How do we really love the Law as the Psalmist says? It’s not as many think. It’s tricky because we are using the term “law” in two ways. That’s the distinction I’m making, the Law, the REAL Law in as much as it reflects the will and heart of God, that altruistic selfless love He shows us is GOOD and WONDERFUL, but when the Law becomes that which determines my relationship toward God, ‘if I do this, He will love me, justify me, etc…” (whether explicitly stated or implied) THAT is Satanic for the Devil has, as Luther said, turned everything upside down. Turning God’s Love (selfless love, loving the unlovable/unattractive, true godly Love WHO HE IS) into selfish love that arises from its object. THAT is to make an idol of God and in the end to NOT have THE GOD. We fell from reflecting that LOVE, the true will/heart of God. THAT love (selfless love, loving the unlovable/unattractive, true godly Love WHO HE IS) is the same love that begets the Gospel and THAT Love (= real Law = WHO HE IS) is also the same love that invades and presses into the Satanic “love” (self love), the fallen love man is in bondage to UNDER the Law that is condemned.

This is why (and HOW) we love the Law as the Psalmist says, the real Law (selfless love, loving the unlovable/unattractive, true godly Love WHO HE IS), through the Gospel. The Gospel brings the “switch” or reorientation as it should be so that we actually DO love the Law. For example the first commandment, “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of bondage, you shall have no other gods in front of Me.” (See why did Jesus tell through Peter Satan ‘get behind me’!). Heard through fallen selflove ears that becomes a way and struggle to be in the pleasure of God, as if to “move” Him, worship is inverted from earth to heaven. That is how out of a command from Scripture we 1. hone an idol of the real God, 2. develop false worship. Yet, the same would say, “see I like the Psalmist ‘love the law of God’”. But such a person is deceived and no more really loves the REAL Law, nor God, though he/she says so, than the speed limit laws when rushed. But through the Gospel, this command becomes a WONDERFUL Law and is in reality “no law at all”. As Luther says the Law really desires to NOT BE LAW to us, but we IN the WILL of God (selfless love, loving the unlovable/unattractive, true godly Love WHO HE IS) itself. To the one so in via Christ this “Law”, the first command, then becomes a wonderful friend and ally if you will, you REALL LOVE IT. Because one is not using it inverted, earth to heaven, and honing an idol of God and of the real law making it false. Rather worship is set right, heaven to earth, receiving from God HIS LOVE which IS HIS LAW and to let HIM BE God to us and we the creature, once again, to HIM (our reflexive act to the Gospel if you will). Then this first command becomes a MIGHTY weapon against flesh, the world and Satan. E.g. if the devil and the flesh plague you with thoughts of “am I elect, predestine and alike” one can now use the sword of the Spirit and quote this Law aright to flesh and the devil and the world and say, “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of bondage, you shall have no other gods in front of Me.” And say to the flesh, devil and world: I am not to become anxious about myself, do not be anxious Jesus says, especially about my salvation for Jesus is the revelation of God’s WILL and HEART toward me in Word and Sacraments. And if I do become this way it is a sure sign it is flesh and/or the devil tempting me to be anxious for they wish me to doubt God and become my own god to myself and try to peer into the deep majesty of God as if to see because I doubt Him and some how save myself by finding by some other way election or predestination for myself excepting through the Cross by Word and Sacrament (God’s will to me). And the first command CLEARLY says, devil and flesh, “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of bondage, you shall have no other gods in front of Me. Thus, HE is my God and not me be gone, the Lord rebuke you, get behind Christ.”

See how the Law is WONDERFUL through the Gospel, see how we LOVE IT. And we love it because it serves the Gospel serving to kill our self willed works toward heaven so that we seek out the promise of God all the MORE and TRUST HIM boldly. THIS is to truly love God and the Law, this IS the cry behind the Psalmist. This is the reflexive thanksgiving and love of the Law that rises up from our redeemed hearts in true love and thanksgiving. This is why the Psalmist says, “…I delight in and love Thy Law…” But, again, as I said before in the previous post, it comes through the Gospel…even the command to “delight in the Lord” and NOT as a naked command which is merely to return to fallen love.

