The Law of Liberty- An Easier Law to Keep?

[newton3005]

Commentators tell us that there are three sets of laws; there’s the law of nature, which is followed by heathens, the Law of Moses that’s followed by the Jews, and the law of liberty which is the Gospel, and everything attributed to it thereto. Of the three, the laws of nature and of Moses have their difficulties.

The law of nature is merciless in that there is no outlet for forgiveness. If you stumble into a cave of hungry bears, who is going to forgive you for breaking the simple law of nature, which is to not go into a cave of hungry bears if you don’t want to be eaten? The Law of Moses is encompassed by a yoke. It is cohesive to the point where you violate one Law, you’ve upset the whole Law, like infringing on a spider web.

So, it’s easy to understand that, as far as the Law of Moses is concerned, James 2:10 says that whoever attempts to keep the whole law but fails to keep one of the Laws, as failed in keeping all of them. Verse 11 goes on to say, “For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” Verse 12 rounds it out by saying “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

One may say that the Law of Moses focuses on the mind. After all, under such a Law it is up to the mind to keep track of what constitutes the Law of Moses so as to not transgress on any one of them. The law of liberty, which is the semblance of any law that might be suggested in the Gospel, focuses on the heart. A true believer of Jesus, who loves God and loves their neighbor, would naturally abide by what others would equate with the Law of Moses. And in pursuit of the law of liberty, it is not necessary to be conscious of laws which may involve ceremonies, for these laws only serve as a reminder to those who consciously strive to abide by the Law of Moses that such Laws exists.

Some may say that with Satan going up and about, and to and fro on the earth, those who abide by the law of liberty are at risk of compromising their love of God and their neighbor at weak points in their lives. For man by nature is imperfect, and as Adam and Eve first showed us, man tends to wander away from parameters set for him.

It is interesting that the idea of loving your neighbor exists in both the Law of Moses, and of liberty. Yet for Jews and Christians it can be a challenge. Christianity defines a neighbor as someone you can help if they’re in trouble. Jesus explains this in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, at Luke 10:29-37. Perhaps some people may find it a burden to help others. How easy it is, then, to push aside a whole group of people than to see them as neighbors. How easy it is to just pick a group of people to side with, seeing them as neighbors, when to you, in a more stable world, their effect on you is the same as those you push aside.

So, you are heavily critical of one group of people, who, having been attacked by another group of people, are defending themselves against future attacks. You say innocent people have been killed or aggravated in the process? What of those of the group you push aside, who suffered the same fate when first attacked by the group you are standing up for?

The problem has been identified. How would the law of liberty address it? To be sure, this isn’t just a problem for the law of liberty; it is also one for the Law of Moses and the law of nature.

 

[Soyeong]

Commentators tell us that there are three sets of laws; there’s the law of nature, which is followed by heathens, the Law of Moses that’s followed by the Jews, and the law of liberty which is the Gospel, and everything attributed to it thereto. Of the three, the laws of nature and of Moses have their difficulties.

The law of nature is merciless in that there is no outlet for forgiveness. If you stumble into a cave of hungry bears, who is going to forgive you for breaking the simple law of nature, which is to not go into a cave of hungry bears if you don’t want to be eaten? The Law of Moses is encompassed by a yoke. It is cohesive to the point where you violate one Law, you’ve upset the whole Law, like infringing on a spider web.

So, it’s easy to understand that, as far as the Law of Moses is concerned, James 2:10 says that whoever attempts to keep the whole law but fails to keep one of the Laws, as failed in keeping all of them. Verse 11 goes on to say, “For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” Verse 12 rounds it out by saying “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

One may say that the Law of Moses focuses on the mind. After all, under such a Law it is up to the mind to keep track of what constitutes the Law of Moses so as to not transgress on any one of them. The law of liberty, which is the semblance of any law that might be suggested in the Gospel, focuses on the heart. A true believer of Jesus, who loves God and loves their neighbor, would naturally abide by what others would equate with the Law of Moses. And in pursuit of the law of liberty, it is not necessary to be conscious of laws which may involve ceremonies, for these laws only serve as a reminder to those who consciously strive to abide by the Law of Moses that such Laws exists.

Some may say that with Satan going up and about, and to and fro on the earth, those who abide by the law of liberty are at risk of compromising their love of God and their neighbor at weak points in their lives. For man by nature is imperfect, and as Adam and Eve first showed us, man tends to wander away from parameters set for him.

