2. Is there a Moral Law?

1. Does the NT mention Morality?
2. Where is the talk of morality from?
3. What rules constitute morality?
4. What wrong with morality?
5. Is there something that is better, certain, achievable, certain, satifying?

1. Does the NT mention Morality?
I never see this word. There is only talk of commands of Christ, Christ affirming ALLLLL the commands of Moses, and Paul enounciating the Gospel of Grace and that NO COMMAND gives life, reconcilliation with God. There is talk by Paul of 'right' living but the criteria, the distinctive marks are not laws, but fruit of a fundamental, spirit changing event...again they are fruit, not prepositions that make the change happen, but the right living comes OUT of the right change! This is the opposite of the teacing of morality that goes around. It says DO and you will GET but the teaching about GRACE swaps things on their head and says GET and you will DO. but I'm getting ahead of my self, this is the distictive of the ministry of the Spirit, it is so different to the ministry of the Law.

2. Where is the talk of morality from?
I understand the word 'moral' was immortalised by one Thomas Aquinas where he contrived a framework for Moses Law, dividing into 3 types: ceremonial; civil; moral. Never before in the time of the apostles did such a distinction exist. What seems to be happening is instead of talk of being born again, producing the fruit of the spirit, there seems only a concern exists for external rules for the appearance of right living. We know from religious family and friends that the darkest of hearts are taught they are ok because they have complied with various 'essential' rules, but the evil is still there, just not talked about.

3. What rules constitute morality?
Here in lies the WHOLE problem of the imaginary concept MORALITY. ..one person's set of rules differ from the next, and if there appears to be people who perform better than you then a new higher rule is invoked to say "I'm in" and "You're out" and divisions and discentions are promoted and fueled on for more misery to exist. I see no happiness in the concept of 'morality', it is abiguous, arbitrary, impossible to comply with no matter how simple the rules, and it gives no certainty, hope, or eternal confidence and by the way, these rules in no way, addresses the root problem, can bring righteousness God requires, INFACT can ONLY promote pride which is the EXACT opposite to what God's requirement is!!!!!!!!!!! No, some apostles covered the externals without addressing the root issue, but thankfully we have Paul who more than sufficiently sets up 'right living' in the God revealed way, not man made criteria.

4. What wrong with morality?
The no.1 issue with morality, is identifcation of the right rules!! then comes problem no.2 what is the 'accepted' Compliance rate for morals. Here is where various responses come:
- back patting,
- making excuses for less than perfect performance,
- perpetually refining and redefining the 'right' rules
- making things up to suit yourself!

but NONE of this brings us Gods righteousness. He is perfect and DEMANDS perfection. These 4 responses might be demonstrated in the 4 types in Jesus day:
- the strict and severe invoke monastic (essene) type life,
- some become legalistic (pharisaic),
- some struggle but live with it and only live for this life (sadducee)
- and most think its a crock and just have Saturdays off and have the obligatory party days and say I'm ok (Herodian).

None of these are the New Testament answer to righteousness. Morality is in no way "IT".

5. Is there something that is better, certain, achievable, certain, satifying?
Ah, now we are getting out of the Romans7 conundrum into where the Spirit of the Lord is. The short answer here is the Cross of Christ changed EVERYTHING. Before the cross, there was confusion, legalism, tradition et al but after the cross came the Holy Spirit. This spirit enters the heart of men who bend their heart to the personhood of Christ and see the cross as rightfully their death, the death of messiah was a death they should have rightly bore, not just the physical passing but the spiritual one that follows the physical death. ..but this is the purpose of this WHOLE blog. Its a paradym shift that precious few grasp. Knowing this new paradym now I can see why the Apostle Paul was repeatedly attacked and left for dead by 'morality' pursing Jews who said there is a set of rules that all must comply with, anything less is an abomination ie the teaching of a God of Great Grace. The message of Grace is contrary to the ministry of the Law, the two are not friends only JESUS CHRIST brings them together, not me, you or anyone else.