Theme: “All you need is love”
As much as I would love to begin this week with an easy and light blog that did not hurt my brain, I find myself stuck in a quandary that I must seek to explain. So, if you were looking for fanciful fare, I would advise you to stop now and read something else.
Here is my dilemma. Genesis 15:6 states, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Abram, soon to be Abraham, was gifted righteousness in God’s presence only because of his faith.
Fast-forward to the New Testament and Paul’s time. Paul himself lives under the grace of God in the same faith that Abraham had. Paul did nothing to earn his lot in life. His life demanded punishment. Yet, he was granted righteousness by faith in Christ alone, a Christ who harshly invaded Paul’s life without invitation.
The entire New Testament is about Grace by Faith, echoing on a grand scale what was done individually throughout the Old Testament.
The problem I cannot shake this morning is this: Why did God give Israel the Law and the sacrificial system in the middle of Abraham and the New Testament, and is that not God conflicting with Himself? After all, why not stick with faith righteousness throughout rather than introducing works righteousness? Even verses in Paul’s letter to the Roman church seem to differ. Romans 6:14 states, “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace,” while Paul writes in Romans 3:31, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”
Therefore, to steal the transitional word Paul so often used, I have sought to answer this dilemma by reading multiple commentaries and digging into other scriptures. I cannot quote all of them as I cannot remember them or where I found them. So, suffice it to say that many of these thoughts did not originate in my inadequate mind. Also, please understand that I am not writing this as a teacher but as one verbalizing my journey.
My first nugget of understanding is found in the fact the law was never meant to be separated from the Faith of Abraham. God did not mean it to be severed from Faith but to be fulfilled in the Faith of Abraham. The fact that Israel twisted the Mosaic Law into legalism and severed it from the Faith of Abraham does not negate God’s purpose for the Law. So whenever you read the word Law in the New Testament, ask yourself: is this the OT, the writings of Moses, or the legalistic distortion of Moses' teaching? This will keep us from misunderstanding the Mosaic law when the legalistic distortion of law should get the bad press.
Many will argue that the Old Testament offers a different path to salvation than the New Testament and even Abraham’s story. I will answer that, but I feel that I can keep traveling from one path to another and have chapter after chapter instead of a concise blog, so allow me to end this with what I found at the end of my journey.
When I rounded the bend in this dense forest of thought, I came to a beautiful, open clearing with a simple sign with only the word “LOVE.”
Abraham showed his deep love for God by obeying Him, and God credited righteousness to Abraham because of the works of obedience done in love. In Deuteronomy, we are shown, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV)
Jesus echoed this in Matthew 22:37-40, “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Paul wrote, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does not harm a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10 NIV)
Every commandment given to Moses has love as its aim and fulfillment. The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is a love story. The Law was given to show what love demonstrated by Faith could accomplish. The over 600 artificial rules that followed corrupted the Law and severed it from righteousness by Grace given to Abraham and his descendants and to us who accept the Christ of the New Testament.
Let's conclude this tedious journey (I hope it has not been for you) with a few points. First, the Mosaic Law is not fundamentally different from the Abrahamic or the New Covenants. They are all fulfilled and meant to be fulfilled in love, and that love is demonstrated in obedience to our God. Second, the law did not teach us to try to produce meritorious works but only taught us to trust the gracious God of the Exodus and live out faith's obedience. Finally, being that the Mosaic covenant is not fundamentally different from the Abrahamic and New Covenants, we should obey the commandments of all three from the very same motive—not to win God's favor, but because we already depend on His free grace and trust that his commands will lead to complete and lasting joy.
Whew!
Scripture: Galatians 5:14-15 (NIV)
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will
be destroyed by each other.”
Prayer:
Lord, I am so grateful that my eternity and being able to spend it with you does not depend on what I deserve. How can you love me this much to love me in spite of me? When I think of this my brain almost explodes and I cannot express in words how grateful I feel. I cannot grasp you Lord or begin to comprehend this love you have. I so look forward to being able to experience it when I am in your presence. Amen
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