Today, in many of our evangelical churches, God's Law (including the Ten Commandments) in the Old Testament is being proclaimed as "bad, burdensome, only being a type or shadow, having been done away with (fulfilled), no longer applicable to New Testament Christians, etc. etc." However, one of the greatest apostles of all time, the Apostle Paul, declared in Romans 7:12 - "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Obviously, Paul was never taught what many of the ministers of our churches have been taught in their seminaries - that "The Age of Grace" or "The Dispensation of Grace" has made God's Law obsolete! So, who are we to believe...these ministers, who I believe are false prophets, or God's Word?
Since Romans 7:12 begins with the word, "Therefore", we need to look at the previous verses to see what made Paul come to the conclusion that God's "Law is holy and God's Commandment holy, just and good." In Verse 7, Paul states that God's Law helped him to know sin: "...For I would not have known sin except through the Law." To me, that doesn't sound like such a bad thing, is it? In Verse 10, Paul states that "And the Commandment, which was to bring LIFE, I found to bring death." What? The purpose of the Commandment was to bring LIFE? Again, what is so bad about that?
Let's continue on with some verses that follow Romans 7:12. In Verse 14, Paul declares God's Law to be "spiritual". In Verse 22, Paul states that he "delights in the Law of God"! Lastly, in Verse 25, Paul states that he "serves the Law of God". Please remember that the New Testament had not been written yet, so Paul WAS NOT referring to any "New Testament Law" - but had to be referring to God's Law, (including the Ten Commandments) in the Old Testament.
Contrary to what many of us have been taught in our churches and in our Bible colleges and seminaries, this is what God says about His Law in the Old Testament, according to Paul:
1. God's Law is Holy.
2. God's Commandment is Holy.
3. God's Commandment is Just.
4. God's Commandment is Good.
5. God's Law Reveals Sin.
6. God's Law Gives LIFE.
Oh, I know that Romans 7:10 says, "And the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death." However, we must look at the next verse - Verse 11: "For SIN, taking occasion by the commandment, DECEIVED me, and by IT killed me." God's Commandments are to give LIFE, not death! It is SIN that is deceiving everyone to BELIEVE that God's holy, just and good Commandments are in fact, bad!! This takes us directly back to the Garden of Eden, where Satan cast doubt on the "goodness" of God's Commandment and deceived Eve when he declared to her, "You will not surely die" (Gen. 3:3) IF she disobeyed and broke God's Commandment. However, God had told her that she would surely die. Was it God's Commandment that was going to kill her? Or, was it her disobedience to the Commandment of God (sin) that would kill her? Of course, it was her sin.
Just like our courts of law today in the U.S. - God's Law either declares us "Guilty" or God's Law can declare us "Not Guilty". It all depends IF sin has deceived us into breaking God's Law - the Ten Commandments. I John 3:4 says - "Sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) The King James Version says, "Sin is the transgression of the Law." Living without the Law of God (lawlessness) by breaking it or being disobedient to it (transgressing it) is what will sentence us to eternal death at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Speaking of the "Judgment Seat of Christ", let us not forget WHO "the Lawgiver" is. The logical response to that is "the Lawgiver is the One Who will be sitting on the Judgment Seat" - and that is Jesus Christ! James 4:12 says, "There is one Lawgiver and Judge, Who is able to save and to destroy." God's Law does not save or destroy us - it only declares us "Guilty" or "Not Guilty", and even that is good!
When you stand before Jesus Christ, the Lawgiver, on the day of Judgment - will He declare you to be "Guilty" or "Not Guilty" according to His Law - The Ten Commandments?
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace. Show all posts
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Did Jesus Come to Fulfill the Law of God?
I received a comment this week from a reader making the following statement: "The law of God exists, but has been fulfilled." This person was referring to Matthew 5:17 which says, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law (destroy it) or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." Most Christians have been taught that this means Christ has fulfilled the Law of God. (Past tense.) However, the very next verse will set this false teaching straight and show that Christ was referring to a future time.
Matthew 5:18 says, "For assuredly I (Jesus) say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Is heaven and earth still here? Yes, they are. So what? Well, Jesus just said that if heaven and earth are still here - then He has not fulfilled the Law of God, yet. Jesus has not yet fulfilled the Law of God and the proof of that statement is in the fact that heaven and earth are still here!
The answer to the question in the title of this post is this: Yes - Jesus came to fulfill the Law of God! He just hasn't done it yet - contrary to what most of us have been taught through our preachers, Bible colleges, or even our own families. So, when is Jesus going to "fulfill" the Law of God? When He comes back again to set up the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Kingdom of God will also have His "Kingdom Law". How do I know that? Because the above verses in Matthew are part of the Beatitudes, which Jesus gave describing His "Kingdom Law".
Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus gives parables (stories) about "a king" and "a kingdom". In these stories, He is talking about Himself, His Kingship and His Kingdom. When we put our trust in Jesus Christ - that He is Almighty God in the flesh, Who came to earth to become the sacrifice for our sins, and that He rose again and will be coming back for us - we become His children and citizens of His Kingdom. As a citizen of the U.S., I have laws I must obey. Likewise, the above verses are part of His discourse to the crowds about His "Kingdom Law". It has not been abolished, destroyed, or even fulfilled!
