Lapsed Law

[WordSword]

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:24, 25). It was a schoolmaster up to the time of the Lord Jesus; then faith came and Judaism ceased for a time. “The law is the strength of sin” (because it shows man his sin—NC - 1Co 15:56), and is useful only to bring guilt on the conscience, and the sense that there is no possibility of being freed from the power of sin while on its ground.

The law does not manifest God’s moral perfections (it’s for man’s morality—NC), nor does it pretend to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ does that. The law tells us perfectly what the creature ought to be and feel, not what God is and feels. Hence, it is not the adequate direction of a Christian’s faith. There were two parts of the Lord Jesus’ Life—He was born under law, but He was also the manifestation of the Father. Now, surely He kept the law, and died under its curse for them who were under it, who were thus delivered from the law, which could only condemn them, or lose its authority if it did not.

But the manifestation of the Father is our pattern. He acts in grace, sends rain of the just and the unjust (Mat 5:45), and loves His enemies. This, the law cannot allow. The Lord Jesus laid down His Life for us. “We ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jo 3:16). In a word, the Lord Jesus, as manifesting the Father, is the source of our walk; and the fruit of the Spirit, which refers the heart wholly to the Lord Jesus, is what is looked for in him who has the Spirit. The law is not what I can look to as an object, for the Lord Jesus is my Object, and I cannot serve two masters, or, to use the figure of Romans Seven on this point, have two husbands at one time—law and Christ risen (the reason why so many lean to the law is because it relates to works, which anyone can mimic, but not so if done with a sinless nature; works do not wash away sins, only faith in Christ does—NC).

Whosoever sets himself under the law in any way is under its authority, and cannot keep it (because of the sin nature—NC), yet hopes not to be under its curse (Gal 3:10); and he seeks to use the Lord Jesus not for redemption and power of deliverance, but to make allowance for failure in us and make void the law which would condemn us. If he has delivered me from it, bearing its curse, He has glorified its authority and delivered me by power from sin in the flesh, that I may bring forth fruit unto God.

As a rule of life the law is inadequate, because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and He is my rule of Life (Col 3:4)—not the law which was given by Moses and which is not grace (shown in the difference between grace and law - Rom 6:14 – the sole purpose of the Law was to inform man of his guilt and thus justifiably condemn him—NC). Those who would place the Christian under the law do not believe that is us, that is, in our flesh (our sin nature, not the physical body - Gal 5:17—NC) dwelleth no good thing,” nor ever will; or they do not know what they are saying or insisting on. It would be well for them to weigh the force of this: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law”; “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom 7:5; 6:14).

The law was then for Israel, connected with God’s direct government as its sanction, a means of temporal, earthly blessing. But that has ceased, and will again be in force in the millennial kingdom (Jer 31:31; Eze 36:24-27). God’s spiritual intention in the law was to make offence “abound” (Rom 5:20). It does not manifest His moral perfections (godliness—NC), but in its nature claims it is the rule of man’s duties (natural goodness to one another—NC). The Ten Commandments do no not give the instruction needed by a redeemed people (whom function via godliness of Christ—NC): a redeemed people cannot now be rightly under the law. Sin has dominion over them that are under law—and all are wretched people (1Ti 1:9). The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the rule, source, light and instruction of the believer.



—William Kelly






M J Stanford’s daily devotional excerpt for April 11

“We never question how He works, once we know Him for who He is. When I gain the treasure of knowing Him, I can well afford to trust Him.” -MJS

“The heart that is captivated by an object could never be at rest until it was with the one who had won it; for satisfaction you must be where He is. Love really does not think of anyone but its Object until it is quite sure of its place with Him, and then when at rest about itself it studies the mind and heart of the Object.

“I find that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me when I was in a most unattractive state; but He makes me suitable to Himself, and I am so assured of the permanency of His love and of my association with Him that my heart is free to study Him. The more I am in His company, the more I acquire the tastes and characteristics which answer to His mind.”

