On your post #22 you posted the law wasn't to be discarded. Buggy responded with the NT disagrees with you. Perhaps he should have included either Jeremiah 31:31-33 or Hebrews 8:6-13 and Luke 22:20; 24:44. Maybe he gets tired of repeating himself with the self defined and limiting passages. There is more from Hebrews like Hebrews 10:9.
A lot of times people argue here the NC is merely a continuation of the covenant issued at Sinai. The argument is based on the word new. That would make the word new verb or adverb indicating action. The truth is the word new is an adjective. It's much like substituting the word read for read. I understand the difference here is future tense and past tense. Never-the-less they are different words with different meanings. If the word new is a verb they are correct in a continued amended covenant. But the problem is verse 32 with makes sure it isn't the OC being talked about with the words new covenant. If you read the passage in Hebrews with the quote from Jeremiah, you will see better covenant and first and second further solidifying the fact the OC is replaced with a completely new and unprecedented covenant as the word new implies. Dictionaries and lexicons are my friends here. Look up the words.
Yes, it's just a matter of properly understanding the grace vs law relationship, and why the OC became obsolete. With the OC what God demanded using the law wasn't wrong; it was simply impossible for man to fulfill, and this was a lesson he needed to learn. The reason that it was impossible for man to fulfill is because man was still wrong, i.e. still in an unjust state of being, not yet justified IOW. And man's state of justice depends, first of all, not with being sinless but in being in a state of communion with God. So Jesus reconciles us with the Father first. He dies for our sins, so that now we're forgiven, our sins remembered no more (Jer 31:34) and we now come to know Him (also vs 34). This knowledge is the essence of our faith and communion with God and the life of grace He has for us to walk in. Now He may do a work in us (vs 32), of justifying us, something we're wholly incapable of doing on our own. Adam had thought otherwise, setting humankind on a path of prideful self-righteousness, which we continue to struggle with in this life. The NC opens the door to "the righteousness of God", that justice that man was made for but which is only realized when he's in that state of communion with God, 'apart from whom man can do nothing', John 15:5. Now the law, which Jesus didn't come to abolish, can be fulfilled the right way, with God. And this is why Rom 2 can tell us that, while the law cannot justify us, we'll nevertheless be judged by it. Only God can justify us; only God can make man just.
Jesus didn't come to provide the ability to keep the law. Otherwise I pretty much agree with you.
Yes, it's just a matter of properly understanding the grace vs law relationship, and why the OC became obsolete. With the OC what God demanded using the law wasn't wrong; it was simply impossible for man to fulfill, and this was a lesson he needed to learn. The reason that it was impossible for man to fulfill is because man was still wrong, i.e. still in an unjust state of being, not yet justified IOW. And man's state of justice depends, first of all, not with being sinless but in being in a state of communion with God. So Jesus reconciles us with the Father first. He dies for our sins, so that now we're forgiven, our sins remembered no more (Jer 31:34) and we now come to know Him (also vs 34). This knowledge is the essence of our faith and communion with God and the life of grace He has for us to walk in. Now He may do a work in us (vs 32), of justifying us, something we're wholly incapable of doing on our own. Adam had thought otherwise, setting humankind on a path of prideful self-righteousness, which we continue to struggle with in this life. The NC opens the door to "the righteousness of God", that justice that man was made for but which is only realized when he's in that state of communion with God, 'apart from whom man can do nothing', John 15:5. Now the law, which Jesus didn't come to abolish, can be fulfilled the right way, with God. And this is why Rom 2 can tell us that, while the law cannot justify us, we'll nevertheless be judged by it. Only God can justify us; only God can make man just, the being he was created to be. Our job is to become jaded with what the world offers, a life without God, a life where man's will reigns together with all the sin and evil that results, so that we may turn from our pigsty and run to the One who we finally know our need of, and who's now been fully revealed, when the time was ripe in human history, by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks. It does get old saying the same thing all the time especially to people who have been here a while.
You are double tonguing here. Obsolete means no longer produced or used; out of date. Abolish means formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution). Rom 10:4 states this. Besides that the Gospel of John supports the same.
But one has to understand the purpose of the covenants. The reason the OC was obsolete isn't because it's goal was wrong, but simply because it couldn't achieve the goal. So it became understood that it's real purpose all along was to serve as a teacher-teaching that rote, mechanical obedience by ones own efforts was no real righteousness at all, even if could be well-performed.
Of course not. Because under the OC obedience would already constitute justice for man. He would've proved his righteousness by his obedience; he would've justified himself IOW as if that were possible. In any case the Law places demands or an obligation on man, to be righteous/obedient according to God's decrees.
I believe when I came to a crisis moment the Holy Spirit told me the covenant given at Sinai was not my covenant. Therefore nothing in the OT applies to me as a Christian. It is a great source for instruction.
Why is that novel? I read your posts. You claim to observe the NC and talk about doing the OC. It just does not fit together. Not murdering, not committing adultery is not keeping the law.
The law places nothing on the Christian. The law id for the wicked according to I Tim 1:9.
We're obligated to obedience, like it or not. Sin has and always will separate God's creation from Himself. The New Covenant is about turning to God, and away from sin, both with His help as our sins are forgiven. The Church has historically taught that the ten commandments reflect the Divine will for man in certain basic ways, ways that serve as a standard that we must indeed adhere to. As we come to obey the two Greatest Commandments, loving God and neighbor, the others are obeyed without effort, without even need for reference to them. That doesn't happen just by the fact that we've once been justified, however. Hence the need to be reminded. Anyway, the bottom line, taught by the Church: "At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love."
