The Perfect Law

[Tree of Life]

James is writing to Jewish Christians. In his letter he says:

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:25)

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." (James 2:8)

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." (James 2:12).​

The perfect law, the law of liberty, the royal law. What is James referring to when he uses these terms?

 

[RGW00]

I think James 2:8 states it. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." I feel like you can extend the meaning though, I think it's just God's laws that apply to us today after Christ died on earth (This I mean is the commandments that God gave Israel, sacrifices, etc. These aren't a law we need to follow anymore) I think the perfect law is just the Bible.

 

[fhansen]

Yes, the Greatest Commandments. Love is the very heart of the gospel; it's the image of God, who is love, that we're to be transformed into. To the extent that we have it, our justice is complete.

 

[Tree of Life]

I think James 2:8 states it. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." I feel like you can extend the meaning though, I think it's just God's laws that apply to us today after Christ died on earth (This I mean is the commandments that God gave Israel, sacrifices, etc. These aren't a law we need to follow anymore) I think the perfect law is just the Bible.

So the 10 commandments are included in this?

 

[Tree of Life]

Yes, the Greatest Commandments. Love is the very heart of the gospel; it's the image of God, who is love, that we're to be transformed into. To the extent that we have it, our justice is complete.

Is the "perfect law" the OT law?

 

[RGW00]

So the 10 commandments are included in this?

No, I need to be a lot more clear and specific on this. Basically, the Old Testament has laws that He gave strictly to the Israelites. If you look in the New Testament, Jesus tells us to hold to the Ten Commandments and all of the laws, until He dies. It goes on to say by Jesus's prophets that when Jesus died, we no longer need to follow the Old Testament laws, but we must hold true to the Ten Commandments.

Basically, any kind of law pertaining to the Israelites except for the Ten Commandments we don't need to follow. Yet all of the stories in the Bible, are metaphors to how we should handle a situation today, that's why the Old Testament is still important to read.

 

[Shempster]

James is writing to Jewish Christians. In his letter he says:

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:25)

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." (James 2:8)

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." (James 2:12).​

The perfect law, the law of liberty, the royal law. What is James referring to when he uses these terms?

I think the law of liberty is about liberty. Both giving it and living it.
The opposite would be to refuse liberty to others. To push our ideas on them and refuse to help and love them until they obey us and live life the way we see as correct.

 

[W2L]

I think the law of liberty is about liberty. Both giving it and living it.
The opposite would be to refuse liberty to others. To push our ideas on them and refuse to help and love them until they obey us and live life the way we see as correct.

Amen.

 

[Soyeong]

James is writing to Jewish Christians. In his letter he says:

"But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:25)

"If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well." (James 2:8)

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." (James 2:12).​

The perfect law, the law of liberty, the royal law. What is James referring to when he uses these terms?

Psalms 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalms 119:45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

James was making references to the Psalms in regard to the Mosaic Law.

 

[Tree of Life]

I think the law of liberty is about liberty. Both giving it and living it.
The opposite would be to refuse liberty to others. To push our ideas on them and refuse to help and love them until they obey us and live life the way we see as correct.

So James is saying: "Live and let live, dudes." ?

 

[W2L]

Psalms 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

Psalms 119:45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.

James was making references to the Psalms in regard to the Mosaic Law.

It doesnt matter. I walk in liberty and i obey the NT only.

 

[Soyeong]

It doesnt matter. I walk in liberty and i obey the NT only.

The extent that you don't not trust God's instructions for how to walk in liberty and instead practice what He has revealed to be sin is the extent that you are in bondage to sin rather than walking in liberty.

 

[Soyeong]

I think the law of liberty is about liberty. Both giving it and living it.
The opposite would be to refuse liberty to others. To push our ideas on them and refuse to help and love them until they obey us and live life the way we see as correct.

There is a reason why the land of the free is not the same as the land where we can do whatever we want without any laws. Our freedoms can be used in ways that harm others or limits their freedoms, so laws are needed to instruct us how to use our freedoms in the way that we ought. God's Law is a law of liberty (Psalms 119:45) because it instructs us how to live in the way that we ought in accordance with God's character, while it is sin in transgression of God's Law that puts us in bondage. So when God saw us in bondage to sin and decided to love us and help us by requiring us to follow His instructions for how to correctly walk in liberty, was He pushing His ideas on us and taking away our liberty or was He giving us liberty?

 

[W2L]

The extent that you don't not trust God's instructions for how to walk in liberty and do what He has revealed to be sin is the extent that you are in bondage to sin rather than walking in liberty.

Nope, wrong my friend.

 

[Soyeong]

Nope, wrong my friend.

How is what I said wrong?

Do you believe God when He that what He commanded was for His people's own good in order to prosper us?

 

[W2L]

How is what I said wrong?

Do you believe God when He that what He commanded was for His people's own good in order to prosper us?

You're wrong about me being bound to sin.

 

[Soyeong]

You're wrong about me being bound to sin.

The extent that we practice what God has revealed to be sin is the extent that we are in bondage to sin.

Please explain what is incorrect about that statement.

 

[W2L]

The extent that we practice what God has revealed to be sin is the extent that we are in bondage to sin.

Please explain what is incorrect about that statement.

Nothing is incorrect. You previously used the word "you" and i took it personally. Was that wrong?

 

[Soyeong]

Nothing is incorrect. You previously used the word "you" and i took it personally. Was that wrong?

I was speaking to you, but it was applicable to everyone. You said that you obey the NT only. Everything in the NT is based upon what is written in the OT and the NT authors quoted or alluded to the OT thousands of times in order to support what they said and to show that they did not depart from it, so I do not see a difference between following what is in the NT and following what is in the OT, though presumably you do because the "only" was in contrast with the OT. So in other word, there are things that God revealed to be sin in the OT that you feel free to do, but by doing so, you are actually depriving yourself of freedom.

 

[W2L]

I was speaking to you, but it was applicable to everyone. You said that you obey the NT only. Everything in the NT is based upon what is written in the OT and the NT authors quoted or alluded to the OT thousands of times in order to support what they said and to show that they did not depart from it, so I do not see a difference between following what is in the NT and following what is in the OT, though presumably you do because the "only" was in contrast with the OT. So in other word, there are things that God revealed to be sin in the OT that you feel free to do, but by doing so, you are actually depriving yourself of freedom.

Yes, but the only things i need to obey are in the NT.