“There is an amazing effect of beholding the Lord’s glory. You may be transformed from some old taste without even feeling it; but you are transformed, and you cannot tell how. It is not the process that occupies you, but you are engrossed with the Lord. We are united to the glorified Lord where He is at home, and, blessed by God. That is our home, our life is there.” -J.B. Stoney (1814-1897)

None But The Hungry Heart

www.abideabove.com

 

[Soyeong]

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:24, 25). It was a schoolmaster up to the time of the Lord Jesus; then faith came and Judaism ceased for a time. ​

The Law of God is God's word and Jesus is God's word made flesh, so the way to follow God's word made flesh is by obediently becoming the embodiment of God's word through faith, and it is contradictory for someone to speak in favor of following God's word made flesh while speaking against following God's word. Embodying God's word brings us to the one who is the embodiment of God's word because it teaches us how to know him, but we are not brought to the embodiment of God's word so that we can then reject God's word and go back to living in sin. Someone who disregarded everything that their tutor taught them after they left would be missing the whole point of a tutor. If God's word ceased for a time, then so did God's word made flesh. In Galatians 3:26-29, every aspect of being children of God, through faith, in Christ, being children of Abraham, and heirs to the promise is all directly connected with embodying God's word and teaching others to embody it.

“The law is the strength of sin” (because it shows man his sin—NC - 1Co 15:56), and is useful only to bring guilt on the conscience, and the sense that there is no possibility of being freed from the power of sin while on its ground.​

In Romans 7:7, the Law of God is not sinful, but is how we know what sin is, however, a law that is the strength of sin is sinful, therefore 1 Corinthians 15:56 is not referring to the Law of God, but rather it is the law of sin that is the strength of sin. In Romans 7:22, Paul delighted in obeying the Law of God and it would be absurd to interpret 1 Corinthians 15:56 as referring to the Law of God as though Paul delighted in the strength of sin.

The law does not manifest God’s moral perfections (it’s for man’s morality—NC), nor does it pretend to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ does that. The law tells us perfectly what the creature ought to be and feel, not what God is and feels. Hence, it is not the adequate direction of a Christian’s faith. There were two parts of the Lord Jesus’ Life—He was born under law, but He was also the manifestation of the Father. Now, surely He kept the law, and died under its curse for them who were under it, who were thus delivered from the law, which could only condemn them, or lose its authority if it did not.​

Jesus gave himself to pay the penalty of our sins and sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4), so he did not deliver us from God's law, but rather he delivered us from all lawlessness. In Titus 2:14, it does not say that Jesus gave himself to redeem us from the law, but in order to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to God's law is the way to have faith in Christ (Acts 21:20). It is again absurd to suggest that the way to have faith in God's word made flesh is not by following God's word.

But the manifestation of the Father is our pattern. He acts in grace, sends rain of the just and the unjust (Mat 5:45), and loves His enemies. This, the law cannot allow. The Lord Jesus laid down His Life for us. “We ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jo 3:16). In a word, the Lord Jesus, as manifesting the Father, is the source of our walk; and the fruit of the Spirit, which refers the heart wholly to the Lord Jesus, is what is looked for in him who has the Spirit. The law is not what I can look to as an object, for the Lord Jesus is my Object, and I cannot serve two masters, or, to use the figure of Romans Seven on this point, have two husbands at one time—law and Christ risen (the reason why so many lean to the law is because it relates to works, which anyone can mimic, but not so if done with a sinless nature; works do not wash away sins, only faith in Christ does—NC).​

The Father's word teaches us what it means to manifest the Father and Jesus is the manifestation of His word, but that is what you are arguing against. Loving our enemies is in accordance with verses like Exodus 23:4-5, Deuteronomy 23:7, Proverbs 24:17-18, and Proverbs 25:21-22. The fruits of the Spirit are all in accordance with God's word. It is absurd to suggest that serving the Father by obeying His word is serving a different master than serving the embodiment of God's word, or to think that we need to reject God's word in order to be married to God's word made flesh.

