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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Is it possible to love God as commanded? | Gal 3:24 | Brent Douglass | 2120 | ||
Is the command to "LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH" in Mark 12:29-34 and elsewhere something that we, as Christians indwelt by the Holy Spirit can attain with God's enablement in this life, or is this merely an impossible command designed to humble us in our sinfulness? | ||||||
2 | Is it possible to love God as commanded? | Gal 3:24 | kalos | 2121 | ||
Question: Is it possible to love God as commanded? (?)Unanswered Not Specified Brent Douglass Sat 03/31/01, 10:43am Is the command to "LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH" in Mark 12:29-34 and elsewhere something that we, as Christians indwelt by the Holy Spirit can attain with God's enablement in this life, or is this merely an impossible command designed to humble us in our sinfulness? . . . My answer: The Scripture Jesus quoted in Mark 12:29 and following is part of the Mosaic Law. Note that in Mark 12 the question was asked by a Jew living in the age of the Law (prior to the age or dispensation of Grace) and answered by a Jew, who also kept the Law. (Since Jesus was entirely without sin, it is obvious that He kept ALL the Mosaic Law, never once stumbling in even one point. By definition sin is the transgression of the law.) So to answer the question, "What is the purpose of the Law?" would also be to answer your question, "Why was the commandment in Mark:12:29-34 given?" . . . Here is my best answer, according to my learning and understanding of what the BIBLE teaches re the Law and the believer's relationship to it. . . . 1) No one was ever saved by keeping the law. Gal 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 [trusting]'." . . . 2) The command in Mark 12 is a quote from the Mosaic Law found in Deut 6:4-9 and also in the book of Numbers. . . . 3) What is the purpose of the Law? This is a question whose answer I pursued for years. I finally found it in the NT Scriptures (right where it belonged). You'll find the answer in the third chapter of Romans and other passages, including the entire book of Galations, but especially Gal 3:19-25. Quoting Gal 3: 24-25: "Therefore the law was our tutor [literally, 'child conductor', a slave whose duty it was to take care of a child until adulthood] to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under the law." See also Rom 3:28. Whole books have been written on the subject of the Law and its relationship to NT believers. But the entire answer to the question, "What is the purpose of the Law?" is summed up in the above quote (Gal 3:24-25) and in the following single sentence written by John MacArthur: "The law was our tutor which, by showing us our sins, was escorting (leading) us to Christ". . . . 4) The Law (including Deut 6:4-9) was given, in part, to show us our sinfulness. . . . 5) James 2:10 (ASV 1901) "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is become guilty of all." Note: If one places himself under the law, how many commandments does he have to keep -- 10? No, all of them, all 613 commandments contained in the Pentateuch. (I do not mean to imply that this is what you are doing, sir, only that there are some who would do so, beginning with keeping the Sabbath and dietary laws and ending who knows where.) . . . To summarize: Gal 3: 24-25: "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under the law." John MacArthur: "The law was our tutor which, by showing us our sins, was escorting (leading) us to Christ". |
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3 | Is it possible to love God as commanded? | Gal 3:24 | Brent Douglass | 2125 | ||
I'm not sure exactly what your answer was to my question. It sounds like you're saying that you think this is an impossible command to humble us. Is this accurate? I believe I'm in agreement with your fine exposition about the purpose of the law. However, that's not the core of my question. Am I accurate in assuming your answer is that believers are incapable of loving God in this way? |
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4 | Is it possible to love God as commanded? | Gal 3:24 | kalos | 2145 | ||
I am sorry that I did not make my answer clearer. That is, I should have taken all that exposition on the purpose of the law and applied it specifically to your question. I'll try it again. The short answer: . . . In us, that is in our flesh, dwells no good thing. In ourselves, without Christ, we would find this command impossible to keep. But the Holy Spirit in us gives us the power to obey it. . . . Regarding the Mosaic Law, including Deut 6:4, "every unbeliever is still under its [the Law's] requirement of perfection and its condemnation, until he comes to Christ (Gal 3:23-25) and every believer still finds in it the the standard for behavior. . . . *fulfilled.* Although the believer is no longer in bondage to the moral law's condemnation and penalty (Rom 7:6), the law still reflects the moral character of God and His will for His creatures. But what the external, written code was unable to accomplish, the Spirit is able to do by writing the law on our hearts (Jer 31:33,34)and giving us the power to obey it" (p. 1707, MacArthur Study Bible, Word Publishing, 1997). . . . Consider Rom 8:3 and following: "that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfillled in us" -- IN us not just FOR us. . . . See also 1 John 3:4-9. Read this in the Amplified Bible, if possible. 1 John 3:9 Amplified Bible "No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him...and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God." The key words are: "[deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin" and "he cannot practice sinning." This phrase once again conveys the idea of habitual sinning (see 1 John 3:4,6). The emphasis here is on the first part of v. 9: "No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him." The application is that yes, it is possible for the believer to keep this command (see also Gal 2:20). As surely as I quote from 1 John 3, someone will write in accusing me of using that Scripture to prove this or that. To such a person I would say: I am not trying to prove anything. I merely point out WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS in this passage. Please don't try to tell me how I am interpreting 1 John 3. And you don't need to explain it away until the words no longer mean what they say. For once, just take bare words of Scripture, and accept them for what they say. |
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5 | Is it possible to love God as commanded? | Gal 3:24 | Brent Douglass | 2455 | ||
Thanks for your claification. I'm glad that I asked for (and received) clarification prior to responding to your previous posting, as your clarification was significantly different than how I had understood you. Once again, I find myself in basic agreement with you on this. It brings up additional questions about what I believe are parrallel passages, but those build on this foundation, which I agree is clear in the Scripture. |
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