A few general observations
Jesus already answered Satan on 'Word of God' issues:
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
It is abundantly clear that from Jesus that NONE of Gods Words should be cast out or put aside. It is also clear that EVERY WORD of God has LIFE for mankind, and that would INCLUDE every WORD of the LAW as well. Those after all are GODS WORDS as well. Attempting to toss them out on the basis of delivery only to Israel are quite baseless. If what Jesus told Satan was TRUE, then NONE of Gods Words are evaporated or eliminated on ANY legitimate basis. Jesus didn't say ONLY ISRAELITES will LIVE by every Word of God, but that MAN will therein LIVE BY.
If we take Paul's words here seriously and you are posting here you are presumably 'in Christ' and therefore are also IN NO CONDEMNATION:
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Using our measures from Paul WHY would any 'grace' believer think they can look at, oh, THE LAW of the O.T. and find CONDEMNATION for themselves IF there is NO CONDEMNATION for those in Christ?
One might think they can look at The Words of Jesus and FIND LIFE in EVERY WORD of God...if they are looking 'properly.' They should be ABLE to LOOK and even OBSERVE the LAW of the O.T. and NOT find condemnation as there IS NONE for those in Christ. Why fight it, the LAW of the O.T?
Paul advised us about EVERY or ANY OTHER COMMAND which 'includes the LAW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT' right here and laid it SMACK DAB upon us as to 'INTENT:'
Believers in Pauls DIRECTIVE here are clearly COMMANDED to love 'our' neighbors as ourselves. Paul SANDWICHES the OLD TESTAMENT LAWS right in the midst of the COMMANDS to LOVE and INCLUDES therein ANY OTHER COMMAND which also INCLUDES all the O.T. commands. Paul INCLUDED some of the commands of the O.T. LAW in his statement here:
Romans 13:
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 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.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
If those who look to the WORDS OF GOD, the OLD TESTAMENT LAW and see it ANY OTHER WAY than in LOVE, they will be looking at same IN ERROR and in FALSENESS by tossing it OUT.
There is no condemnation there FOR YOU if you are IN CHRIST...
There is no FLESHLY OBSERVATION THERE applicable for YOU (such as slicing animals to pieces or stoning people) because THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, and ALL LAWS therein are entirely summed up BY LOVING OUR FELLOW MANKIND, OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES...
Any other VIEW of ANY COMMANDMENT that does not result in the FINAL PRODUCT of the SPIRIT, which is LOVE is FALSE.
There is in short simply no basis to THROW OUT or DO AWAY with ANY COMMAND if those commands are observed PROPERLY, with the end result clearly set forth by Paul, to love our neighbors.
On the same token, ANY PERSON who uses THE LAW as a 'basis of condemnation' i.e. conveying SIN unto believers in Christ wherein there is NO CONDEMNATION are also viewing the LAW falsely. MAN will LIVE by EVERY WORD of God. There are NO DEATH WORDS to CHRISTIANS in Gods Words, PERIOD.
The entire reasoning and BASIS for ALL COMMANDS is to love our neighbors. There is NO OTHER INTENTION OF ANY COMMAND to those in Christ Jesus than this and there is NO CONDEMNATION in LOVE.
enjoy!
squint
Jesus already answered Satan on 'Word of God' issues:
Matthew 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
It is abundantly clear that from Jesus that NONE of Gods Words should be cast out or put aside. It is also clear that EVERY WORD of God has LIFE for mankind, and that would INCLUDE every WORD of the LAW as well. Those after all are GODS WORDS as well. Attempting to toss them out on the basis of delivery only to Israel are quite baseless. If what Jesus told Satan was TRUE, then NONE of Gods Words are evaporated or eliminated on ANY legitimate basis. Jesus didn't say ONLY ISRAELITES will LIVE by every Word of God, but that MAN will therein LIVE BY.
If we take Paul's words here seriously and you are posting here you are presumably 'in Christ' and therefore are also IN NO CONDEMNATION:
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Using our measures from Paul WHY would any 'grace' believer think they can look at, oh, THE LAW of the O.T. and find CONDEMNATION for themselves IF there is NO CONDEMNATION for those in Christ?
One might think they can look at The Words of Jesus and FIND LIFE in EVERY WORD of God...if they are looking 'properly.' They should be ABLE to LOOK and even OBSERVE the LAW of the O.T. and NOT find condemnation as there IS NONE for those in Christ. Why fight it, the LAW of the O.T?
Paul advised us about EVERY or ANY OTHER COMMAND which 'includes the LAW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT' right here and laid it SMACK DAB upon us as to 'INTENT:'
Believers in Pauls DIRECTIVE here are clearly COMMANDED to love 'our' neighbors as ourselves. Paul SANDWICHES the OLD TESTAMENT LAWS right in the midst of the COMMANDS to LOVE and INCLUDES therein ANY OTHER COMMAND which also INCLUDES all the O.T. commands. Paul INCLUDED some of the commands of the O.T. LAW in his statement here:
Romans 13:
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 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.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
If those who look to the WORDS OF GOD, the OLD TESTAMENT LAW and see it ANY OTHER WAY than in LOVE, they will be looking at same IN ERROR and in FALSENESS by tossing it OUT.
There is no condemnation there FOR YOU if you are IN CHRIST...
There is no FLESHLY OBSERVATION THERE applicable for YOU (such as slicing animals to pieces or stoning people) because THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, and ALL LAWS therein are entirely summed up BY LOVING OUR FELLOW MANKIND, OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES...
Any other VIEW of ANY COMMANDMENT that does not result in the FINAL PRODUCT of the SPIRIT, which is LOVE is FALSE.
There is in short simply no basis to THROW OUT or DO AWAY with ANY COMMAND if those commands are observed PROPERLY, with the end result clearly set forth by Paul, to love our neighbors.
On the same token, ANY PERSON who uses THE LAW as a 'basis of condemnation' i.e. conveying SIN unto believers in Christ wherein there is NO CONDEMNATION are also viewing the LAW falsely. MAN will LIVE by EVERY WORD of God. There are NO DEATH WORDS to CHRISTIANS in Gods Words, PERIOD.
The entire reasoning and BASIS for ALL COMMANDS is to love our neighbors. There is NO OTHER INTENTION OF ANY COMMAND to those in Christ Jesus than this and there is NO CONDEMNATION in LOVE.
enjoy!
squint
