Do Not Light a Fire on the Sabbath

"Do not light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day"    ~Exodus 35:3

God has been showing me that this still has application for today.  All scripture can be literally, spiritually, or symbolically applied to today (2 Tim. 3:16).  We live in a time where we get to see just how the Old Covenant has always been intended to point us to the new (Colossians 2:17).  That's exciting!  The laws and codes and regulations given by Moses were not written to us, as much as for us.

How do we translate the essence of Exodus 35:3 to modern Christian culture?  By letting scripture interpret itself!  There is a message behind all of these little bylaws that still remains.  We can see what David said about it -- he was ahead of his time in that He lived by faith in a Savior that hadn't yet come:

"You, oh Yahweh, keep my lamp burning; my Elohim turns my darkness into light."            

 ~Psalm 18:28

There's a big message here.  Other translations describe it this way: "You light my lamp".  We need to let God do the lighting, especially on the Sabbath.  We need to let God set us on fire, especially because it's He who brought us into the realm of Sabbath-day rest.  He is both the fuel and the fire itself.

I believe this whole concept of lighting fires on the Sabbath amounts to our own self-religious efforts to get to God.   In ancient times, getting a fire started could be hard!  The time invested in gathering wood was pretty significant.  In the same way, our lengthy, compulsive, and/or mundane spiritual templates are not rewarded by the God who paid the price to give you rest (Hebrews 4:1).

We can't just go through the motions to go up with God, nor can we come into Him with self-righteous ideals. Don't forget that Messiah is the substance (Col. 2:17) and the method of connection (Hebrews 2:11).  Let Him awaken inner passion for you.

It's up to Yahweh to "set us on fire" and purify us.  It's up to Him to draw us closer to Himself. Trying to start something with God by our own hard work is not smart (Songs 8:4); more than that, it distracts us from the appreciation of what God wants to do.  Trust and faith, on the other hand, will magnetize yourself to God and draw His power into you.  He wants to do it, and He is able!

On Keeping the Sabbath: A Restful Life

"So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of Yahweh. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as Yahweh did from His..."       ~Hebrews 4:11

The Holy Book says that there is a rest that remains.  What is this?  It's something different than the Old Testament's Sabbath Day commandments.  It's something that rendered the Old obsolete.  It's a Rest that transcends practical judgement, because God wants to have our hearts (2 Cor. 5:16).  Rest is a state of being that remains.

Why did God rest from His works?  Because Jesus was telling the truth when He cried out on the cross: "IT IS FINISHED" (John 19:30).  And If God is still resting, content with the fulfillment of His Redeeming plan, then we should follow His example and rest too!

"...Let us make every effort, therefore, to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience."      ~Hebrews 4:12

Entering God's rest, truly, constantly and unconditionally keeping it, may take a lot of effort.  It may take a lot of faith.  But what are we, that we could have "a lot" of anything?  What are we, that Yahweh is mindful of us (Psalms 8:4)?  Remember that it's His Work that gets us there, and not our own.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Our only work, our "every effort", should only be made concerning our belief.  That's the work that God expects, demands from us.  Are we really believing?  Hopefully so --cause that's all that Yahshua wants (John 6:29).  Everything else will flow out from that -- the rest is up to you.  Faith + trust = Rest.

Now, I'm not contradicting my previous post on the Sabbath.  The commandment has been good, and it continues to be good (Romans 7:12).  Keeping a physical Sabbath may well just be an intermediate tool; a way to ensure that we are doing everything that day with intention and joy.  It might serve as a wonderful stepping stone that helps you grasp the spiritual symbolism involved.  The Sabbath provokes internal inspection...are we doing things out of obligation, or are we seeing our time as being redeemed by God?  Don't be enslaved by your own business (Gal. 5:1). That's not God's best for you.  I think observing a Sabbath that excludes any compulsive act (2 Cor. 9:7) is a great idea.

