The ten commandments (10Cs) are the foundational law of Judaism and thus all monotheism. There are 5 vertical commands and 5 horizontal, suggesting the cross (+). Below we examine the Big Ten.I. God is exclusive, the only God.
II. Do not worship idols or other gods.
III. Do not abuse God's name.
IV. Remember the Sabbath day rest.
V. Honor your parents (authority).
I think of these as the "vertical" commands because they are upward, toward God. Most people probably say the fifth commandment is horizontal. I won't quibble. But even honoring parents and authorities is toward God: it is like worship. The promise with Five is that you will live long. This makes sense in the real world. If we are rebellious toward authority and parents, we tend to limit our lives. Also, God is the Divine Parent, and it works down like a heirarchy, restraining evil.
The next five commands are "horizontal": they concern how we relate to others.
VI. Do not murder.
VII. Do not commit adultery.
VIII. Do not steal.
IX. Do not lie about your neighbor.
X. Do not covet what your neighbor has.
All of these are inspired by human greed. So the intent of the commands is to restrain the human instinct of greed. Greed is the opposite of love. If you love your neighbor, you won't kill him, have sex with his wife, steal his car, tell falsehoods about him, or desire his goods. The point of the commands is to generate loving behavior by restraining evil impulses.
Matthew 22: 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
When we practice love, we keep all the commandments and fulfill the law. Love honors and pursues God and helps its neighbor.
1Cor. 13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Love is patient, kind, not covetous, self-effacing, humble, mannerly, generous, slow to anger, forgiving, pursues the good, is true, protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. This is the goal of the faith-life. If we do this, we won't be breaking God's laws.
Paul shows that we have to graduate beyond the law. Law seeks vengeance for wrongs. These are "childish ways." All the world is involved in law, even Christians. But when we move up to living out the love described above, we become mature. The cross and the 10Cs are about love. God is love. If we practice love, we are like Him
6 comments:
Brother Al,
If God is love and he is then to Love is to have God. How can I a selfish human love. Love is God. I don't have the ability to love in myself. I am selfish, greedy, arrogant, Boastful and so on and so forth. So for me to love is not going to happen. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Jesus Christ the Man of God who first loved us before we loved him. How be it that the love of God dwells in you and you love not your brother(or enemy)? He answers the question with "the things that are impossible with man are possible with God" So Jesus lives out His love in me and through me as I yield to him in my walk. Is that the way to love?
I think so. No, we do not love by nature, entirely. The church is often a great example of what love is not. But I think Paul is saying in 1Cor13 that love is our goal, it is attainable in some degree.
The Holy Ghost in you motivated you to do things contrary to your impulses and nature. I saw you in action.
But love of God filters down to love of the church and then everybody. God loves everybody: even the most despicable sinner. You are not despicable, but you recognize, as I do, that we are, no matter how "holy" we get, still in league with that person. We are no better than they.
Within the Body of Christ, why do believers think they are better than other believers? Why do we fight and war amongst ourselves, our denominations, our pet doctrines? After all my years in the church, I don't get it. I don't see one superior group.
So I've come to embrace the whole church, without favoritism, like God. To be like God we have to reject favoritism. Doesn't that make sense?
There are a million writings on purity: on how to live the Christ-life. Everybody has a formula. Why?
Is that what it's about?
Love your God and His image is what Jesus said it was about. It isn't about legal disputes. It isn't about who gets there first with the mostest. It isn't about achievement: all believers ain't achievers.
What counts is love. Love your wife, your daughter, your pastor, their pastor, your candidate, their candidate, your neighbor, your friend, your enemy. I think it's doable.
Self-discipline is good. Paul even said, though, that martyrdom proves nothing without love. Love is holiness, pure action, visiting the widow, feeding the fatherless, being hospitable, showing mercy, lowering ourselves, being realistic, and so on ~ the opportunities are everywhere.
I realize "love" can be too convenient a word. But that is what Paul is saying God is looking for: this walking out faith in love. So I'm trying to understand it and how to apply it.
Love disarms all hatred, that which is overboard and that which is subtle. It's the subtleties of hate that I find in myself and in the church. But it isn't subtle to the many out there who are either wounded or searching. They see a church that is like a leopard hissing at them. They see a church that treats souls like commodities first and then like dirt. They see a church that is living in a fantasy. And that isn't what God is after.
here Doctrines. Nice doctrines (whistle Whistle) Here doctrine here doctrine I 'm calling my pet doctrines. I think I'll name my next dog doctrine. You didn't notice but you to were critical of the church. (It's the subtleties of hate that I find in myself and in the church). In truth none of us like what we have now or at least are not satisfied with it. Speaking of love I have been doing a study of Acts and have been teaching it to my over 55 age Sunday school. Stephen called them stiffnecked and uncircumcised as his face was angelic. My take on this is He was caught up into Heaven with Jesus and God. He was about as plugged in as you can get and yet he criticized the church even if it was the old church in the wilderness bunch but He loved Him and did not deny Him and told the whole story from Abe to Jesus. So Love of God there was manifested to all even as He died and forgave them in Christ stead. He showed love unto death but was very very critical. My take on love is if you by love God by obeying what he says to you then His love flows from that Position in Him. So it is His love again.
Interesting points, pal. I was calling the church stiffnecked and uncircumcised with an angelic look.
So can we rebuke in love and still be in love?
Maybe Stephen was being stoned by the same spirit I'm talking about. If they had loved God, they wouldn't be stoning Stephen. Unless everybody must get stoned.
So, I should take away from what you said that maybe harsh criticism is love, which would make the Phelps Clan the greatest lovers in the Kingdom (they certainly think so).
Stephen is actually quoting God, I think, while facing Jews. I mean, these are the boys who rejected their Savior and think they can stone this deacon. But it reminds me of the inquisition which was put on by "the church" in its day ~ killing "heretics" who were actually believers.
Anyway, what is your take on love if I am off-base? I think you are saying that warning people is love: and certainly it can be motivated by love at times, but I've heard a lot of warning and rebuke that was not about love. You know that same spirit was out to stone the harlot, too.
No Its who's doing the warning or the loving. If it is Jesus then the rebuke of a friend is welcomed. My point, like Lynn H says" who is in the synagogue"? I think perfect love can only come from him workinh him in us. Eventualy if he is in the temple then it should bring forth fruit.
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