The Law of Christ

[justjake]

Brothers and sisters in Christ!

Greetings from Atlanta, Georgia! I have only noticed the following references to Christ's Law and don't know exactly what it is and how it affects us today.

1 Corinthians 9:19-21

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself an not under the law), so as to win those under the law.  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God

[Ovedya]

The "law of Christ" spoken of in 1 Cor. 9:21 and Gal. 6:2 refers to Christ's commandment in John 13:34 (cf. 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 4:7), which is that the believers love one another. In fact, love is the summary and fulfillment of the entire law - Matt. 22:37-40; Rom. 13:8, 10; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8.

[Guest LCPGUY]

Christ's Law???

Well, for starters...

Love God with all your mind and heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

And.. most of John 15.

John

[Adstar]

yep LOVE is the word

1 Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

All Praise The Ancient Of Days

[Catsmeow]

I agree with you, brothers - yet we divide rather than unite. Legalistic issues seem to create hurt feelings and in it's wake, a string of walking wounded.

Just look at us.....

Godman, you revealed once how you were mistreated by Christian coworkers because you didn't ...uh, "measure up" to certain standards...and ultimately some treated you and your fiance like lepers. I know it hurt. I could discern that in your post.

Or, somehow me, (Catsmeow) is tainted goods and my poor husband has now been named an "adulterer" because he married me. It matters not that I was badly abused and regularly in and out of shelter houses and the ER, living my life in fear and terror. It matters not that HE was an atheist who filed for a divorce, which I granted him. It matters not that he has sexual relations with other women, I am still branded as a tainted woman and evidently some believe that my husband has commited adultery by marrying me.

I'm amazed sometimes that I'm still a Christian when I read this junk. I can't believe that people I have a lot of respect for actually buy into this. But ...alas, they do.

It's because we have so many hangups that we cannot stick together as a Body...because there's so many skewed beliefs which I believe divide us just as it did with the Phariseees of Jesus' day.

[justjake]

Yes, Jesus prayed that we would all be of one mind and united in the garden just before his death (John 17).

Why is it that the Church is so divided today? Is it possible to restore it to what Jesus desires?

[Catsmeow]

I don't think so. It's too diverse now...too many denominations and too much division among brothers.

He'll have to iron it all out after the harvest if finally reaped

[Guest shadow2b]

- I am still branded as a tainted woman and evidently some believe that my husband has commited adultery by marrying me.

-CATS---THIS right here is WHY {the church?} is so divided.."these" THINK they have the truth when

-it's quite clear that they doNOT have the "truth"..They can't see the forest for the trees....

-The LORD is calling OUT HIS {church}out & away from this type of hypocrisy-judgementalism & total

-MIS-understanding & MIS-application of the WORD of GOD....SO GOD'S "church" is alive-dedicated--

-& NOT divided at all & coming together more & more every day--growing stronger every day--

-preaching the GOSPEL--reaching the lost--delivering those in bondage--fulfilling the great

-commission---"THIS"church--GOD'S--church is doing just fine..

[Ovedya]

Yes, Jesus prayed that we would all be of one mind and united in the garden just before his death (John 17).

Why is it that the Church is so divided today? Is it possible to restore it to what Jesus desires?

Hate to sound like the harbinger of doom and gloom, but I don't think so.

The simple reason is that apostacy has already taken place in the church, and it has been increasing. It will continue to increase at an exponential rate until the Lord returns to claim His Bride.

Now, I know the implications the term "apostacy" has. But the Biblical definition of apostacy is "falling away," or "defection." It is used in two places in the Bible: In acts 21;21, where James and the eders informed Paul that the Jews throughout the nations had been warned that he was teaching apostacy from Moses. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, where Paul warns that the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostacy comes first (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1).

The fact of the matter is that apostacy (falling away from the true faith) has already occured in the church. It had already began when Paul was writing his letters to the churches. And even though the saints throughout the ages have always tried to keep deceiving spirits and teachings of demons out of the church, they have crept in among us and remained (cf. the parable of the wheat and the tares), and have deceived many of the saints of God.

James wrote that bitter jealousy and selfish ambition of the heart is not wisdom from above. Rather, it is earthly, soulish, and demonic wisdom(Jas. 3:13-18). Do we not still have jealousy in the church? Yes. Do we still have selfish ambition? Absolutely. These two items are responsible for a lot of the divisions we have in the Body today. So we can see that apostacy has infected and divided the Body of Christ.

When Christ returns He will pull up the tares with the good wheat, and the the tares (False, nominal Christians who spread heresy, divisions, and doctrines of demons) will be thrown into the fire, whereas the wheat will be gathered together for the Lord's enjoyment.

So you see there is no need to trouble over these things. The tares are among us. Yet all of these things - whether positive or negative - are for our perfection. Paul wrote that we should not be surprised when we suffer for the sake of the gospel (paraphrase), and we should not worry. Because all of these things are for our perfection. In a very real sense, trouble in our situations should cause us to run the race even faster. It should cause us to endeavor more for the gospel, and for the building up of the Body of Christ. It should push us more into Christ, for the gaining of Him, and to hasten His eminent return.

[WayneB]

Very well said God-man. It isn't "doom and gloom". It was foretold and is just one more condition that brings us closer to His return.

I have the same concerns about most seminaries as I do with today's churches. Apostate teachings are prevailing it seems.

What are your thoughts on seminary as a prerequisite for church ministry? What would you advise a young person feeling the call into ministry?

Bless you brother,

Wayne