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Three Questions; Three Answers

Three Questions; Three Answers


Compiled by Brian Hyde January 30, 2012
The following are responses by three blog friends to a specific question I put to them individually in seeking their understanding of how and/or what law is written on our hearts as Christians. I was inspired by what they shared and therefore I share it freely with you the reader. May you be equally blessed.

Note: Apart from a very small number of slight editing changes to make for easier reading and changes to protect the identity of the bloggers, what follows is exactly word for word.

Response from Yvonne to question: What is YOUR understanding of how Gods law is written on the heart? Hi, my brother in Christ Jesus. May the understanding of the Grace of our Lord be made manifest to the full, in both our hearts How can I write to someone who knows more than I do, and writes as if he teaches at Harvard University, I am smiling, and I hope you are too, but by the Grace of our Lord I will try. Paul quoted Jeremiah 31...and .explains it well....Heb 8:1-13. Note verse 7, for if the first covenant were faultless then should no place have been sought for another Also note verse 13, In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away The Old Covenant could not have been placed on our hearts as it was presented to Moses, for it was for a people with a carnal mind (spirit that was asleep) that is why it came through a mediator that was flesh...As the Word (Christ) being Spirit came through flesh and put on flesh not of the mind, but of the body, so did the Law being spirit come through flesh (Moses) and put on flesh that we could behold and see what sin is... So, is the Law good and righteous? absolutely, for it was meant to point out what sin is and pronounce guilt...and it did it perfectly.... But [in Christ] we no longer have a sinful nature, because we are reconciled to the Father who has given us a New Nature and has renewed our minds with the ability to understand things of the spirit, through the indwelling of the Spirit of God...who IS the Law written on our hearts...for He is love (the Spirit of the Law)...

Whereas the OC was geared towards pointing out sins as they occur...the NC is geared towards preventing sin...so the two cannot be the same....That which is spirit in intangible and cannot be seen, except [spiritual] sight be given one to see it. So do not worry yourself trying to start living by sight now when you have started your journey in the Spirit.. The Old Covenant demanded of us that which we were ill-quipped to deliver, but the New Covenant supplies us with everything we need....If we understand and believe that everything is supplied, then all we can do is ask.....as Christ has said, Ask and it shall be given unto you... Look let me tell you that I grovel, I mean I beg. I say, Lord if you dont do this in me it shall not be done, you know I cannot do it on my own. Even my dog gets involved at times and begs with me. Then I will get up and believe I have received what I have asked for. All I can say is do not stop asking.....praying....for God to teach you how to love, show you how to love, cause you to love. I am not saying you are to grovel like me...but certainly pray earnestly and believe and God will bring it to pass in you. e will begin to teach you how to use His word to subdue sins from the entrance gate (the mind). Lastly, consider Israel fall from grace...Ex 19...God said to Moses "this is what you shall say to the house of Israel...you yourself have seen how "I" carried you on eagle wings and brought you to Myself, now if you obey me FULLY and keep my covenant, then out of all nations, you shall be my treasured possession, although the whole earth is mine...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation... He included spiritual Israel when he added ...these are the words you are to speak to the Israelites ... But what did they say? Oh, yes Moses, tell the Lord we will do whatever He asks... while not considering they could not have done one earthly thing to deliver themselves from the bondage of Egypt.Almost immediately afterward they had declared that they could keep the Law they began to worship Idols and they became guilty of infringing every Law of God. I hope was able to assist you my friend.. yvonne Respone from M.....H Question: I have a question that concerns whether divine judgment is retrubutive or not By now I am aware that UR is divided on the issue of whether judgment is retributive or not. This is surprising and puzzling seeing that in order to justify UR advocates must do some thorough exegesis of scripture in its entirety and, not least, its original languages, to arrive at the conclusion they do, viz. that the nature of hell is not as traditionalists teach, or to arrive at the conclusion there is no hell. Be that as it may, I would like to know why you personally do not believe scripture teaches retributive judgment and why. My definition of retributive excludes vindictive punishment but includes corrective punishment. I am thinking not only of the elect who are saved from condemnation but of the ungodly wicked and God haters who even if they

