ these commands? Those disciples whom God has called out of this world, quickened by the Spirit, brought to life at the command of Jesus. At the time when many left Jesus he asked his disciples:-
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“Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:67-69
To whom else shall WE go? Christ has the words of eternal life. Let us keep them in faith and love in the power of an endless life.
We must reject those who so highly boast of Moses's laws,as to temporal affairs, for we have our written imperial and country laws,under which we live,and under which we are sworn. Neither Naaman the Syrian, nor Job, nor Joseph, nor Daniel,nor many other good and godly Jews, observed Moses's law out of their country,but those of the Gentiles among whom they lived.
BookMark said: Wes, why do you say Mr.Potts ,Gadsby et al, "discredit its(law) usefulness" ? Or have I missed something - again ?
Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. (Matt.5:17) We do not make void the law through faith: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:31)
The moral law law of God FOREVER binds everyone, believers and non-believers alike.
Romans 13:8 “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
I John 2: 7-8 ”Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.”
Neither does Christ, in the Gospel, any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.
Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Wes
When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. - Isaac Watts