The next question is...On what day? Should you observe Saturday, Sunday, the Jewish lunar calendar, or the lunar-solar calendar?  There are fringe groups out there who would claim that their approach to all this is the only way.  Who cares?  Paul called such topics "disputable matters" (Romans 14:1).

Like I said, there remains a Sabbath that transcends physicality.  God wants you to be so thankful for every moment, that even the hardest work you do is still purely Rest.  He wants you to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  He wants you to carry such a heavy awareness of Him that any of your own efforts are blotted out by His monumental Light.

It's OK to be blinded by love.  Yahweh wants us to take our eyes off ourselves so we can enjoy Heavenly, blissful rest.

On Keeping the Sabbath: The Holy Day

"Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant..."         ~Exodus 31:16

Shabbat Shalom!  I've been thinking about the Sabbath a lot recently. I've been wondering about just what it means to keep the Sabbath out of reverence for Yahweh.

It's clear that the Sabbath was built to last.  It's referred to by Yahweh as a "perpetual covenant", a lasting ordinance, a statue meant to be kept forever (Ex. 12:14).  The Sabbath is even counted and kept in Heaven (Isaiah 66:23).  And it's meant to be kept by the Children of Israel, the children and heirs to the promise.  Guess what?  You're an heir to the promise (Gal. 3:29).  You're included in spiritual Israel!

"...It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."      ~Exodus 31:17

The Sabbath is a sign.  It symbolizes rest, completion, fulfillment, contentment.  It symbolizes the creation of a finished work.  It requires trust -- trust enough to deny oneself and look to Yahweh as provider (Lev. 16:31).

The law points us to Messiah (Colossians 2:17), and Messiah gives us His Spirit, allowing us to perfect holiness before God (2nd Cor. 7:1).  The flavor of the Law has more than been changed -- it has been fulfilled (Matthew 5:17).  The law of love perfects us from the inside out.  But how does that play out practically?  What does keeping the Sabbath Day look like, today?  Here's a clue:

And He [Yahshua] said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

~Mark 2:27

The Sabbath was instated for our own good. We get the benefit of giving our time to God. We can enjoy everything, and do everything willingly.  Not under compulsion, but willingly (2nd Cor. 9:7)! That's a weighty thing to get a hold of.  Don't feel like doing something?  Then put it off.

"Love God, and do whatever"       ~ St. Augustine

I didn't do a single thing this past Sabbath day that I didn't want to do.  It was very restful; Everything was enjoyable.  Everything was intentionally done, and I thanked my Heavenly Father for it all.  God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7, again), and then He lets us love Him back. Thanks to Him, there was no "work".  I did some chores, yeah, but that didn't count.  Why? Because I gave my time to the Breath that first gave it to me.  I was able to be restfully thankful for it.  He created such bliss for me, for you.

The definition of work's been redefined (Hebrews 4:10). If you enjoy something, it's not work.  If you remain peaceful while doing random stuff, it's not work.  It's lawful to do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:12).  And what is good?  Hopefully everything you do! There remains a Sabbath Day;s Rest that transcends observing any particular day of the week...but more on this in the next blog post.

If for no other reason, keeping the Sabbath day to give your physical body some rest is definitely a good idea.  Lots of Christians, out of zeal for the Lord, have gotten burnt out by neglecting their bodies. They're fallen out of "ministry", or worse, even died young. The Sabbath was created for us -- for our health, relaxation, and holy enjoyment!  It's supposed to be restful and fun.

(To reiterate, if you don't feel like doing something, then don't do it!)

Dream: The Importance of Feast Days

"And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever."         Genesis 12:17

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."    Exodus 12:14

I've been thinking about Old Testament regulations a lot recently.  Vanessa and I feel that it's been the Lord who's brought such things to our attention.

See, when God is speaking to Moses about feast days, celebration days, etc...He tends to use the words, 'for ever'.... quite frequently.  And I think there's significance to that.  God didn't say to keep such rules until His Son came.  He could have specified that, but He didn't.  There are many such Old Testament commemorations that God instructed His children to keep, for ever.

