The writer of Hebrews quotes the Old Testament Scriptures where God is saying in the new agreement with mankind he would put his laws in our hearts and minds (consciences) Heb 8:8-13 Jesus said all the law hung on two commands Love God, Love neighbor Mat 22:37-40. Therefore, the way I see it is you cannot sin by breaking one of the big ten - it is not in effect; or for that matter, any other OT Law, all are done away in Christ 2Co 3:7. All these arguments over the Ten Commandments are ridiculous and futile. The Greek word translated "sin" in the original language of the biblical manuscripts is “hamartia” G266 and means "to miss the mark" it is used to mean to hit a target “PERFECT” center with an arrow. Therefore, to me the mark would be in your own heart and mind as this is where God put his laws and where LOVE flows from our being out to God and to others. Never forget, Love does not originate from our hearts; all Love is originally from God because God “IS” this Love coming from within you and vice versa 1Jn 4:8,16.
Therefore, to me the only way I can "miss the mark" of what God has expected and required of me is to go against my own conscience. Then only God and I can be the judge of that Mat 7:1; Rom 2:1-2, Rom 14:3-4, 10-13; 1Co 4:3-; Jam 4:11-12. Am I making myself equal with God by saying this? No, I am awakening to the promise of the Spirit of God Being poured out on “ALL ” flesh (inclusive, not exclusively to a few; as is mostly taught in the churches). This “gift of the Spirit” was promised under the New Covenant (contract) with All mankind Eze 36:26-27 Joh 14:26 Joh 15:26 Rom 7:6 (Heb 8:10; 1Co 2:10-12) initiated after the cross of Christ Jesus then portrayed and announced on the Day of Pentecost which is another beautiful illustration of God bringing All humanity to Himself; but that is another teaching.
Sin (missing the mark of perfection) is a personal matter of our own heart and conscience. The Law of the Spirit of Christ in our hearts Rom 8:2 has freed us from the Law of the Old Testament which only brought death. Why anyone would want to keep them after God has gone to such effort to do away with them is beyond me. No man can know the mind, heart, or spirit of another. Therefore just, righteous judgment is impossible from another human being 1Co 2:11-15 .
Nevertheless, folks LOVE to Judge; it makes them feel better about themselves being blind to their own weaknesses and imperfections; "well brother; I'm not judgin ya but the bible says...." I can tell you a whole lot of things the bible says that these blind guides would probably not like hearing…. When we judge another by the Old Covenant Law we condemn ourselves Rom 2:1.
The bible also says we do not live by a written code anymore or something that was written on tablets of stone (guess what that was) it says the written letter kills but the spirit gives life! 2Co 3:6-18. These modern Pharisees and self-appointed righteousness regulators need to "really" get the New Part of the book (Hint, New Testament) out and read it ALL before continuing with this condemnation of the world.... Jesus said "I did not come to condemn the world but to save it" John 3:17.
That's my two cents worth anyway...
Here are a few scriptures:
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”(Eze 36:26 English Standard Version)
“But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.”(John 14:26 Amplified Bible)
But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [ Himself] will testify regarding Me. (Joh 15:26 Amplified Bible)
How is it, then, that ALL OF US HEAR them speaking in our own native languages? We are from Parthia , Media, and Elam ; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene Rome , both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia ---yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about THE GREAT THINGS THAT GOD HAS DONE!" Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, "What does this mean?" But others made fun of the believers, saying, "These people are drunk!" Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem Joel spoke about: 'This is what I will do in the last days, God says: I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON “EVERYONE”. Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message. (Act 2:8-18 Good News Bible)
But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter. (Rom 7:6 Modern King James Version )
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel Modern King James Version )
But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of man within him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. (1Co 2:10-12 Modern King James Version)
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ , the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses , who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2Co 3:2-18 New International Version)
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Mat 7:1-3 New International Version)
Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? (Jas 4:11-12 New American Standard Version 1995)
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself,… (Rom 2:1 New International Version)
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1Co 2:15 King James Version)
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead (King James Version) 16. No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. (Good News Bible) - (2Co 5:14,16)
So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ , that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. (Rom 7:4 New International Version)
But it is a small thing to me that I am judged by you or by man's judging; I am not even a judge of myself. For I am not conscious of any wrong in myself; but this does not make me clear, for it is the Lord who is my judge. For this reason let there be no judging before the time, till the Lord comes, who will make clear the secret things of the dark, and the designs of the heart; and then will EVERY MAN HAVE PRAISE FROM GOD. (1Co 4:3-5 Bible in Basic English)
“Every man” have his “praise from God.” What? No condemnation mentioned? Just praise? Hmmm Guess I better leave that out too then…
No comments:
Post a Comment