Love Is the Fulfillment of the Law - 250113

SPEAKER A Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to Let God Speak Today. Our panel discussion will bring to a close the present series on the God of love and justice. Our topic today is Love is the fulfilment of the law. Romans 13:8 reminds us that he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Love and law go together. Law is not just a series of commands. God's law is an expression of his character of love. Stay with us as the panel digs into this topic in just a moment. On our panel today we have Daniel and Kaysie Vokurka. Good to have you with us today. I'm looking forward to our discussion, but before we begin that, let's take time to pray. Our wonderful God in heaven, we thank youk that yout are our mighty God, you are our counsellor, and we seek youk counsel and you'd guidance today through the Holy Spirit. And we pray that yout'll bless our discussion and bless all those who are listening or viewing. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Well, I'm going to read to start with a passage from Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 22 and verse 37. And this is a good summary I think in this verse here because Jesus is speaking and he says, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. So Cayce, first question to you, Is this a valid summary, do you think of the, of the first four of the ten commandments? SPEAKER B Well, I think it certainly is. And we could say so simply because Jesus said it, but we can find more evidence for that in the Scripture. And when we have a look at Exodus, let's just review those first four commandments to remind us. In Exodus 20, verse 2 and 3, it says, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, you shall have no other gods before Me. And so the first point here is if we love God, we won't have any false gods because we will love God so much we will put him first. And then in the next verse in verse four, it says, you shall not make for yourself any carved image. And that makes perfect sense because if God is the God that He says he is, which is the infinite God, the all present God, you cannot represent him by something physical or something that's an object or a person that we like in our terms of our perspective here. SPEAKER A And it makes me think, Kaysie, I mean, you know, you were married to Daniel here. Yes, and I'm glad that is the case. But you know, imagine if Daniel had an image of some other woman. SPEAKER B This would not go well. Yes. SPEAKER A You know, and it's like that with God, isn't it? We don't want any other image to worship except to him. SPEAKER B Exactly. SPEAKER A Because of our love for him. SPEAKER B Exactly. That's a very good way to put it. And yeah, so we'll put him first in all of these cases. And same with verse seven, it says, you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, so you'll have respect for his name and you'll give that name honour by the way you live and represent God. And then in verse eight, it talks about remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy. And we're remembering God as the Creator and also honouring God with a part of our time. And so. So in all of these aspects, you can just see how if you're serving God with all your heart, you will make these a priority. SPEAKER A Now let's look at another verse in Matthew, Matthew 22 again, and this time verse 39, where Jesus is just talking about the first great commandment. But verse 39, he says, and the second commandment is, like it, you shall love your neighbour as yourself. So, Daniel, what about this second table of the moral law? Is that a good summary of. SPEAKER C Definitely is. And you know, Jesus is not saying anything new because we actually find this in Leviticus 19:18. And it says, you shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love the Lord your. You shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am the Lord. And so loving our neighbour to the same level as we love or respect ourself underlies the last six commandments. Love of self is sometimes portrayed as a bad thing, but God wants us to love ourselves because he loves us and he loves us enough to save us for eternity. SPEAKER A So, Cayce, where do you see love for our neighbour, our fault for humanity, in the last six commandments? SPEAKER B Good question. So again, if we just quickly review them in Exodus 20. So the first one is verse 12, which talks about honouring your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. And this one makes sense. Love and respect for parents will flow out of a love for God because God is like an authority figure and so parents are in the context of human life. But then it continues, it says, you shall not murder, commit adultery, steal or bear false witness. This is verses 13 through to 16 and 17 says, you shall not covet. And some of these things are Pretty obvious. Like if you did that, you really wouldn't be loving your neighbour. So it just goes so much deeper though. Like this goes right to the heart in terms of even your motives towards another person need to not be ones that will do them harm, that sort of a thing. But essentially it's very interesting the, the SDA Bible commentary, we have a little quote from that here which