Are God's Commandments impossible to Keep?

Thank you Salty as this is a much needed discussion. We have far too long made excuses for our sins by claiming we cannot keep the commandments.
I know of no rational parent that would give their child chores that they could not possible carry out and then discipline them for failing. Yet most of the church today accuses God fo doing just that. That means we think more of ourselves then we do God as we live by higher standards.

To hold a doctrine that we cannot keep the commandments is to suggest that we have a God who holds us accountable for things we cannot do. The truth is we have been commanded to keep them and we can, but we make willful choices to not keep them. There is no person alive who can name even one sin they have ever committed that they had to do. Every sin is a willful choice to go against the Lord.

It is not that we cannot keep them, it is that we choose not to. Until we can accept this truth we will never see just how sinful our hearts really are. I am afraid that we think too much of ourselves and too little of God.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].

 

Romans 8:7 - "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, IT CANNOT."

-The natural man CANNOT obey God without divine assistance.

Rom 12:3- " ... God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”

Phil. 1:29 - "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake."

-God Commands us to believe, but the grants the faith necessary to believe.

If nothing else, the entirety of the Old Testament account of Israel should show us that people are unable to follow God's laws without the help of the Holy Spirit. God was very clear over and over again, obey me, you will be blessed, Disobey me, you will be cursed. (2 ways to move a mule: a Carrot and a stick

...neither worked.

 

I think we can strive to keep them, and desire to keep them, and choose to sin less than our "old man" adamic nature might desire. However, I do not think we will be sucessful in always choosing God's way, and therefore we all fall short of the glory of God. Thus the Law and our apprehension that we failed to keep the whole Law, as opposed to our sucess in keeping the Law to varying degrees, leads us to Christ as the means of avoiding the just punishment for our sins.

Great question!!

 

So tell me this. Do you sin because you have to or because you choose to? Name me one sin you have ever done while you were lost or saved that you had to do.

 

Well, if we could have kept them, then there would have been no need for Jesus to die on the cross, either.

Galatians 3:

21 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.

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The Law could never bring life, so even if you could keep the Law(commandments of God), it would have been fruitless to do so. The Law(God's commandments) brings us unto Christ when we are shown the vile sinners that we were when we were in the bonds of sin. So the commandments will show us how evil our deeds are, and that we need a Saviour to be restored unto Him. Or that's how I see it.

Galatians:
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Again, it shows that the Law could not bring righteousness, only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can.

Galatians 3:12-14

12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 4:4-6

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.


So, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law, because it could not bring eternal life. Neither could the commandments. In the OT days, you had to keep the Law(and commandments), but now, under the Grace Covenant, we are kept by the power of God.

1 Peter 1:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Or, again, this is how I see it to be.

i am I AM's!!

Willis

 

They must be impossible to keep as no one I have ever heard of or read about has kept them. Also how can we keep the following two at the same time:

1. An eye for an eye.
2. Turn the other cheek.

 

Are the so-called ten commandments laws to be kept or ideals demonstrating the being of God in language we can understand?

For instance, we cannot even begin to keep the very first commandment. It is purely of God's character and being. Impossible. This does not keep us from reaching toward the ideal. God never intended man to live in a comb.

Cheers,

Jim

 

it is not the commands that are contrary one to the other but your understanding that is flawed. The eye for an eye is an edict for the courts as to how to carry out justice.
The turning the cheek is an edict as to how to respond to an insult on a personal bases. There is no contradiction.

Now about the idea because no one has done it it must mean that it is impossible. That too is incorrect. The fact that no one has done it does not mean it impossible, just that no one wants to and it shows us the depth of our sinfulness.
God did not give us commands that are impossible to keep and then pronounce judgment on us for not keeping them. God gave us commandments that can be kept, but our wicked hearts do not want to keep them so we receive judgment.

 

It's that one cannot help but do it. The Commandment says, Thou shalt not covet. Covetousness is a desire like hunger. Now try to tell us that you have not coveted anything that is thy neighbor's, or that when you did (and do) it's only when you sat down and thought, "Hmm. I think I'll desire such and such."

 

All sin is a choice. There is no exceptions. I choose not to desire the possessions of another. I see them as belonging to them and that is the end of it. It is a choice.

 

Really? An evil tree can bring forth good fruit? Guess Jesus was just chompin' His bubblegum.

 

Only what is done in the Lord is considered good. The lost can keep the comandments as to the letter. The saved can keep them as to the spirit. The letter kills even if kept but the spirit gives life. Every sin is a choice made to disobey as no one os forced to sin.

 

Gal. 3:21 "...For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law."

Paul clearly says here that the O.T. Law is not able to "impart life". Why is it "not able"? Is there something wrong with the O.T. Law? No, I don't think so.

In Matt. 19:17, Jesus tells the rich young ruler "...if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments".

Jesus tells the man to "keep the commandments" if he wishes to enter into life, and yet Paul tells us under inspiration of Holy Spirit that the Law is not able to impart life. Is there a contradiction?

I don't think so. The reason the law is not able to impart life is because we are not able to keep it.

So, when Jesus told the rich young ruler to keep the commandments if he wished to enter into life, He was telling him to do something He knew he couldn't accomplish. He did so to demonstrate he needed something other than the Law to enter into life. He needed a Savior.

Unfortunately, the man rejected his Savior and went back to following the Law.

peace to youraying:

 

Yes there was something wrong with the law. It was not able to atone for sin and all sinned.

 

Scripture does not say the Law was not able to atone for sin. It says it is not able to "impart life". There are sin offerings and atonement offerings throughout the O.T. Law.

To "sin" means to "fall short" or "miss the mark". To sin with respect to the Law means to fail to keep the Law. You keep saying we are able, and yet you admit that everyone who has ever tried has failed to keep it.

How can you say we are able to keep the Law when you admit that 100% of people who have tried over the past 3500 years or so have failed? Can you give an example, other than Jesus Christ, of someone who has kept the Law?

peace to youraying:

 

"Scripture does not say the Law was not able to atone for sin. It says it is not able to "impart life". :laugh:

"
How can you say we are able to keep the Law when you admit that 100% of people who have tried over the past 3500 years or so have failed? Can you give an example, other than Jesus Christ, of someone who has kept the Law?"

Do you read what you write? :laugh:

 

Yes. Perhaps you can share what you found so funny?

peace to youraying:

 

Your contradictory question. Read what you wrote then read what you asked. Your question was answered by you in what you wrote.

 

Oh, now I get it. You believe that since Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was able to keep the commandments, then all men everywhere are able to keep the commandments.

You believe all men have the same ability as Jesus to keep the commandments. Wow! Really?

We'll have to disagree on that.

peace to youraying: