Dear Nancy:
In Christ I pray for understanding for us..Amen.
Matthew 5:17-20 "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets(OT); I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the smallest stroke of the pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
In keeping with my summation from my last post that there is no condemnation (from the law) for those under Christ, that there is in effect a release of "debt to the law", under Christ and that a loving God will not condemn sinners( those not under the blood of Jesus) to hell but that the "Law" will condemn sinners just as an earthly judge may sentence one of the "good ole boys" to a severe sentence because the law has stipulated the punishment and really the hands of the judge are tied or bound.
Going back to Matt 5 "until everything is accomplished" signifies to me that in the current age the plan for salvation having been carried out, the glorious church age and the preaching of the gospel to all nations progressing as I write this post-- the one event left for the human race is the judgement and punishment phase of God's eternal plan.
This will be carried out on the earth via the great tribulation period, in a spiritual sense by the casting of wayward souls into outer darkness, and then the eventual plan of casting the devil and the estranged angels into the lake of fire. So the judgement by which these punishments will be carried out; is by the Law. If John saw the Ark in Heaven then that is the standard by which, ALL these judgements will be carried out. Think that none of God's creation is above the Law, even the angels and the heavenly hosts are under it . The standard ( and this my opinion ) is the Law and if the Ark is in heaven then the earthly Ark was crafted after the heavenly Ark and not the other way around.
But for those under Christ, in effect the Law has already passed, finished , over, done, accomplished, dead, null, void; it cannot be any other way. There are over 1050 new commands in the new covenant that are just as binding as the over 1200 in the old covenent. Look at it this way God eased up just a "tad". We have approx. 150 fewer commands to keep than under the Old Testament. Praise the Lord.
However in this wonderfully, beautiful, sincere, free statement of love that you have expressed, you thrill my heart..
>>>"To me when the Lord says we must pick up our cross and follow Him, He was saying to do His will above our own will daily ( in the garden, not my will but your will be done, that was His decision about the cross). I stand in His righteousness and obey Him to my best ability out of love and respect, but as scripture says I will give an account for the freedom He has given me. There is no bondage but freedom from sin in these verses. When the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed.""<<
So how can I ever have a difference of opinion with you that could separate us from the common bond we have in Christ? An impossibility.
And if we ever disagree*****
We work the fields of souls. Together you and I. We are not the same. Differences aside. Shalom...gregor |
