Why Do Christians Ignore Most of the Old Testament Rules?

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throughfaith

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Aug 4, 2020
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The focus seems to be discerning between the mature in the faith and those who are not yet grown beyond milk. The ones on milk cannot accept the weightier matters of wisdom. They need to strengthen their foundation. For some that may happen quickly, but I think in general it happens over time as we are tested by the trials and tribulations of life. Maturity in life matters may actually help, as a broader perspective is brought into play. People with more life experience should know themselves better, perhaps have better insight into at least their powerlessness and need for faith in Christ to accomplish what He has promised, for it is Him working through us.
Yes they are UNABLE.
1¶And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

' Cannot speak ' CANNOT !

neither yet now are ye able.

NOT ABLE !
The same as the Natural man.
Thats why i believe the ' Natural ' man is a carnal believer. It means the same thing .
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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Mature believers understand the things of the spirit . Notice it says ' the things ' ..well the context is the things of a deeper understanding. Not ALL things, including the Gospel.
The wisdom that Paul wants to impart to those still on milk but are unable at the moment .
Yes, and that does distinguish them from the natural man because they have already come to believe the gospel.

The natural man has not accepted the gospel. So though both are described as carnal, there is a huge difference.

Because the natural man is marked for (the 2nd) death, and the spiritual man is not.
 

throughfaith

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Aug 4, 2020
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Yes, and that does distinguish them from the natural man because they have already come to believe the gospel.

The natural man has not accepted the gospel. So though both are described as carnal, there is a huge difference.

Because the natural man is marked for (the 2nd) death, and the spiritual man is not.
It just says ( well apart from the Niv ) That a natural man cannot understand ' the things ' what things ? the things of the Spirit . What things of the Spirit ? The Gospel ?
, as the calvinst will tell us and insist . Cannot understand the Gospel . Boy there's an excuse for the Atheist lol . No I think it just means the same' things' in chapter 3 , the meat . Anyone ,believer or unbeliever who has his mind on worldly wisdom won't understand until he does recieve the things of the spirit .
 

throughfaith

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Aug 4, 2020
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Yes, and that does distinguish them from the natural man because they have already come to believe the gospel.

The natural man has not accepted the gospel. So though both are described as carnal, there is a huge difference.

Because the natural man is marked for (the 2nd) death, and the spiritual man is not.
I just look at it in that we as believers can understand because we have been given the spirit . But if we are being ' fleshy ' we won't understand. Many a baby Christian even after 50 years .
 

Magenta

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Jul 3, 2015
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It just says ( well apart from the Niv ) That a natural man cannot understand ' the things ' what things ? the things of the Spirit . What things of the Spirit ? The Gospel ?
, as the calvinst will tell us and insist . Cannot understand the Gospel . Boy there's an excuse for the Atheist lol . No I think it just means the same' things' in chapter 3 , the meat . Anyone ,believer or unbeliever who has his mind on worldly wisdom won't understand until he does recieve the things of the spirit .
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.


I think I have met one atheist who understood the gospel. I spoke to hundreds of them over the first few years of being online as a Christian. That one had a better grasp than some Christians I have known. They had formerly identified as Christian. Were they? Scripture says those who leave show they never belonged in the first place. So they understood what the Bible was teaching but did not receive it, did not believe it in their heart; intellectual understanding does not equate to belief or acceptance. I was raised Christian but had little to no grasp of the gospel message, and I certainly did not know Who Jesus was. It was thirty three years ago at this time of year when I went to a church that was showing a movie based on the gospel of Luke on the life of Christ. I was curious to know about Jesus, and had a divine encounter wherein God let me know I was loved and forgiven. Being at the lowest point of my life, and in a state of really feeling my brokenness, I was grateful, truly, to receive that knowledge, but could not believe in that God. It took other divine encounters/experiences and much searching and years of me essentially running from Him in rebellion before I could surrender my life to Him. Maybe I was just more stubborn than most people, but I definitely needed a lot of help in coming to believe. I can look back now to years before I came to believe, and see God's grace working in my life. I was not a very worldly person. I pursued spiritual things with a passion, and had many experiences others would call paranormal. But the things of God? Biblical things? Anything that smacked of organized religion? I rejected. I could not accept them.

I have enjoyed talking to you :D I need a break :)
 

Naomi123

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Mar 18, 2021
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But If you don't obey the law perfectly then your Imperfect obedience will not be acceptable, although the law Is GODs perfect standard of righteousness you are carnal and will be brought Into captivity to sin because of the weakness of the flesh.
im meaning the command to not eat....of the deadly poison which makes man rebel against God...hence the instruction of the Messiah....it is the Lord speaking....
 

throughfaith

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Aug 4, 2020
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Yes, and that does distinguish them from the natural man because they have already come to believe the gospel.

The natural man has not accepted the gospel. So though both are described as carnal, there is a huge difference.

Because the natural man is marked for (the 2nd) death, and the spiritual man is not.
If you look at the fact that no one was regenerated until Acts 2 ,this shows that people were pleasing God , walking with God , interacting with God , God appears to them , they pray to him , worship him, follow him ,ect prior to Acts 2 .
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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If you look at the fact that no one was regenerated until Acts 2 ,this shows that people were pleasing God , walking with God , interacting with God , God appears to them , they pray to him , worship him, follow him ,ect prior to Acts 2 .
Good morning/afternoon, throughfaith :) It is morning here and I am still waking up :D Yes, people had faith in God. Did they fulfill the current requirement of believing the gospel? Well, no, of course not, because the New Covenant had not yet been instituted with the shedding of Christ's righteous blood. Were those Biblical people of antiquity righteous? God saw some as righteous, and walking according to His ways, keeping His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies. Their faith was counted as righteousness also. In the case of Abraham, Jesus said he saw His day and was glad.

And yet we are told there are none righteous. Do you think the Holy Spirit of God was working in them? They may not have been regenerated but surely the Spirit of God was with at least some of them. God's grace was active among them. Were any perfect, flawless? King David, the apple of God's eye... adulterer, murderer. King David pleaded with God for Him not to remove His Holy Spirit from him. I believe it may have been only Joseph (Jacob's son) who has no sins of his recorded in Scripture. Daniel may have had no sins recorded but he did confess his sin to God. So your point is what exactly?

Through all those years of old testament history, God was setting the stage for Jesus. In an earlier post you talked of understanding the gospel when the requirement is believing it. We are under a New Covenant, which is established on better promises and is applicable to all humanity as opposed to the old covenant/s, now made obsolete.