Tuesday 13 March 2007

The Point of the Parables

The point of each of those parables I made up, is to illustrate that just because we are no longer under the Law, does not mean that we won't live-up to the intent or principles inherent in the Law. It's just that we arrive there through a more effective means.

  • Automatic set-up installs the same program on your computer as step-by-step set-up.
  • Whether you take the New England Highway from Brisbane or the Pacific Highway, you can still arrive at exactly the same desired destination - Sydney.
  • A husband who is in love does all the right things for his wife - just as if he was following some list of do's and dont's.
  • Using a template can give you the same finished look as if you were a skilled HTML programmer.

For example, the Law said, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse". Now some believers say that since we are no longer under the Law, we no longer need to pay tithes.

But when Moses commanded Israel saying, "Bring your tithes", that was really just an extension, or explanation, or application or just another way of saying, "Love God, and love your neighbour".

Because if they loved God, they would honour His house; they would keep His commandments; they would pay His priests; and they would consider the poor.

The intent or principle behind the Law was to show Israel how to apply the law of love to every area of their lives, including their finances.

So now that we are under the New Covenant instead of the Law, and under Christ's new commandment of "Love one another", we will still fulfill everything that was intended or foreshadowed in principle, by the Law - because we are walking in love. Love is the fulfilling of the Law.

Therefore if I love God and honour His house and love my neighbour as myself, I will support my local church, the ministers of the Gospel and the poor with my finances, as God has enabled me, just the same as if I were following a written law - and by doing so (by walking in love) I will, in effect, be keeping the commandment.

But by what strength or power did I keep it? By my own? By the power of the commandment itself? or by a new and living way? By a new and living way. By the power of Christ in me. It is no more I that does it, but Christ that liveth in me. Hallelujah!

When God introduced a New Covenant, He didn't drop or totally discard the standard inherent in the last Covenant. To do that would be to discard Himself - for God is love. He just gave us a more effective way of becoming capable of actually doing it, of actually being able to walk in love, from our very heart.

If you are driving down the road and you come to a sign that says, "Road Closed - Detour" - well the detour is going to take you to the same destination.

Or if a new road has been opened, replacing an old road, the new road is not going to take you to some different destination: it will take you to the same destination as the old road, only more effectively.

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