Friday, March 04, 2005
Love and the Law
I recently read an article on the Breakpoint website discussing the relationship between love and the law. The article makes some good points about the mark of a Christian being love for God and love for our neighbors. Thus the distinguishing mark of the Biblical worldview should also be love. The author states that "People with whom we consort should be able to recognize that they have entered the hot zone of Biblical worldview by the love they experience in our presence."
The author then goes on to discuss the law, and specifically the ten commandments and its relationship to love. My question for anyone who wants to discuss it is how do the ten commandments relate to love? My initial reaction is that there is a relationship because the Bible is in harmony with itself and that God doesn't change, so that the God who gave the ten commandments is the same God who said he would replace those commandments with a law written on our hearts.
Then, as I thought some more, I realized that part of my resistance came from immediate pictures in my mind of people I have known who were quick to point out to everyone who would listen that someone (else) was breaking one of the ten commandments, and how terrible that was. I realized that if you grew up in a church you learned "thou shalt" a lot. What we sometimes failed to learn was that "thou shalt" was supposed to be God speaking to us, not us "thou shalting" someone else. It always seems that the people who showed up for all of the "thou shalt" lessons were absent during the "log in your own eye" lessons.
So, once I got past some of my own hangups, I tried to look at things a little more objectively. On a personal basis, how important is it for us to prioritize the ten commandments? Will it help in remaining true to our first love?
I would like to know what other Red Zoners think. What are your experiences? What kind of emphasis should be placed on the ten commandments, if any?
Its easy to comment. Just click on the "comment" button and it will take you to a page where you can discuss this with others.
The author then goes on to discuss the law, and specifically the ten commandments and its relationship to love. My question for anyone who wants to discuss it is how do the ten commandments relate to love? My initial reaction is that there is a relationship because the Bible is in harmony with itself and that God doesn't change, so that the God who gave the ten commandments is the same God who said he would replace those commandments with a law written on our hearts.
Then, as I thought some more, I realized that part of my resistance came from immediate pictures in my mind of people I have known who were quick to point out to everyone who would listen that someone (else) was breaking one of the ten commandments, and how terrible that was. I realized that if you grew up in a church you learned "thou shalt" a lot. What we sometimes failed to learn was that "thou shalt" was supposed to be God speaking to us, not us "thou shalting" someone else. It always seems that the people who showed up for all of the "thou shalt" lessons were absent during the "log in your own eye" lessons.
So, once I got past some of my own hangups, I tried to look at things a little more objectively. On a personal basis, how important is it for us to prioritize the ten commandments? Will it help in remaining true to our first love?
I would like to know what other Red Zoners think. What are your experiences? What kind of emphasis should be placed on the ten commandments, if any?
Its easy to comment. Just click on the "comment" button and it will take you to a page where you can discuss this with others.
Comments:
<< Home
Okay, I agree that the whole law is summed up in one command. But what exactly does that mean? My question relates the the point the author is making that the more we focus on the ten commandments the more loving we will be. Do you think that is true, or do the ten commandments have anything to do with how we love. I frankly have not connected the ten commandments with my ability to love. Have I been wrong? Is there a way to grow more loving by doing that? If love is the greatest commandment and we can increase our ability to love by focusing on the ten commandments, is this something we should consider?
Post a Comment
<< Home
