Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | I CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW | Matt 5:17 | There | 23344 | ||
Hi Joe, I disagree that the "rest" spoken of in Hebrews is a future event. I think that when we "rest" in Jesus we cease from our works and instead do the works of the Father. And again, I think that is why it states "For we who have believed do enter that rest..." I do not mean that God's law is the Mosaic Covenant. God's law is everlasting. The Mosaic Covenant became obsolete and we are under the New Covenant. It states that the Torah (instructions and teachings of God, law of God) was given so man would recognize his sinfulness, and then what?? God's intent was always the same. He wanted man to come to Him in repentance, and listen to His voice -- learn from Him. God was willing to speak to the children of Isreal in a very real way, but because of their fear they pleaded to have God speak to them through Moses. So instead of listening to God's voice (teaching and instruction - law), they had the written Torah. Anyone who became a member of Judaism was required to conform to it's teachings. Under the New Covenant, we who believe are not "under" the written Torah, but under our Teacher -- the Holy Spirit of God. And because we are "under" Him... we are under His authority and therefore we must obey His commands to us. God's laws have not changed, but there is a major difference between human understanding and God's understanding of those "laws" that were written in the Torah. As believers we have access to God's understanding of His laws. Does that answer your request? Gentiles are not under the Mosaic Covenant, and no one was ever expected to really be placed "under the law" in the Mosaic Covenant -- not even the Jews. God's intent according to scripture was that man should look at the law and recognize his sin... and then come to Him. And many "Jews" (Israelites) did that, such as Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel etc. Their relationship with the Lord was not just one of "prophecy" but of a personal nature... and they obeyed the Lord's commands to them. If I misunderstood what you meant, please explain further. God bless. |
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2 | I CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW | Matt 5:17 | Reformer Joe | 23353 | ||
The reason that I hold that Hebrews 4 is talking about a future rest is that the phrase "do enter" does not necessarily mean "has entered." All those who are believers in Christ DO go to Heaven, but that does not mean that we HAVE gone already. Because the general theme of Hebrews is perseverance and Hebrews 4:11 tells us to be diligent to ENTER that rest, it would seem that we have not entered it already. You wrote: "Gentiles are not under the Mosaic Covenant, and no one was ever expected to really be placed "under the law" in the Mosaic Covenant -- not even the Jews." I disagree: "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law," --Galatians 4:4 Jesus, just like every child born as a descendant of Israel, was born under the Law. He was the only one who fulfilled it completely (thought, word, and deed), and therefore salvation in the Old Testament was through faith in the Atonement to come. However, the ceremonial cleanliness and feasts and sacrifices were a precursor of that Atonement, so the Israelites were not freed from such requirements until Christ's resurrection. The faithfulness of Israel did not come FROM the Law, but it was demonstrated in their heartfelt love for God's law. See Psalm 119 for David's appreciation of the law. He was indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and look how much use he finds in the law. It is too simplistic to say that because we have the Holy Spirit that the written law of God serves no purpose. Jesus, Paul, and James all cite the Torah in giving guidelines for the activities of believers (Mark 12, Romans 13, Galatians 5, Ephesians 6, James 2), so obviously having the Holy Spirit did not mean abandoning the written commandments of God. The fact is that the Holy Spirit works through the written moral law of God, orienting our hearts so that we embrace the moral law as God's standard for righteous living (as David did in Ps 119) and also continuing to use it to accuse us of our continuing unrighteous behavior and cause us to embrace the One who fulfilled the the Law for us. Just this last week, God used James 1:19-20 to convict me of some harsh attitudes I have had toward a very problematic class that I am teaching this year. It was the Holy Spirit at work, but he used law to do it. If the Holy Spirit truly works apart from the moral law of God, we should be able to take a black marker and blot out every commandment from Genesis to Revelation and still live righteously. That's not how He works, though. If ALL Scripture is useful for rebuking and training in righteousness, then the law must be included. Furthermore, how can gospel rebuke someone? God's grace and mercy and Christ's sacrifice tell of God's goodness. It is law which points out our sinfulness. One must distinguish between but never separate the law and the gospel, since they both serve a purpose for the believer. And I issue my challenge once more: name one God-honoring work we can do as believers which is not found in the law of God. --Joe! "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." --Romans 3:31 |
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3 | I CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW | Matt 5:17 | There | 23374 | ||
Hi Joe, You said: Just this last week, God used James 1:19-20 to convict me of some harsh attitudes I have had toward a very problematic class that I am teaching this year. It was the Holy Spirit at work, but he used law to do it. That is exactly my point. It was the Holy Spirit at work. He used the written word, but it was the Holy Spirit that "taught" you something. If you were to only use human understanding, you would have gotten exactly what an unbeliever would get out of it. But you gained understanding through the working of the Holy Spirit. As to your challenge, if you include the law of love toward God and others... of course there is none. If you ONLY adhere to the words written on the page, then there are many things that could be named. Think about it. If something as simple as "thou shalt not murder" needed to be explained by Jesus as to the other implications in that command, do you think all the others are totally self explanatory without the teaching of the Holy Spirit? God bless. |
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