MM, regarding the passages you cited, I didn't see that any of them addressed my question to you. If you see that some quote does, you quote requote just that one quote, and explain how you see it addresses my question, although that's a bit of overkill, as I'm simply asking you which law you think it is that demands, or requires, repentance.

Tom, I am reposting this:

PS - Do you believe the 10Cs require love, obedience, conformity to the will of God? And, do you believe it points sinners to Jesus as their only hope of salvation? Finally, do you believe it requires sinners to repent and submit to the will of God?

Mike, I don't understand you're reticence to answer. Are you saying the 10 commandments require repentance?

Regarding love, the following comes to mind:



Notice that "love cannot be commanded."

Tom, I've posted close to a dozen passages that describe the requirements of the law of God. It is obvious to me they are speaking of the 10Cs. So, yes, I'm saying the 10Cs require many things of us - love, obedience, godliness, the fruits of the Spirit, repentance, etc. Regarding commanding love, Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Ellen White elaborated:

"The law of God requires that man shall love God supremely, and his neighbor as himself. When through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is perfectly done, we shall be complete in Christ. {AG 145.6}

"The divine law requires us to love God supremely and our neighbor as ourselves. Without the exercise of this love, the highest profession of faith is mere hypocrisy. {NL 32.1}

"Obedience to the law is essential, not only to our salvation, but to our own happiness and the happiness of all with whom we are connected. {NL 32.2}

"The obedience that Christ rendered God requires from human beings today. He served His Father with love, in willingness and freedom. {COL 282.3}

PS - Tom, please answer the questions I posted previously (see above on this page). Thank you.

Not as an arbitrary requirement, no. I see this being the case in descriptive terms. That is, the law of God does not specify that one needs to do a certain thing, like repent, or else one will suffer an arbitrary penalty, but rather, it specifies that certain types of behavior are self-destructive.

Remember that the law of God is a transcript of God's character, who is love. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law, and the law can be seen as specifications as to what it means to love.

A way of looking at this is that nothing more or less is required with or without the law. The difference is that the law makes specific certain things, so that people will better understand God's character and more readily see their need for Christ.

I don't understand why you didn't simply answer my question the first time I asked it. It's difficult to recall a train of thought like this.

If you look at the Ten Commandments, there's nothing in there which specifies anything about repentance. Repentance is necessary just on the basis of common sense. If you are heading in one direction, and it's the wrong direction, given that your intended destination is in the other direction, you need to stop going the wrong way. This is what repentance involves; a change of direction, a change of thought, a change of heart and of mind. There's no need for a separate "requirement" for these things. Again, common sense dictates that one must repent if one hates God and the principles of His government. If not, how could one hope to be happy in God's presence and among those who abide by His principles?

Does common sense dictate that it is necessary for people like Moses, who love God and the principles of His government, to repent when they sin? And, why do you think the law of God (10Cs) excludes such common sense?

To the first question, yes. To the second, you're assuming a false premise.