It can still safely be said that not one faithful believer who has chosen to heed and to live by all of the counsel given of God has been affected in any way by this global pandemic or the economic collapse that has ensued.
But, what about the law of God — the great hedge of safety and guide of life?
There is an enduring family heritage of sound counsel in all matters pertaining to the law of God. Each one of us has the God-given responsibility to uphold, and to correctly interpret, the law in its true light whilst also living the law.
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56,57
The Ten Commandments are the very minimum that is required of us; if we have accepted the everlasting gospel remedy of Christ in you, the hope of glory, we will love and fulfil the law to a far greater extent than is outlined in the wording of the ten precepts of the law of God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40
Love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 1 John 4:7,8
When the power of Christ has been lost by the church we see that they resort to force in order to obtain compliance to their man-made laws. e.g. the 603 laws required by the Jewish leaders to keep the Sabbath commandment.
You will recall the story of Admetus & Alcestis (see Archive) when this word love (Gr. agape) was demonstrated in it’s true light through the everlasting gospel. Watch Paul, the qualified lawyer and former Pharisee, now explain this word even clearer to us all in the following description, which has this time been translated as charity:
But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (Gr. agape - love), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Some have tried to explain it by saying - if I love God I will not…i.e. break any of the ten requirements of the law. This is true, but unfortunately even this will still not be sufficient enough. Then there is also: Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart, and another - I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet; and once again,Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. etc,.
The faith that works by love, is found only with Christ. The inability to do any good thing leads us to take the cross of Christ and depend solely on Him for everything. This is the abasement of all human pride. Love is the life of God. If that life be in us, and given free course, the law will necessarily be in us, for God's life is the law for all creation. That life was manifested in the gift of Himself to the world. There is no other love but the life of God. The only way to have it is for the Holy Spirit to shed it abroad in the heart because the impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.
The highest thing in the universe is love, absolute and unqualified, as it comes from heaven, not dragged through the mire of earth. God is love and love is the fulfilling of the law, and the law is spiritual – gained and kept only through the faith of Jesus Christ. Whoever is led by the Spirit of God must keep the law, not as a condition of receiving the Spirit, but as a necessary result. We are not exhorted to try to do as well as Christ did or to exercise as much faith as He did, but simply to take His faith and let it work by love and purify the heart and soul. Justified (in line with the law) by the faith of Christ, we have Him personally dwelling in us, exercising His own faith. All power in heaven and earth is His. Allow Him to exercise His own power in His own way. Victory over sin is already a reality; faith makes it real to us.
So, there is only One Way; it is only as our Precious Saviour abides in our heart that then we can ever love in order to fulfil the law; for He has said,
Without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
