21 May 2024
It doesn't require an advanced degree to understand this: The Covenant of Christ was summed up in His command at the Last Seder. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 NASB)
In case it's not obvious, this reduces the law code part of the Covenant down to just one principle. It's as close as we can come to a statement that manifests divine revelation. Get to know Jesus and love as He loves. In particular, love the other folks who belong to Him, the rest of the family. He died on the Cross to bring them into the Covenant family. Be ready to take up your own cross for them.
That's plenty of law. Paul says in Romans 13 that this is all we need to carry out our duty to any law made by men. Whatever claims human governments make on us, God says we have done our duty if we just manage to love each other as Christ did.
Granted, we know that only the Presence of God makes it possible to take up a cross. The flesh cannot do it without divine power and guidance. The whole point is that you manifest that love so that whomever the Lord calls will recognize that they are called. Since we cannot possibly know whether anyone actually has the power of grace, we look for indicators that they at least are submitted to Him as Lord. That's all we have to go on and it's enough. That's what Christ did in His ministry.
He is the Covenant; He is the Living Law of God.
For all the talk about building up your faith against the struggles of the flesh, this is the core issue. We must discipline the flesh to love those whom God grants as portions of our divine inheritance, as our treasure in this life. If we really do want Jesus, then we want the people He sends our way. We must be Jesus to them. We must incarnate Him afresh in our own lives.
For all the academic efforts on this blog, if we could just get this across, we have done all that Christ demands. The rest is just the details of how to get from here to there.
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