We also know that the words "keep God's commandments" is not referring to the 10 commandments because Paul wrote that they were done away. We know that John wrote Jesus words in Jn15: 10-14, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command."
Your view that love is separate from Gods' law and that God's 10 commandments are now abolished is
not biblical and disagrees with scripture as love is not separated from God's law it is how Gods' law is expressed and to be obeyed through faith in the new covenant promise as shown by Paul in Romans 13:8-10; Hebrews 8:10-12 from Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Ezekiel 36:24-27.
Love in fact is God's new covenant promise of how we are to obey Gods' law not break God's law according to the scriptures. I asked some question earlier to someone else as a hint to help them see this to help this discussion. I asked them earlier how do we express love to God as shown in
Romans 13:8-10;
James 2:8-12 and elsewhere? I think these are good questions when we look at the scriptures to find answers in God's Word. I asked further, do we love our neighbor by murdering them? Do we love God by making idols and bowing down and worshiping them? Do we love my neighbor by lying and stealing from them? Do we love God by breaking his Sabbath?
Romans 13:8-10 is are interesting scriptures as the show the direct relationship between love and obedience to Gods' law by directly quoting God's 10 commandments.
Love is a very important topic and has everything to do with God's new covenant promise and how we are to be obedient to God's 10 commandments because it is only as we are born again to love through faith that God writes his Law in our hearts. This is why Jesus says to us "
Truly truly I say to you unless a man is born again we cannot enter to Gods' kingdom in
John 3:3-7. This is why John says in
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and EVERY ONE THAT LOVES IS BORN OF GOD, AND KNOWS GOD. This is because all those who are born again to love
do not practice sin as John shows in
1 John 3:9 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Sin is defined in the bible as not believing and following Gods' Word in
Romans 14:23 and breaking anyone of God's 10 commandments in
Romans 7:7 ...
I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet. John here of course using the example of the 10th commandment in
Exodus 20:17. Paul here is clarifying what he says earlier in
Romans 3:20 where he says ...
for by the law is the knowledge of sin. That is when we break anyone of God's 10 commandments according to the scriptures we stand guilty before God of sin. James here of course agreeing with Paul when he says in
James 2:10-11 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if you commit no adultery, yet if you kill, you are become a transgressor of the law. James here you can see also quoting Gods' 10 commandments who is simply agreeing with John when he says in
1 John 3:4 Sin is the transgressing of the law or breaking
anyone of God's 10 commandments including God's 4th commandment which is one of God's 10 commandments that give us the knowledge of what sin is when broken.
According to the scripture context that you have left out of
1 John 2:21-23 it is not pleasing in God’s eyes that we sin and break His commandments. Sin is defined early in
1 John 3:4 where is says “
Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” It is not pleasing to God that we sin and the reason John is writing here is that we sin not in
1 John 2:1. In fact John goes on to say in
1 John 2:3-4 and
1 John 3:6 that we do not know God if we knowingly break his commandments and that sin is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil in
1 John 3:9-10. This is showing that the fruit of our faith is seen in obedience to Gods' law which is what James discusses in
James 2:17-20; 26 when he says faith without works (obedience) is dead and does not demonstrate true biblical faith.
Those who are born of God to love through faith according to the scriptures do not practice sin according to
1 John 3:6-9. This is all context stated that leads into
1 John 3:23 in regards to love where love is also relevant as shown earlier in
Matthew 22:36:40;
Romans 13;8-10 and
James 2:10-11 Love is not separate from Gods’ law it is expressed through it. So to say we are now free to break any one of God’s 10 commandment and say we are expressing love by by doing so is not biblical according to the scriptures as sin (breaking God’s law) is what those who do not know God do according to
1 John 2:3-4 and
1 John 3:6-10. God’s people therefore love God and keep His commandments as shown in the scriptures provided in
John 14:15;
John 15:10:
1 John 5:2-3;
1 John 2:3-4;
1 John 3:6-10;
Revelation 12:17:
Revelation 14:12;
Revelation 22:14.
Love therefore is not separated from God’s law it is fulfills its requirements through faith (
Romans 3:31) and is expressed through obedience to God's law as we have faith in God’s promises and it why JESUS says on these two great commandments of love to God and man hang all the law and the prophets *
Matthew 22:36-40.