The Lawgiver and His Law cannot be separated. If you throw out one, you are throwing out the other as well. Law and Grace do go together, contrary to the false teaching in many of our churches. Isaiah 42:21 says, "He (Jesus, the Messiah) will exalt the law and make it honorable." Throughout the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you see Jesus exalting His law and making it honorable. That is what the Pharisees were constantly fighting against - and it is what the false teachers of today are fighting against as well. (Just a hint: I think I know Who wins out in the end!)
Go out today and enjoy the heaven and the earth that God has so graciously bestowed on you, and remember His promise in Matthew 5:18.
Matthew 5:18 says, "For assuredly I (Jesus) say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Is heaven and earth still here? Yes, they are. So what? Well, Jesus just said that if heaven and earth are still here - then He has not fulfilled the Law of God, yet. Jesus has not yet fulfilled the Law of God and the proof of that statement is in the fact that heaven and earth are still here!
The answer to the question in the title of this post is this: Yes - Jesus came to fulfill the Law of God! He just hasn't done it yet - contrary to what most of us have been taught through our preachers, Bible colleges, or even our own families. So, when is Jesus going to "fulfill" the Law of God? When He comes back again to set up the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Kingdom of God will also have His "Kingdom Law". How do I know that? Because the above verses in Matthew are part of the Beatitudes, which Jesus gave describing His "Kingdom Law".
Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus gives parables (stories) about "a king" and "a kingdom". In these stories, He is talking about Himself, His Kingship and His Kingdom. When we put our trust in Jesus Christ - that He is Almighty God in the flesh, Who came to earth to become the sacrifice for our sins, and that He rose again and will be coming back for us - we become His children and citizens of His Kingdom. As a citizen of the U.S., I have laws I must obey. Likewise, the above verses are part of His discourse to the crowds about His "Kingdom Law". It has not been abolished, destroyed, or even fulfilled!
The Lawgiver and His Law cannot be separated. If you throw out one, you are throwing out the other as well. Law and Grace do go together, contrary to the false teaching in many of our churches. Isaiah 42:21 says, "He (Jesus, the Messiah) will exalt the law and make it honorable." Throughout the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you see Jesus exalting His law and making it honorable. That is what the Pharisees were constantly fighting against - and it is what the false teachers of today are fighting against as well. (Just a hint: I think I know Who wins out in the end!)
Go out today and enjoy the heaven and the earth that God has so graciously bestowed on you, and remember His promise in Matthew 5:18.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
What is the Grace of God?
I've been studying the definition of grace this past week. What does it mean to be "saved by grace"? Since my blog is on the topic of "Lawless Grace", I thought maybe it was time to look at the possibility that "the grace of God" being taught in our churches is not "the grace of God" in the Bible.
The word "Grace" in Strong's Concordance means "to favor, to bend or stoop down in kindness to an inferior." The word "inferior" implies "a nobody" - someone who isn't special in any way. Isn't that a wonderful picture of God? Almighty God showed "favor or grace" to us by "stooping down in kindness" through the person of Jesus Christ to someone like me, an inferior or a nobody! I didn't have to be a hollywood movie star to receive the grace of God. I didn't have to be a famous president of a large country or company to receive the grace of God. I didn't have to be anybody special for God "to favor me" and show me His grace! These kind of "credentials" is what "works" means in Eph. 2:8 & 9. The Pharisees in the New Testament had this mindset that they were "somebody special" because they were so strict in following God's Law - therefore, deserving of God's grace and favor.
When I find a new insight, I always like to go to the Bible and check out how it "fits", because if it doesn't make sense or doesn't "fit" with what the other verses say - then I've got it wrong. So let's take a look. In Genesis 12:1 & 2, we find Abram was just an ordinary human being, a "nobody", but all of a sudden God "stoops down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him. That's God's grace! God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Abram's obedience came second (he left his country as God commanded him.).
In Exodus 3:3 & 4, we find Moses out taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. At this point in time, Moses was just a "nobody" - going about his normal business of the day. Suddenly, God calls to him from a burning bush. Almighty God is again "stooping down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him. That is God's grace! Again, we see that God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Moses' obedience came second (he became the one to deliver God's people from slavery to Egypt.).
The last one I want to look at is in Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." A couple verses later it says, God told Noah to build an ark because a flood was coming to destroy the earth of it's lawlessness (disobeying God's laws). Again, we see God calling just an average man to be obedient to Him. That is God's grace! The calling of God came first, and then man's obedience followed.
The grace of God was shown to me when Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, came down to earth and took on a human body and a human name, Jesus Christ. This awesome God "stooped down in kindness to an inferior" like me! He then suffered and died a horrible death as a sacrifice for my sin (my disobedience to His commandments) and rose again. He then called me by name to repent of my disobedience against Him and to come and follow Him through obedience for the rest of my life. This obedience includes His 10 Commandments (including keeping His Sabbath Day holy), following Him in water baptism, and then in whatever other way His Spirit may lead me. Just remember this, though: God's amazing grace and calling comes first. My obedience to His calling always comes second.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound - that saved a wretch (inferior) like me;
I once was lost but now I'm found; was blind but now I see."