It is interesting that the idea of loving your neighbor exists in both the Law of Moses, and of liberty. Yet for Jews and Christians it can be a challenge. Christianity defines a neighbor as someone you can help if they’re in trouble. Jesus explains this in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, at Luke 10:29-37. Perhaps some people may find it a burden to help others. How easy it is, then, to push aside a whole group of people than to see them as neighbors. How easy it is to just pick a group of people to side with, seeing them as neighbors, when to you, in a more stable world, their effect on you is the same as those you push aside.

So, you are heavily critical of one group of people, who, having been attacked by another group of people, are defending themselves against future attacks. You say innocent people have been killed or aggravated in the process? What of those of the group you push aside, who suffered the same fate when first attacked by the group you are standing up for?

The problem has been identified. How would the law of liberty address it? To be sure, this isn’t just a problem for the law of liberty; it is also one for the Law of Moses and the law of nature.

In Psalms 19:7, the Law of Moses is perfect, in Psalms 119:45, it is of liberty, and in Psalms 119:1-3, it blesses those who obey it, so when James 1:25 speaks about the perfect law of liberty that blesses those who obey it, he wasn't saying anything about the Law of Moses that wasn't already said in the Psalms. In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of Go is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and the Law of Moses was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel message. In Romans 2:13-15, only doers of the Law of Moses will be justified and Gentiles will by nature be doers of it, and in Romans 2:25, the way to see that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to the Law of Moses, which is the same way to tell for a Jew (Deuteronomy 30:6). So it is not a coincidence that the greatest two commandments of the Law of Moses are the same as those of the law of liberty because of all those are all referring to the same set of laws.

In James 2:1-11, he was not suggesting that we become guilt of breaking one law by breaking another, but that breaking any law causes us to become a lawbreaker, which means that we need to repent, so we need to have consistence in our obedience. In Exodus 20:6, God wanted His people to love Him and obey His commandments, so obedience to the Law of Moses has always been a matter of the heart, otherwise God would not have disdained it when His people honored Him with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Isaiah 29:13).

 

[GDL]

Commentators tell us that there are three sets of laws; there’s the law of nature, which is followed by heathens, the Law of Moses that’s followed by the Jews, and the law of liberty which is the Gospel, and everything attributed to it thereto. Of the three, the laws of nature and of Moses have their difficulties.

The law of nature is merciless in that there is no outlet for forgiveness. If you stumble into a cave of hungry bears, who is going to forgive you for breaking the simple law of nature, which is to not go into a cave of hungry bears if you don’t want to be eaten? The Law of Moses is encompassed by a yoke. It is cohesive to the point where you violate one Law, you’ve upset the whole Law, like infringing on a spider web.

So, it’s easy to understand that, as far as the Law of Moses is concerned, James 2:10 says that whoever attempts to keep the whole law but fails to keep one of the Laws, as failed in keeping all of them. Verse 11 goes on to say, “For he who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” Verse 12 rounds it out by saying “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

One may say that the Law of Moses focuses on the mind. After all, under such a Law it is up to the mind to keep track of what constitutes the Law of Moses so as to not transgress on any one of them. The law of liberty, which is the semblance of any law that might be suggested in the Gospel, focuses on the heart. A true believer of Jesus, who loves God and loves their neighbor, would naturally abide by what others would equate with the Law of Moses. And in pursuit of the law of liberty, it is not necessary to be conscious of laws which may involve ceremonies, for these laws only serve as a reminder to those who consciously strive to abide by the Law of Moses that such Laws exists.

Some may say that with Satan going up and about, and to and fro on the earth, those who abide by the law of liberty are at risk of compromising their love of God and their neighbor at weak points in their lives. For man by nature is imperfect, and as Adam and Eve first showed us, man tends to wander away from parameters set for him.

It is interesting that the idea of loving your neighbor exists in both the Law of Moses, and of liberty. Yet for Jews and Christians it can be a challenge. Christianity defines a neighbor as someone you can help if they’re in trouble. Jesus explains this in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, at Luke 10:29-37. Perhaps some people may find it a burden to help others. How easy it is, then, to push aside a whole group of people than to see them as neighbors. How easy it is to just pick a group of people to side with, seeing them as neighbors, when to you, in a more stable world, their effect on you is the same as those you push aside.

