setst RE: Greetings
I quoted the Passages teaching that we are no longer under the written law - moral or ceremonial. The whole law was nailed to the cross. We now live in a new way by the Spirit and not by the written code.
I don’t look to the 613 laws of Moses so as to obey God as a part of my faith. I believe when the Scriptures refer to the handwriting of ordinances (or the written code) (Colossians 2:14) or the oldness of the letter (Romans 7:6) these things are in reference to the Torah and not the New Testament Scriptures (that where still being formed) when Paul was writing such statements. For the NT Scriptures were not complete yet; How can he condemn that which he was creating?
You said:
When you deny self and then walk by the Spirit, all those sins that Paul mentions, are not part of your life anymore.
The Holy Spirit inspired NT Scripture and these NT Scriptures have many commands within them. As I said to you before that you appear to not want to see, there are approximately 400 some commands in the New Testament. There are 9 fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.
Fruit #1. - Love.
(Jesus commands us to love God, and our neighbor - Mark 12:29-30).
Fruit #2. - Joy.
(Jesus commands us to rejoice & leap for joy when persecuted - Luke 6:22-23).
(Jesus commands us "Be of good cheer" - John 16:33).
Fruit #3. - Peace.
(Author of Hebrews commands “Follow peace with all men" - Hebrews 12:14).
Fruit #4. - Longsuffering.
(Paul commands "Walk worthy of the vocation by which you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the binding power of peace." - Ephesians 4:1-3).
Fruit #5. - Gentleness.
(Paul commands "Remind others so as not to fight with others, but that they should be gentle, showing all manner of meekness unto all men" - Titus 3:2).
Fruit #6. - Goodness.
(Paul commands us "Cleave to that which is good" - Romans 12:9).
Fruit #7. - Faithfulness.
(Paul commands us "We should be living to the praise of his glory, like when we first trusted in Christ" - Ephesians 1:12).
Fruit #8. - Meekness (Humility).
(Paul commands us "Flee being rich and the love of money; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" - 1 Timothy 6:9-11).
Fruit #9. - Temperance (Self restraint).
(Peter commands us "Give diligence so as to make your calling and election sure; Give all diligence: So as to add to your faith: “virtue”, and to virtue: “knowledge”, and to knowledge: “temperance [self restraint]”, and to temperance [self restraint]: “patience”, and to patience: “godliness”, and to godliness: “brotherly kindness”, and to brotherly kindness: “love” [charity]" - 2 Peter 1:10, 2 Peter 1:5-7).
Romans 8:13 says we are to put to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit. So the Spirit helps us to overcome sin. Sin is merely transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4).
You said:
If you desire to go back to following all kinds of laws and regulations, then this is your choice, but that is not what the Scriptures teach to receive life.
Romans 8:2 says there is a Law called "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus."
Keeping this Law makes us free from the Old Law (i.e. the Law of sin and death).
Romans 8:1 defines for us what this NT Law is. In the KJV, it says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
The Bible teaches that obedience to God's commands is tied to eternal life from Matthew to Revelation (See Matthew 19:17-19) (Luke 10:25-28) (1 John 1:7) (1 John 3:23) (Hebrews 5:9) (Revelation 22:14).
You said:
setst RE: The few commands Christ gave us to follow are a very light burden in comparison to following the moral written code or the ceremonial law.
Again, I don't follow the Old Testament ceremonial laws like the Sabbath, or circumcision, or the dietary laws, etc. Hebrews 7:12 says the Law has changed. Paul essentially says that by loving your neighbor, you will fulfill the Moral Law like: Do not murder, do not covet, do not steal, etc. (See: Romans 13:8-10). Besides, this Law is instinctual. The Gentiles were able to keep the Moral Law without having the written Law of Moses (See: Romans 2:14).
As for the words of Jesus that say, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30):
Well, it is still a yoke, and it is still a burden. If this was not the case, then He would not have told us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and to follow Him.
Christ taught us by illustrations, parables, and teaching how we are to die to the carnal self and then to live and walk in the Spirit by this faith - a life of Love and service to others. Living by faith in Jesus, therefore, must lead to obedience to follow His command to deny self and to live by His Spirit - a life of love. All the Scriptures testify to this. It is the Spirit that gives life, not following all kinds of laws and regulations.
Again, the Spirit wrote NT Scripture. How can the Spirit be against what the Spirit inspired men to write? It makes no sense. So if there are commands in the New Testament, then they come from the writing of the Spirit and thus, we have to obey them for we are New Covenant believers.
You said:
setst RE: That is true in that, as we live by faith, the outcome of that faith leads to obedience to Christ Jesus and His Spirit in us.
I said this for clarification of what I believe because I was not sure you understood what my view of Soteriology involves.
You said:
Romans 13:8-10 (WEB) Bolding mine.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
The part that you underlined here is in reference to the Old Law and not the New Law. There was no completed New Testament yet; For they were still forming it.
When Paul spoke of the commands, his listeners would have understood it to be in reference to the Torah because of the Jews during that time period.
Romans 8 (WEB)
3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; 4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Again. Which Law is being referring to here whereby Jesus condemned sin in the flesh? This would be the OT Law or the Torah. Verse 4 in the KJV says "
the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us." That is more accurate to say this because it is referring to how we will fulfill the righteous aspect or part of the Old Law (i.e. the Moral Law - Romans 13:8-10) by walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh.
You said:
Galatians 5 (WEB)
1 Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage…
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts to anything, nor uncircumcision, but what counts is faith working through love…
14 For the Whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Again, what Law is Paul referring to here?
The Law of Moses. Circumcision was a part of the Law of Moses and not the commands given to us by Jesus and His followers. So the whole Law that is being fulfilled in verses 14 is in reference to the Law of Moses.
You said:
Thank you. May the Lord's blessings be upon you, as well.