warren631 wrote: ↑Fri May 18, 2018 8:59 am
I am still seeking answers from Christians about why many professed Christians sin against God's Commandments:
IMHO: I consider the ten commandments God's law and are therefore very important and to ignore His Laws is a grave sin against our Lord God.
Some thoughts on the OP...
The Scriptures tell us a number of things about "the Law" and some of those can appear to be in tension:
I think the two ends of the spectrum can be represented by Hebrews 8:13 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Hebrews 8:13 tells us
13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
So what does the "Old Covenant" becoming obsolete have to do with the 10 Commandments?
The 10 Commandments are part of the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law is part of the Old Covenant that God made with his covenant people Israel. And the Mosaic Law contained moral, ceremonial, and civil laws for God's covenant people Israel.
In Romans 7:7 Paul tells us that the Law shows us our sinfulness.
However, According to Hebrews 10:4, the Law is unable to take away sins. And according to Galatians 2:16 no one is justified by works of the Law.
So even though the Law shows us that we have a sin problem, the Law is unable to resolve the sin problem.
Which brings to Jesus. Scripture tells us some additional things about the Law as it relates to Jesus the Messiah.
Hebrews 10:1 and Colossians 2:17 tell us that the Law was a shadow of the reality that would come in Jesus Christ.
And Galatians 3:24 refers to the Law as a tutor that leads us to Christ.
So when the Word (who was God and who was with God) became flesh and dwelt among us, the reality that the Law pointed to took precedence over the shadow. And when Jesus actually resolved the sin problem through his death and resurrection Jesus fulfilled/accomplished/completed the Law.
So after the reality (who is Jesus) took care of the sin problem, the shadow (the Mosaic Law) became obsolete and God's covenant people were no longer required to obey the Mosaic Law.
However, that does not mean that God's covenant people are no longer required to obey God. In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus shows the difference between obeying a list of laws and godly heart attitudes. Jesus is more interested in heart attitudes than works, because proper works will naturally flow from the proper heart attitude.
In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus summed up all the Law and Prophets with the following:
37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
Again the focus of Jesus was a heart attitude of love... love for God first, and then love for others.
So if the Old Covenant is 'obsolete' and God's covenant people are no longer required to obey the Mosaic Law, does that mean that we can throw away our Old Testaments?
Absolutely not!
This is where 2 Timothy 3:16-17 comes into play...
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
As the inspired Word of God the Mosaic Law is still "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness"
The Mosaic Law still gives insight into the heart of God.
The Mosaic Law still shows us our sinfulness.
And the the Mosaic Law still points us to Jesus the Messiah.
Galatians 3:24-29
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.