You have not made me uncomfortable. I am replying to you, because you seem to be genuine. I don't mind your opinions or even the opinion of others, but much of what people snipe is so nasty....hard to even come back to read with all of the ego that fills the pages.
The other thing that is so sad is how anti-SDA some of these people are. We are supposed to love our enemies and try to correct our brethren. Glad I'm not a SDA.
I understand what you are saying. I think it a weak argument, but I understand it. JESUS told us...Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: It is a gift, not a death sentence...in the old covenant, maybe it was a death sentence, but under the new, we can live and be justified by Him.
I believe in the new convenant, just not that ALL of the law is gone, or bad.
This, for instance, is what Zechariah says will happen after Jesus has returned:
Zechariah 14:
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and
to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the
heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Even after Jesus comes back, the feast of tabernacles will be required. Not just of the "Jews", but of everyone. Seems a strange thing if all of "that" law is gone.
Oh, he did NOT come to reaffirm it, I'll agree with you there. He came to fulfill the law as no human has ever been able to do and become the only pure/perfect sacrifice for all of mankind (or at least those that accept him). Without His blood (life is in the blood), we would still be lost. You seem to think the law was bad, but Paul in Romans said it was good. It wasn't the law that was bad but the punishment for breaking the law which was "against us". Jesus removed that punishment, because not only could we not obey the Mosaic law or the 10Cs, we can not obey the "new" commandment given by him either. Look at the sniping on this forum, that is not what Christ had in mind, IMHO.
Without HIM, his blood, his redemption, his covering for us, the New Covenant is worthless (but we know the new Covenant is life), because you can't follow the 1 new law he gave even if ALL of the old was gone. If you threw EVERYTHING Jesus said away except the "one" "new" commandment, you would not be able to do even that. Don't you see, it is not the law, but the punishment for breaking the that causes eternal death. If we accept him, if we believe, if we have faith and ask for forgiveness of sin, he is
1 John 1:9 faithful and just to forgive our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You have to ask for forgiveness, but if you think a law doesn't apply to you, then I can guarantee you that you did not ask for forgiveness for breaking it...do you really think you can tell God what applies and doesn't apply to His creation. If I ask for forgiveness for breaking the Sabbath, he will forgive me, but if you break the Sabbath and do not because you "believe" it does not apply....you are not forgiven.
Ok. If Jesus had not come, we would be and there would be no hope. Now, you will say...you are a gentile, so you would not be under the law. Everyone IS under some law, for without law, there is no sin.
You will pooh pooh this, but Christ really didn't need to mention the sabbath in the following verse, but he did. Maybe because it would be "Jews" that were still keeping the old covenant, maybe not, he did not say.
Matthew 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
He told us to do what he did and do what he said. He kept the law, and as you say, it was only to fulfill the law. He gave us an example, he was the perfect lamb, and he will come back as a lion.
He told us he was giving us a new commandment, he did not say, I'm giving you a commandment to override my Father's commandments, or a new commandment, because I'm destroying the law.
If there was no law, then Adam and Eve could not have sinned. Eating the fruit, violated at least 4 of the 10Cs. Abraham followed the commandments, law, judgments, etc.....where did he get those but from the Creator. What commandments did Abraham follow?
It is just that I have not seen enough proof of the law being annulled, I realize the punishment is annulled if we accept and believe on him, however. I can understand why some of the law is no longer required because of what Jesus did.
In Christ, still open to some brilliant verse that says all of the "old" law is history, but can be reconciled with what Isaiah says, Zechariah says will happen after Jesus comes back, what Jesus says about the sabbath and the abomination of desolation, etc. With what John says about following the commandments or we are liars, and what Rev. says about entering into the gates.
Probably should post no more, but I love you guys too much!