makes a good point. And it says, how could we worship other gods, take his name in vain and neglect the observance of the Sabbath? If we truly love him, how could we steal that which belongs to our neighbour, testify against him or covet his possess? We love him. Love is the root of fidelity toward God and of honour and respect for the rights of our fellows. And it's very interesting also George Knight, he has a commentary on Matthew and he reminds us to have a look at what it says in 1st John 4, 20 and 21. And it says something interesting there. It says, if someone says I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him that he who loves God must love his brother also. So it goes two ways. Once you connect with God, it needs to flow out to those around us. SPEAKER A Yeah. Now Daniel, I think there was a Beatles song once about all you need is love. Love is all you need. So in that sort of philosophy, you don't need the law. You're automatically going to be law abiding because of love. What do you think of that idea? SPEAKER C Well, I actually think you need both. You need the law and love. And if you sort of say that you need one over the other, it doesn't really make sense. Because to me, like the Ten Commandments, the law is a wall of protection. It's something that protects us. And so if we take one part of that wall out, then we no longer have that protection. And so the wall is breached. So by having that, it's actually as a result of a loving God that gives us these laws to protect us. SPEAKER A Okay, so if you and I both observe the law, we're protecting ourselves from each other, so to speak, aren't we? Yeah. So we've said that love is the basis of the moral law or the Ten Commandments. Kaysie, extending this idea, does grace the grace of God, does that wipe out or override law? SPEAKER B It's a very good question. And it's something that I think is an idea that does exist even in the Christian world that somehow the law doesn't matter so much because grace is so great. But when we read from the Scripture, In Romans chapter 6, verse 1 and 2, it says, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin? That grace may abound? And verse two? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? And so basically this is saying that when we are converted, we are converted away from sin, like God is calling us away from that to live a better life. So, and that's what grace is doing. So grace is not actually leading us away from the law, it's actually leading us closer to be abiding by the law, which is the opposite of what the perception may be. SPEAKER A Okay, so they're complementary really, aren't they? Not out of opposition to each other. Yeah. And as I remember my New Testament Greek classes, when Paul says, certainly not, it's a very emphatic kind of word in phrase. I'm going to read from Romans chapter 7. Now, I wouldn't normally read this many verses, but I'm going to read verses 7 through to verse 11. And here Paul says, what shall we say then, is law sin? And once again, this phrase, certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, you shall not covet. So we know which law he's talking about because he's quoting from the Ten Commandments. But sin taking opportunity by the commandment produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law, sin was dead. I was once alive without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, so to speak. And the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. And he finishes up by saying, for sin taking occasion, by the commandment deceived me and by it killed me. We're talking in a figurative sort of sense here, but Paul is talking about upholding the law really, isn't he? This new life in Christ is one where sin or breaking laws like the you shall not covet are not habitual with him. So what about this law argument here, Daniel? How does Paul sum up his case here? SPEAKER C He sums it up in a very beautiful way. In fact, we can read that in verse 12. And he says, therefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. And we clearly know which law he is talking about because as you said, he mentioned coveting. And coveting comes from the Ten Commandments. So he is saying that the ten commandments the law is holy and just and good. Pretty clear. SPEAKER A Yeah. And some people, in fact, say the Tenth Commandment is kind of like the root behind all of the other commandments. We covered the position of God, we covered someone else's life, or we covered the position of our parents. You know, you could really see it behind all of those things. Now, Paul was writing Cayce, after the death and resurrection of Jesus. So clearly it's not the moral law that was nailed to the cross, was it? SPEAKER B No, definitely not. And that is evident by the fact that when we are converted, God puts in our heart new desires that we want to please God and follow him. And that comes out of love for the Saviour. So because of all he's done for us, we want to show loyalty and respect to God, and so therefore we obey Him. And so even though while the law points out our sin, at the same time, we are then pointed to to God as our Saviour and to Jesus as our Saviour. And it's very interesting what it says in Matthew 5:17 says, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfil. And