Originally posted by Sozo
Wrong!!
Who are God's Father & Mother?
Whom does God have as God that He has no other god's before Him?
Whom does God refrain from committing adultery with?
The Law has nothing to do with God. The Law is created by God to reveal sin in man. God's character is not revealed by the Law.
Are the 10 commandments not consistent with the love, wisdom, and holiness of God? God did not arbitrarily create the law. He did reveal principles for the people of God to separate them from the heathen nations who sacrificed children, etc. They are from the heart, mind, and hand of God. They are consistent with His perfect values.
Anton Lavey's Satanic Bible has principles and laws that are consistent with his character and the ways of Satan (everything is opposite of Christianity).
God is love. This is an aspect of His nature and character. Love God and hate idols. This is consistent with His nature to seek the highest good of the most valuable, worthy being in the universe.
Do not steal. This is consistent with loving your neighbour. Our love for others is a limited reflection of God's love for us. He gives abundant life. Satan robs, kills, destroys.
God does not murder us for no reason. We are not to murder in cold blood. This law reflects the wisdom and holiness of God. If murder was allowed by God, then that would be a revelation of the kind of evil god He would be.
His Laws are not contrary to His wisdom and goodness. Just because God does not commit adultery (obviously) does not mean that His ways are fickle or contrary to who He essentially is. If adultery was holy and good, He would promote that.
Absolutes in right living are based on who God is. Without God, anything goes. There is no moral standard. Abortion would become a legitimate option. Situational ethics and relativism would be valid. The moral law giver and His righteous character is the basis for absolute truth. Most Christians do not dispute this. Let us not confuse these truths with areas of salvation/justification by faith.
If you do not live by God's standards subsequent to salvation, then what 'law' do you live by? Do you murder, steal, hate parents, commit adultery, covet, etc. and encourage other believers to do the same? No. This is all I am saying. Do not read more into it and make it sound like we are saved by keeping the law or that the law makes us holy rather than condemn us as sinners who fall short of the glory of God.
The Law had twin purposes. It shows us that we are sinners who need God's grace. It is also a guideline for right living under grace as believers (we should not shoot people for sport). An extreme view that is against the Law in every sense is known as the heresy of antinomianism. There are various shades of this heresy. Most orthodox believers, including Paul, refute this half truth. It came up under Luther's time. Being saved and living under grace does not mean that we live ungodly, lawless lives.
Do a study of antinomianism in a theological dictionary. Trace the history of this view through the centuries. It will clarify the OT and NT believer's relationship to the Law. This should satisfy you that your view and mine (not saved by keeping the law) is compatible with a proper understanding of the biblical view of justification, sanctification, discipleship, godly living in a godless society, etc.
