Love for God and Fulfilling the Law

[minnow]

What did Jesus say was the first and greatest commandment?

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

So, how do we "love the LORD"?

John 14:15

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

1 John 5:3a

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments

And what commandments are being referred to?

Matthew 19:18b-19

And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Romans 13:9

For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

So should we be fulfilling the requirements of the law?

Matthew 5:17

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Matthew 22:37-40

And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Romans 13:10

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

By what means does God empower those who belong to Him to keep His commandments?

Jeremiah 31:33b

I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 36:27

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Is faith and the Spirit contrary to the Law?

Romans 3:31

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."

Romans 7:14

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

Those who walk in step with the Spirit will not breach God's laws

Galatians 5:22-24

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Are those who practice sin, born again believers who have received His Holy Spirit?

1 John 3:9

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 2:4

The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him

{All scripture references used above are from the NASB texts}

[Smalcald]

Ah but I see you forgot to add that if anyone says they are without sin they are a liar.

Grace alone saves us, not by our own corrupted self-righteous efforts. This salvation will indeed call us to walk in the Spirit to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But we will sin until the day we die.

Why did you make this post, do you feel that you are surrounded by sinful Christians?

[minnow]

I suspect some have been sold a false doctrine where the belief is that to "Love the Lord" means having warm, fuzzy feelings about Him (and perhaps includes reading through an occasional feel-good devotional), whilst simultaneously rejecting His actual Lordship in their lives.

Throughout Scripture, there are numerous exhortations to hold fast to sound doctrine, and warnings about deception. For Christians, "Jesus is Lord" is more than words - it shows itself in action.

James 2:19-20

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that

[Motivated By Grace]

Ah but I see you forgot to add that if anyone says they are without sin they are a liar.

Grace alone saves us, not by our own corrupted self-righteous efforts. This salvation will indeed call us to walk in the Spirit to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But we will sin until the day we die.

Why did you make this post, do you feel that you are surrounded by sinful Christians?

Ah, but I see you forgot that 1 John 3:6 says "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." It also appears you forgot 1 John 1:8,9 says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

I believe that Minnow's post makes a lot of sense.

I am brand new here, so please forgive me while I play "catch up" and chip away at threads such as this a little at a time...

I have a passion in my heart for topics such as this... as they are at the very core of exactly who a Christian is. Concerning some scripture quoted above:

1 John 3:6 says "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

It's important to know exactly what sin is to properly understand this scripture. For the lost people (people that have not been born again), Jesus said in John 17 that sin was unbelief in Him.

For the "born again" Christian? :

"For while we were (A)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were (B)aroused by the Law, were at work

Edited June 1, 2007 by Motivated By Grace

[Guest LAW]

Thank goodness someone dragged in Romans. We can never be saved by the Law. Salvation can only be through Grace, and that as a free gift.

[minnow]

Thank goodness someone dragged in Romans. We can never be saved by the Law. Salvation can only be through Grace, and that as a free gift.

Hence the discussion on evidence of salvation and whether someone genuinely loves the Lord.

[methinkshe]

Ah but I see you forgot to add that if anyone says they are without sin they are a liar.

Grace alone saves us, not by our own corrupted self-righteous efforts. This salvation will indeed call us to walk in the Spirit to not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. But we will sin until the day we die.

Why did you make this post, do you feel that you are surrounded by sinful Christians?

Ah, but I see you forgot that 1 John 3:6 says "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." It also appears you forgot 1 John 1:8,9 says, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

I believe that Minnow's post makes a lot of sense.

I am brand new here, so please forgive me while I play "catch up" and chip away at threads such as this a little at a time...

I have a passion in my heart for topics such as this... as they are at the very core of exactly who a Christian is. Concerning some scripture quoted above:

1 John 3:6 says "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

It's important to know exactly what sin is to properly understand this scripture. For the lost people (people that have not been born again), Jesus said in John 17 that sin was unbelief in Him.

For the "born again" Christian? :

"For while we were (A)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were (B)aroused by the Law, were at work

[Motivated By Grace]

Amen Ruth... Amen!

[Vickilynn]

I am brand new here, so please forgive me while I play "catch up" and chip away at threads such as this a little at a time...

I have a passion in my heart for topics such as this... as they are at the very core of exactly who a Christian is. Concerning some scripture quoted above:

1 John 3:6 says "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whoseover sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."

It's important to know exactly what sin is to properly understand this scripture. For the lost people (people that have not been born again), Jesus said in John 17 that sin was unbelief in Him.

For the "born again" Christian? :

"For while we were (A)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were (B)aroused by the Law, were at work

[None]

We are not "released from the Law", as much as we are released from the penalty of breaking the physical Law with its ramifications. Jesus paid the price for our debt. Yet, He also said the Law was not abolished. Now it is MORE, not less. It is written on our hearts and we not only obey outwardly, but INWARDLY. Not only are our actions to be G-dly, but our thoughts as well. We are to be MORE righteous than the Pharisees, not less.

We do this by G-d's grace.

Too many Christians throw out G-d's Law proclaiming we are "under grace, not the Law." Too many Christians see that as a license to follow the flesh. Because of G-d's grace, we are FREE to choose to obey Him and by the power of His Holy Spirit, we have the power and strength.

It does not save us.

It does not make us any better than anyone else.

It does not make us better in G-d's sight.

BUT, it is obedience to our King and Master.

Amen!!

So when you think about it, when we become part of the body of Christ, in God's eyes, we all have equal status.

No one is better, in any way, than another. This abolishes the pride factor and keeps out focus on God, not ourselves and our own abilities and accomplishments(which are visible outwardly).

We're all under the same grace of the cross.