this was Jesus speaking here. And he was not saying that he was come to, you know, do away with all the Old Testament laws and ceremonies and things he was saying. He came to fulfil them in their very essence. He came to affirm those Scriptures and give them the fullness of meaning that they were to have. And this is what Jesus is trying to emphasise. And it's very important for us to remember that, because I know there is the idea out there that the Old Testament isn't as important and the laws in there are not as important as the New. But Jesus is validating the law and all of those things that were written there. SPEAKER A Yes. So Jesus, in fact, further on in this discourse, goes on to highlight some of the commandments, such as murder and adultery. So, Daniel, clearly Jesus came to fulfil, not destroy, the law. So how permanent was the law in the eyes of Jesus? SPEAKER C That's a very good question. And he actually answers that in the very, very next verse in verse 18 of Matthew. And he says, for assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one yacht or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. And in my Bible here, it has a Andrews, it's an Andrews study Bible, and it says the following about the yacht and the tittle. It's actually very interesting. It says the smallest Greek letter, the iota, and the smallest projection of a Hebrew letter, like the bottom of a J. So what seems to us, these insignificant little things, Jesus says not even that will pass away. So the law is clearly permanent. It's not going anywhere. SPEAKER A Yeah, it's like dotting the I's and crossing the t's, isn't it? As we say in English now, Cayce, we use the terms like terms like law, grace. And I was hitting a little earlier. Do you think that these are opposites or are they complementary? SPEAKER B Well, I believe they are complementary opposites. So they work together even though they have their distinct purpose and features. And you can think of it this way, you can think of it as being like two sides of a coin. So the law and grace has been like two sides of a coin. And you know, with a typical Australian coin, you've got the sovereign on one side and on the other side you've got the value. And it's basically, it's. Yeah, just two sides of the one thing. SPEAKER A I've never seen a one sided coin. SPEAKER B Well, yes, that's right. There's always two sides. And so Israel in fact saw God's law as a gift given out of love. And we kind of alluded to that earlier about how protective the law is for us. Like it actually gives us so much. Such a good thing. It is. And so it's interesting, we've got a quote here from the Great controversy by Ellen White. Just a thought here. It says the law reveals to man his sins, but it provides no remedy. The gospel of Christ alone can free him from the condemnation or the defilement of sin. And so you can see there that the context of law and grace, like they have to work together. And certainly in the Bible they, they're inseparable, they're always working together in the plan of salvation and in God's interactions with us. SPEAKER A Now, Daniel, it strikes me that governments of our land, in our case either our state or of our federal government, they can pass laws. But passing these laws doesn't actually change people's behaviour. Well, not from the inside anyway. It might do it in externals. Can the law of God itself, the moral law, the Ten Commandments, can that change a person's heart? SPEAKER C No, it can't. And we see in Jeremiah what God actually wants to do in Jeremiah 31, 31:34 says the following. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant That I made with their fathers in that day, that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my my people. And no more shall every man teach his neighbour and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they all shall know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin. I will remember no more. So here we can see what God wants. God wants a relationship. He wants the reason for us to keep the law is not because of consequences, but rather because we love him. And it's that change in the heart that God wants, that he will write the law in our hearts and that we will want to obey the law. SPEAKER A Yeah, thanks, Daniel. A good point. And I'm going to just expand on that by turning to a verse in John's Gospel in the New Testament. John, chapter three and verse three. Now, this is a familiar story where Jesus had a pharisee ruler by the name of Nicodemus come to him at nighttime. And Jesus really answers his unspoken question. In verse three, he says, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So Jesus promised eternal life to the one who was born again. So, Cayce, what did he mean by being born again? Nicodemus was a bit panickety on this one, wasn't he? SPEAKER B He was very puzzled and Jesus had to explain it to him in very plain terms. And if we read in verses 5 through to 8 of John chapter 3, it says, Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. And so what he was talking about here is born of water. That's representing baptism. And then born of the Spirit is referring to having a changed heart and having the Holy Spirit dwelling in our heart so that he can