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God’s Law
By Peace | February 27, 2008
The name of God is holy and must be treated with great respect. Moses told the Israelites that God’s name was, in Hebrew, Yahweh. Out of reverence, they never wrote that name, but substituted for it Adonai, meaning Master. Catholics have great reverence for the name of Jesus, called the Holy Name. The Apostles performed miracles and baptised “In the name of Jesus”. St Paul, in the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, says it is “in the name which is above every name,” and that, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil 2:9-10).
The name of God and his divine Song should only be used in prayer, pious conversation, or in calling on God to witness to the truth on solemn occasions, as in the court of Law. Every sin spoils the relationship between ourselves and God, but what does God ask of me? What is God’s Law for me? God has revealed his law in nature. Even though totally ignorant of God all men “can point to the substance of the Law engraved on their hearts” which is recognised by conscience. (Romans 2:15)
This
natural law was to be uniquely expressed in the Old Law or Law of Moses. The giving of the Law of Moses, issuing from the Ten Commandments, was the formative event of the Old Testament by which the Jews were separated from other nations to become God’s own. The Commanments ’sum up the fundamental demands of the human conscience with an accuracy and sureness rarely attained by the pagan philosophers.” For the Jews the fulfillment of the Law meant salvation.
Jesus did not come to abolish the Old Law, but to complete it. The Old Law was written on tablets of stone, but the New Law is written in men’s hearts. The Old Law led to confusion and self-righteousness, but the New Law, the Law of Christ, is ordered and leads to intimacy with God. The Old and New Law cannot be mixed.
- Jesus established order among the various laws that had grown up in the Jewish tradition. He established love of God and of neighbour as the centre of his moral code,”You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
- Jesus imposed perfection on his followers. Under the Old Law, imperfections had been tolerated because of “hardness of heart” (Matthew 19:8). But Jesus set the example in “being perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48). This is the perfection of the Good Samaritan who “loved his enemies”.
- Most importantly, Jesus offers us the means by which we can become perfect. He offers us his own life: the life of the Holy Spirit. He gave us the Holy Spirit for the overcoming of sin. After his resurrection, he breathed on the apostles, saying,”Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven…” (John 20:23)
Story of Ten Commandments
Teaching Your Children The Ten Commandments
The Great Commandments
The Ten Commandments
Commandments of the Church
Topics: Church, God, Jesus, View All |
March 25th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
[…] — it is not a matter of how you pray even. It is your heart that counts, in addition to the Laws of course. I will tell you more, I have so much to share, so much things to be revealed. […]