Law gives freedom part 1
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." James 1:25
We have spoken about hearing and responding and this is what happening in our daily communication with the Lord. The passage here in James 1 talks about the law which gives freedom and the same phrase is repeated later on in James (James 2:12). When the law is spoken of in the new Testament we often think of the legalism of the pharisees. This is the negative side of the law. But take heart there is also a positive side of the law - the law gives freedom. If we start out in the Old Testament we see this.
Exodus 19:7-8
So Moses went back and summoned the people and set before them all the words the Lord had given him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said" So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
Psalm 19:7
"The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are turstworthy, making the wise simple."
For me, Psalm 19 helps me to understand this phrase "Law gives freedom".
The law of the Lord is not legalistic but indeed is refreshment for our souls! In obeying God, there is freedom.
What does this phrase mean to you?
7 comments:
If you start in the old testament with Exodus 19, a little further on the people are in bondage again to idolatry, so I don't think they have found freedom in the law. So what is this law of the Lord that brings freedom and refreshment?
The people you talk about often disobeyed. Yet the God of Mercy reached out to them time after time. The passage here in James and certainly in Old testament there is freedom for those who obey the law.
"there is freedom for those who obey the law" - yes, but what is this law that brings freedom?
Can you clairfy the question for me? are you looking for a definition or do you just struggle with the concept.
In the original post, you quote James writing about the law that gives freedom. You say this is not the legalism of the pharisees, but neither you nor James tell us what this law is.
I wonder what you understand by this law that brings freeedom? What do you think is involved in living by this law, ie. living in the freedom that both you and James are talking about?
Probabbly not be able to give you a succinct answer here but suffice to say that matthew tell us that the law of the lord is love him with all of our hearts.
And presumably,love those we come into contact with as ourselves?
So we are talking about the freedom to live as God wants us to live, rather than the freedom to live as we might prefer to live, then?
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