[doinghiswill]

In the 19th and 20th Chapters of Exodus we see God calling out a people to be his own. In our day ‘the Law’(the ten commandments) seems to be a restrictive thing when in fact is was a great act of Love toward Israel and us today. Our Father wanting to be close to us pointed out with perfection those things that would build a wall between us and him. His desire is to be close to us.
Jesus said, Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Part of that ‘to fulfil’ is the calling of a people to himself.
As I look even in 1Cor13 I see in Pauls defining of love a call to separation to God.People who seek to live this way canot do it in their own strength they must have help from Jesus the one who sent the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
I mean all the other gifts that come with that infilling is wonderful but I find at the end of the day, 12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Originally Posted by doinghiswill

In the 19th and 20th Chapters of Exodus we see God calling out a people to be his own. In our day ‘the Law’(the ten commandments) seems to be a restrictive thing when in fact is was a great act of Love toward Israel and us today. Our Father wanting to be close to us pointed out with perfection those things that would build a wall between us and him. His desire is to be close to us.
Jesus said, Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Part of that ‘to fulfil’ is the calling of a people to himself.
As I look even in 1Cor13 I see in Pauls defining of love a call to separation to God.People who seek to live this way canot do it in their own strength they must have help from Jesus the one who sent the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.
I mean all the other gifts that come with that infilling is wonderful but I find at the end of the day, 12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Can you help me out and expound a bit more on your take on the law in reference to us today? I want to make sure I am understanding what you are saying! LOL.

[doinghiswill]

Ok, firstI believe the whole word of God was meant to draw us to him. Even the writtings about the law.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Those writtings were given to us to show us that God has always wanted a people for his very own. I see this thread down through the ages from the moment man fell that God in his love and mercy was calling us back to him. His desire to get back to the 'cool of the day.'
I think the bible has this line of thought all the way through it.Every book every Law Gods voice calling to us.The laws purpose is to show us that we can not get back to him with out him.
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
I think that the law shows us how we should treat each other.I think it points to that higher law. The law of love. If you love with Gods love you wont break the commandments. To me the law is a help even in this 'age of grace'. why?
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
again I say the law show my need for God to 'be his own.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Jesus said also....Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
he doesn't want this to be a heavy burdon but a joy.
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Isa 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isa 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Isa 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
I think the law and studying it shows us the face of God if we don't see it as merely a list of do's and don'ts but loving instruction from our God who is in fact LOVE>

Originally Posted by doinghiswill

Ok, firstI believe the whole word of God was meant to draw us to him. Even the writtings about the law.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Those writtings were given to us to show us that God has always wanted a people for his very own. I see this thread down through the ages from the moment man fell that God in his love and mercy was calling us back to him. His desire to get back to the 'cool of the day.'
I think the bible has this line of thought all the way through it.Every book every Law Gods voice calling to us.The laws purpose is to show us that we can not get back to him with out him.
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
I think that the law shows us how we should treat each other.I think it points to that higher law. The law of love. If you love with Gods love you wont break the commandments. To me the law is a help even in this 'age of grace'. why?
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
again I say the law show my need for God to 'be his own.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Jesus said also....Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
he doesn't want this to be a heavy burdon but a joy.
Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Isa 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isa 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Isa 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Isa 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
I think the law and studying it shows us the face of God if we don't see it as merely a list of do's and don'ts but loving instruction from our God who is in fact LOVE>

Keith, great post and those scriptures in Isaiah are amazing ones indeed. I wholeheartedly agree with you as to finding beauty in the law but I would like to add one thing here, if I might, and I would not do it if I did not feel you will agree.

I would like to point out though, many, if not most of todays body still labors under the law of commandments in some form or fashion and it first must be cast off to truly be appreciated as you have beautifully spoken. If a man has put off his old man by faith, reckoning it dead and sin with it, he is now dead to the law and it has no authority over him any longer. Again, if they by faith, let God renew their minds and then put on the new man, created in righteousness and true holiness, that is a man who can stare into the eyes of the law and not experience condemnation and be thankful the law did its job, it brought us to the feet of Christ, needing mercy. It was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. But that was all it did. It had or has no part in our continued working out of our salvation, for only grace thru faith has the ability to impart Christ's nature and infuse it into our lives.

Thanks for letting me clear the air as many can overlook how insideous the devil is, for he would love to get us to labor under the law in just one small area of our lives. Why? Because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. The very minute we look to someone or something else that has to be done other than what Jesus has done, is doing and will contnue to do for us and in us, we are in mortal danger. The law can be stared at only by those walking in faith without the devil trying to seduce us into believing salvation is do's and don'ts.

Ok, sorry to interrupt, and again Keith, great post. But truthfully I like all your stuff. I am glad you are here, brother.

[doinghiswill]

yes and Amen I find the whole of scipture so up lifting.