The Function of the Law in the New Covenant..pt2

The Decalogue appears in Exodus 20. The two 'great commandments' appear in Deuteronomy and Leviticus respectively, so they cannot precede the Decalogue.

What you don't seem to understand is that the twofold command does not replace the Decalogue, it summarizes or epitomizes it. And the great thing is that we learn is that the Decalogue is not just a series of 'Thou shalt nots' but is actually based on love. When we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength we shall do so by observing the first four Commandments. When we love our neighbour as our self, we do so by observing the second six. they are not in competition, but in the sweetest of harmony.

The 'law and the prophets' are the whole Old Testament. The twofold command is the peg from which the O.T. hangs because the entire O.T., with all its commandments and covenants, prophecies and promises, types, testimonies, invitations and exhortations, points to the love of God which demands the response of love from mankind. That is why the Lord Jesus says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." All ten of them.

 

Jesus says the Ten hang from them. So, they precede the Ten and we must not assume an artificial chronology based book order.

The decalogue was for wicked people who could not love God or others. They were good for the wrong reasons. The Two Great Commandments were the rule for the born again like Abraham. You did not need to tell him not to steal.

Which Laws did Jesus fulfill on the cross?

 

'".......But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days," says the LORD: "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people"' (Jeremiah 31:33, NKJV).

The reason that the New Covenant is not like the Sinaitic Covenant is not that the law is abolished, but that it is written on the hearts of God's people.

 

The Laws written in the hearts are the Two, not the Ten.

“Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:8–10) (NET)

This is one of the Two great Commands, never mentioned in the Ten.

 

God created Adam with knowledge inherent to do this, without being instructed?:

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Gen 4

...but had to give this instruction after the fact?:

16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Gen 3

As I said, it's evident the ancients received divine instruction, and these passages along with many others show that..

Concisely, please, what are you saying God equipped man with at creation? A perfect knowledge of all the ten commandments? And plus some?

 

God writes His love on our hearts. Not Legal requirements. Yall don't get it.

 

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 

1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

 

2 Cor. 3:3
Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

 

2 Cor. 3
6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!


12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

God's Love is written on our hearts--the 2 Great commandments--and a New commandment Christ gave us--to love one another AS HE has loved us.

 

Read the Context.

 

Deuteronomy 4:13 And he revealed to you the covenant he has commanded you to keep, the ten commandments, writing them on two stone tablets.

 

The issue is, the OLD Covenant (Ten Commandments) gave way to the New Covenant. And if you want to keep a single commandment, you must keep them all. And this means Christ did not fulfill them, and you must. Which no man can do.

 

I mean, just to be honest--especially because we have "teachers" posting on here for *all to see*--do you REALLY think God's new Covenant is writing "Shall not-s" On our Hearts???????? Think about how that misses the entirety of Christ Jesus' ministry and exposure of the Father. We are One with Him as He is one with the Father--Christ Lives in us--and a bunch of "Shall not-s" is the Proof of that????? That is a shallow view of the NT. Think about it, teacher.

Edit to Add--The Very God of Love lives in our hearts--The Very God of Righteousness Lives in Us--the Very God of Holiness Lives in us--and you think it's by the Ten Commandments being transposed on our hearts?

 

Philippians 2
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Galatians 2
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Look--the Law of God is beautiful, Holy and Spiritual--but it all flows from Loving God--Loving Others--and that is what CHRIST did--and HE now lives through us. Do you guys not get it?

 

Jesus Himself stated that he came to keep and fulfill the law of God, in the fashion described in the Sermon on the Mount, and all of us now taking His name would be under the same Moral obligation, correct?