"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14)
The word "Grace" in Strong's Concordance means "to favor, to bend or stoop down in kindness to an inferior." The word "inferior" implies "a nobody" - someone who isn't special in any way. Isn't that a wonderful picture of God? Almighty God showed "favor or grace" to us by "stooping down in kindness" through the person of Jesus Christ to someone like me, an inferior or a nobody! I didn't have to be a hollywood movie star to receive the grace of God. I didn't have to be a famous president of a large country or company to receive the grace of God. I didn't have to be anybody special for God "to favor me" and show me His grace! These kind of "credentials" is what "works" means in Eph. 2:8 & 9. The Pharisees in the New Testament had this mindset that they were "somebody special" because they were so strict in following God's Law - therefore, deserving of God's grace and favor.
When I find a new insight, I always like to go to the Bible and check out how it "fits", because if it doesn't make sense or doesn't "fit" with what the other verses say - then I've got it wrong. So let's take a look. In Genesis 12:1 & 2, we find Abram was just an ordinary human being, a "nobody", but all of a sudden God "stoops down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him. That's God's grace! God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Abram's obedience came second (he left his country as God commanded him.).
In Exodus 3:3 & 4, we find Moses out taking care of his father-in-law's sheep. At this point in time, Moses was just a "nobody" - going about his normal business of the day. Suddenly, God calls to him from a burning bush. Almighty God is again "stooping down in kindness to an inferior" and calls him to be a "somebody" for Him. That is God's grace! Again, we see that God's calling came first (grace/salvation), then Moses' obedience came second (he became the one to deliver God's people from slavery to Egypt.).
The last one I want to look at is in Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." A couple verses later it says, God told Noah to build an ark because a flood was coming to destroy the earth of it's lawlessness (disobeying God's laws). Again, we see God calling just an average man to be obedient to Him. That is God's grace! The calling of God came first, and then man's obedience followed.
The grace of God was shown to me when Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, came down to earth and took on a human body and a human name, Jesus Christ. This awesome God "stooped down in kindness to an inferior" like me! He then suffered and died a horrible death as a sacrifice for my sin (my disobedience to His commandments) and rose again. He then called me by name to repent of my disobedience against Him and to come and follow Him through obedience for the rest of my life. This obedience includes His 10 Commandments (including keeping His Sabbath Day holy), following Him in water baptism, and then in whatever other way His Spirit may lead me. Just remember this, though: God's amazing grace and calling comes first. My obedience to His calling always comes second.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound - that saved a wretch (inferior) like me;
I once was lost but now I'm found; was blind but now I see."
"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14)
Monday, September 17, 2012
The Link Between Secular Humanism and Christianity's Teaching of "Lawless Grace"
Before I begin this post, I want to make it clear that a person's salvation is not based on their good works or on obeying the Ten Commandments, etc. God's law (the Ten Commandments) was given to show us that we all are sinners - deserving of God's wrath and judgment because of our sin and rebellion against Him.
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
As Christians who have repented of our sin and given our lives over to the lordship and control of Jesus Christ, we now obey the Ten Commandments as well as other commandments given in the Bible because of our love for Him and for the suffering, punishment, and death He took in our place on the cross. It is now our life's purpose to live our lives to bring glory to God.
However, if as New Testament Christians we say we no longer have to obey God's commands (which is lawless grace, by the way!) - then what is left? Christian Humanism! We are now people who say we are Christians, BUT we live for ourselves and what makes us happy! If it doesn't make ME happy or it interferes with MY life and the plans I have made for MY life - then I just don't have to obey what God is telling ME to do. Christian Humanism!
Let's take God's fourth commandment for example in Exodus 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...." Here God says, "Don't forget the Sabbath day. Don't forget to keep it holy (set apart from the rest of the world)."
Every Sabbath day (Saturday) we drive to church, we pass churches that are closed. Why? They have chosen to forget God's holy day, the Sabbath! Christians have chosen instead to work on that day or to make others work on that day by going to malls, restaurants, ball games, etc. etc. If you read the rest of Exodus 20:10 it says we are not to make anyone else work on that day as well.
So how does Humanism fit into all of this? Christians today are choosing to make themselves happy instead of making God happy. It's when "my happiness is more important than God's happiness". When we make God the means to our happiness instead of making Him the end, we are practicing Humanism. Somehow our happiness becomes more important to us than our holiness and obedience before God.
As one of the old ministers on the Revival Hymn said, "It's not what you are going to get out of God - it's what He is going to get out of you"! As Christians, our only reason for being is the glory of God!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Apostasy: Parents Obeying Their Children
In my previous posts, I've written about the apathy and complacency Christians have in these last days regarding obedience to the Ten Commandments - God's Law. But what about our children who are the next generation? I want to take a look at the Fifth Commandment, "Children, honor your father and mother." Are they learning to honor and obey their parents or are their parents honoring and obeying them?
