RT said:
The perfection God demands does go beyond the written code at least in the sense that the written code does not contain in explicit fashion all that God demands. But even Jesus expected the leaders of his day to know of those deeper demands as good and necessary consequences of what is written.
The apostles did not view the written code as superfluous, as they keep telling us to read it to learn how to follow the Lord.
I see them exhorting us to listen to them, to obey them and to follow good examples in order to follow Christ:
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
1 Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Where do they exhort us to read in order to learn how to follow Christ?
The full writing of the law on the heart is something that we are yet waiting for in the consummation. We experience it in part now by the Spirit, in its fullness later on.
Please provide a Scripture so I know what you are talking about. I don’t see anything about partial writings on our heart.
If love infused in the heart is the perfection that God demands, then Roman Catholicism collapses in on itself.
You’re quick to condemn, aren’t you? Yet the Catholic Church continues to teach the Love of God throughout the world, whether you believe it or not. The Catholic Church is the voice of God in this world.
For you have to keep adding things to it—namely justifingly meritorious good works—to secure your final justification.
In hope that we will be justified. Scripture says:
2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
Do you deny the truth of these words?
2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
Do you deny the truth of these words?
If the love has to be perfected in such ways, it is not, by its nature, perfect love.
Even Jesus was perfected:
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
The law indeed points to love—perfect love that always operates selflessly, obeying God completely because nothing less than perfect love expressed in the doing of all of God’s commands in every way. None of us does that.
Do not despair. Simply refrain from self-judgment. We are all unprofitable servants:
Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
But if you refrain from doing your duty because you despair in the mercy and power of God to make you perfect, then you will be lost.
