| Author | Message | ||
| Paulcross Registered user Username: Paulcross Post Number: 137 Registered: 4-2005 |
Found a good quote while researching the meaning of "entole" for own my Bible study this week. This crystalizes something that I learned that turned night to day for me, the spirit of God is "better than" the commandments for subduing evil. Any day, everyday. Quote from The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theoloty, Vol 1., p.336. The rabbis taught that the law was the best means appointed by God to subdue evil inclinations. In contrast, Paul developed the sharpest antithesis to this in the central section of Rom. (7:7 ff). For Paul, the Spirit of God is the only power that subdues evil inclination. Using the first person singular the apostle testifies to the revelatory function of the law in history in unveiling the power of sin. This is so clear to me from Paul's arguments in Galatians. Here is the work of the "school master" who so acquaints us with our sinfulness that when Christ arrives we throw ourselves on Him. This word for commandments (entole) is the one used in Matthew 19:17 where the "what must I do question comes from a fellow dedicated to "commandment keeping" already. Law keeping eventually tarnishes and we see our need of salvation from that treadmill. Paul Cross | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 987 Registered: 2-2008  |
Hi Paul~ I think God's biggest testimony is when I've seen a person completely transformed by Him. I've never seen lasting transformation as a result of keeping the law. But it's truly a miracle to see a person transform because of his love for God. He's just amazing!! Vivian | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8949 Registered: 3-2004  |
Yes, those changes are amazing/awesome. I see it in Celebrate Recovery all the time. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!! Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 12218 Registered: 12-2003  |
Paul, excellent insights. This concurs with Paul's words in Colossians 2:20-3:4:
Amazing! (Talk about texts that used to go over my head as an Adventist...) Colleen | ||
| Paulcross Registered user Username: Paulcross Post Number: 138 Registered: 4-2005 |
I still miss so much! But praise Him I'm getting more. When I read this last week the phrase the thing that caught my attention was the phrase "revelatory function of the law". I used to assume that the "law" was a perfect reflection of God that I had to work into my life [somehow]. But as I read this the other day I compared the law to Luminol [a chemical] that illuminates the evidence of blood at a crime scene. The luminol does not wipe out the crime but makes it very clear where the problem occured. Luminol does not erase the deeds or their affects, it does not remove the criminal's guilt and it does not reform the guilty person. The law in a similar way illuminates the evidence of our crimes but does not wipe out the guilt or the presence of sin. Law does not erase the deeds or their affects, it does not remove the sinner's guilt and it does not reform the guilty person. The Spirit of God cleanses by His actions, His presence if we accept what HE provided. Paul Cross | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 990 Registered: 2-2008 |
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." ... SWEET! Paul, What a neat correlation of how the law and luminol work! The rationalization that I've heard from an sda is that if we have Christ in us and His law is a perfect reflection of who He is... then the evidence of Christ in us would be that we will keep the law. They completely jump over that we are born again of the Spirit. With His Spirit now residing in us, we will bear His fruit (Gal.5:22,23)... against such things there is no law. They completely jump over that a new covenant is established in us and that the "old one is taken away" (Heb 8-10) AND they completely jump over that our transformation is a work done by God ONLY!!! The adventists that I know believe that they keep the law and whatever they can't do on their own, they have this "safety net" known as "Christ" who will help them keep the law perfectly. They believe that by keeping the law they will be transformed. Instead of the law leading them to Christ, the law leads them BACK to the law. vivian | ||
| Gcfrankie Registered user Username: Gcfrankie Post Number: 770 Registered: 1-2007 |
I had just finished reading Jeremiah and then last sunday the pastors sermon was on where do we truely put our trust and love? He then went in Jeremiah 17:5-7 Thus says the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. (6) For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when properity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitanat. (7) Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is in the Lord". This reminded me of sda because the members rely on egw first and the bible second. Gail | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 992 Registered: 2-2008 |
That's amazing scripture Gail!! My memories of when I was adventist are very dry and black and white. no life. a wasteland. I would never go back. What Christ has given to me is so much more!! vivian | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8958 Registered: 3-2004 |
I am soooooo glad God took me out of adventism. He took a long time doing it as He was teaching me lessons that I did not realize until after I was out completely. Only in the past 7 years have I looked back and seen where God was leading and even carrying me and I did not know it. I am sure I will see more as I walk this path with Him and with all of you. Love you all. Diana L |
