Why do people try to obey the law when it's not possible

Great question.

And the man that committeth adultery with another[bless and do not curse]man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with[bless and do not curse]his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress[bless and do not curse]shall surely be put to death. (Lev 20:10)

If a man be found lying with a woman married to an[bless and do not curse]husband, then they shall both of them die, both the[bless and do not curse]man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. (Deu 22:22)

That should about do it eh? So why didn't Messiah condone the stoning?
Because the Scribes and Pharisees did not follow the due process according to the Torah relating to condemning someone to death!


At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil
away from among you. (Deu 17:6-7)

“You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. “And in your Torah also, it has been written that the witness of two men is true. (Joh 8:15-17)

According to the Torah, there must be at least two witnesses who have seen with their own eyes the person(s) in the act of a sin worthy of death, and if there is not, one cannot according to the Torah, execute a death sentence.

And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. (Joh 8:1-6)

John's account of the story of the woman clearly shows the rule of righteous judgment and execution according to Torah wasn't being met. According to the Scribes' and Pharisees' account, this woman had been caught in the act, so where were the witnesses who caught her?

Their hands, not Yeshua's were supposed to throw the first stone. Oh, and that being said; Where was the man she was sinning with? Because he was supposed to be executed too!

Obviously neither the man nor the witnesses were there, and because of this, the Pharisees knew that if Yeshua had condemned her, He would have broken the very Torah that He, the Creator of Life, wrote to begin with. Knowing their twisted wicked scheming hearts, He first tried to ignore them, but they persisted in engaging Him, so His final words dissolved the whole thing.

Everyone sins.
Galatians chapter 4 verse 21-31
Tell me you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons,one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.
These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband. Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture sat? Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.
You might want to read Romans chapter 2 it talks about what your doing since we all know no one obeys the law nor can they.

Andy Stanley, R.C Sproul and D.L. Moody all have sermons available upholding the Law of God as we see in 1Cor 7:19 "What matters is keeping the Commandments of God".

The title of this thread is interesting - according to Paul in Romans 8:5-8 there is only one group that is faced with this problem every day.

Of course the Romans 6 chapter has the full explanation of the OP.

in Christ,

Bob

But AFTER "faith comes" to that individual --

THEN "What matters is KEEPING the commandments of God" 1Cor 7:19

AFTER faith comes then -
"It is NOT the hearers of the Law that are just before God but the DOERS of the Law WILL be justiFIED... on the day when according to my GOSPEL God will judge all mankind" Rom 2:13-16

AFTER faith comes then -

the saints are those "who KEEP the Commandments of God AND their faith in Jesus" Rev 14:12.

AFTER faith comes then -

"IF you Love Me KEEP My Commandments" John 14:15.

AFTER faith comes then - we have Romans 6. (too much to quote the entire chapter here)

AFTER faith comes - then we have Rom 3:31
"Do we then make void the LAW of God by our faith! God forbid! In fact we establish the Law of God"

AFTER faith Comes we have the Hebrews 8 "New Covenant" promise of the "LAW of God written on their minds and on their heart" (Jer 31:31-33 quoted in Hebrews 8)

This is the FULL Gospel message that does not leave the reader at the POV of the lost in Romans 8:5-8 but takes them to the point "AFTER faith Comes".

in Christ,

Bob

Would you define - according to the flesh

JLB

Paul defines it very well in Romans 8:5-17 by contrasting those who "belong to God" vs those who "have their minds set on the flesh" and are "hostile toward God" - as I am sure we would all agree.

Rom 8
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.




But IF the Spirit of God dwells in you – the “we are under obligation NOT to the flesh but to the Spirit”

“IF you are living according to the Flesh you WILL die”

Rom 8
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "" Abba! Father!''
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him

In James 2 - James lists a lot more laws than "Love your neighbor".

There are over 1000 commands given in the NT alone.

Paul said "Do we then make void the law of God by our faith? God forbid! In fact we establish the Law of God".

In Eph 6 Paul refers to the binding 5th commandment as still in force saying that "it is the FIRST commandment with a promise" - which is only true in that "unit of Ten".

No wonder than that D.L. Moody, R.C Sproul, Andy Stanley and even the RCC admit to the continued binding authority of the Ten Commandments for Christians today.

Before the Cross - Christ said "IF you Love Me KEEP My commandments" which is also a quote from the Ten Commandments. John 14:!5

The saints of God are those who "Keep the Commandments of God AND their faith in Jesus" Rev 14:12.

in Christ,

Bob

or else they are not in the one group in Romans 8:6-8 that Paul says "Does not submit to the law of God neither indeed CAN they".

6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.


Perhaps they are those who read 1Cor 7:19 "what matters is KEEPING the Commandments of God".

Or maybe they just simply sat down and read Romans chapter 6 and believed it.

It is hard to tell which reason it would be --

in Christ,

Bob

The Law of God?

The Commandments?

The Law Enoch kept?

The Law Job kept?

or The Law that Abraham kept?

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

To me, this scripture speaks more of relationship than keeping some rules that say - don't do this, don't touch that, don't eat this, observe this day...

Walking with God and obeying His voice.

Jesus said it this way -

39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. John 5:39-40

The heart cry of the Lord is -

Abide in Me...
Come to Me...
Walk with Me...

Of course, you can't live a sinful lifestyle and expect to walk with God.

However, it comes down to the motive of the heart.

Is your motive to walk with Him, and to Love Him.

Or, keep some rules so you will be good enough to go to heaven?

If it's the later, you have missed the point!


JLB