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| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 12884 Registered: 12-2003  |
Brian Luttman linked this article to a thread on Facebook: http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/canon_as_tradition_the_new_covenant_and_the_hermeneutical_question I found it really interesting...and it helped me understand why the radical nature of the new covenant has been so eclipsed within so much of Christianity for so long. It's never been lost, but it has been sort-of "back burner" and overshadowed by some sort of continuation of the law. Colleen | ||
| Christo Registered user Username: Christo Post Number: 272 Registered: 2-2008 |
I have thought of the Law as some sort of codification of the knowledge of good and evil, a type : anti-type of the knowledge of good and evil. Something to at least objectify a standard for our fallen human nature to aspire to, even though the true standard has always been faith in our creator. The Law is something to be used by people who have a natural disposition to self justify, self redeem, and self esteem. Hence the continual traction that the law has endured through the ages even though it is obsolete. It merrily looks like a practical solution to fallen human nature. Fallen man is always looking for a way to be right with himself, in his relation to his experience. If there ever was a law that could make one perfect, The Law is said to be it. But a Law cannot make someone perfect, because a law deals with the will, not the heart. If all God required was to keep the law, and as Adventists claim, that the Law is a complete expression of Gods character, then God would have never laid down his life for us as revealed to us in Christ Jesus, because the Law is rules, but God is LOVE. One needs to look only at the story of the good Samaritan to notice that the very religious and self proclaimed righteous, passed by the one in need. They may have been fulfilling the law, but not filling the heart with Gods love. Also lets take a look at the Hebrew of all Hebrews "Paul" who was blameless in the law but did not express the love of God before knowing Christ. The Law contains things that one might do or might not do when experiencing love for another. But the Law is not love, and cannot teach love, or create an experience of love. Oh one might be able to counterfeit love for a while , but love is a fruit of the Spirit, not a fruit of the will. Sda with its focus on the Law is a strong example of many more subtle examples of the fallen human natures disposition to self justify. This nature has always tried to find expression. In regards to the Days of Unleavened Bread, I was always taught that leavening represented sin, but I've come to understand that leaven represents self justification. Go seven days a week without self justification, go seven days a weak justified by Christ. Jesus is the bread from heaven. Thank you Jesus, Chris | ||
| 1john2v27nlt Registered user Username: 1john2v27nlt Post Number: 343 Registered: 5-2009 |
Thank you Chris for your thought-full remarks. Several of your statements provoked my thoughts. An Aha! is the parable of the good samaritan showing the difference between Law & Love. So obvious to me now, but never a conscious thought before! Love trumps Law God has been asking me for the past 10 years "Where is your FOCUS?" I finally have my focus OFF the law & ON JESUS CHRIST. That is what I did in sdaism - kept my focus in the wrong place. Amen! Thank you Jesus! Praise HIM! J9 | ||
| Cloudwatcher Registered user Username: Cloudwatcher Post Number: 546 Registered: 5-2009  |
How do y'all answer SDAs who SWEAR they are keeping the law out of love? I try to point out Paul's either/or approach (law or Spirit, bondwoman or freewoman...it's never BOTH)...but they still don't get it. | ||
| Jonvil Registered user Username: Jonvil Post Number: 631 Registered: 4-2007 |
Unbelievers who desire to be considered as Christians have adopted OCT as their standard, deconstructed to a show-and-TELL of personally convenient works, as 'proof' of their 'faith'. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, Matthew 23:5 (KJV) they counter with: "What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" James 2:14 (NASB) They look at works as the cause, not the result Bereft of the indwelling Holy Spirit, is it any wonder that these pseudo-Christians are antagonistic to NCT? They either claim it to be warmed over OCT or just an excuse for lawlessness, free to rape, pillage and murder. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) John |
