Thursday, 3 February 2022

Law and Grace - part 19

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Ahhh, (which is quite different from "Aaah!) the "dance." I put "dance" in quotes because the "dance" is more than the "dance." There is a spectrum of dance.

Rabbi Trail: Many people (not all, so don't take offense if you're one of them) who dance regularly are on the spectrum. After all, consider this, who in their right mind will be on a club dance floor at 2AM on a Tuesday morning? End RT.

A "dance" can be "swaying to the music" in each other's arms, or a "dance" can be a synchronic gyration of frenzied expression. When I say "dance" here, I'm talking about the traditional male/female, in each other's arms, rhythmic movement. When the one moves forward, the other moves back and when the other moves forward, the one moves back. The dance becomes a "push - pull" depending on who's advancing and who's backing up.

This is the "dance" we experience with Law and Grace. We already studied this verse ... 1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. KJV By the same token, Grace must be "lawfully" used. "Hyper-grace is an error that is eloquently described in the popular novel "The Shack," by William P Young (2007), later made into a movie (Lionsgate Movies 2017).

Rabbi's Note: The first two thirds of the book was very agreeable. But the last third of the book thoroughly dismisses any need for God's righteous principles. The author, Young, proposes that Law always destroys relationships (which he says are promoted by Grace). End RN.

The Law can be viewed as "God's fence" provided to keep us from danger. Have you ever heard that fences make good neighbors? Here is an important part of an important verse to consider. Hebrews 6:18b ... it is impossible for God to lie ... God cannot be against Himself. Grace and truth are both fully God's character. They are Who God is. He is One God, not some schizophrenic dual personality, Who is sometimes full of grace and mercy, and at other times full of judgment and legalism.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.

And there is this too ... Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Yeshua is not our excuse to sin, ("I'm just a sinner, saved by grace," GAG!) He is our example of righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

How long will this last? Yeshua, Himself, gets the last word today ... Matthew 5:18 Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.