I try to cite the Bible as often as I can to show that I am not just making things up, but that I have studied the subject matter and am basing my position on Scripture. Hypothetically, I could intentionally misrepresent verses, take them out of context, or just throw out random verse citations to make it look like I know what I am speaking about when I actually do not, but that sort of behavior is contrary to being a Christian and it would be rather easy for someone to spot and expose me as a fraud. My goal is to represent verses as accurately as I can and I think that I've done a good job of that, so it is unnecessary for people to look up everything that I've cited, but the citations are there in case someone disagree with what I've said or thinks that I've misunderstood a passage and wants to challenge me. I am used to a forum that automatically hyperlinks verse references for ease of looking them up, so I usually find it better to just give the verse references to save space, especially in forums with low character limits per post.
In
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
it says that God's law is not too difficult to obey and
Romans 10:5-8 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
quotes that passage as the word of faith that we proclaim, so believing that we can be doers of the law is not a matter of exalting ourselves, but a matter of having faith in God's word. Moreover, there are a number of examples of people in the Bible who were doers of the law, such as those in
Joshua 22:1-3 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the Lord your God.
Luke 1:5-6 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[
a] of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.
Revelation 14:12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.[
b]
Revelation 22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes,[
c] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
While do not earn our justification as the result of having first obeyed God's law, it is nevertheless still true that all of those who will be justified are doers of the law.
We become someone who has faith, someone who will be justified, and someone who is a doer of the law all at the same time, so someone who is not one of those things is also not the others, but we do not become justified as the result of having first obeyed God's law.
Jesus set a perfect example for us to follow of how to walk in obedience to the Mosaic Law and in
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus inviting people to come to him for rest and to learn him, so that is his yoke and burden. Furthermore, but Jesus saying that we would find rest for our souls, he was referencing
(Jeremiah 6:16-19)
Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
where the Mosaic Law is described as the good way where we will find rest for our souls. Jesus is God's word made flesh, so there is no room for thinking that his yoke and burden is something other than God's word.
The Spirit has the role of leading us in truth
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey the Mosaic Law
Ezekiel 36:26-27 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
and the Mosaic Law is truth
Psalms 119:142 Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true.