If you sit long enough at a park or mall, it won't take you long to see "parents obeying their children" as they jump at their child's every wish, command and temper tantrum. Christmas time is the perfect time to see how "parents honor their children" by going into debt to buy them every toy their little hearts desire. Going into homes, you may notice how children are allowed to grab the chairs, while the adults are willing to stand or even to sit on the floor just so their children can have the "best seats in the house". Where are the days when children were made to get up and offer their chair to the parent/adult? (Leviticus 19:32) No wonder this generation is being called the "Me Generation". Of course, as most of us know, this is a sign of the last days according to 2 Timothy 3:2 where "disobedience to parents" is mentioned.
However, what does God's Word say in the Ten Commandments, specifically the Fifth Commandment? In Exodus 20:12 it says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." In the New Testament, it is re-stated in Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 by saying, "Children are to obey their parents". In fact, nowhere in God's Word will you find a command for parents to obey their children.
So, the question is WHY are children being allowed to be disobedient to their parents? Well, the first obvious answer is that Christian parents are failing in their job to teach them to be obedient to God's Law by "obeying their parents." And when there is disobedience, there is no discipline or consequence by the parents for the disobedience. "Lawless Grace" may even be an issue here since many Christian families lead their children to the Lord at a young age. If you believe in the theology that "the law has been done away with" and that you are "saved only by grace" - then why teach your child to obey God's law when he/she is saved and going to heaven anyways?
However, I'm really hoping that is not the case. Parents need to TEACH their children that when they disobey their parents, they are also disobeying God's Law. Whenever I was disobedient to my parents, I first got instructed on how I had not only disobeyed my parents - but how I had also disobeyed God. After my father spanked me, he would tell me I needed to pray and ask God to forgive me for my disobedience towards Him and His commandments. So I would pray and then, my father would hug me and tell me how much he still loved me and how much God loved me. Because of my father being there, I was taught not only obedience to my parents but also obedience to my God.
Another reason I believe Christian parents are failing in their job to teach their children to be obedient to them is the fact that so many of these parents are giving up their responsibility to raise the children God has given them. In these last days, Christian mothers and fathers are choosing to not be in the home when their children need to be taught obedience to God's commands. These parents are choosing to put their children into daycare or expecting grandparents to do the job that God has given them to do. In doing so, children are not being taught to obey their parents (because their parents aren't there) and they are not being taught to obey God. For those of you who are "single mothers" and must work outside the home - it's just more imperative that the time you do have with your children is time spent teaching them to be obedient to you as their mother and showing honor to other adults in their lives as that is the only way they will understand how to show honor and obedience to God.
In closing, I just want to remind all of us that as Christians, we are called to "not be like the people or world around us". Romans 12:2 says, "And do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." This includes the way we raise our children. They need to understand that when they disobey their parents - they are also disobeying God and His commandments. Our children also need to be taught that because we are Christians - our homes and the discipline, honor, and respect in our homes is going to be different than our friends and neighbors because "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" and not ourselves.
If you sit long enough at a park or mall, it won't take you long to see "parents obeying their children" as they jump at their child's every wish, command and temper tantrum. Christmas time is the perfect time to see how "parents honor their children" by going into debt to buy them every toy their little hearts desire. Going into homes, you may notice how children are allowed to grab the chairs, while the adults are willing to stand or even to sit on the floor just so their children can have the "best seats in the house". Where are the days when children were made to get up and offer their chair to the parent/adult? (Leviticus 19:32) No wonder this generation is being called the "Me Generation". Of course, as most of us know, this is a sign of the last days according to 2 Timothy 3:2 where "disobedience to parents" is mentioned.
However, what does God's Word say in the Ten Commandments, specifically the Fifth Commandment? In Exodus 20:12 it says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." In the New Testament, it is re-stated in Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 by saying, "Children are to obey their parents". In fact, nowhere in God's Word will you find a command for parents to obey their children.
So, the question is WHY are children being allowed to be disobedient to their parents? Well, the first obvious answer is that Christian parents are failing in their job to teach them to be obedient to God's Law by "obeying their parents." And when there is disobedience, there is no discipline or consequence by the parents for the disobedience. "Lawless Grace" may even be an issue here since many Christian families lead their children to the Lord at a young age. If you believe in the theology that "the law has been done away with" and that you are "saved only by grace" - then why teach your child to obey God's law when he/she is saved and going to heaven anyways?
However, I'm really hoping that is not the case. Parents need to TEACH their children that when they disobey their parents, they are also disobeying God's Law. Whenever I was disobedient to my parents, I first got instructed on how I had not only disobeyed my parents - but how I had also disobeyed God. After my father spanked me, he would tell me I needed to pray and ask God to forgive me for my disobedience towards Him and His commandments. So I would pray and then, my father would hug me and tell me how much he still loved me and how much God loved me. Because of my father being there, I was taught not only obedience to my parents but also obedience to my God.