No one has ever said that keeping God's commandments save us. They are the fruit of faith that work by love. We keep God's commandments because we love God *
John 14:15 and he has saved us *
Matthew 9:12-13 not because they save us. We are all sinners in need of a Savior and this is where God's law leads us *
Galatians 5:16. We are saved by grace through faith and not of ourselves it is a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast *
Ephesians 2:8-9. OBEDIENCE to God's LAW is not how we are saved it is the FRUIT faith of one that is already been given Gods promise of salvation and the fruit of God's work in us *
PHILIPPIANS 2:13 as we BELIEVE and FOLLOW his WORD. If our faith has no fruit it is dead *
James 2:18-20; 26 and our tree will be cast down and thrown into the fire *
Matthew 3:10; 7:19-20; 13:49-50.
We have a choice dear friend. We can read the 10 commandments from the tables of stone that give us the knowledge of what sin is *
Romans 3:20;
Romans 7:7;
1 John 3:4 or we can receive the Gospel and God's free gift of grace through the cross and receive forgiveness and newness of life to be free to walk in God's spirit and receive a new heart to love through grace. *
Ephesians 2:8-9;
Romans 8:1-4;
Galatians 5:16.
Unless we are born again with a new heart to love and God's law is written in our heart we cannot see the kingdom of heaven according to Jesus *
John 3:3-7. Those who are born again to love and have received Gods new covenant promise of his law being written on the heart through faith *
Hebrews 8:10-12;
Romans 13:8-10;
Romans 3:31 do not practice sin (breaking God's law) *
1 John 3:6-9.
According to the scriptures those who claim they know God and knowingly practice sin are lying and the truth is not in them *
1 John 2:3-4. Sin, which is defined in the scriptures as breaking anyone of God's 10 commandments and not believing God's Word *
James 2:10-11;
1 John 3:4;
Romans 14:23 according to the scriptures is the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil *
1 John 3:6-10;
Revelation 12:17;
Revelation 14:12;
Revelation 22:14.
God's law is not abolished through love it is how Gods' law is to be obeyed....
John 14:15 IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.
John 15:10 [10], IF YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS, YOU SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE; EVEN AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and EVERY ONE THAT LOVES IS BORN OF GOD, AND KNOWS GOD.
1 John 5:2-4 [2], BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHEN WE LOVE GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.[3], FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT GRIEVOUS. [4], For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: and THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMES THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH.
2 John 1:6 AND THIS IS LOVE THAT WE WALK AFTER HIS COMMANDMENTS. THIS IS THE COMMANDMENT, THAT, AS YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU SHOULD WALK IN IT.
Matthew 22:36:40 [36], Master, which is the great commandment in the law? [37], Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38], This is the first and great commandment. [39], And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40], ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.
Romans 13:8-10 [8], Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for HE THAT LOVES ANOTHER HAS FULFILLED THE LAW. [9], For this, YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT KILL, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, YOU SHALL NOT COVET; AND IF THERE BE ANY OTHER COMMANDMENT, IT IS BRIEFLY SUMMED UP IN THIS SAYING, NAMELY, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. [10], Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW.
James 2:8-12 [8], IF YOU FULFILL THE ROYAL LAW ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF, YOU DO WELL: [9], But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.[10], FOR WHOEVER SHALL KEEP THE WHOLE LAW, AND YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF ALL. [11], FOR HE THAT SAID, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, SAID ALSO, DO NOT KILL. NOW IF YOU COMMIT NO ADULTERY, YET IF YOU KILL, YOU ARE BECOME A TRANSGRESSOR OF THE LAW. [12], So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Isaiah 58:13-14 [13], IF YOU TURN AWAY YOUR FOOT FROM THE SABBATH, FROM DOING YOUR PLEASURE ON MY HOLY DAY; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; AND SHALL HONOR HIM, NOT DOING YOUR OWN WAYS, NOR FINDING YOUR OWN PLEASURE, NOR SPEAKING YOUR OWN WORDS: [14], Then shall you delight yourself in the LORD; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.
Your mistake here dear friend is in trying to separate Gods' 10 commandments from love when it is only through obedience to God's 10 commandments that love is expressed to both God and man. This is why Jesus says; "On these two great commandments of love to God and love to man hang all the law and the prophets in
Matthew 22:36-40. Love therefore is not separated from Gods' to commandments it is how God's 10 commandments are established and are to be obeyed through faith (see
Romans 3:31).
Jesus kept the laws of the Sinai covenant. In the Jn 15 statement He certainly didn't ask us to do the same. He asked us to keep His commandment. Jesus is God, so when I read "keep God's commandments" I refer to Jesus words in Jn 15 just as you should also do. I await your excuse.
Jesus did not keep the law so we no longer have to. Your claims here are
not biblical as shown already through the scriptures above. My excuse for what I believe and share here is
Gods' Word that I love and it disagrees with your teachings and claims that God's 10 commandments have been abolished.
Something to pray about.
