Looking At the Bible And The Law, It's Like Honey!

Stuff about the law comes up often, I break up the things of the law two ways...

First application: the understanding that the law has nothing to do with our salvation per se, that's accomplished in Christ and that's where you find the Word inserting Jesus in place of the law, God see's Jesus when looking at us rather than, have we kept the law for our righteousness. Most Christians are stuck with just this view of God's Law and try to make any scripture fit into this context. Most frustrating.

The Second application: this part was epic for me, seeing the law as of the whole of God's counsel that we may align ourselves with a manner of living that brings blessing, not confusion, as regards roles, definitions, proper order and to be able to live fruitful lives. The term "law" applies as his defintions are unchanging, look no farther then America, at how desperate we are to change the meaning of everything, to make it into our own image, of what we want rather than as God has stated. God's order for the family can be violated, but frustration, pain, and emptiness will be the result. We don't call it the "law of the family" but it is every bit a "law" as the "law of gravity" is. Ignore it at your peril. God said....what do you say?

As a modern evangelical I saw everything about the law in terms definition #1 and was clueless, no understanding as to this second way of seeing his Word law, as the whole counsel of God. Letting the Old and New Testaments paint a portrait for how all of life should be lived. My pastors hadn't been taught it, so how could they pass it on. So anytime the word law showed up I would cram it back into the cubbyhole labeled "don't worry about it, Jesus has handled it".

Let me just say the foundation that helped me see this way was the boot camp cd's from Vision Forum, Rob has them. From set 2 , The Intention of God's Law, The Objection to God's law, God's law or chaos, The Continuence of God's Law. Lots of Rushdoony stuff, the book, "Law and Liberty" was also helpful. The fantastic cd set "So Let Your Light" has also helped me to see my role as a Christian more clearly in regards to God's word. I just posted reviews of the first two cds at my blog today, which also pertains to this subject. We are to be like Jesus and do what we see the Father do and say what the Father says... But about what?, everything!
So anytime you see "law" in the word you need to see if it can be distinguished into one of the two camps, their might be other ways to see this, but this has greatly helped me.

L Windham on cd 2showed how all our lives as believers should be about repeating back what God has said, about anything, and of course to then live it out.

1John 5:2,3.. by this we know we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (Not burdensome?!?, that's what God says!)
Jesus in Matthew 4:4 starts his ministry by saying "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." all of it, every word!
Jesus in Matt 5:13-25 at the start of his ministry begins by saying you are a light and let your light shine, and as part of that thought drops the bomb that, he didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets and till heaven and earth pass away not one jot or tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled....whoever does and teaches them, he, shall be called great, in the Kingdom of God. Do we, as believers usually put these passages together in our minds, as they were put together when Jesus spoke them?

In Romans 2:18 Paul makes the point that being instructed out of the law you can know his will and to approve the things that are excellent. I struggle to know what is excellent in God's sight.

Romans 3:21-31 paints a contrast of a righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed here's Jesus to the rescue for us, removing the law as the basis for our righteousness and at verse 31 Paul says do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not. On the contrary we establish the law. So that we may know how to live life...so that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk in the futility of their mind. Eph 4:17,18 That we may align ourselves with a manner of living that brings blessing, not confusion, as regards roles, definitions, proper order and to be able to live fruitful lives. Rom 7:12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good.

God says...Psalm 119, Blesssed are they...who walk in the law of the lord...I will delight myself in your statutes...I shall keep your law and shall observe it with my whole heart...I will walk at liberty for I seek your precepts (We go.. huh?!?)...for your law is my delight...the law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold coins... oh how I love your law! What do you say?

God's word, what he has said, is unchanging, it is law.