Just where or what is the Door or Gate of GODS Word, Will and Royal Law located. That should be an easy question for all to answer, the heart of man. Where does He most often speak to me, through the heart is where most inspiration and revelation of Christ starts from. And one of the words used for the Law is "Precepts" which for today is our word of the day. And because Pastor Hoekstra's writing is dealing with the annulment of the Law or Laws of Moses, because his can be broken down into sections such as food, feast days, ceremonies, social, governmental and the such. We will again look at what he has to reveal on this subject as well. And because E-Sword is where this is found and where the ESV translation is also located I will be using both of them again.
"The General Ability of the Law"
"Then the LORD delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of GOD, and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken . . . You have heard that it was said . . . But I say to you . . . ." (Deuteronomy 9:10 and Matthew 5:27-28)
"Although the Law of GOD is unable to justify or sanctify, it does have some strategic ability in GOD's plan for man. These verses from the Torah and the Sermon on the Mount help us reflect upon this matter. These two profound sections of the Bible pertain to the Law of GOD. Torah (Hebrew for Law) refers to the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy. These books give an extensive explanation of the message of GOD's Law. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) includes Jesus' clarification of man's understanding of the Law. For it is in mans understanding of the Law that mans troubles originate.
When these portions of the Bible are read, studied, or taught, the general ability of the Law is at work. In these passages the very Character and Will of GOD are revealed. The message related to those "two tablets of stone" speak of GOD's Character, "I the LORD, your GOD, am Holy." The summary of this message expressed GOD's Will for man, "be Holy." The details of the message indicated what holiness would be like in our conduct toward GOD and in relationships with others. Jesus' words would eventually extend this message of Holiness even into attitudes of the heart. As the center of mans being.
The Law of GOD is His standard for spiritual measurement. By His Law, GOD measures Holiness in people's lives by revealing His Will, which is based upon His Holy Character. This is why all of us "fall short of the glory of GOD" (Romans 3:23). We don't measure up to GOD's Holy standard. As we remain in an attitude of the Laws only means of acceptance being outward. Another way of stating this that we are earthy, carnal, and worldly in our perception and thinking. These words all have to do with mans mind as the only meaning of receiving any thing.
The measuring instruments of man are a helpful illustration of the Law. When a tape measure is used to evaluate the height of people, it measures growth or reveals the absence of it. It does not produce human growth. So it is with the Law of GOD. The Law describes and measures what GOD wants lives to look like. It does not cause such spiritual growth to appear. Only GOD's Grace at work in our lives is the sufficient dynamic that produces all spiritual growth."
Precepts Written in the Heart:
Deuteronomy 6:1-3, 4-9 "Now this is the Commandment—the Statutes and the Rules—that the LORD your GOD commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD your GOD, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all His Statutes and His Commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the GOD of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our GOD, the LORD is One. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
Deuteronomy 11:8-17, 18-25 "You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, a land that the LORD your God cares for. The eyes of the LORD your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. "And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the LORD your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.
"You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as front lets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the LORD your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to Him, then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. No one shall be able to stand against you. The LORD your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you."
Beth.
Psalm 119:9-16 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek You; let me not wander from Your commandments! I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are You, O LORD; teach me Your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of Your mouth. In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."
Luke 2:41-51, 52 "Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress." And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father's house?" And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with GOD and man."
Romans 10:4, 5-15 "For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness is to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that GOD raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (healed and restored to GOD in His Salvation). For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same LORD is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For "everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe Him of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
Colossians 3:5-11, 12-17 "Put to death therefore what is earthly (worldly and carnal of your mind) in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of GOD is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices (the evil imaginations and practices of your corrupted mind veiled in your flesh) and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is All, and in all.
Put on then, as GOD's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the LORD has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on Love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called into One Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to GOD. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the LORD Christ Jesus, giving thanks to GOD the Father through Him."
To this ending I could add through One LORD, Christ Jesus the Amend.
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