And why is the New Testament so despised?

Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.

Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one snother, with psalms and gyms and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing, the words that J have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

John 15:7
If you abide in Me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.

And so why are we rejecting Christ and His word for Mises and the law?

Bearmaster.

Amen, my brother, amen. May God do the same with me. Think I will stand down and meditate on your wise words.

Bear.

Good word, proudpapa.

The flesh finds it more palatable to be religious than to be slayed by the cross. When given the choice, the flesh chooses uber religiousness. The cross is absolutely repugnant to the flesh and the New Testament written in blood demands that we walk worthy (heart purity, holiness) of our calling and theology has marginalized the cross in the life of the Church, today. Cross? What Cross? Purity of heart? C'mon, that's works.

Just believe, and accept your position in Christ. There are no demands (commands) on you. The scandal of the cross and the New Testament repudiates such easy believism and false gospels.

Bearmaster, I think it is very common in the Church today to undervalue the Old Testament much more than the New. All the same you have highlighted some very precious passages that wonderfully remind us of the grace that is ours in Christ.

To add to your verses I would also include the following which show the value also of the Old Testament and God's law in particular,

Rom. 9.31-32: "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? [Because they tried to keep the law? On the contrary...] Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone... (see also Rom. 10.3)

Notice that in the OT when they tried to follow the law as a covenant of works they stumbled at the stumbling stone. Those like Abraham who believed on the comming Messiah were counted righteous through faith alone. In other words, the covenant of grace is not new to the New Testament.

Rom. 3.31: "Do we then make void the law though faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

1 Tim. 1.8: "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully."

James 2.10: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in onee point, he iis guilty of all."

1 John 2.3-4: "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

1 John 3.4: "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

John 14.15: "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Matthew 5.19: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Brother I am reminded of a quotation by Eric Sanders.

"People whose lives are centered around Christ don't just study the Bible to be smarter. They see that every single page of His Word is stained with the crimsom blood of Jezus Himself. Suddenly, the Bible, isn't just a text to be studied, but a source if life for a withering branch."

I think of the New Testament as stained with the blood of Jesus. I think of the New Testament as stained with the blood of the martyrs. As such this book we call the New Testament has become precious food for my soul.

God grant that those who love this book be constantly nourished on the words of the faith. For these are the words of Jesus Himself.

For Jesus said if you continue in My Words then you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Bearmaster.

Excellent quote Bearmaster. One of the reasons I am so troubled by the Church's tendency to undervalue the Old Testament is that it betrays a failure to do as Sanders said.

Jesus - speaking of the Old Testament - said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of ME... For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of ME. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

Continuiing on with John 5:39, some very important verses to keep things in context.

Joh 5:38 AND YE HAVE NOT HIS WORD ABIDING IN YOU: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

Joh 5:40 And YE WILL NOT COME TO ME, that ye might have life.
Joh 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
Joh 5:42 But I know you, that YE HAVE NOT THE LOVE OF GOD IN YOU.

The law can be regarded as a reflection and love is the source. The reflection can never be greater than the source.

This is evident even in the common law legal system where there is the "spirit of the law." Thus a magistrate will take into account the mitigating circumstances surrounding an offense and rule accordingly.

The letter kills but the spirit brings life. If the law brings righteousness then the letter would kill and David would have sinned when he ate the shewbread.