Another reason I believe Christian parents are failing in their job to teach their children to be obedient to them is the fact that so many of these parents are giving up their responsibility to raise the children God has given them. In these last days, Christian mothers and fathers are choosing to not be in the home when their children need to be taught obedience to God's commands. These parents are choosing to put their children into daycare or expecting grandparents to do the job that God has given them to do. In doing so, children are not being taught to obey their parents (because their parents aren't there) and they are not being taught to obey God. For those of you who are "single mothers" and must work outside the home - it's just more imperative that the time you do have with your children is time spent teaching them to be obedient to you as their mother and showing honor to other adults in their lives as that is the only way they will understand how to show honor and obedience to God.
In closing, I just want to remind all of us that as Christians, we are called to "not be like the people or world around us". Romans 12:2 says, "And do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." This includes the way we raise our children. They need to understand that when they disobey their parents - they are also disobeying God and His commandments. Our children also need to be taught that because we are Christians - our homes and the discipline, honor, and respect in our homes is going to be different than our friends and neighbors because "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" and not ourselves.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The False Teaching of Salvation by Grace Alone
Since I was a child, I was taught that we are "saved by grace alone". Not only that, but once I
prayed the "sinner's prayer" - I was forever saved. There was nothing I could ever do that
would take that salvation from me. Then I learned that the Bible - God's Word - says the demons also believe and know that Jesus is the Son of God. Since knowing and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ hasn't given them salvation, what are we missing here? And, why is this so important to discuss?
Let me tell you a story from my teenage years that is a really good analogy. When I was a teenager, I had tried to swim - with some of my friends - out to a raft in the middle of a lake.
I only made it halfway there when due to exhaustion -I couldn't swim any further. I was in water over my head, so the only thing I could do was to yell for help! A friend swam to me, but made the mistake of grabbing on to me. A battle started with me pushing her under the water in order to get my head out of the water. Eventually, she broke free from me and I started gulping down water as fast as I could swallow.
I was about to pass out when I heard a calm voice saying over and over again - "Roll over on your back. Roll over on your back." As soon as I obeyed the voice by rolling over on to my back, I felt the strong arms of a lifeguard grab hold of me. By placing my life into his hands and obeying everything he told me to do, he soon had me back to the safety of land.
From experience, I can tell you that "grace alone" did not save me that day! First of all, I had put my trust in the wrong thing when I let my friend try to save me. She proved to be a "false lifeguard" and was going to cause us both to drown. 2ndly, I recognized "the voice" of the lifeguard as the real thing in which to put my trust. But just believing that he was the lifeguard - still did not give me salvation! I had to "obey his voice", submit to him by putting my life into his hands, and then do what he commanded me to do. At any point if I had been foolish enough to choose to go against what he was telling me to do, I would have lost my salvation and drowned.
When we pray "the sinner's prayer", we need to acknowledge that we have sinned because we have broken God's law - the 10 Commandments. Because of our disobedience to His holy commands - we have been given the "death penalty" and on the Day of Judgment, we will be sentenced to Hell. However, God saw our need for a "Lifeguard", took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, and "jumped" into our world of humanity so we could be saved. Our part is to hear His voice, believe He is who He says He is, and accept His offer of salvation through His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our "lawlessness". Choosing to submit to Him and to obey His Word for the rest our lives until we reach Heaven's shore is what will guarantee our salvation.
What is missing in most of the "sinner's prayers" you may read or hear from our pulpits today is the need for us to be obedient. The sinner needs to say in their prayer, "I choose to obey You and Your Word for the rest of my life." Why is this so important? Because as in my story above, grace and obedience must work together. Jesus cannot be your Saviour, if you have not given Him complete control of your heart and life. In the Bible, giving Christ control of your life is called making Him your Lord and Master. The demons may believe in Jesus as the Son of God, but they will not OBEY Him - and that is the key.
prayed the "sinner's prayer" - I was forever saved. There was nothing I could ever do that
would take that salvation from me. Then I learned that the Bible - God's Word - says the demons also believe and know that Jesus is the Son of God. Since knowing and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ hasn't given them salvation, what are we missing here? And, why is this so important to discuss?
Let me tell you a story from my teenage years that is a really good analogy. When I was a teenager, I had tried to swim - with some of my friends - out to a raft in the middle of a lake.
I only made it halfway there when due to exhaustion -I couldn't swim any further. I was in water over my head, so the only thing I could do was to yell for help! A friend swam to me, but made the mistake of grabbing on to me. A battle started with me pushing her under the water in order to get my head out of the water. Eventually, she broke free from me and I started gulping down water as fast as I could swallow.
I was about to pass out when I heard a calm voice saying over and over again - "Roll over on your back. Roll over on your back." As soon as I obeyed the voice by rolling over on to my back, I felt the strong arms of a lifeguard grab hold of me. By placing my life into his hands and obeying everything he told me to do, he soon had me back to the safety of land.
From experience, I can tell you that "grace alone" did not save me that day! First of all, I had put my trust in the wrong thing when I let my friend try to save me. She proved to be a "false lifeguard" and was going to cause us both to drown. 2ndly, I recognized "the voice" of the lifeguard as the real thing in which to put my trust. But just believing that he was the lifeguard - still did not give me salvation! I had to "obey his voice", submit to him by putting my life into his hands, and then do what he commanded me to do. At any point if I had been foolish enough to choose to go against what he was telling me to do, I would have lost my salvation and drowned.
