Some thoughts on Love and the Law

Tnkrbl123!

New member
Jesus said Himself that He did not come to abolish the law, but He came to fulfill the law.
Matthew 5:17-20 says,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

But it does not stop there Jesus goes on to tell us what is at the HEART of the law. The law is there to show us how sinful we are but there’s more to the law and that is the ULTIMATE law of LOVE. We are to love like God Loves and we are to forgive just as we have been forgiven, and show mercy just as we have been shown mercy, and give everything for another because another has given His everything for us, the ultimate sacrifice.

He goes on not to loosen the law but to actually tighten the law to get at the real heart of what it telling us how we should live our lives in a way that is pure and pleasing to God.
Matthew 5:21-48 (the rest of chapter 5) explains this. Not only are we to keep the command not to murder but in fact even if we are angry at another or call another “you fool” we are liable to the judgement. If you are going to make an offering to the Lord but you remember you have something against your brother or sister, you must first go reconcile (love and forgiveness) and then after you have shown love you are to go and give your offering to the Lord. Another law concerns adultery the law tells us not to commit adultery but Jesus tells us that if we even look at a man/woman with lust we are guilty of adultery. We are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in order to be worthy of our Lord.
It all comes back to the ultimate Law and that is LOVE.

JESUS GAVE A NEW LAW - Matthew 22:34-40
“The Pharisees got together, one of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the FIRST and GREATEST COMMANDMENT. And the second is like it: ‘LOVE your neighbor as yourself. ALL THE LAW and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus in fact loved and cherished and practiced the law. It is His law and His Father's law and it is given to us so we can live our best life in the way we were intended and in a way pleasing to God and so we should cherish it also. But we are not bound to it because Love is above all else and Jesus is Love and has come to fulfill this by showing love in the ultimate way. Jesus came to fulfil the law and explains the entire law: Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself.” This commandment from Jesus is so essential and foundational that is repeated in Mark and Luke in almost the exact same wording
Luke 10:25-28 “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Mark 12:28-33 “One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus comes to gather up all of His creation and reconcile it all to Himself again then the law will pass away and all that will be left when He comes for us once and for all is Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
"Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love

Bless you
 

daqq

Well-known member
Jesus said Himself that He did not come to abolish the law, but He came to fulfill the law.
Matthew 5:17-20 says,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

But it does not stop there Jesus goes on to tell us what is at the HEART of the law. The law is there to show us how sinful we are but there’s more to the law and that is the ULTIMATE law of LOVE. We are to love like God Loves and we are to forgive just as we have been forgiven, and show mercy just as we have been shown mercy, and give everything for another because another has given His everything for us, the ultimate sacrifice.

He goes on not to loosen the law but to actually tighten the law to get at the real heart of what it telling us how we should live our lives in a way that is pure and pleasing to God.
Matthew 5:21-48 (the rest of chapter 5) explains this. Not only are we to keep the command not to murder but in fact even if we are angry at another or call another “you fool” we are liable to the judgement. If you are going to make an offering to the Lord but you remember you have something against your brother or sister, you must first go reconcile (love and forgiveness) and then after you have shown love you are to go and give your offering to the Lord. Another law concerns adultery the law tells us not to commit adultery but Jesus tells us that if we even look at a man/woman with lust we are guilty of adultery. We are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in order to be worthy of our Lord.
It all comes back to the ultimate Law and that is LOVE.

JESUS GAVE A NEW LAW - Matthew 22:34-40
“The Pharisees got together, one of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the FIRST and GREATEST COMMANDMENT. And the second is like it: ‘LOVE your neighbor as yourself. ALL THE LAW and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Jesus in fact loved and cherished and practiced the law. It is His law and His Father's law and it is given to us so we can live our best life in the way we were intended and in a way pleasing to God and so we should cherish it also. But we are not bound to it because Love is above all else and Jesus is Love and has come to fulfill this by showing love in the ultimate way. Jesus came to fulfil the law and explains the entire law: Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself.” This commandment from Jesus is so essential and foundational that is repeated in Mark and Luke in almost the exact same wording
Luke 10:25-28 “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Mark 12:28-33 “One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

And when Jesus comes to gather up all of His creation and reconcile it all to Himself again then the law will pass away and all that will be left when He comes for us once and for all is Faith, Hope and Love and the greatest of these is Love.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
"Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love

Bless you

That is indeed a blessing, and thank you, and welcome to the forum. :)
 

meshak

BANNED
Banned
He goes on not to loosen the law but to actually tighten the law to get at the real heart of what it telling us how we should live our lives in a way that is pure and pleasing to God.

Yes! Amen:)

That was He meant when He said He came to fulfill the law.

thank you:)
 

Tnkrbl123!

New member
That is indeed a blessing, and thank you, and welcome to the forum. :)

Thank you! This is my first thread post and I just wanted to express my thoughts and beliefs on this subject in a bit more detailed and organized way. I see a lot of discussion on this topic and lots of it is just a few verses that people us to "prove" one way or another about the law and it's role in our lives today. But I think using only 1 or 2 verses to try to prove a point is never enough and it's hard to only use a couple verses to get your point across without explaining your thinking behind those scripture choices. I am not by any means that I am right or that I have all the answers but this is just a very short overview of some of the thoughts I have about the law from the old testament and the impact that Jesus had on it and how that relates to our lives now. Thank you for taking the time to read it and be the first poster on my first topic! God bless you
 

Tnkrbl123!

New member
Thank you. I am glad that I came across somewhat clear because it is harder to explain and put my thoughts into words than I originally thought :)
 

Tnkrbl123!

New member
Yes! Amen:)

That was He meant when He said He came to fulfill the law.

thank you:)

Thank you. I am glad that I came across somewhat clear because it is harder to explain and put my thoughts into words than I originally thought :)
 

way 2 go

Well-known member
Jesus said Himself that He did not come to abolish the law, but He came to fulfill the law.


And when Jesus comes to gather up all of His creation and reconcile it all to Himself again then the law will pass away

the law of sin and death will pass away ,the law that Christians are no longer under ,right?

Rom 7:6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
 

Tnkrbl123!

New member
the law of sin and death will pass away ,the law that Christians are no longer under ,right?

Rom 7:6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Yes. This is actually what i posted in a thread by Squeaky called Sabbath. And in the end pages he is arguing that we are Jesus abolished the law completely but he also argues that works are required to be saved. So I posted this in response to one of his posts but I took a long time writing it so I posted it as a thread but I guess it is not in context by itself hey. I will post an "add on" about love that I realized is required for this to be a stand-alone post.
 
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