James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
Galatians 3:10 - For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” That sounds very demanding!
To "keep the Sabbath" as it was required in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant would involve compliance with specific regulations (Exodus 16:23; 35:3; Leviticus 23:32; Jeremiah 17:21) that were strictly enforced. So no kindling a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath (Exodus 35:3). Every man must remain in his place on the sabbath (Exodus 16:29). No trading (Amos 8:5). No marketing (Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15,19). *Also, according to Exodus 31:12-18; 35:1-3; and Numbers 15:32-36, anyone who profaned the Sabbath was put to death and any person who does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from his people. That also sounds very demanding!
As Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 3:6-9, "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills...the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone...the ministry that condemns." But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
In Galatians 6:2, we read - "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." The law of Christ is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:21 and although the Bible does not seem to give a precise, specific definition of the law of Christ, many people understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated in the two great commandments. Mark 12:28 - One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and 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.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In place of the Mosaic law and being under the law in the Old Testament, Christians are to fulfill the law of Christ. Rather than being under 613 laws under the old covenant, Christians are to love God and loving others as ourself. If Christians were to obey these two great commands, we would be fulfilling the law of Christ.
Sadly, there are those who pervert the gospel by teaching salvation by "grace plus law, faith plus works." Here is an example below from a statement made by a former member of Christian Chat (who happens to be SDA) that I was once in a discussion with.
"There is another Gospel out there. What is the other Gospel? It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's Law (10 commandments) from the Cross. The counterfeit Gospel is out there. It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's 10 commandments from the plan of salvation. God’s Law has always been part of the true Gospel of Christ. The counterfeit Gospel does not have it. God's forever Law (the 10 commandments) is the foundation of both the Old and the New Covenant and the very foundation and basis of the true Gospel of Christ."
Of course that statement above is absolutely FALSE. During his time on Christian Chat (prior to getting banned) this SDA had a link to a website called, "TheBeastsMarkiscoming" that promotes the idea that those who worship God on Sunday instead of Saturday will receive the mark of the beast. He was absolutely obsessed with turning keeping the Sabbath day into a legalistic prescription for salvation for the Church in the New Testament, contrary to scripture.
Galatians 3:10 - For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” That sounds very demanding!
To "keep the Sabbath" as it was required in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant would involve compliance with specific regulations (Exodus 16:23; 35:3; Leviticus 23:32; Jeremiah 17:21) that were strictly enforced. So no kindling a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath (Exodus 35:3). Every man must remain in his place on the sabbath (Exodus 16:29). No trading (Amos 8:5). No marketing (Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15,19). *Also, according to Exodus 31:12-18; 35:1-3; and Numbers 15:32-36, anyone who profaned the Sabbath was put to death and any person who does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from his people. That also sounds very demanding!
As Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 3:6-9, "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills...the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone...the ministry that condemns." But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
In Galatians 6:2, we read - "Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ." The law of Christ is also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 9:21 and although the Bible does not seem to give a precise, specific definition of the law of Christ, many people understand the law of Christ to be what Christ stated in the two great commandments. Mark 12:28 - One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and 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.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
In place of the Mosaic law and being under the law in the Old Testament, Christians are to fulfill the law of Christ. Rather than being under 613 laws under the old covenant, Christians are to love God and loving others as ourself. If Christians were to obey these two great commands, we would be fulfilling the law of Christ.
Sadly, there are those who pervert the gospel by teaching salvation by "grace plus law, faith plus works." Here is an example below from a statement made by a former member of Christian Chat (who happens to be SDA) that I was once in a discussion with.
"There is another Gospel out there. What is the other Gospel? It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's Law (10 commandments) from the Cross. The counterfeit Gospel is out there. It is a Gospel that tries to separate God's 10 commandments from the plan of salvation. God’s Law has always been part of the true Gospel of Christ. The counterfeit Gospel does not have it. God's forever Law (the 10 commandments) is the foundation of both the Old and the New Covenant and the very foundation and basis of the true Gospel of Christ."
Of course that statement above is absolutely FALSE. During his time on Christian Chat (prior to getting banned) this SDA had a link to a website called, "TheBeastsMarkiscoming" that promotes the idea that those who worship God on Sunday instead of Saturday will receive the mark of the beast. He was absolutely obsessed with turning keeping the Sabbath day into a legalistic prescription for salvation for the Church in the New Testament, contrary to scripture.
To me, living the letter of the law was like living a lower law, as it says, the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, or bring us to a higher order, in fact the new law of Christ (Galations 6:2) So yes we are free from the regulations of the law and no one is going to be put to death for profaning on the Sabbath. So does that mean we can now profane all day on the Lords day? Is that the spirit of the law?
For instance:
Jesus said that the law says that you commit adultry when you lay with a woman that you are not married to. That is the letter of the law. Then Jesus said that the spirit of the law is: even if you look upon a woman with lust, you have committed adultry in your heart.
So I would say that in some ways the lower law of regulations were very demanding, but I also say that the higher law of Christ demands a higher life standard that can be even more demanding on your moral integrity.
A higher law is always more demanding than a lower law. But perhaps more demanding in a different way than the lower law.
It just seems like that some Christians feel: now we are not under that Law of Moses, as long as we say we believe in Christ we can do anything we wish and Christ will cover us and no consequences to our behavior and we will slide into heaven on a rainbow and all is well.
I think there is more to it than that.
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