Yours truly,

Larry

Larry, the commad to Delight ourselves in the Lord is given in scripture. But I agree that often commands sometimes work negatively in us because of our sinful hearts—just like when you tell a kid not to do something it makes him think about it all the more!! However, there are times when the commands bring joy. For the first time in my 39 years as a Christian, this year I have at long last come to see the beauty in the law and laws of God—yup, it took me 39 years to see that HEY those laws bring me joy because I finally clearly see that when I follow the commands given by God to me it actually really is for my good. When I don’t follow them or aim to follow them I am suffering the many side effects which obviously are not good ones!! How dumb could I be to take 39 years to see the beauty of them and to agree with Psalm 119!! God loves me and that is why his commands are for my good–duh…that should have been obvious for me. Yes, sometimes we don’t see our fruit, but I guess with me I have always felt His presence even if it is a pricking and unsettling presence. Guess some do not always feel His presence and therefore may struggle more…so trusting those promises of our salvationin brings assurance when we doubt our fruit.

BUT herein lay the great paradox and irony: When receive the Gospel afresh FOR you in Word or Sacrament and it “registers” with mind and soul, ‘its REALLY REALLY FOR ME’, nothing but joy, happiness, yes even delight in God and etc… arise naturally. Yet it comes not from a command but from a faith that nakedly passively is receiving Christ. That’s how the fruits of the Spirit arise, “love, peace, joy…etc…” not from “trying to get or do them” which ironically will lead to works of the flesh at length. Rather from receiving Christ FOR YOU.

It’s EXACTLY like Luther said (paraphrasing from memory), “…many speak much and talk much (blow hard – my preferred way of stating it) about faith and good works and know absolutely NOTHING of EITHER…” And elsewhere, “…I (Luther) am not against good works, I’m trying to show you where they ONLY come from…” (again from memory paraphrased).

That’s the difference in a true theologian of the Cross versus a theologian of glory, or at least a one with confounding theologian of glory tendencies.

Larry

In these discussions it is often brought up that the early church was the more authentic version of the faith than what came later, i.e. protestantism. I’m reading a very interesting book by Paul Johnson, one of the great living historians, called “A History of Christianity”. He makes a very convincing case that the early church, from Acts on, was a mess. Jesus didn’t leave his followers a whole lot to go on, especially when they realized that the second coming wasn’t quite as near as they had hoped. The fighting, the disagreements, the curious motivations, makes our day seem positively like one big group hug. For me, I think the Reformers were on to something.

What Michael is talking about is not the false assurance of the unbeliever, but the doubt and despair of the true believer, who while trying to hammer out the implications of his or her faith, is confronted with the enormity of their sin. How much ‘fruit’ is needed to be really sure you are ‘in’? Are you then sure the works were true fruit? Maybe they were the product of your selfish heart or subtle attempts to validate your faith. If that is the case, do they count as fruit of the Spirit? What if you are dealing with a besetting sin? That nagging doubt about God’s word, the resentment that burns like a low grade fever against your boss, that funny feeling you get when you look at that smoking hot woman(or guy) at school. The Word of God is clear about sin- in for a penny, in for a pound. God fordid that you actually commit a flagrant sin(and then secretly like it), what then?
Furthermore, to point people, both believer and unbeliever, back to Christ and His finished work will result in salvation. To point an unbeliever to his lack of fruit will cause him to trust his works and not Christ. This is also a fantastic way to breed hypocrites and pharisees.

You can have sola fide and sola Christus with your interpretation - I’ll take 1 John 2:3-6, Matthew 7:21-23, and James 2:14-26. And I would gladly follow the Bible to Rome if it were as simple as this issue.