When we pray "the sinner's prayer", we need to acknowledge that we have sinned because we have broken God's law - the 10 Commandments. Because of our disobedience to His holy commands - we have been given the "death penalty" and on the Day of Judgment, we will be sentenced to Hell. However, God saw our need for a "Lifeguard", took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, and "jumped" into our world of humanity so we could be saved. Our part is to hear His voice, believe He is who He says He is, and accept His offer of salvation through His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our "lawlessness". Choosing to submit to Him and to obey His Word for the rest our lives until we reach Heaven's shore is what will guarantee our salvation.
What is missing in most of the "sinner's prayers" you may read or hear from our pulpits today is the need for us to be obedient. The sinner needs to say in their prayer, "I choose to obey You and Your Word for the rest of my life." Why is this so important? Because as in my story above, grace and obedience must work together. Jesus cannot be your Saviour, if you have not given Him complete control of your heart and life. In the Bible, giving Christ control of your life is called making Him your Lord and Master. The demons may believe in Jesus as the Son of God, but they will not OBEY Him - and that is the key.
Friday, July 9, 2010
The Sabbath Day: Moses' Law or God's Law?
This subject is one that really excites me because it's something God revealed to me one day as I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy. It excites me whenever I find doctrine in the Bible that our churches have never taught us.
This is what I found in Deuteronomy 31:24-26: "So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 'Take this Book of the Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;"
The phrase "the ark of the covenant" is possessive. So we could re-word it to say, "The Covenant's ark". What was "The Covenant" that was inside the ark? It was the Ten Commandments permanently written on stone tablets.
The "ark of the covenant" or "the covenant's ark" was a wooden chest in which God commanded Moses to place the Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) which were written on the stone tablets by the finger of God. This was the second set written by God because the first set got broken when Moses' threw them on the ground when he saw Israel's idolatry. (This should tell us just how important these Ten Commandments are to God - and how permanent.) The lid to this ark was "the Mercy Seat" where God's presence dwelt - a very holy place! In fact, if anyone touched this ark, except for the Levites (priests), God killed them instantly!! (see 2 Samuel 6:6,7).
So this raises a question: How could God's people read or meditate on God's law "day and night" as quoted in Joshua 1:8 - if they couldn't get near it? During the 40 days and nights that Moses was on Mt. Sinai - he (Moses) was busy writing not only The Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) in a book, but also all the levitical and ceremonial laws with their curses and blessings. This book is called "The Book of the Law" or "Moses' Law". Basically, it contained the first five books of the Bible - the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy 29:21 says "And the Lord would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in the Book of the Law." Deut. 30:10 says "...If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law..." Notice this "Book of the Law" contains BOTH the Ten Commandments and God's statutes.
One of the reasons this Book of the Law had to be on the outside of the ark was to make it readable and so others could copy from it. Deut. 17:18-20 says, "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord His God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes. That his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel." Now we can understand how we can meditate on it "day and night" according to Joshua 1:8!
I need to mention that the verse that many churches use to try to "do away with" God's law (when it comes to the Sabbath Day) is found in Colossians 2:14. It says, "...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." There are two problems with this verse: 1) With the Covenant sealed inside the ark, it was impossible to "nail it to the cross"; 2) The Ten Commandments didn't have any requirements/penalties attached to them. They were just 10 Commandments of God's Law. All the requirements of that Law, with it's blessings and punishments, were written in Moses' handwriting and placed in a book outside of the ark.
The analogy my husband and I came up with is that of our U.S. Constitution. It is sealed inside a bulletproof display case in Washington, D.C. However, the Amendments to the Constitution are outside of that case and they are what define the penalties if the laws of the Constitution are violated. Another analogy: Suppose we break the law of going 70 mph in a 40 mph speed zone - and we now have to go to court. The judge declares our fine/penalty. However, some nice person steps forward and pays that penalty for us. Did that "do away" with the speeding law of 40 mph? When we step outside the courtroom and get in our car, the first thing we see is a sign that says 40 mph! Now are we going to obey it or say that because someone paid our fine - it no longer applies to me?
The apostasy of today says "we are no longer under law, but under grace" - meaning God's law doesn't apply to us - especially the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath Day). Under Moses' law, the soul that sinned had to die or sacrifice a lamb in his place. Today, a person doesn't have to die because of breaking His Law - IF we accept that God, in Christ, died in our place on the cross, and then we choose to obey His laws and follow Him. The good news is that Jesus (God in the flesh) took the curses of the ceremonial and levitical laws to the cross for us - so we no longer need to offer the blood of sheep and goats for the forgiveness of our sins. The other good news is that God's Law as contained in the Ten Commandments still applies to us today - and yes, that includes the Sabbath Day.
This is what I found in Deuteronomy 31:24-26: "So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 'Take this Book of the Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;"
The phrase "the ark of the covenant" is possessive. So we could re-word it to say, "The Covenant's ark". What was "The Covenant" that was inside the ark? It was the Ten Commandments permanently written on stone tablets.
