If all we need is for Jesus to just impress his love on us and tell us to love others, why the long, detailed passages in the NT of how to treat people?
Because people tend to need things explained a lot of different ways.
Are you really suggesting that after all this talk about grace and faith, that God is then just reverting back to, If you follow this list of things I'm giving, you'll live, and if not, you'll die? Because it really sounds like what you're saying.
That the one who keeps the "Law", whomever's version, will live by that keeping of it?
The just shall live by faith. I don't know if you know this, the LXX translates that in Habbakuk, the just, by my faith, they live. That brings some really interesting harmony with Galatians 2, maybe 16 or 18.
Reading the Bible and then trying to do it without God is 'religion', in every negative connotation of the word.
So then don't do that!
Reading the Bible and then doing it in the love and grace of God is the grace that the OP is contrasting with 'religion'.
If you are keeping it as a list of requirments you have to adhere to,
OK, here's a thing. The lists of behaviors as things that we read, that you are talking about, and many of the OT laws, as we can practically relate them to our lives, gives us some pointers about how to be, and provide a safety rail until we can mature.
Just as the Law was given as a peadogogue to Israel, to keep them intact until Jesus came, it couldn't make them righteous, but it could keep them alive by keeping them from going off the deep end into sin. It had a built in safety net, the curses.
It also had a very strict requirement, adherance, in the most past, upon pain of death, or otherwise continuing sacrifices.
So it only served to condemn the people, but it also protected the nation, again, until Jesus came.
God's intent for our lives is that each of us our fruitful in our own ways, as the Holy Spirit works uniquely with each one of us, no two alike. Like they say, an organically formed body, not built as each of us learns to keep laws, but built as each of us learn to walk in the Spirit.
Before we begin to mature, in that "milk" stage, before we understand much, these lists of behaviors inform us, describing what is and is not the child of God. We can use that to help, as we work on our character, not a bad thing at all! I think that improving our character is like giving ourselves a better toolbox.
I think this makes for a good example of the Hebrews passage of milk and meat, that we do what we believe is what we should do, and as we do so, we come to understand more, meat.
But if we remain living by trying to obey lists of rules, we hold ourselves back from the walking in the Spirit, which has no rules at all. Because the Spirit controls us.
People have a very wrong understanding of what grace is. More and more people are thinking grace means you do nothing and just have good thoughts about Jesus and the gospel, while religion is you do something.
Yes, I agree, there are a number of wrong ideas about grace. I think those wrong ideas go both directions, some saying you need do nothing, and some saying you don't have it unless you are keeping every bit - of their version, anyway.
Grace to me means that God has removed from me all guilt and shame, and replaced it with innocence and joy. God's favor towards us in the forgiving of all our sins.
Grace allows me the opportunity to believe, and receive, and be born again. And the idea isn't to turn us into law-keepers, the idea is to turn us into people like Jesus.
Here's a question for you . . . Did Jesus "keep" the Law, or did He "fulfill" the Law? The difference is this.
A man keeps the Law, in that it was imposed upon him, and he is subject to it. His compliance is just that, compliance. He is following something external to him.
Jesus fulfilled the Law in that He always lived in such a way that His life never violated any law. But He wasn't per se "in compliance". I do what I see My Father do. I say what My Father says. And because that was so, He never violated any commandment. He never did anything contrary to Who He is.
If we are "law keepers", we do the same, we follow some external rulebook. Walking in the Spirit is different. As we trust in Jesus, whatever comes in life, we trust Him, and make our choices based on love. Chosing to trust, and to love, is the sacrifice of ourselves God is asking for.
Committing ourselves to loving others is to sacrifice our rights for ourself. And trusting Jesus to care for our needs, we don't need rights, Jesus is our helper.
So then the choices we make come from this foundation. We can look to the Bible, and know, the choice of trusting Jesus and loving others will never look like stealing from someone. And it's not a bad thing to restrain yourself from stealing, because we know that's not right.
But I think the real transformation God is working in us is one in which we look to Jesus for our needs, and we commit ourselves to other's well-being - love - and in this, we are people who do not steal. But not so we are in compliance with "Thou shalt not steal", but because we love others, and give to them because we love them.
Trying to obey laws can help you build character, that is, to reorder your neural pathways through repetions of thought and behavioral patterns, but learning to be like Jesus is the renewing of the mind, which brings the transformation God works through rebirth to be the dominant factor in our lives.
We are transformed by His love for us, His care for us, and as He is sharing to others through us. Love outpoured into our hearts, this is love that's poured into us, to spread out to others, and this is transformative.
In this transformation, walking in the Spirit, we do as the Spirit leads, empowers, whatever that may be. Getting up and going to work in the morning. Serving in our church with the gifts He gives. Sharing God's love, with everyone in our lives, in all the ways that's done.
Giving material care, prayers, encouraging, just letting people know they are loved. Enduring through difficulties and afflictions, but knowing even these are expressions of God's love for us.
The point is, if we can consistently walk in faith, in the Spirit, our choices are guided by Him, not by lists. It's personal. It's contextual. Unique. Righteous, and ALWAYS appropriate, correct.
Much love!