Whosoever sets himself under the law in any way is under its authority, and cannot keep it (because of the sin nature—NC), yet hopes not to be under its curse (Gal 3:10); and he seeks to use the Lord Jesus not for redemption and power of deliverance, but to make allowance for failure in us and make void the law which would condemn us. If he has delivered me from it, bearing its curse, He has glorified its authority and delivered me by power from sin in the flesh, that I may bring forth fruit unto God.​

In Galatians 3:10, cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything in God's law, so the way to teach people not to be under its curse is by teaching to continue to do everything in it through faith in Jesus, while teaching against continuing to do everything it is is teaching people to be under its curse. Sin is lawlessness, so being delivered from sin is being given the freedom to live in obedience to God's law. God's word is His instructions for how to be fruit for Him, so it is absurd to think that we need to be delivered from God's word in order to bear fruit for God.

As a rule of life the law is inadequate, because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and He is my rule of Life (Col 3:4)—not the law which was given by Moses and which is not grace (shown in the difference between grace and law - Rom 6:14 – the sole purpose of the Law was to inform man of his guilt and thus justifiably condemn him—NC). Those who would place the Christian under the law do not believe that is us, that is, in our flesh (our sin nature, not the physical body - Gal 5:17—NC) dwelleth no good thing,” nor ever will; or they do not know what they are saying or insisting on. It would be well for them to weigh the force of this: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law”; “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom 7:5; 6:14).​

In Psalms 119:29, David wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law, in Psalms 119:142, God's law is truth, and in Psalms 119:160, the sum of God's word is truth, so grace and true came through God's word and also came through Christ because he is the embodiment of God's word. In Romans 6:1-14, it is speak about sin no longer having dominion over us, so the law that we are not under is the law of sin, not the Law of God. Likewise, in Galatians 5:16-18, Paul described the desires of the flesh as causing us not to do the good that we want to do, which is how he described his struggle with the law of sin in Romans 7. Furthermore, in Romans 7:5, it is the law of sin that stirs up sinful passions I order to bear fruit unto God, not the Law of God. In Romans 7:22, Paul delighted in obeying the Law of God, but it would be absurd to interpret Romans 7:5 as referring to the Law of God as if he delighted in stirring up sinful passions in order to bear fruit unto death.

The law was then for Israel, connected with God’s direct government as its sanction, a means of temporal, earthly blessing. But that has ceased, and will again be in force in the millennial kingdom (Jer 31:31; Eze 36:24-27). God’s spiritual intention in the law was to make offence “abound” (Rom 5:20). It does not manifest His moral perfections (godliness—NC), but in its nature claims it is the rule of man’s duties (natural goodness to one another—NC). The Ten Commandments do no not give the instruction needed by a redeemed people (whom function via godliness of Christ—NC): a redeemed people cannot now be rightly under the law. Sin has dominion over them that are under law—and all are wretched people (1Ti 1:9). The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the rule, source, light and instruction of the believer.

—William Kelly​

Indeed, the Law was for Israel in order to equip Israel to be a light and a blessing to the nations by teaching the nations to obey it in accordance with the Gospel and the promise. In Matthew 4:17-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and the Law of God was how his audience knew what sin is, so repenting from our disobedience to it is central to the Gospel message, which is in accordance with Acts 3:25-26, where Jesus was sent as the fulfillment of the promise to bless us by turning us from our wickedness. So it is absurd to try to say that it will be in force in the millennial kingdom as an excuse to not repent in accordance with the Gospel of the Kingdom. Again, it is the law of sin that caused sin to abound, not the Law of God, and it would be absurd to interpret Romans 5:20 as referring to the Law of God as if Paul delighted in causing sin to abound. In Titus 2:14, Jesus gave himself to redeem, us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who re zealous for doing good works, so becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to God's law is the way to live as a redeemed people. It is absurd to think that those who are been redeemed from all lawlessness and not under God's law and have the freedom to be lawless. Sin has dominion over the those who are under the law of sin, and we should be under the dominion of the Law of God rather than the law of sin, but your post in practice speaks in favor of being under the law of sin and against being under the Law of God.

 

[WordSword]

The Law of God is God's word and Jesus is God's word made flesh, so the way to follow God's word made flesh is by obediently becoming the embodiment of God's word through faith, and it is contradictory for someone to speak in favor of following God's word made flesh while speaking against following God's word.

