August 12, 2016

Law and Love- perfect together by Gary Rose


The Bible is a very large book containing history, cultural literature and prophecy. Because of the differences between ancient cultures and today's life, sometimes it is difficult for us to understand some portions of what the Bible has to say.  However, This picture quotes something Jesus said that makes understanding the Scriptures easier.  Jesus summarizes the ten commandments into duties to God and man to make things easier to practice. 

In light of this, consider just two passages of Scripture, one from Deuteronomy and one from the book of Hebrews...

Deuteronomy, Chapter 5 (WEB)

4 Yahweh spoke with you face to face on the mountain out of the midst of the fire,  5 (I stood between Yahweh and you at that time, to show you Yahweh’s word: for you were afraid because of the fire, and didn’t go up onto the mountain;) saying, 6 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 


  7  “You shall have no other gods before me. 

  8  “You shall not make an engraved image for yourself, any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  9 You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them; for I, Yahweh, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me;  10 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 

  11  “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain: for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 

  12  “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Yahweh your God commanded you.  13 You shall labor six days, and do all your work;  14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God, in which you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.  15 You shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore Yahweh your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 

  16  “Honor your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God commanded you; that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. 

  17  “You shall not murder. 

  18  “You shall not commit adultery. 

  19  “You shall not steal. 

  20  “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 

  21  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. Neither shall you desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” 


AND

Hebrews, Chapter 1 (WEB)

 1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.  3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  4 having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.  5 For to which of the angels did he say at any time, 

“You are my Son.
Today have I become your father?”



and again, 

“I will be to him a Father,
and he will be to me a Son?”


God made man (and woman) and gave them simple rules to follow, but human beings couldn't fully obey them because of their lack of love for their creator. That is law- the Old Testament. God, seeing this, sent his own son, one who had a perfect merger of God and man, to show us how to follow God- with a loving heart. That is love- the New Testament.

Look into what God has said (The Bible), and incorporate God's desires into your life. Obey God's commands (as compared to Adam, who disobeyed) and live. At this point, you might ask- "How do I do this"? Follow the example of those who heard the first Christian sermon at Pentecost (Acts, chapter 2) and follow Jesus. That is called being a Christian!!

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