The "ark of the covenant" or "the covenant's ark" was a wooden chest in which God commanded Moses to place the Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) which were written on the stone tablets by the finger of God. This was the second set written by God because the first set got broken when Moses' threw them on the ground when he saw Israel's idolatry. (This should tell us just how important these Ten Commandments are to God - and how permanent.) The lid to this ark was "the Mercy Seat" where God's presence dwelt - a very holy place! In fact, if anyone touched this ark, except for the Levites (priests), God killed them instantly!! (see 2 Samuel 6:6,7).
So this raises a question: How could God's people read or meditate on God's law "day and night" as quoted in Joshua 1:8 - if they couldn't get near it? During the 40 days and nights that Moses was on Mt. Sinai - he (Moses) was busy writing not only The Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) in a book, but also all the levitical and ceremonial laws with their curses and blessings. This book is called "The Book of the Law" or "Moses' Law". Basically, it contained the first five books of the Bible - the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy 29:21 says "And the Lord would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in the Book of the Law." Deut. 30:10 says "...If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law..." Notice this "Book of the Law" contains BOTH the Ten Commandments and God's statutes.
One of the reasons this Book of the Law had to be on the outside of the ark was to make it readable and so others could copy from it. Deut. 17:18-20 says, "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord His God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes. That his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel." Now we can understand how we can meditate on it "day and night" according to Joshua 1:8!
I need to mention that the verse that many churches use to try to "do away with" God's law (when it comes to the Sabbath Day) is found in Colossians 2:14. It says, "...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." There are two problems with this verse: 1) With the Covenant sealed inside the ark, it was impossible to "nail it to the cross"; 2) The Ten Commandments didn't have any requirements/penalties attached to them. They were just 10 Commandments of God's Law. All the requirements of that Law, with it's blessings and punishments, were written in Moses' handwriting and placed in a book outside of the ark.
The analogy my husband and I came up with is that of our U.S. Constitution. It is sealed inside a bulletproof display case in Washington, D.C. However, the Amendments to the Constitution are outside of that case and they are what define the penalties if the laws of the Constitution are violated. Another analogy: Suppose we break the law of going 70 mph in a 40 mph speed zone - and we now have to go to court. The judge declares our fine/penalty. However, some nice person steps forward and pays that penalty for us. Did that "do away" with the speeding law of 40 mph? When we step outside the courtroom and get in our car, the first thing we see is a sign that says 40 mph! Now are we going to obey it or say that because someone paid our fine - it no longer applies to me?
The apostasy of today says "we are no longer under law, but under grace" - meaning God's law doesn't apply to us - especially the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath Day). Under Moses' law, the soul that sinned had to die or sacrifice a lamb in his place. Today, a person doesn't have to die because of breaking His Law - IF we accept that God, in Christ, died in our place on the cross, and then we choose to obey His laws and follow Him. The good news is that Jesus (God in the flesh) took the curses of the ceremonial and levitical laws to the cross for us - so we no longer need to offer the blood of sheep and goats for the forgiveness of our sins. The other good news is that God's Law as contained in the Ten Commandments still applies to us today - and yes, that includes the Sabbath Day.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Apostasy and Lawless Freedom
Tomorrow is Independence Day here in the U.S., so I decided to take a look at the Declaration of Independence . It surprised me how many times the words "law" or "laws" were mentioned in it, and that they were mentioned in the context of the King of England obstructing and abolishing them. Let me list a few for you:
1. ..."refused to assent laws..."
2. ..."has forbidden governors to pass laws..."
3. ..."refused to pass other laws..."
4. ..."obstructed the laws..."
5. ..."abolishing our most valuable laws..."
The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
Our Founding Fathers recognized the danger of having no laws and decided to separate themselves where they would have the freedom to have laws - especially God's laws! So many today, especially Christians, equate freedom with no laws. It's really a puzzlement to me how they have twisted the Gospel of Grace to mean that God's law has been "done away with". Why would we want to do that? It is God's law which gives us true freedom (James 1:25). If we do away with law - especially God's law - we lose our freedom and put ourselves under anarchy. Not only that, but God says in I John 3:4 that "lawlessness is sin". At that point, everyone starts doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Man's opinions begin to have higher authority than God's commandments! This is the "Falling Away" or "The Apostasy" of the last days.
Our Founding Fathers also recognized one other thing: Following God's laws would require a separation from the world around them. Have we let God's laws and commandments separate us from the worldly customs surrounding us? Romans 12:2 (NIV) states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Looking around at the Church today, I see the Apostasy where Christians are being taught not only has God's law "been done away with", but that we also need to be as much like the world as possible in order to win as many as possible. This is totally contrary to what the Word of God says.
As Christians, our freedom came the day that the Lord our God brought us "out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." (Exodus 20:2) That was God's Grace. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are set free from the bondage and slavery of sin. However, we forget that Christ bought us and we don't belong to ourselves any longer. I Corinthians 6:19 & 20 says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." We've been set free from our slavery to sin, but now we are slaves to God and His righteousness and holiness. We are not set free to be our own boss and to do whatever our heart desires!
