Paul Forrest wrote:
Thanks, brother, for your input and encouragement.
Yes, God tells us to do something like this, and we must try! Yet, we know we won't manage it, and we confess our failing to our Father.
But the OT law of God demands perfect obedience, or you die. I'm glad I'm not subject to that! The Christian has perfect righteousness: would anyone care to try and improve that by law-keeping?
Perhaps the issue can be looked at like this: advocates of the Law have to believe that, when the Word says we are DEAD to the Law, it means we're dead only to some of it! For example, the Law told the Hebrews to keep ALL the Sabbaths, not just Sunday, but how many Christians do that?
(For the record, I think Sunday is a great day to set aside for the worship of God. It's called the 'Lord's Day' in scripture. I refuse jobs on that day, not to earn merit with God, but so that my worship is not infringed upon. Churches watching sport in church on the Lord's Day saddens me. I try to avoid shopping, but I'll buy diesel (US: 'gas') if I need to.)