give us a new heart. Daniel read about that before having like a new heart so that we have a different life. And that's why it says, you know, it looks like something's changed. It's like the wind blows, you can see the effect. Something's changed with that person. That's the effect of having been born again. And it's interesting, you can see tangible evidence of being born again. If you have a look at Psalm 37, verse 31, it says the law of God is in his heart and none of his steps shall slide. And so this is highlighting that as the Holy Spirit works a change in our heart to follow God's ways and his law, it affects our actions and our footsteps. And all of that is because in John 14:15 it says that if you, I think it's, if you love me, keep my commandments. And so this is a very important thing because the law might point out our sin, but it's really what Christ did to save us that then gives us the grace to then live a new life and obey. And that's why again we have this, there's no one sided coin thing. You know, law and grace, they're working together. And right behind law and grace is always God's overarching principle of benevolent love towards us. SPEAKER A So Daniel, can you summarise for us in your words the relationship between law and love? SPEAKER C Well, actually I won't use my words, but I'll use Paul's words In Romans chapter 13 and actually verse 10 it says love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. And in the previous verse he looks at the second part of the ten commandments that deals with love for man. And so he is saying this clearly, love is the, the fulfilment of the law. SPEAKER A Okay, now let's go back to Matthew's gospel and I'd like to have a Look at Matthew 23:23, easy reference to remember where Matthew writes using the words of Jesus, Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you paid tithe of mint and anise and cummin, the herbs, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. So Cayce, what are these weightier matters of the law? SPEAKER B Well they're actually the deep seated heart motives of the law. So the law can have these, like an outward action might be like, oh, you don't kill or you don't steal or you do something kind, but deep seated attributes that are in harmony with the law are things like justice and mercy and faith. And the problem that the Pharisees had is they had all these outward actions which in and of themselves were in harmony with the law. But they were doing them with all the wrong motives and the wrong spirit. And that made what they did not mean that they were keeping the law. So it shows just how much the law must be placed in our heart. SPEAKER A Now, Daniel, after long years in slavery in Egypt, God delivered Israel. And I'm going to read Deuteronomy 5:15, which says, and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. So what's significant about the setting of this reminder? SPEAKER C Well, here in fact, it repeats the commandment and in the context of this it actually says that Sabbath is that remembered because of their deliverance. So in Exodus it was talking about their bondage, this is talking about their deliverance. And so Sabbath is a reminder of. Sorry, in Exodus, talking about creation. But so Sabbath is a reminder of both creation as well as deliverance. SPEAKER A Okay, so Cayce, just in a few words, as we near the end of our conversation today, this idea of loving people, how do we go about that? SPEAKER B Yeah, it's a very good question, isn't it? SPEAKER A I mean, some people are not very lovable in my opinion. SPEAKER B That is so true. And certainly it's really a response. Obviously we have Jesus example, but it's really a response to God's love working deep into our heart. We have to let that really sink in and focus on the attributes that God has and then put it in practise. And as we are putting in practise, looking for people in need, looking for people we can help. And following the example that Jesus did of self sacrificing love for others as we do that, that's how God works, that love loving principle of the law, right through our character. And we are able to both love God as we should and love those around us. SPEAKER A So like Nicodemus, it comes from a change from within, doesn't it? A change in the heart. Absolutely. Well, my guests today were Daniel and Kaysie Vokurka. Good to have you with us. Thank you. And my name is Clive Nash. I've enjoyed our discussion together. Wonderful way to bring this series of discussions together for this topic. So we've come to the final episode in our series, the God of Love and Justice. Ask yourself, how can I show God's love to others. How can I be more just? How can I show love to those I meet every day, whether they're family, friends or strangers? Let God's love shine into your heart and shine out as well. We're glad you joined us on Let God Speak. Next week we begin a new series on how to study Bible prophecy, so please tune in for that series. Remember, all past programmes plus teacher's notes are available on our website, 3abnaustralia.org.au. Email us if you wish on [email protected]. we hope that you'll join us again next time, and until that time, I pray that God will richly bless you all. Amen. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.