1689Dave
Well-Known Member
The Law Made Easy
This is how salvation and Law worked in the Old Testament. First God saved people out of the blue. No sinner’s prayer. No deciding for YHWH. He simply atoned for their sins in the future Christ. And brought these to life through the New Birth, also called the circumcised heart. And they knew him personally and believed in him. Abel, Job and friends, Abraham come to mind.
But these were few and endured a hostile world. So God protected them just as he did Abraham. By creating a buffer zone around them with a company of unregenerate kin and foreign converts. Similar to a cattle brand, this he did through the brand of circumcision worn by all.
God promised Abraham a descendant who would be the Messiah, God’s anointed king who would fulfill the worldwide promise made to Abraham. We recognize him as Jesus born of Isaac’s lineage.
In time these circumcised became a great multitude. So God enslaved them with the Law by giving them physical rewards. And to take orders from Moses. These would be like the chaff that protects the wheat. God also fired any not circumcised, or visited them with sickness, poverty, war and exile for disobedience.
The believers already did by nature of the new birth all the law demanded and more. They obeyed because they loved God. The rest obeyed in greed or through fear of loss.
In time when the Messiah arrived God no longer needed the unbelievers or the Law. So he removed both from Israel. With Israel now going worldwide through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fulfilling the promise to Abraham. In this, God replaced the broken off unbelievers with believing gentiles.
God didn’t abandon the unbelievers. In the first century God converted many Jews to the New Covenant in Christ. This in honor of Abraham and the fathers of Israel. Even today God reattaches any from the broken off unbelievers who recognize and accept Christ as the Messiah.
New Covenant Israel is believers only. Old Covenant Israel was a mix of believers and unbelievers under Law.
The Law made Easier;
Jesus said; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17)
Which law did Jesus fulfill? If he fulfilled the Ten Commandments, Jesus would have not stolen the soldier’s spear. He would not have coveted the High Priest’s sandals. He would not have lied about some onlookers in the crowd to have them arrested for something they did not do. Etc., etc.
So right away we can see Jesus already fulfilled these because it was not his nature to even think of doing these. Even the wicked can keep from doing these if threatened with death or sickness. Or promised material prosperity for keeping them. As in days of old.
If he fulfilled the Two Great Commandments, he would have fulfilled the Ten Commandments because they hung from the Two. But if he would have fulfilled only the Ten, he would not have fulfilled the Two Great Commandments.
So how did Jesus fulfill the Two Great Commandments?
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Luke 10:27 (KJV 1900)
When Jesus fulfilled these Two Great Commandments on the cross, he Loved God with all his mind, body, soul, and heart and strength. And his neighbor as himself.
He gave all his body over to the worst death imaginable in love for God and us. He gave his entire mind and soul in love for God when he said “not my will but thy will be done”. And he gave his last ounce of strength in his love for God and for us as we wrenched the last breath out of him. And he loved us as his own self when he asked God to forgive us for killing him.
The Two Great Commandments are the Law written in the heart of every believer. And the backbone of Christian ethics.
This is how salvation and Law worked in the Old Testament. First God saved people out of the blue. No sinner’s prayer. No deciding for YHWH. He simply atoned for their sins in the future Christ. And brought these to life through the New Birth, also called the circumcised heart. And they knew him personally and believed in him. Abel, Job and friends, Abraham come to mind.
But these were few and endured a hostile world. So God protected them just as he did Abraham. By creating a buffer zone around them with a company of unregenerate kin and foreign converts. Similar to a cattle brand, this he did through the brand of circumcision worn by all.
God promised Abraham a descendant who would be the Messiah, God’s anointed king who would fulfill the worldwide promise made to Abraham. We recognize him as Jesus born of Isaac’s lineage.
In time these circumcised became a great multitude. So God enslaved them with the Law by giving them physical rewards. And to take orders from Moses. These would be like the chaff that protects the wheat. God also fired any not circumcised, or visited them with sickness, poverty, war and exile for disobedience.
The believers already did by nature of the new birth all the law demanded and more. They obeyed because they loved God. The rest obeyed in greed or through fear of loss.
In time when the Messiah arrived God no longer needed the unbelievers or the Law. So he removed both from Israel. With Israel now going worldwide through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fulfilling the promise to Abraham. In this, God replaced the broken off unbelievers with believing gentiles.
God didn’t abandon the unbelievers. In the first century God converted many Jews to the New Covenant in Christ. This in honor of Abraham and the fathers of Israel. Even today God reattaches any from the broken off unbelievers who recognize and accept Christ as the Messiah.
New Covenant Israel is believers only. Old Covenant Israel was a mix of believers and unbelievers under Law.
The Law made Easier;
Jesus said; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17)
Which law did Jesus fulfill? If he fulfilled the Ten Commandments, Jesus would have not stolen the soldier’s spear. He would not have coveted the High Priest’s sandals. He would not have lied about some onlookers in the crowd to have them arrested for something they did not do. Etc., etc.
So right away we can see Jesus already fulfilled these because it was not his nature to even think of doing these. Even the wicked can keep from doing these if threatened with death or sickness. Or promised material prosperity for keeping them. As in days of old.
If he fulfilled the Two Great Commandments, he would have fulfilled the Ten Commandments because they hung from the Two. But if he would have fulfilled only the Ten, he would not have fulfilled the Two Great Commandments.
So how did Jesus fulfill the Two Great Commandments?
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Luke 10:27 (KJV 1900)
When Jesus fulfilled these Two Great Commandments on the cross, he Loved God with all his mind, body, soul, and heart and strength. And his neighbor as himself.
He gave all his body over to the worst death imaginable in love for God and us. He gave his entire mind and soul in love for God when he said “not my will but thy will be done”. And he gave his last ounce of strength in his love for God and for us as we wrenched the last breath out of him. And he loved us as his own self when he asked God to forgive us for killing him.
The Two Great Commandments are the Law written in the heart of every believer. And the backbone of Christian ethics.