So, you are heavily critical of one group of people, who, having been attacked by another group of people, are defending themselves against future attacks. You say innocent people have been killed or aggravated in the process? What of those of the group you push aside, who suffered the same fate when first attacked by the group you are standing up for?

The problem has been identified. How would the law of liberty address it? To be sure, this isn’t just a problem for the law of liberty; it is also one for the Law of Moses and the law of nature.

Not desiring to get into the political arena of national affairs, at least not directly and not right now, you raise good points about 3 sets of laws. I don't see enough of us seeing the Law of Liberty as the Gospel. Do you see the "royal law" as the same or parallel to the Law of Liberty, or as what it is and where it comes from, Moses?

Love in all of its directives (Love God, Neighbor, One-Another) is most certainly a, if not the challenge. It is to function in the image of God who is Love. In reference to what you're discussing, this comes to mind:

NKJ Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

So, the call to Love (which is being perfected in us) and to Perfection like our Father. It's interesting how Jesus explained this in regard to enemies which seems to compare to and expand on His lesson on the Samaritan.

We are also in a fallen world, with the mandated carrying of the sword for His servants, which is human gov't. So, also capital punishment. And the reality is war on this planet until He puts an end to it all. All this can be quite the dilemma for the Christian. I've heard it discussed by some how they consider it wrong to even protect a spouse, for example, from physical harm by another in our presence. It's interesting where all this contemplating and theorizing can go.

 

[Doran]

Not desiring to get into the political arena of national affairs, at least not directly and not right now, you raise good points about 3 sets of laws. I don't see enough of us seeing the Law of Liberty as the Gospel. Do you see the "royal law" as the same or parallel to the Law of Liberty, or as what it is and where it comes from, Moses?

Love in all of its directives (Love God, Neighbor, One-Another) is most certainly a, if not the challenge. It is to function in the image of God who is Love. In reference to what you're discussing, this comes to mind:

NKJ Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

So, the call to Love (which is being perfected in us) and to Perfection like our Father. It's interesting how Jesus explained this in regard to enemies which seems to compare to and expand on His lesson on the Samaritan.

We are also in a fallen world, with the mandated carrying of the sword for His servants, which is human gov't. So, also capital punishment. And the reality is war on this planet until He puts an end to it all. All this can be quite the dilemma for the Christian. I've heard it discussed by some how they consider it wrong to even protect a spouse, for example, from physical harm by another in our presence. It's interesting where all this contemplating and theorizing can go.

And, yet, Christ himself is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1Pet 2:25). What does a shepherd or guardian do with his flock, if not protect them? Love itself always protects (1Cor 13:7).

 

[GDL]

And, yet, Christ himself is the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls (1Pet 2:25). What does a shepherd or guardian do with his flock, if not protect them?

Agreed. I found the point of view that I mentioned as nothing I could agree with from much of any angle.

Love itself always protects (1Cor 13:7).

How do you see "protects" here?

 

[Doran]

Agreed. I found the point of view that I mentioned as nothing I could agree with from much of any angle.

How do you see "protects" here?

Well, "protect" means "to cover or shield from exposure, injury or destruction: GUARD" So, this definition would have a pretty broad range of applications. Of course, probably the first thing that would come to most people's minds is protection from physical harm. But then there is mental or emotional harm, as well. Or financial or legal harm. Or even spiritual harm. In general, when "guarding" other people, we're protecting their interests -- putting their interests above ours. It's taking a general interest in the welfare of others (Php 2:20).

 

[GDL]

Well, "protect" means "to cover or shield from exposure, injury or destruction: GUARD" So, this definition would have a pretty broad range of applications. Of course, probably the first thing that would come to most people's minds is protection from physical harm. But then there is mental or emotional harm, as well. Or financial or legal harm. Or even spiritual harm. In general, when "guarding" other people, we're protecting their interests -- putting their interests above ours. It's taking a general interest in the welfare of others (Php 2:20).

Thanks! Just didn't readily see it in 1Cor13:7.

 

[Doran]

Thanks! Just didn't readily see it in 1Cor13:7.

I took my cue mostly from Christ as our Good Shepherd. What does a good shepherd do if not protect the sheep under his care? Of course, in the world of humans, that care extends well beyond physical protection.

 

[GDL]

I took my cue mostly from Christ as our Good Shepherd. What does a good shepherd do if not protect the sheep under his care? Of course, in the world of humans, that care extends well beyond physical protection.

So simply the connection to love thus the love chapter. Got it.