THE RULE OF LIFE

How Many Rules of Life Should We Keep?

Originally there were 10 commandments. Ex.20.

In the Old Testament there are many “ thou shalt nots.”

A Jewish Rabbi counted 248 Commandments and 365 Prohibitions in Scripture.

David in Psalm 15 brought it down to 11.

(Psa 15:1-5)  A Psalm of David. Jehovah, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; in whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but he honors those who fear Jehovah; he has sworn to his hurt, and does not change it; he has not put out his money at interest, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever.

and Micah reduced it to 3.

(Mic 6:8)  He has shown, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Habakkuk put the rules of life altogether in one: “The just shall live by faith.”

(Hab 2:4)  Behold, the soul of him is lifted up, and is not upright; but the just shall live by his faith.

Later another Jewish Scholar with the most penetrating mind of his day saw that Habakkuk had hit on the central fact of life.

Jesus fulfilled all laws and accumulated them in one, the law of love.

(Mat 22:37-39)  Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Martin Luther summed up his 95 thesis as one, “ the just shall live by faith.”

Paul wrote half the New Testament around that discovery:

(Rom 1:16-17)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

(2Co 5:7)  for we walk by faith, not by sight;

(Gal 2:20)  I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

(Gal 3:21-27)  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For you are all the children of God by  the faith of Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

(Heb 10:38)  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

(Gal 2:16)  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

(Rom 3:21-22)  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

We are redeemed from the law. Jesus finished and fulfilled them. There is one rule of life, the justified (YOU) shall live by faith. Whose faith? THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST!