That extra 'R' stands for religion. I mean the extra 'R' in the word 'contract' that is not in the word 'contact'.
If you read my last post, you will know that it is not my belief that God was wholeheartedly in the Law. The Law is religion. Yes, the best religion, because there is some glory in it and it tells us a lot about God. However Paul tells us in Galatians and Hebrews and many other places in the New Testament about the limitations of the Law.
Surely God wanted to save me and you passionately and wholeheartedly. Surely he wanted to save us completely?
If I think he is half-hearted then I will be too, I guarantee.
But God is not like that. His throne is surrounded by beings who are in constant awe and amazement. They are enthralled, in love. If you have any sense, you will not feel that for too long towards someone who is half-hearted towards you. That is human nature. It is also sensible.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2 KJV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (1 John 1:1 KJV)
Jesus endured the cross for the joy (read 'enjoyment') of knowing us! God thinks human beings are a supremely good idea, worth going to extreme lengths over to recover our friendship.
For our part, we can have contact with God. John had physical contact with God the Man. We can have spiritual contact with him, which is probably even better. One day we will have physical contact too. One day he will wait on us and serve us, who have been looking forward to his appearance.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37 KJV)
If we contact God, we are connected with his resources. Emotional, financial, physical, spirtual, mental, everything.
Add the 'r' and we get contract. The Law was contract.
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (Deu 28:1 KJV)
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. (Deu 28:2 KJV)
........there follows a list of blessings covering just about all areas of life
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: (Deu 28:15 KJV)
........there follows a list of curses covering just about all areas of life
Paul calls Deuteronomy 28:15 'the Curse of the Law'.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Gal 3:13 KJV)
We have been rescued from this tit-for-tat contractual relationship with God where failure to keep the rules rigorously results in harsh and broad-based punishment.
Instead, we encounter God as Father. This is possible because of what Jesus did to remove the valid legal basis for our punishment. We will then be able to experience the tender fatherhood of God, rather than seeing him as an angry slave-master, constantly saddened by our shortcomings and misdemeanors. We need to be fully conscious of the total effectiveness of the blood of Christ. Remember that this was a radical concept, even for Jews, when Jesus started preaching it. God as Father! Well, a good father treats his children as individuals, he is sensitive to their state of mind and mood. He does not exasperate them by expecting more than they can give. (Perhaps he might to teach them a lesson if they re being mean and demanding to others!) He will discipline them but not out of temper, to release his own frustrations, and not to get even. He will discipline them so they learn for their own good. He will be harsh only if harsh is the only way forward. Law has no such sensitivity, even good law. It is proceedural, contractual, impersonal.
God had much more in mind when he made us.
If you read my last post, you will know that it is not my belief that God was wholeheartedly in the Law. The Law is religion. Yes, the best religion, because there is some glory in it and it tells us a lot about God. However Paul tells us in Galatians and Hebrews and many other places in the New Testament about the limitations of the Law.
Surely God wanted to save me and you passionately and wholeheartedly. Surely he wanted to save us completely?
If I think he is half-hearted then I will be too, I guarantee.
But God is not like that. His throne is surrounded by beings who are in constant awe and amazement. They are enthralled, in love. If you have any sense, you will not feel that for too long towards someone who is half-hearted towards you. That is human nature. It is also sensible.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2 KJV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (1 John 1:1 KJV)
Jesus endured the cross for the joy (read 'enjoyment') of knowing us! God thinks human beings are a supremely good idea, worth going to extreme lengths over to recover our friendship.
For our part, we can have contact with God. John had physical contact with God the Man. We can have spiritual contact with him, which is probably even better. One day we will have physical contact too. One day he will wait on us and serve us, who have been looking forward to his appearance.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37 KJV)
If we contact God, we are connected with his resources. Emotional, financial, physical, spirtual, mental, everything.
Add the 'r' and we get contract. The Law was contract.
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (Deu 28:1 KJV)
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. (Deu 28:2 KJV)
........there follows a list of blessings covering just about all areas of life
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: (Deu 28:15 KJV)
........there follows a list of curses covering just about all areas of life
Paul calls Deuteronomy 28:15 'the Curse of the Law'.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Gal 3:13 KJV)
We have been rescued from this tit-for-tat contractual relationship with God where failure to keep the rules rigorously results in harsh and broad-based punishment.
Instead, we encounter God as Father. This is possible because of what Jesus did to remove the valid legal basis for our punishment. We will then be able to experience the tender fatherhood of God, rather than seeing him as an angry slave-master, constantly saddened by our shortcomings and misdemeanors. We need to be fully conscious of the total effectiveness of the blood of Christ. Remember that this was a radical concept, even for Jews, when Jesus started preaching it. God as Father! Well, a good father treats his children as individuals, he is sensitive to their state of mind and mood. He does not exasperate them by expecting more than they can give. (Perhaps he might to teach them a lesson if they re being mean and demanding to others!) He will discipline them but not out of temper, to release his own frustrations, and not to get even. He will discipline them so they learn for their own good. He will be harsh only if harsh is the only way forward. Law has no such sensitivity, even good law. It is proceedural, contractual, impersonal.
God had much more in mind when he made us.
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