We unknowingly go against God's Word when we do not know His mind and will concerning certain things of it! If He says something is "finished" because it has been "fulfilled," it has passed away. When the Lord Jesus died and rose, He fulfilled the Law's requirements; and now it is the new covenant of grace, and not the old covenant of Law.

God bless!

 

[Soyeong]

We unknowingly go against God's Word when we do not know His mind and will concerning certain things of it! If He says something is "finished" because it has been "fulfilled," it has passed away. When the Lord Jesus died and rose, He fulfilled the Law's requirements; and now it is the new covenant of grace, and not the old covenant of Law.

God bless!

The Law of God reveals the mind and wisdom of God and you are interpreting the NT as speaking against obeying God's word in the OT. If Jesus says that something is finished, then that does not mean that you are free to insert whatever you want and say that he finished it. In Titus 2:14, it describes what Jesus finished on the cross by saying that he gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so becoming zealous for doing good works in obedience to the Law of God is the way to believe in what he finished on the cross while returning to the lawlessness that he gave himself to redeem us from is the way to reject what he finished.

To fulfill the law means "to cause God's will as made known in the law to be obeyed as it should (NAS Greek Lexicon), so have Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law, he then proceeded to fulfill it throughout the rest of the chapter by teaching how to correctly obey it. Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law in contrast with saying that he came not to abolish and warned against relaxing the least part of it or teaching others to do the same, so fulfilling the law should not be interpreted as meaning the same thing as abolishing it or as causing even the least part of it to pass away. According to Galatians 5:14, anyone who has ever loved their neighbor has fulfilled the entire law, so countless people fulfilled it even before the coming of Christ, so it does not refer to something unique that Christ did to cause it to pass away. In Galatias 6:2, bearing one another's burdens fulfills the law of Christ, so it refers to correctly obeying it as it should be and you are not consistently interpreting that as saying that by bearing one another's burdens we are causing the Law of Christ to pass away. Likewise, in Romans 15:18-19, Paul fulfilled the Gospel by bringing Gentiles to full obedience to it in word and in deed, not by causing the Gospel to pass away. In addition, other Jewish writings discuss the way to fulfill the law in regard to the way to correctly obey it. When a husband is fulfilling his marriage vows, he is correctly doing what he vowed to do, not causing his marriage covenant to pass away.

In Psalms 119:29, David wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law, so the Mosaic Covenant is also a covenant of grace, and in Jeremiah 31:33, the New Covenant involves God putting His law in our minds and writing it on our hearts, so it is also a covenant of law.

 

[WordSword]

The Law of God reveals the mind and wisdom of God and you are interpreting the NT as speaking against obeying God's word in the OT.

The Law of God was just for God's people Israel, and showed how much God cares about them to pick them out of the human race and choose to be their God forever, when the Law returns as their the New Covenant for them.

The New Covenant for the Christian (which is now and forever), is different from the new one for Israel and also shows a great care for a people to be His children in His Son.

 

[Soyeong]

The Law of God was just for God's people Israel, and showed how much God cares about them to pick them out of the human race and choose to be their God forever, when the Law returns as their the New Covenant for them.

The New Covenant for the Christian (which is now and forever), is different from the new one for Israel and also shows a great care for a people to be His children in His Son.

The Law of God teaches us how to be blessed by knowing Him, which is eternal life, so it is for everyone who wants to be blessed by knowing Him and have eternal life. The Gospel calls for people to repent and obey the Law of God, so if the Law of God were only for Israel, then the Gospel would only be for Israel instead of being commission by Jesus to go out to the nations. Sin is the transgression of the Law of God, so if it were only for Israel, then Gentiles would have no need to repent from sin, for grace, of salvation, for Jesus to have given himself to redeem us from all lawlessness, to become children of God, to become heirs of the promise, to have faith, of the Gospel, or of the New Covenant. While the New Covenant is different from the Mosaic Covenant, it still involves following the Law of God (Jeremiah 31:33), so that is not one of the ways in which it is different.

 

[WordSword]

The Law of God teaches us how to be blessed by knowing Him, which is eternal life, so it is for everyone who wants to be blessed by knowing Him and have eternal life.