"For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Matthew 5:18

Even a few things Jesus said have made us think.  Heaven and earth have not yet passed away!  Though I don't have even close to a full revelation on all this, yet, I feel that some of aspects of the Word here just can't be discounted.  To summarize, I'd say that the Law is good (1 Timothy 1:8).

And I had a dream last week that really convicted me.  You know when you have a dream that you just know is from God?  This was one of those.  So, in the dream, I was being shown a pamphlet full of Heavenly revelation.  And I was reading a page that was titled something along the lines of, "The Importance of Feast Days".

On this page, there were several bullet points, and under each bullet there was an awesome description of why God ordained dates and calendars to be the way they were.  As I read more and more, the amount of wisdom and revelation coming through was astonishing.  I realized what God intended when He made things the way He did.  And I read all about the specific reasons for the feast days He established.  Reading through that page was pretty amazing, and I had God's heart for the ancient Israelites conveyed to me in a way that's hard to describe.  I realized in a new way just how meticulous, thoughtful, and wise God is in the things that He does--the things that He does for our own good.

I woke up the next morning remembering the dream, but having completely forgotten the specifics of what I'd read.  And I think that's what God intended.  Some of the stuff I read probably wasn't meant to be made known!  But this dream convicted me of the tremendous physical and spiritual benefits that will come by following God's calendar of religious feasts and fasts.

Like I said, I don't have all this figured out yet.  But I feel like there is something to it.  For now, I'll liken keeping the Old Testament Law--whether by observing feast days, religious fasts, the Sabbath, or dietary rules--to icing on the cake, so to speak.  The Law cannot save you!  Nonetheless, I think it pleases God if His children show a conviction for the Law.  I think it pleases Him if we show our interest and appreciate His workings of the past.   I think that the ancient Hebrew calendar, which God first made for His chosen people and continues to work by, is worth researching.

Snapshot: The Fear of the Lord

In a vision recently, I saw a tempest, dust clouds and thunderclouds.  And the Lord quickened to me what I was seeing.

"Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire."                        Isaiah 29:6

And with that sight came the fear of the Lord.  It was literally awesome.  I realized that the Lord was gracious to impart such a feeling to me--He was gracious to help me understand what it means to fear Him, what it means to stand in awe.

Now, there is no fear within God's perfect love (John 4:18), but we need to realize that this does not exclude a healthy kind of fear of the Lord.  If we fear God--if we come before Him in submission, reverence and awe--then we will not be fearful of anything else.  We can take from the below verse a strong exhortation and understand that a biblical fear of God will drown out anything else:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."                             Matthew 10:28

That's a strong message, but we can look at the context and realize that it's truth is meant to make us share God more boldly among others.  It's meant to motivate us to shine from the hilltop (Matthew 5:16) and speak whatever the Holy Spirit prompts us to say.    Fear of the Lord is not meant to make us timid--it's meant to spur us on to boldness and power evangelism!  It's meant to make us know that we really only have to please just One.

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."             Philippians 2:12

Here's another strong exhortation, and it's not meant to make us fearful.  Instead, we need to have reverence and respect towards the commands God has given us.  We need to work towards obedience so that the salvation of our daily life is attained to.  (Note that our souls have already been saved--but God wants to save our works also!)  We need to reach the fullness of salvation, and this verse says that we can do it by continuing in obedience.  Now, usually it is Christ's love that should compel us.  (2 Corinthians 5:14)  And usually, it does!  But sometimes, situations get harder--more intimidating-- and we need to be motivated out of reverence and fear of God.

