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Cindy
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1 year ago
in God Has Set Things Right on A day in the life
Hi Heath
Actually, I agree with you in a sense about our upholding the law. Not the letter of the law, mind. That was given to the Jews in a given society and quite a lot of it is irrelevant and incomprehensible to us. God required all the things He required in the law for good reasons and you can be sure that the requirements were understandable to the people to whom they were given. For example, our pastor recently mentioned in a sermon that the law forbids boiling a baby goat in its mother's milk. Aside from the natural revulsion that raises in most of our hearts, the idol worshipers at that time used to do just this in a fertility ceremony, so doing such a thing went beyond what we instinctively see as wrong and had a specific cultural connotation.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God and the second, to love others as ourselves. On these, He said, depend all the law and the prophets. So, when the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and we become Christ's disciples, we begin to live and grow in love. Thus, we become (or at least are becoming) the kind of people who do naturally uphold the law.
Grace and Peace,
Cindy
Actually, I agree with you in a sense about our upholding the law. Not the letter of the law, mind. That was given to the Jews in a given society and quite a lot of it is irrelevant and incomprehensible to us. God required all the things He required in the law for good reasons and you can be sure that the requirements were understandable to the people to whom they were given. For example, our pastor recently mentioned in a sermon that the law forbids boiling a baby goat in its mother's milk. Aside from the natural revulsion that raises in most of our hearts, the idol worshipers at that time used to do just this in a fertility ceremony, so doing such a thing went beyond what we instinctively see as wrong and had a specific cultural connotation.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love God and the second, to love others as ourselves. On these, He said, depend all the law and the prophets. So, when the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and we become Christ's disciples, we begin to live and grow in love. Thus, we become (or at least are becoming) the kind of people who do naturally uphold the law.
Grace and Peace,
Cindy
1 year ago
in Blogger Small Group: Romans 3:21-31 | Consuming Worship on Consuming Worship
Excellent point, Jeff. It's easy to feel superior when we think about "those" sinners. We always have to guard against that.
Yet, we need to also remember that, though we're all saved by grace through faith (which is itself the gift of God), we're saved to purity, sanctity, holiness--not to endless penance. Jesus' blood is enough. It is, after all, the blood of GOD. Selah.
We all fall victim (well, I do) to both extremes, either of which probably pleases our enemy equally (unless he can get us to alternate between them). On the one hand, we easily forget where we came from and begin thinking of ourselves as better than the "common sinners". On the other, we never forget where we came from and spend our time wallowing in self-pity for our unworthiness.
And what else would we be but unworthy? Either of these paths is ego. We think we're good enough or else we think it's our responsibility to be good enough--as if we could.
Jesus did it all--we did (and apart from Him can do) nothing.
Grace and Peace,
Cindy
Yet, we need to also remember that, though we're all saved by grace through faith (which is itself the gift of God), we're saved to purity, sanctity, holiness--not to endless penance. Jesus' blood is enough. It is, after all, the blood of GOD. Selah.
We all fall victim (well, I do) to both extremes, either of which probably pleases our enemy equally (unless he can get us to alternate between them). On the one hand, we easily forget where we came from and begin thinking of ourselves as better than the "common sinners". On the other, we never forget where we came from and spend our time wallowing in self-pity for our unworthiness.
And what else would we be but unworthy? Either of these paths is ego. We think we're good enough or else we think it's our responsibility to be good enough--as if we could.
Jesus did it all--we did (and apart from Him can do) nothing.
Grace and Peace,
Cindy
1 year ago
in Blogger Small Group: Romans 3:9-20 | Consuming Worship on Consuming Worship
Oops! I mean mercy was given before Christ in an anticipatory fashion, which includes both before and after the coming of the Law.
I don't really understand how things were before the Law--I'd have to study on it a little more. I expect that at that time the Jews were just in the same boat as the non-Jews. . . expected to follow the law of their consciences which God had placed within them. The law of nature, so to speak.
Got to go to bed. My eyes are getting bleary!
God Bless,
Cindy
I don't really understand how things were before the Law--I'd have to study on it a little more. I expect that at that time the Jews were just in the same boat as the non-Jews. . . expected to follow the law of their consciences which God had placed within them. The law of nature, so to speak.
Got to go to bed. My eyes are getting bleary!
God Bless,
Cindy
1 year ago
in Blogger Small Group: Romans 3:9-20 | Consuming Worship on Consuming Worship
Great post!
When I think about the Law, I can only think about how glad I am that Jesus came. Reading the Law will do this to you. In fairness, I think there's a lot of stuff in the Law that the Jews understood perfectly and which has no relevence to us because we either haven't learned the relevant cultural context or it's been lost to antiquity.
Anyway, Michael said "before the law there was mercy but no accountability?" I'm not sure what you're saying Michael. But if I understand you right, the answer would be that mercy was given in an anticipatory fashion, based on Jesus future attoning sacrifice.
Grace and Peace to all ya'll. ;)
Cindy
When I think about the Law, I can only think about how glad I am that Jesus came. Reading the Law will do this to you. In fairness, I think there's a lot of stuff in the Law that the Jews understood perfectly and which has no relevence to us because we either haven't learned the relevant cultural context or it's been lost to antiquity.
Anyway, Michael said "before the law there was mercy but no accountability?" I'm not sure what you're saying Michael. But if I understand you right, the answer would be that mercy was given in an anticipatory fashion, based on Jesus future attoning sacrifice.
Grace and Peace to all ya'll. ;)
Cindy
1 year ago
in We’re all in the same sinking boat. on A day in the life
Right. Good point. It's always helpful to remember this when, for example, I get angry with my husband because of this or that little thing. Who am I to go around getting angry at God's kids. Look what He's forgiven me!
God Bless,
Cindy
God Bless,
Cindy
