Bible Readings for the Home Circle Part 102

25. What will be the standard in the judgment?

"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be _judged by the law of liberty_." James 2:12.

26. What is said of those who love G.o.d's law?

"_Great peace have they which love Thy law_: and nothing shall offend them." Ps. 119:165.

27. What would obedience to G.o.d's commandments have insured to ancient Israel?

"O that thou hadst harkened to My commandments! _then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea_." Isa. 48:18.

28. What is another blessing attending the keeping of G.o.d's commandments?

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a _good understanding have all they that do His commandments_." Ps. 111:10.

29. In what does the man delight whom the psalmist describes as blessed?

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the unG.o.dly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But _his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night_." Ps. 1:1, 2. See Rom. 7:22.

30. Why is the carnal mind enmity against G.o.d?

"Because the carnal mind is enmity against G.o.d: _for it is not subject to the law of G.o.d, neither indeed can be_." Rom. 8:7.

31. How do those with renewed hearts and minds regard the commandments of G.o.d?

"For this is the love of G.o.d, that we keep His commandments: and _His commandments are not grievous_." 1 John 5:3.

32. What is the essential principle of the law of G.o.d?

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore _love_ is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. 13:10.

33. In what two great commandments is the law of G.o.d briefly summarized?

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt. 22:37-40.

NOTE.-"Does any man say to me, 'You see, then, instead of the ten commandments, we have received the two commandments, and these are much easier'? I answer that this reading of the law is not in the least easier. Such a remark implies a want of thought and experience. Those two precepts comprehend the ten at their fullest extent, and cannot be regarded as the erasure of a jot or t.i.ttle of them. Whatever difficulties surround the commands are equally found in the two, which are their sum and substance. If you love G.o.d with all your heart, you must keep the first table; and if you love your neighbor as yourself, you must keep the second table."-_"__The Perpetuity of the Law of G.o.d,__"__ by C. H.

Spurgeon, page 6._

34. What is said of one who professes to know the Lord, but does not keep His commandments?

"He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is _a liar_, and _the truth is not in him_." 1 John 2:4.

35. What promise is made to the willing and obedient?

"If ye be willing and obedient, _ye shall eat the good of the land_." Isa.

1:19.

36. How does G.o.d regard those who walk in His law?

"_Blessed_ are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord."

Ps. 119:1.

Perpetuity Of The Law

[Ill.u.s.tration.]

Christ Expounding The Law. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets." Matt. 5:17.

1. How many lawgivers are there?

"There is _one lawgiver_, who is able to save and to destroy." James 4:12.

2. What is said of the stability of G.o.d's character?

"For I am the Lord, _I change not_." Mal. 3:6.

3. How enduring are His commandments?

"The works of His hands are verity and judgment; _all His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever_, and are done in truth and uprightness." Ps. 111:7, 8.

4. Did Christ come to abolish or to destroy the law?

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: _I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil_." Matt. 5:17.

NOTES.-_The law_; broadly, the writings of Moses; specifically, the ten commandments, or moral law, from which the writings of Moses primarily derived their name. _The prophets_; that is, the writings of the prophets. Neither of these Christ came to destroy, but rather to fulfil, or meet their design.

"The laws of the Jews are commonly divided into moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The moral laws are such as grow out of the nature of things, which cannot, therefore, be changed,-such as the duty of loving G.o.d and His creatures. These cannot be abolished, as it can never be made right to hate G.o.d, or to hate our fellow men. Of this kind are the ten commandments; and these our Saviour neither abolished nor superseded. The ceremonial laws are such as are appointed to meet certain states of society, or to regulate the religious rites and ceremonies of a people. These can be changed when circ.u.mstances are changed, and yet the moral law be untouched."-_Dr. Albert Barnes, on Matt. 5:18._

"Jesus did not come to change the law, but He came to explain it, and that very fact shows that it remains; for there is no need to explain that which is abrogated.... By thus explaining the law He confirmed it; He could not have meant to abolish it, or He would not have needed to expound it.... That the Master did not come to alter the law is clear, because after having embodied it in His life, He willingly gave Himself up to bear its penalty, though He had never broken it, bearing the penalty for us, even as it is written, 'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' ... If the law had demanded more of us than it ought to have done, would the Lord Jesus have rendered to it the penalty which resulted from its too severe demands? I am sure He would not. But because the law asked only what it ought to ask, namely, perfect obedience, and exacted of the transgressor only what it ought to exact, namely, death as the penalty for sin,-death under divine wrath,-therefore the Saviour went to the tree, and there bore our sins, and purged them once for all."-_"__The Perpetuity of the Law of G.o.d,__"__ by C. H.

Spurgeon, pages 4-7._

"The moral law contained in the ten commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away. It was not the design of His coming to revoke any part of this.... Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind and in all ages, as not depending either on time or place, or any other circ.u.mstance liable to change, but on the nature of G.o.d, and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other."-_John Wesley, in his __"__Sermons,__"__ Vol. I, No. 25, pages 221, 222._

5. When used with reference to prophecy, what does the word _fulfil_ mean?

To fill up; to accomplish; to bring to pa.s.s; as, "that it might be _fulfilled_ which was spoken by Esaias the prophet." Matt. 4:14.

6. What does it mean when used with reference to law?