This is true. But there will be those who will continue under law; and those who will be under grace. Those under law will be by "works," and those under the Gospel will be by grace: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Rom 11:6).

Faith and law (works) are separate entities: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith"; "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal 5:4). "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal 2:21).

 

[Soyeong]

This is true. But there will be those who will continue under law; and those who will be under grace. Those under law will be by "works," and those under the Gospel will be by grace: "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Rom 11:6)

Faith and law (works) are separate entities: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith"; "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal 5:4). "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal 2:21).

There is a law of works that is a separate entity from faith, however the existence of the law of faith means that they are not separate entities, so that are works that are separate from faith and works that are in accordance with faith in God, and the difference between those works is whether they were commanded by God and the motivation for doing them.

In accordance with Exodus 33:13, Psalms 119:29, and Titus 2:11-14, our salvation involves being trained by grace to obey God's law, so all of those who are under grace are under God's law, yet there are also works that are incompatible with grace, and the difference is again whether those works were commanded by God and the motivation for doing them. In Matthew 4:17-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and God's law is how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is central to the Gospel of grace.

Grace is a gift and gifts can't be eared as a wage, so grace is incompatible with those works that are done for the motivation of earning something as a wage, however, works can be done for any number of other reasons that are in accordance with grace. The content of a gift can be the experience of doing something, such as giving someone the opportunity to drive a Ferrari for an hour, where receiving the gift requires them to do the work of driving it, but that does not detract from from the opportunity to drive it being 100% given to them as a gift. In a similar manner, the content of God's gift of eternal life is the experience of knowing God and Jesus (John 17:3) and the gift of God's law is His instructions for how to have that experience. In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him His way, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so the experience of knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the law, which again is eternal life, so obeying God's law is for anyone who has that goal.

Verses like Romans 11:6, Galatians 5:4, and Galatians 2:21 say speak about works that weren't commanded by God or that are done to earn something as a wage, so those works are incompatible with grace, but they should not be understood in a way that is contrary to verses where God is gracious to us by teaching us to obey His law.

 

[WordSword]

our salvation involves being trained by grace to obey God's law,

I agree, if you're referring to "God's law" as God's will or pleasure, because the law of Moses has been fulfilled by Christ and has passed for Israel; and now it is the new covenant in His Blood and no more law. God wanted us separate from the law so we would not be under its "curse" (Gal 3:10). The reason why Israel was under its curse is because you have to be sinless (without a sin nature) to truly obey it, which was only possible for the Lord Jesus.

 

[fhansen]

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:24, 25). It was a schoolmaster up to the time of the Lord Jesus; then faith came and Judaism ceased for a time. “The law is the strength of sin” (because it shows man his sin—NC - 1Co 15:56), and is useful only to bring guilt on the conscience, and the sense that there is no possibility of being freed from the power of sin while on its ground.

The law does not manifest God’s moral perfections (it’s for man’s morality—NC), nor does it pretend to do so. The Lord Jesus Christ does that. The law tells us perfectly what the creature ought to be and feel, not what God is and feels. Hence, it is not the adequate direction of a Christian’s faith. There were two parts of the Lord Jesus’ Life—He was born under law, but He was also the manifestation of the Father. Now, surely He kept the law, and died under its curse for them who were under it, who were thus delivered from the law, which could only condemn them, or lose its authority if it did not.

But the manifestation of the Father is our pattern. He acts in grace, sends rain of the just and the unjust (Mat 5:45), and loves His enemies. This, the law cannot allow. The Lord Jesus laid down His Life for us. “We ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1Jo 3:16). In a word, the Lord Jesus, as manifesting the Father, is the source of our walk; and the fruit of the Spirit, which refers the heart wholly to the Lord Jesus, is what is looked for in him who has the Spirit. The law is not what I can look to as an object, for the Lord Jesus is my Object, and I cannot serve two masters, or, to use the figure of Romans Seven on this point, have two husbands at one time—law and Christ risen (the reason why so many lean to the law is because it relates to works, which anyone can mimic, but not so if done with a sinless nature; works do not wash away sins, only faith in Christ does—NC).