come face to face with God will continue to hate him and blaspheme His name. Now I realise that when the wicked get into Gods prescence many will repent on the spot but what about those who resist their conscience and refuse to repent? Will the presence of God necessarily evoke a paradigm shift in ones thinking toward God? Here I think of the comment made on Van Der Merwes blog that Satan wanted out from the presence of God. And he along with one third of the angelic host rebelled and there was even war in heaven. So here we have perfect beings knowing first hand the true character of God who turned from perfection to imperfection; from holiness to evil and literally became demons. Surely the incorrigibly evil will have to undergo a refining process. Didnt the early fathers believe in retributive judgment for that reasoneven the great man Origen? I look forward to your reply Thanks Brian When the Old Covenant was made with Israel God gave through Moses the Ten Commandments ten and other laws which he wrote down in the book of the covenant. I believe that the book of the covenant expounds on the words of the ten commandments and the one cannot exist without the other. For example, it is to the book that we go to learn how to keep the Sabbath; it is to the book we go if we want to find out the definition of adultery, etc. They go hand in hand and cannot be separated. The bible discusses the law as a guide and a schoolmaster, that was to last until the seed should come. Once we come to Christ we are no longer under that schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24-25). This is why the law written on our heart is not and cannot be the ten commandments or the book of the law. Think of it this way: the law was the initial guide which led us to Christ and showed us up to be sinners in need of salvation. When we come to Christ, something new happens, He gives us His Spirit that is to guide us in all things. I personally believe that the Spirit of Christ is our primary guide because the Spirit leads us in the ways that Christ would go and in what He would do. The Spirit of God could also be called the Spirit of love. With Him dwelling in us, the very love of God works within our heart, giving us the very love of God. God is love and that is what He wants us to be, and with His Spirit's help, the fruits, especially love, will reign in us. When we come to Christ, we become a living breathing epistle to others, one that isn't just living according to a written word but according to the Spirit that dwells within them. The Spirit, not just a written word, guides us in the way of love and imparts grace to live a new life. The love of God cannot be contained within words; within do's and don'ts. The best we can do is to allow the Spirit to fill us with His love, and remind us of all that Christ has done for us and what we should do for others. A list of written laws cannot possibly express the full and total love that God wants us to have for others. This is why instead of a written code, He gave us His Spirit to reveal His love to us in full. The closest thing we can come to that is the words of Christ: "love others as I have loved you".

Thus I don't believe that it is the Ten Commandments that are written on our heart, rather it is the living principles of love that are stamped on our heart by the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit guides us into knowing the right thing to do in each circumstance, He empowers us to do it, and when we will do it under every circumstance, then the law of love is written on our heart. M....H Response from Dave: My dear brother, I am trying to clarify something in my mind...Can the difference between the Old and the New Covenant be stated as follows? : Under the OC God told us (see Prov 3:3) (us being Israel) to write on the tablets of our hearts (metaphor internalised obedience of our will and minds) His law (presumablly as expressed substantially and locally on stone and in a book) and we tried in our own strength and failed. Whereas, under the NC God through His Spirit writes on our heart (metaphor- internalised obedience of our will and minds) His law and we try and we succeed because it is Gods Spirit or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" guaranteeing our success? Now, if you agree with the above premise, in your understanding, exactly which law is God referring to in Jeremiah 31? We would both agree that it cannot be the Ten Commandments or at least the law in that form, right? I suspect that the Ten Commandments are a limited representation of the whole Mosaic Law which is itself a limited representation of God's universal law -- thus a preliminary stage in the progressive revelation of God's law (eventually fully expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ) if you like. What do YOU think, is Jeremiah talking about the Ten Commandments or universal law? The reason I ask is because it is the same law that is written on our hearts to day. Blessings Brian Daves respone (and my feedback within square brackets preceded by initials BH) Good Question! I may send it to a pastor I know. but I found this! Romans 11:27 And this is my covenant with them when ** I take away their sins.*** "2 Corinthians 3:3 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.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. [BH: Yes, I like this because, right here, it defines what will be taught by God (cf Jer 31:34) it is clearly love!] Hebrews 8:10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 10:16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." This is something you may find interesting. When I was debating ciar dude, we had PM discussions. One of the points I made was this. I to the law die to the law. Until you die to the law and live to Christ as a method of salvation, you are lost. [BH: Yes, and I think the operative word that you have used here, is method. I would add that as a method of salvation, it includes EVERY aspect or stage of our salvation including sanctification. Hence, sanctification is not by the works of the law (i.e. obedience to the ten commandments) but by the obedience of faith by which we RECEIVE through the Spirit and not through obedience to the Law or the righteousness demanded by the Law. Thats grace in action! What I label as the grace dynamic)] Then I explained what it meant. I said in short, to receive the free gift of God (Christ) one would have to accept what Christ has done for you. [BH: Yes, instead of offering what we do for ourselves, ie. obedience to the law of commandments] By His merits we are saved not by our own obedience to the law but by the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is saying we have never met the requirements of the law giver in word, thought, desire, motive, ect. all our days. If it were not for grace we all would be lost. Therefore we are not to use the law as a saving grace. [BH: Yep. Thats why Paul talks about his ministry of grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith in Romans 1:1 and asserts that God would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Moreover, he points out that any boasting is not by the law of works {that would also refer to the law of ten commandmentsit is excluded} but by the law of faith {vs 26-27} and maintains that justification is APART from the works of the law Romans 6:14 {again, obedience to the Ten Commandments} v28. That does not mean that the obedience of faith is contrary to the righteousness demanded by the Law; no, it is in fact the VERY righteousness demanded by the Law and so, is in perfect harmony with the righteousness demanded by the Law but generated APART from the righteousness that might be gained or brought about by our obedience to the law. Furthermore, this righteousness that is imputed APART from the law, was talked about and testified to by the Torah {Law and the Prophets} Romans 3:21 a favourite text by the way! In other words the Moses talked about a righteousness that would one day be revealed APART from the Law. Isnt that amazing? Surely the phrase, apart from

