This post is the continuation of: http://aroundeverycornerat.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-three-post-study-my-only-guarantees-i.html
The perfect law in the OT and all laws are black and white. Unless rules or laws have negotiable elements written into them, they are for the purpose of exposing fault and imperfection. They are stagnant...hard and fast...unbendable...concrete...and measurable. It is fairly easy to determine whether you have failed at obeying a rule. Whether you have turned all of the lights off, or you forgot to turn off just the two upstairs...it is measurable. So, most rules are easy to measure, whether you broke the rules completely or by how much you broke them!
However, love really can't be measured, yet God says that it fulfills the law. Oh, my!! Talk about throwing us for a loop! So, how can it fulfill the law if I don't know if I am doing it right?? Ah-ha! Is this the reason why we feel much (MUCH) more comfortable following rules, because with rules we know when we have done them correctly?
But, you know what? There is no 'correct' way. The way you are doing it right now, is OK! (Ya gotta start somewhere!) The bible says that when you love, you are not under the law...so the consequences are much different, and not like they would be for breaking rules...as there are not any rigid expectations on how it should be done.
The hug I give you today is love...even if your cousin walks in and shows her love by giving you a hug and washing your dishes too. They are both love. Love starts at any given point and then grows. It doesn't turn into love at some point...no...it starts right where you are, and what you can do right now, and then never stops growing from there.
Imagine you are walking your neighbors dog and only walk him around the block 4 times instead of 6, and you feel like you should have done better...so next time you walk him another block or two. Then the next time, as God is teaching you and reminding you that the owner truly needs extra help, then you'll perhaps step it up and become more used to acting in love, and you'll get better and better at it. Remember, it is a journey, not a destination...as love never ends.
As rules and law produce consequences since their job is to expose sin..living a life of love produces blessings for all parties involved, including the one showing the love...as there is no way you can bless someone else and not 'get some blessing on yourself...anyway, it is part of the plan!' (Read James 1:25)
So it is much better than just living a life trying to have good behavior...especially since the more you walk in love means the more you won't be walking in sin. Really?? Yup! (Read Galatians 5:16) It is about impossible to go in two different directions at the same time!
Now because you are living with your mind on doing what's best for everyone involved, and not just focused on self...then you are less likely to want to sin against them or yourself (Read Romans 8:6). So essentially, you're killing two birds with one stone.
"Hey Juliana!"
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"Oh, Hi Jenny...how are you?"
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"I'm OK..kinda sad though"
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"Why are you sad?"
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"Well, someone called me a name that was very hurtful. Remember when someone said hurtful things to you recently? What did you do about it?"
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"Oh, well, I stopped and put a card in their desk saying that what they did hurt me and that I am sure they would not want someone to do the same to them. Then I said I forgive them."
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"So, your mom told you that you had to do it huh? Yeah, we have rules about that too in our house."
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"No, no rules..."
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"What do you mean, no rules? Then why would you be kinda nice to that kid that hurt you then? I mean, if you didn't have any rules that said you had to..."
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"I just like to treat people the way I would want them to treat me. When I was little I had rules...my mom called them, 'do's and don'ts'...but it's mostly always been that way in our house."
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"Hmmm...that's sure not the way it is in my house. My mom put up a list of rules that she says makes things easier around the house. I guess it is easier, cause we don't even have to think about how to do something cause the list will tell us what to do."
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"Oh? My mom always says, 'God's love already has integrity, so it doesn't need rules'".
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"What does that mean?"
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"Well, it means that love always thinks of the best way to treat everyone in whatever you are doing, so there is no need for rules to tell you how to act. My mom says to always carry love around in my heart, then I won't have to worry about how to do the right thing."
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"But, I don't know if I could do that. I always had a rule to tell me how and what to do...so that would be hard!...because how would you know you did it right?"
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"I just learned to trust God's love I guess. I don't know. I learned to think this way since, well..since for a long time! But anyone can learn it."
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"It just seems so hard to do."
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"No, because there is a place to start. Remember your place to start was on the rules list? You went to the list to find out what to do, right? Well, with love you start right where you are...because you 1st think about how you would like to be treated!
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"So, start with me...?"
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"Yes! Oh, and you know what...I forgot, there are some lists in the bible that really do help. They are not lists of rules though, so don't worry. They are things that are inside of God and His love (Read Gal. 5:22-23, Col.3:12-17 + 1 Cor.13: 4-8), and things that are not inside of God and His love (Read Gal.5:19-21 + Col.3:5-9)...so, they do give you lots of help for sure!"
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"Ooh! Kind of like a cake...so you know you got the right ingredients or it might just be something that comes out looking and tasting terrible?!"
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"Yup! You got it! But then after a while, as you practice making the cake, it will become more natural for you, and especially since you already have God inside you...and when you do make mistakes and add some bad ingredients, you just talk to God about it because He is your very best friend. Then if that bad ingredient hurt someone then you talk to them too. In fact, you will make mistakes, but that always happens when someone is learning something new!""
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"Hmmm...I wish your mom would talk to my mom about this..."
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"Well, maybe she can! I'll ask her...."
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Juliana and Jenny both bow...
Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Laws and rules are strictly for the purpose of letting you and others know of your sin. Laws have no mercy or forgiveness in themselves. If you do not live up to their demands then you will suffer whatever the consequences there are, unless a human being has decided to have mercy on you...the rule all by itself has exposed you.
For example, a person must realize that the law was not intended for people who have God's approval. Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people.
Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians 5: 22-23
But the fruits of The Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, sweetness, goodness, faith,
Humility, endurance; the law is not set against these things.
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