Whosoever sets himself under the law in any way is under its authority, and cannot keep it (because of the sin nature—NC), yet hopes not to be under its curse (Gal 3:10); and he seeks to use the Lord Jesus not for redemption and power of deliverance, but to make allowance for failure in us and make void the law which would condemn us. If he has delivered me from it, bearing its curse, He has glorified its authority and delivered me by power from sin in the flesh, that I may bring forth fruit unto God.

As a rule of life the law is inadequate, because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and He is my rule of Life (Col 3:4)—not the law which was given by Moses and which is not grace (shown in the difference between grace and law - Rom 6:14 – the sole purpose of the Law was to inform man of his guilt and thus justifiably condemn him—NC). Those who would place the Christian under the law do not believe that is us, that is, in our flesh (our sin nature, not the physical body - Gal 5:17—NC) dwelleth no good thing,” nor ever will; or they do not know what they are saying or insisting on. It would be well for them to weigh the force of this: “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law”; “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom 7:5; 6:14).

The law was then for Israel, connected with God’s direct government as its sanction, a means of temporal, earthly blessing. But that has ceased, and will again be in force in the millennial kingdom (Jer 31:31; Eze 36:24-27). God’s spiritual intention in the law was to make offence “abound” (Rom 5:20). It does not manifest His moral perfections (godliness—NC), but in its nature claims it is the rule of man’s duties (natural goodness to one another—NC). The Ten Commandments do no not give the instruction needed by a redeemed people (whom function via godliness of Christ—NC): a redeemed people cannot now be rightly under the law. Sin has dominion over them that are under law—and all are wretched people (1Ti 1:9). The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the rule, source, light and instruction of the believer.



—William Kelly






M J Stanford’s daily devotional excerpt for April 11

“We never question how He works, once we know Him for who He is. When I gain the treasure of knowing Him, I can well afford to trust Him.” -MJS

“The heart that is captivated by an object could never be at rest until it was with the one who had won it; for satisfaction you must be where He is. Love really does not think of anyone but its Object until it is quite sure of its place with Him, and then when at rest about itself it studies the mind and heart of the Object.

“I find that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me when I was in a most unattractive state; but He makes me suitable to Himself, and I am so assured of the permanency of His love and of my association with Him that my heart is free to study Him. The more I am in His company, the more I acquire the tastes and characteristics which answer to His mind.”

“There is an amazing effect of beholding the Lord’s glory. You may be transformed from some old taste without even feeling it; but you are transformed, and you cannot tell how. It is not the process that occupies you, but you are engrossed with the Lord. We are united to the glorified Lord where He is at home, and, blessed by God. That is our home, our life is there.” -J.B. Stoney (1814-1897)

None But The Hungry Heart

www.abideabove.com

To put it concisely, the law tells us what love "looks like". If we love, we'll put God first above all else (the first three commandments) and we won't harm our neighbor (the rest of the commandments). So the greatest commandments sum up the law. It's the righteousness that the law and the prophets testify to (Rom 3:23). And love is the image of God that we're to be transformed into. But the law cannot justify; it cannot accomplish the love in us that it points to. Only God can do that, as we turn to Him in faith, now recognizing and accepting Him as our God. Then He begins a work in us, putting His law in our minds and writing it on our hearts; only He can cause us to love as He wants us to love, as He does.

 

[WordSword]

To put it concisely, the law tells us what love "looks like". If we love, we'll put God first above all else (the first three commandments) and we won't harm our neighbor (the rest of the commandments). So the greatest commandments sum up the law.

The Law just has to do with how we treat people, but the Gospel goes beyond that to godliness. What people do with people isn't necessarily godliness but morality.

Then He begins a work in us, putting His law in our minds and writing it on our hearts

God puts His Law in the Jews; but exceeds this by putting His Spirit in the Christian. The Law was one thing and the Gospel is another. Only some of the Jews went on to the Gospel by believing in Christ, but most remain in unbelief in Christ to this day; though many believe in God (Jn 14:1), and will believe in Christ when they see Him in the Millennium, but to late for being in the sonship of Christ and will continue just as a "people of God" (Jer 31:31; Eze 36:24-29).