the law Paul uses here, has to mean our works or obedience say to the Ten Commandments?]. Now XXX response was this (i.e. I to the law die to the law) is that what it means, die to sin? [BH: Yes, because he has argued with me that the law mentioned here is the same as the law of sin in our members (see Romans 7)] Right there he shows he has not accepted the Cross and is trying to save himself through the law [BH: Yes, he typically defines sin as trangsgression of the law and righteousness as obedience to the law]. He says he is not, but you can see he has righteousness and sanctification mixed up, turned around. Notice, the passage did not say, I to sin die to sin! We should die to sin, but this passage is not saying that, though many attempt to say it is. One note, If we all had love in our heart, e.g. love your brother, love God...we would not steal, lie, ect.. would there be a need for the law? Of course not! When sin is destroyed (and there is no temptation) is there a need for the law? If there is no sin what need then is there for the law, to proscribe what we may do or not do so that we may not sin? So, just maybe, just maybe, that is what the NC is saying. [BH: Exactly, Dave, and right here I usually make the point that in Heaven there is no need for law, for all do by nature what is already put in their minds and on their hearts, {the law of love} but I just love the way you apply that thought to the present!] So that bring us to another question. Under the OC, the law was written on stone, (ministry of death -- no one can keep it). The sacrifices of that time were a shadow of Christ (He took our place as our substitute), and, if we believe it, we receive the gift of God. His love saves us, and if we believe it [we will be accounted righteous] and we will become good. [BH: Yes, where believe means by faith alone of course. We are made good by God and even motivated to be good, both to will and to do of His good pleasure as Paul states in Philemon 2:13]. So, now we totally believe in Christ (and we are known by the Father). So the law is in our heart and that is love in the heart. If we have true love, we don't want to sin, we hate our sin, we don't cherish known sin. [BH: Yes. Not only does God teach us a knowledge of what is right and what is wrong {Jer 31:34} but He takes away all desire for sin. This goes so much further than just attempting to obey a set of external rules]

So the written law on stone was a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. We had to have this law because we did not know what sin was. Now that we know what sin is and choose to live to another, the true law is love in our heart. If we try to keep the law written on stone as a method of salvation (believing sin is an act and not an attitude) we will continue to fail. Obedience to the law on stone is unnatural or forced, whereas the law written on the heart results in a natural or willing obedience. This is why I say, many do not understand the gospel, the Cross. They really think they have to keep the law on stone as an action, to receive the gift of God! They have not truly accepted the Cross. It's not the action of the sin that condemns, it's the sinful heart that acts that condemns. And many will fight me when I say, sin is not a act but it an attitude. They do not understand what I am saying, and this shows they do not understand the gospel. (what the mind thinks the body will follow) And many will not understand that you don't have to be good to be saved, but you do have to be saved to be good! And many think you have to be good for God to love them, but God loves you even if you are not good, and if you believe it you will become good. [BH: True, Dave, and you have seen by what XXXX sent to me that he believes that unless he IS good God is angry with him and will punish him. He has little or no understanding of Gods grace or of His dealing with us WHILE WE ARE YET FAILING through weakness or ignorance and sometimes -- I dare to add -- even rebellion -- like the prodigal son] See, they take this in the wrong direction, and it is their belief of the OC (they say they are NC Christians) but they don't understand this. Thats because they really think sin is a act and not whats on the heart. So they think, well I know I should not steal because the OC is on the heart, OK true, but what they fail to see is that if they have love for their brother then stealing for eg does not even enter the mind. [BH: Exactly, Dave, your points are spot on. You have answered my question, shown that the law written on the heart is love and, in the process, rehearsed how righteousness is apart from the law, that is righteousness gained by perfect conformity to the law which for sinful man is an impossibility anyway. Well done, Dave! Keep up the good work of preaching the Gospel, my good friend.] ................................................................................................................ And here is a final comment from an unknown source to this important question: How it is written is simple really. It means that if you know the right thing to do and you will do it under any circumstances then that right thing that you know to do is written on your heart. Put into a different context. When you see the light change from green to red and you move your foot toward the brake without really thinking about it then the law of stop-at-the-red-light is firmly written on your heart. You don't need to stop and think about it, you just do it. If you don't do it and you know (your

conscience tells you) that you should, then you have sinned against your conscience.

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