Studyman, the gentiles that came under that old covenant were those who joined up with Israel. Stop and think about something, the rest of the world knew nothing about the ten commandments.
Joined up with Israel???? What did Israel Do for Gentiles? Don't you mean the Gentiles who were covered by the Covenant of Abraham, were those who joined themselves to the God of Abraham?
What do you think it means that God will write on our hearts?
God's Law was always supposed to be in the hearts and minds of His People.
Duet 10:
45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel:
46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
But the Shepherds who were charged with sharing God's Laws with the people corrupted His Laws, Despised His Laws. So God provided that we should never have to rely on another carnal man to hear God's Words again "After those days". And look, both you and I have the Oracles of God in our own home, in our own mind, and in our own hearts. Some believe, some don't, But there they are. No longer are we required to find a preacher in some temple made of wood and stone to read God's Words to us, we can see for ourselves.
To me that means he will give us a conscious to know right from wrong, good and evil.
If this were true, then why does Jesus warn us over and over about religious men deceiving us? It is a popular religious philosophy of this world that Jesus does everything for us.
This is not Biblically true.
Luke 9:
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Jesus doesn't "deny myself" for me, HE doesn't "Take up my Cross" for me, HE doesn't "follow Himself" for me. He also doesn't "BELIEVE" for me. He has provided everything we need, and if we believe, we will be "doers" of His instruction, not hearers only.
Does anyone question that we should love God with all our hearts and our neighbor as our selves, or we shouldn't steal, murder, adultery. The Holy Spirit puts on our hearts those things.
In my understanding, the Holy Spirit doesn't teach men to reject Commandments of God, Create their own High Days, Create images of God in the Likeness of men. Given all the warning about religious men who come in Christ's Name, but are deceivers, it seems we should be diligent not to be convinced of things which are not true about God. For instance, that God placed an unbearable burden of 613 laws on the backs of those HE saved out of Egypt.
If I do something that is wrong, I know it immediately, why, because the Holy Spirit will immediately let me know. That is the law being written on our hearts.
I am truly happy for you. But I had a baptist Pastor 30 years ago teach the exact same thing. He taught that once a man was baptized, the Holy spirit comes in and eternally saves you. He said the Spirit keeps us from sinning. A year later he was indited on 10 counts of criminal sexual assault on little boys, 12 - 14 years old. Fortunately he didn't "love" little girls and I was spared of my only child being scarred for life. After that I spent the next 25 years studying to see how come the Holy Spirit didn't keep this self proclaimed preacher from violating little defenseless boys. What i found, is that as Prophesied, there are self proclaimed "Ministers of Righteousness" who promote doctrines that are lies and "Many" follow them and believe them with all their heart. Jesus warns us, HE had written for our examples over and over that we are responsible for our own actions. That we "CHOOSE" to walk in God's Definition of Good, like Jesus did, or we "CHOOSE" to walk in the religious philosophies of the "other voice" in the garden, like the Pharisees did. And HE gives us examples of the consequences of both. If we don't believe Him, that isn't HIS Fault.
Now to be perfectly clear, I'm not saying that every self proclaimed preacher is a child abusing pervert. What I am saying though, is God doesn't "make" you listen or obey Him. It's a choice we all make. His Spirit helps us discern the truth of the Scriptures. One such Truth is that God didn't save Israel from bondage of Egypt, just to place 613 laws on their backs. If you can't come to terms with that Truth, then how is it you have His Spirit?
I could go through the bible and pick out scriptures that would build any kind of dogma I wanted by pulling select verses without looking at the context of the entire book or letter.
Well I agree with you on this.
I believe the Key to discerning between God's Truth and religious Lies, is given by the Christ Himself.
"Man shall live by Every Word which proceeds from the mouth of God"
Jesus quoted the God of the Law and Prophets here. He seemed to believe all that was written, as did Paul, and as do me. If I wanted to build dogma, I could cherry pick scriptures, omit some of God's Commandments, reject Some of His Word's like the mainstream preachers of His Time, and today do.
But i don't. The Bible for me flows like a river of living water from Gen. to Rev.
This is how i know God's didn't save Israel from the Bondage and Slavery in Egypt, just to place an unbearable burden of 613 laws on their necks.