I think that fear of the Lord is a concept lacking in the Church today!  It doesn't seem as fun as other topics.  But we need to understand that it's a command of God that He made for our own good.  We need to understand that God is good, His law is good, and His motives are good.  And He has laid down precepts--fearing Him is one of them--that are to be fully obeyed. (Psalms 119:4)

"My flesh trembles in fear of you; I stand in awe of your laws"        Psalms 119:120

Double Grace and Beyond the Law

For some time now, I've been seeing the number 55 so often--and I'm not talking about speed limit signs!  No, it's mostly been coming up in a time on the clock or in verse numbers in the Word.   55's even been coming up through TV shows and phone numbers.  I've been seeing it pretty regularly.  So I really felt the Lord was unearthing something.  But what does this all mean?

In Christian symbolism, 55 is associated with "double grace".  Praise God!  And that's what it's been recently--His grace has been a major encouragement.  Grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy--that's what the Lord gives us.  The mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and the grace allows us to get through the day and persevere.

Now, God gives grace to all without finding fault (James 1:5).  Praise God!  But I feel like grace is not rightly conceptualized by much of the American Church today.  Grace is for gifting, not for sinning.  Let me elaborate--we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and it is indeed grace that allows us to be redeemed from sin.  But more than that, grace is also meant to allow holy gifts to rest in impure vessels.  Grace is meant to have the gifting rest in us!

"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all."                        Acts 4:33

Great power calls for great grace!  Otherwise, the Lord's power would be too much for us to contain. We have His treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), and grace is what allows us to experience the gifts nonetheless.  We need the grace to accommodate the gifting.  We need God's grace to operate in power while staying in purity.  (For more on purity and power, see this post.)

If we have double grace, good!  That means we'll need it to attain to the gift of God.  There must be a big gifting, a big mission, and a big mandate ahead of us.  We have all been called to mighty things, and between us and that attainment, there is a reservoir of grace awaiting our use.  And there is some distance between where we are now, and the fullest extent of what God wants us attaining!  We have some catching up to do.  The gift needs to be fanned into flames (2 Timothy 1:6), and our character has to be brought up to a higher standard, also.

And we also have this grace to allow us to fulfill the law.  It's not easy to fulfill the law!  It takes grace.  It takes grace and God's goodness that leads us to repentance.  Now in the Old Testament, the Israelites  had all those things.  But they didn't have within them He who is greater than the sin of the world (1 John 4:4).

But Jesus came so that we could fulfill.  With the Holy Spirit, we can do more than fulfill the law--we can transcend it.  In a sense, we are above it.  Keep in mind that we do follow the law--that's important.  But now, we have a list of "do's", not a list of "do nots".  Now we can live out the law in an expression of love--a new commandment.  We can embrace the Spirit of the law, not just the letter.  We can have the law of liberty written into our spirits (James 1:25), and we can receive a double portion of grace in getting there.  Hallelujah!

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."                                                 John 13:34

"Do This, Do That" Versus Freedom

He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not

listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line 

on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and 

taken captive.              --Isaiah 28:12-13--

The Lord led me here a few days ago....this is an interesting passage.  For me, it was a call to change. God doesn't desire to give us rule after rule; He doesn't want to make us stumble.  He doesn't want to take away all of our freedoms or surround us with impossible regulations (Lamentations 3:5).  As I said in a previous post, God doesn't desire to hand us over to a reprobate mind.  And He doesn't want to cause us to stumble.

But sometimes we need to change and return to God, and He causes us to stumble.  He does this so that we can hit rock bottom, and then turn and be healed!  He does this out of Love.  God Himself may become to us an oppressor if He knows that trials and testing will cause an eventual return.

"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you."                 Jeremiah 42:10

God can and does change His mind.  God can and does change the way He interacts with people.  He does this based on our actions.  God wants to give freedom, but He will not give it if the receivers use it for their own glory.  For the worldly minded, God gives rules, regulations, and incessant demands.   This is what Isaiah 28:13 is talking about.  

I witness this in my own life.  When I have strayed from focusing on God, God strays from talking about Himself to me.  Instead, His direction takes a practical, even oppressive, turn.  The Lord may prompt me to do some chores or talk to someone.  He may instruct me in a way that takes away my freedom (Jeremiah 34:17).  What we are to Him, that He will become to us (Psalms 18:26).

