The Lord’s Commandments

[Behold]

On 1/6/2020 at 12:28 PM, johnthebaptist said:

My experience is that when I obey the Lord’s commandments, I have peace of mind, and when I don’t obey the Lord’s commandments, I have trouble. I have concluded that obedience brings peace of mind. As a matter of fact, I suspect that is their purpose. 

The 2 commandments that Jesus gave, ... Love God, Love everyone as you love yourself, and would want to be treated/loved yourself......

What these do for you, is give you a means to not do  "works of the flesh."

Works of the flesh committed, before the Cross, were Titled, "sin".   But now that we are "delivered from the curse of the Law" and are not under the law but are UNDER GRACE.... Paul says that what use to be called "sin" is now called "works of the flesh".

Its these. :

{Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings.....}

Any of you ever do any of those since you were saved?   Hummmm, something tells me that some of you might have done them all.... and the rest of you have done some of them in your mind, which is the same as doing them in the flesh.

Thats interesting isn't it?  This literally means a born again person, can be paralyzed from their neck down, can't move, and be committing 90% of this list, literally, because they are doing them mentally day after day.

Jesus said, "if you look upon a man or woman" (paraphrase)  with thoughts of having/using them for SEX ACTS, then you have committed the sex acts without getting undressed.

Thats a fact of how it works.

So, when you keep the 2 commandments, you dont keep yourself saved, as only Jesus SAVES, but, by keeping them, you are allowing the Love of God, Love itself, the real love, Agape`, to rule your behavior, and because the Love of God is an outward expression of deeds, then you are not going to wrong anyone you love.  As the power of God's Love when obeyed, restrains you from harming anyone by your behavior...= if you are controlled regarding your behavior, by keeping those 2 commandments.

So, even tho the commandments can't make you righteous so that God would save you and keep you saved because you keep them, they do function after you are born again,  as the ultimate form of lifestyle worship that you can offer the Almighty.  They are the ultimate form of discipleship.  

Edited January 10, 2020 by Behold

[Alive]

I believe that from God's point of view, there is no broken or improper fellowship--because we are 'In Christ' and when He sees us (typically and in reality), He sees the perfect Lamb of God and the completed work of atonement.

When we who are 'born again' sin, because of our weakness in the flesh and lack of faith, our conscience condemns us and we have a 'sense' of improper fellowship --so we confess our sin and we find that Grace and solace that heals our soul. This is also His Grace and Mercy to His children as we grow up.

The reality, from God's perspective is that we were already forgiven and never fell from that place on the Mercy Seat between the two cherubim. This is where He meets us.

I woke up the other day thinking about the mercy seat and it came to mind again.

Ex. 25:17   “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you,

This is where the Lord meets us. Where the 'blood' was sprinkled and atonement is made. Its interesting what Mary Magdalene saw when she looked into the tomb where Christ lay.

John 20:11   But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

To me this hearkens back to the Mercy Seat and the two cherubim.

He became the atonement and propitiation for our sins and a once for all high priest to boot. A once for all propitiation and there is now no longer a need for a priest to continually sprinkle the blood between the angels.

Rom. 3:21   But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

[JTC]

On 1/6/2020 at 1:28 PM, johnthebaptist said:

My experience is that when I obey the Lord’s commandments, I have peace of mind, and when I don’t obey the Lord’s commandments, I have trouble. I have concluded that obedience brings peace of mind.

Agreed!

On 1/6/2020 at 1:28 PM, johnthebaptist said:

As a matter of fact, I suspect that is their purpose. 

I disagree with this statement, I think the peace of mind we feel when we obey God is a happy side effect of doing what's right.

[johnthebaptist]

25 minutes ago, JTC said:

Agreed!

I disagree with this statement, I think the peace of mind we feel when we obey God is a happy side effect of doing what's right.

But when we sin, trouble enters our lives. When we don't sin we avoid that trouble. I would say that contributes to our peace of mine.