Don't be curious, we know what happen to the cat...Lol......When the bible speaks of laws we no longer have to keep, it is speaking of the animal sacrificial laws and Priesthood laws. These animal sacrificial laws were a school master pointing us to the fact that Jesus would be sacrificed for our sins. Since Jesus died we are no longer under a school master, (required to offer up bulls and goats for our sins).
Now we must believe (have faith) Jesus died for us (Hebrews 10:4,9-10) 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 9 then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
This doesn't mean we don't have to obey God's moral laws of conduct. That would be like a man getting paroled from prison and then ignoring the same laws that sent him to prison in the first place. Jesus only died once, so if we willingly break God's law, after accepting Jesus, our reward will be eternal damnation (Hebrews 10:26-27) 26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Let us avoid this at all costs, seeking a better reward. Jesus will return real soon And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:12).
As a Messianic Jew, and when I was active with my local congregation of Orthodox Messianic Jews, they taught the same thing for this time, but are fully prepared to go back to Israel once the sacrifices start back up, claiming that they will look back to Christ and therefore, allegedly, not be a betrayal, slap-in-the-face of Christ for what He has already accomplished.
So, in reference to your use of the term "obey" in reference to the division of what you call "moral law," I'm wondering where scripture commands the dividing of the Law when we consider that violating even the smallest point of the Law made one guilty of it all. Do you see where this leads? As I looked about at all those people I loved dearly, I could see the bondage. They sat around each week together, codifying the moral Law and trying to commit it all to memory while ignoring all that was not a part of the temple and priesthood elements, such as the material of garments and dietary Laws. You see, it was all about the convenience of subjectively deciding what applies and what doesn't. The cross, in their practices, did away with far more than what they were aware they had cast aside from the Law. They were not adhering to the singular thread type for their garments nor placing a protective railing around the edge of their roofs and so many more particulars that had nothing to do with the cross.
So, when people through the years of my earlier life spoke of the doing-away with the sacrificial and priesthood system because of the cross, claiming to adhere to the "moral" Law at the exclusion of all the rest, I'm left wondering how, for example, refraining from eating pork, that will ever make them closer to God. Genesis 9 shows the Lord telling Noah that they could eat everything that moved upon the earth with nothing forbidden. Then comes Deuteronomy THEN saying that some of the things that move upon the earth were forbidden to Israel, but said nothing about the Gentiles. There too is yet another strange statement when Gentiles lay claim to following the "moral" Law, as if Paul ever taught such a thing, which he didn't.
So, having said all that, my question is: What about Holy Spirit?
What I mean is, given that a true believer is indwelt by Holy Spirit, what need have any of us to study the so-called "moral Law" to try and "obey?" Do we have that ability? I do recall where Paul said this:
Romans 8:1, 4
1 There is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ...
4 That
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Walking after the flesh is the self-effort of trying to obey a written code. Many think they are aspiring to some superior level of life by trying to combine both. Only ONE can be the dominant force, not both. I can write letter of instruction to my children, and if they look only to me letter in me presence as their guide, what does that say about their heart and focus toward me in their presence. Relationship, as you know, must be top priority. If we didn't even have Bibles, we could still live completely in harmony with the Lord by His indwelling Spirit that no government can ever take from us as they can our Bible.
Galatians 5:16, 25
16 This I say then,
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ...
25 If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Not once have I seen Paul state that we're to return to the letter of what is called the "moral Law." It's great to read and study it all as our daily feeding so that the time spent upon it takes up all the other time we may spend feeding upon the filth of this world from Bollywood and "entertainments." Frankly, our efforts for "being" moral in accordance with the written ordinances will not help us in our conduct toward others around us and their perceptions held about us personally when compared to letting Holy Spirit work through us in ways that the ordinances of moral code cannot possibly hope to touch upon.
Given that Paul focused so much more upon living by that precious, indwelling Spirit, what can mere words do that comes close to the living out of the Life of Holy Spirit through us? We can't retain our salvation by trying to "obey" the moral code. The greatest treasure of reward that we store up in Heaven is when we live and walk by the Spirit who instructs us on morality to a far more profound and abiding level than anything we may do by our own efforts with intentional conduct through our flesh.
So, it comes down to laying claim to obedience to what is written versus obedience to the One who is the Author of what is written Who actually indwells us personally, and is therefore in our presence right now. isn't that wonderful?
In summation, there are multitudes of issues that arise when one thinks to elevate what is written up to the level of the presence of Spirit. When we promote self-effort without first pointing out the superiority of the Power of the indwelling Spirit to feed us and work through us His perfect morality that far surpasses the mere letters of what was inspired in our inferior tongues, it falls flat. I realize the legalists out there will demand how wrong I am, and that's on them. They live and breath denial of Paul's instructions who pointed ONLY to Holy Spirit.
Amen?
Sorry this was so long, but there are perhaps those out there who needed this to bolster their love and dedication to seeking Holy Spirit for the power to live not only those ordinances of moral code, but also actually living by the Spirit who inspired it all that should only point to Him rather than our flesh and our efforts for obedience. When walking by Holy Spirit, He far surpass the mere letters as He works through us.
BTW