If we are not thinking about Him, God will add to the yoke on our shoulders until it becomes to much for us to bear.  He wants us to ask for help!  He wants us to fix our minds on Him.  This is the better way.  If we are loving God, all else will be added to us.  If we are abiding by His Spirit, that's when there is freedom.  That's when there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).  

If we are in the Spirit, then we will be instructed in spiritual things and be pointed towards God.  That is God's desire.  If we are in the Spirit, then we will have freedom to think anything good about God. We will be free to do anything God for God.  We will not be subjected by God to "order upon order", because Jesus in us has already fulfilled all of the law.  Once we are operating in the Kingdom, then can we have other things, too (Matthew 6:33).

We can be free to sing, free to express joy, free to worship God in everything we do.  Why persist in subtle rebellion?  God wants to make us slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18); He wants to give us a light yoke (Matthew 11:30).  Let's allow God to approve of us, so that He can give us freedom.  Let's show Him that the gifts He's given us are able to shine through and glorify Him alone.

Snapshot: His Finger

In Church last week the Lord showed me a vision of a pointer finger.  I saw that the tip of the finger had been covered but was now being unveiled.  I felt it was the hand of God, representing His arm working salvation.  I new it represented a manifestation of His presence entering the room.

I saw this vision, and it was filled up with light.  It was beaming and full of love.  I didn't think much more of this until we opened up the Word during the Church sermon.  As I glanced over at Vanessa's Bible, the first thing I saw was this:

"He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites."  Leviticus 16:19

That really struck me, and I realized what God was showing me.  By the Law, many high priests made many consecrations on behalf of the Israelite's sins.  These consecrations took blood, more than once.  They took a series of painful sacrifices that were created to atone for sins.  They helped people conceptualize the impact of sin and show that it needed to be paid for, one way or the other.  God Himself commanded these regulations for the priests, as a way to prove His Holiness.  Those who would come into His sanctuary needed to be pure.  They needed to believe they were pure, so that they would be able to worship a pure God.

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin."  Romans 3:20

But thanks to Jesus we have a better way.  We have a savior who makes us conscious of His righteousness, and the fact that He is more than willing to share it.  What the Lord showed me in that vision was that HIS finger was revealed through Jesus to make us pure.  By His sacrifice, that of His Son, He brings the tabernacle to us.  No longer do we need ritual after ritual to enter near to Him.  Now all we need is a spiritual hunger that causes His Love to draw near to us.  Glory to God!!

I remember that Smith Wigglesworth said in His books, "you only need a touch from Jesus to have a good time".  How true.  What I saw in that vision was a divine touch.  It only took one!  One was enough to bring purity and light.  The Father of Lights does not need to make consecration again and again.  Praise Him that Jesus died to take our sins, once and for eternity!

"But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction..."  Romans 3:21-22

Apart from the Law.  Apart from the finger of a priest dipped in blood.  God has given us a better way. We have righteousness caused by just a touch of His presence.  We have purity given by just a taste of His power.  And we have faith in Jesus that He is able, and that He is willing, to come into our surroundings and set up a sanctuary wherever we are at.  There is wonderful freedom in knowing the purifying power of God.

Confirmed:  At the ending of the Church service, I was beginning to sit down when I happened to touch just my pointer finger on the back of the chair in front of me.  I touched this finger to the metal on the chair and was zapped!  This was quickened to me because of this "finger" vision, and well as the "electrified cross" vision described in the previous post.

God's given to us a cleansing power that can then be imparted to others (2 Timothy 1:6).  He is faithful to empower those He calls, and to show His hand through their own.

Snapshot: Do you Have His LOVE??

A few days ago, God gave me a vision that made me better understand His Love.  I saw cups filled to overflowing with liquid love, like you would fill up styrofoam cups with slushees or something.  These cups grew in number, and were set down and arrayed in an orderly circular pattern.

