Satan makes it hard to keep The Commandments that God has given us. The Devil is in control of our lives and our covets and our Sabbath, our calender, Our media, He is "the king of the air". He took over right after the crucifixion. In the intervening years after the apostles. The Commandments are but a forgotten remnant of the old Testament. The king of the air continues to rule, Untill the REAL KING RETURNS, "before no flesh is left to alive" Times of great Tribulation are near. I only hope I can suffer long enough and endure, to see him coming!!
First, I'd like to say that it's refreshing to see a new face on the forums and another soul building a testimony under his real name. Judging by your age, if you're a California native, you'd have had opportunity to see my favorite band "live back in the day."
Now, regarding scripture, most people here would regard the Bible as the word of God. I certainly do. Having said that, it's a difficult collection of writings to understand with the mind we're born with. The scripture calls our natural state "carnal" and theologians call it unregenerate. Jesus just called it evil, contrasting everyone with God, who alone is good.
Now, the Bible is treated by some as a rule book in that we find God's commandments in it. But, in fact, the scriptures are the revelation of God in the person of His Son, starting in Genesis and all the way through to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For a clearer understanding of scripture, it's better to read them out of order, starting with the gospels.
Jesus taught that it was impossible for "a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." If you read His words carefully, you can see that He taught that it was impossible for a man to fully "keep the law," not that we couldn't struggle to obediently keep the commandments, but breaking any commandment put the Israelites under a curse (individually) and who could live a perfect life pleasing to God?
The answer to that question is "God" and in the person of His Son. In chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah, we find Jesus prophetically described as "the suffering servant" and without going into theological depth, it explains the "why" and "how" of Jesus' worldly ministry . Keep in mind that Isaiah wrote his scroll many hundreds of years before the Lord's birth.
The law still exists, but no one is perfected by it. To the contrary, Jesus fulfilled the law in His lifetime and initiated a new covenant which replaces the old covenant of law. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel wrote about this new and better covenant also hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus.
When you've read through the gospels, I would suggest reading the book of Hebrews, which looks back at the law and explains the ministry of Jesus in terms of the priesthood and sacrifice. Then when you read the law some things will make more sense.
I also recommend that as you go to Genesis and read forward through the law and the prophets, that you look for Jesus described in those writings indirectly. Jesus told the Pharisees :
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. John 5:39
This tells us two important things about the Old Testament books, first that they do in fact reveal the person of Jesus Christ long before His birth, and second that their purpose is indeed to reveal God in the person of His Son.
If your will is to do God's will, Jesus promised that you'll recognize His doctrine is true. When you have some understanding of Jesus' fulfilling of the law, if you've submitted to Him as the Son of God and believed Him for eternal life, the Epistles will be easier to understand as they expand upon the doctrines of grace that Jesus was teaching the Jews. The Epistles are for the redeemed and believers who are taught by God, so those who don't know Him have difficulty understanding them.
Most people study books of commentary to try to understand scripture, but the only One who understands scripture perfectly is the Spirit that inspired the many scribes who wrote the many books of the Bible.
It's a blessed thing to be taught by God. I only look at commentary to verify what God is teaching me, but sometimes receive insights from spiritual men who have studied longer than I have. When you receive His Spirit, He can confirm the truth in a teaching or reveal error, but only if you read and fill your mind with His word. For most people (without eidetic memory) this requires many readings through the biblical text, but God enjoys our fellowship with Him in His word and teaches us what we need to know over the course of time. Spending time in His presence changes us as nothing else can.
May the Lord bless your studies in His word with understanding and grant you wisdom to apply it to life. Amen.
The world suffers much the same as Christians in ignorance, but with knowledge and obedience to Him, comes blessing, honor, and salvation.