His Love is everything we require.  It's all we need.  It's stimulating and quickening.  The fullness of His Word is seen in His Love.  Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10).

"I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.  How sweet are your words to me..."  Psalm 119:102-103

I was led to this scripture yesterday.  God Himself is the only One who can give us His Love.  Only He is the One who can reveal it.  And only He can put in us this same love.  He Himself teaches us!  The teaching of His Love can and does guide us into all truth.

We need to know that we've learned from Him.  We need to know that we've received His Word.  We must be sure that His love is abiding in us, whatever we do.

When God Relents

A few days ago I was feeling depressed.  Sometimes I fall into fear, which God allows so that I cling to Him.  If I focus on Him, I rebound back, but those times of feeling oppressed are never fun.

Anyways, that afternoon I began noticing a sharp pain in my back when I inhaled.  It was noticeable when talking and inhaling normally, and pretty painful if I breathed deeply.  I wondered why I had this pain, and went down struggling into more doubt and oppression.

I was resting on the couch at that time and felt compelled to visit the Quickened Word website.  I clicked on a recent article subtitled as, "God is comforted when He relents".  As I continued to read, the article said that relent means to, "exhale deeply".  I realized the connections with God's relenting and my own back pain.  In hindsight, He gave me this minor problem to really make a point and drive home a lesson for me.  He is good, and He wants us to learn His law.

"I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me."  Psalm 119:75

It was a testament to God's faithfulness that He gave me breathing problems.  Our discipline is designed for a future victory, so that God's grace and mercy can deliver us into truth once again.

In this case, God was telling me that He wanted to relieve me from my oppression.  I realized that He wanted to help me overcome...no, He wanted to overcome for me!  He desired that I stay more sensitive to Him.  The fear I fell into was a form of discipline, but the Lord was telling me that He desired to teach me in softer ways.  He was relenting and having mercy on me!

After I realized His loving view of my situation, I understood the point.  God does not delight in stern discipline or our anxiety, but He can cause it if we wander too far.  We need to stay in the fold, and stay under the protection of the blood of Jesus.  He reminded me of this point thanks to the Quickened Word article and my back problems, and once I learned the lesson, I asked Him to take the pain.  Like that, it was gone.  He really does bear all our diseases.  Nonetheless, we need to be delicate to Him, and discerning enough that we accept whatever God wants to show us.

Following Guidelines vs. Following God

1.  You shall have no other gods before Me.
2.  You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4.  Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5.  Honor your father and your mother.
6.  You shall not murder.
7.  You shall not commit adultery.
8.  You shall not steal.
9.  You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10.You shall not covet.

Why are these commandments in place?  They are restraints against the sinful, fleshly nature of humans.  They instructed the Israelites to come out from sin.

In the new testament, Jesus showed a better way.  He did not abolish the law-- instead, He said that "not the least stroke of the pen" would ever disappear from these commands (Matthew 5:18).  Instead, He showed us how to fulfill it!  Love for God is the fulfillment of the law.  When we love God, we will have His love for our neighbors.  God doesn't command us to love like the world does; He wants us to love like He does, because He first loved us (1 Joh 4:19).

God wants us to seek His face.  That's the best way; that's the ancient path.  The Creator is more important than created guidelines, even if He created those guidelines.  If we seek His face, we will fulfill the law as Jesus did.  Jesus raised the standards when He came, but He also gave us the Spirit to enable us to love!  Yielding to His Spirit will lead us to completely obey His commands, and not be distracted by the devil or the flesh.  The Spirit will preoccupy us with Jesus to the extent that we leave the letter of the law far behind.  With Him, we will fly to higher ground, and become passionate about God and passionate about His passions.

If we walk in the Spirit and stay filled with the Spirit, we will not be tempted to "just" follow the Ten Commandments.  We will become more than conquerers over the sinful nature.  We won't be concerned over the law or it's gray areas.  Instead, we will be distressed over possible insensitivity to His leadings and flee from sin of all kinds!  Let's earnestly follow God today.