Once He set us free from our slavery to sin - He gave us His 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) for us to obey as His servants and to set us apart from the world around us. Only through obedience to Him and His commandments will we, as Christians, experience true freedom. So tomorrow, let's remember our Founding Fathers who were willing to die so they could be free to serve God and His laws in this great country of the United States of America.
1. ..."refused to assent laws..."
2. ..."has forbidden governors to pass laws..."
3. ..."refused to pass other laws..."
4. ..."obstructed the laws..."
5. ..."abolishing our most valuable laws..."
The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
Our Founding Fathers recognized the danger of having no laws and decided to separate themselves where they would have the freedom to have laws - especially God's laws! So many today, especially Christians, equate freedom with no laws. It's really a puzzlement to me how they have twisted the Gospel of Grace to mean that God's law has been "done away with". Why would we want to do that? It is God's law which gives us true freedom (James 1:25). If we do away with law - especially God's law - we lose our freedom and put ourselves under anarchy. Not only that, but God says in I John 3:4 that "lawlessness is sin". At that point, everyone starts doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Man's opinions begin to have higher authority than God's commandments! This is the "Falling Away" or "The Apostasy" of the last days.
Our Founding Fathers also recognized one other thing: Following God's laws would require a separation from the world around them. Have we let God's laws and commandments separate us from the worldly customs surrounding us? Romans 12:2 (NIV) states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Looking around at the Church today, I see the Apostasy where Christians are being taught not only has God's law "been done away with", but that we also need to be as much like the world as possible in order to win as many as possible. This is totally contrary to what the Word of God says.
As Christians, our freedom came the day that the Lord our God brought us "out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." (Exodus 20:2) That was God's Grace. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are set free from the bondage and slavery of sin. However, we forget that Christ bought us and we don't belong to ourselves any longer. I Corinthians 6:19 & 20 says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." We've been set free from our slavery to sin, but now we are slaves to God and His righteousness and holiness. We are not set free to be our own boss and to do whatever our heart desires!
Once He set us free from our slavery to sin - He gave us His 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) for us to obey as His servants and to set us apart from the world around us. Only through obedience to Him and His commandments will we, as Christians, experience true freedom. So tomorrow, let's remember our Founding Fathers who were willing to die so they could be free to serve God and His laws in this great country of the United States of America.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Apostasy and Uncircumcised Hearts
The problem with Christians today is that we all have "heart disease". Our "Want-Tos" are broken! We need to stop asking, "Why we don't go to church?" and start asking, "Why we don't WANT to go to church?" Stop asking, "Why we don't read our Bibles and pray every day?" and start asking, "Why we don't WANT to read our Bibles and pray every day?" Let's stop asking, "Why we don't obey God's commandments?" and start asking, "Why don't we WANT to obey God's commandments?"
One evening I was babysitting my 3 grandchildren. While I was reading stories to the 2 older ones, my almost 3 year old granddaughter kept climbing on the arm of the couch and sliding down it - very close to a lamp on their end table. Fearing the lamp was going to get broken and knowing her parents would not approve of this, I told her to stop. This is what came out of my darling, most-loved little granddaughter's mouth: "I don't WANT to and I don't HAVE to"! I think this is the perfect picture of the "heart disease" in Christianity today.
John 14:21 says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." Speaking of the last days we're in right now, Ezekiel 11: 19, & 20 says, "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." If we have accepted God's grace shed for us on the cross through Jesus Christ, then we should have new hearts within us; hearts that WANT to do what God says instead of hearts of stone that continually rebel or question why we HAVE to do what He says in His Word.
Most theologians equate the Apostasy with "the falling away" mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:3. It's interesting that this "falling away" is linked with "sin/lawlessness". What are the Christians of today "falling away" from? They are falling away from not only their obedience to God's laws, but also from having hearts that WANT to obey the voice of the Lord their God and spending personal, quality time with Him. My heart's cry as I've been learning to do this blog is that I don't get so consumed with this blog that I forget to spend time with God in HIS Word and not someone else's word about Him! In order for there to be a revival in this land, God's people need to let God put "His knife" to their hearts and circumcise them. Only then will we have hearts to know Him and love Him no matter what He commands of us.
One evening I was babysitting my 3 grandchildren. While I was reading stories to the 2 older ones, my almost 3 year old granddaughter kept climbing on the arm of the couch and sliding down it - very close to a lamp on their end table. Fearing the lamp was going to get broken and knowing her parents would not approve of this, I told her to stop. This is what came out of my darling, most-loved little granddaughter's mouth: "I don't WANT to and I don't HAVE to"! I think this is the perfect picture of the "heart disease" in Christianity today.
John 14:21 says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." Speaking of the last days we're in right now, Ezekiel 11: 19, & 20 says, "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." If we have accepted God's grace shed for us on the cross through Jesus Christ, then we should have new hearts within us; hearts that WANT to do what God says instead of hearts of stone that continually rebel or question why we HAVE to do what He says in His Word.
Most theologians equate the Apostasy with "the falling away" mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:3. It's interesting that this "falling away" is linked with "sin/lawlessness". What are the Christians of today "falling away" from? They are falling away from not only their obedience to God's laws, but also from having hearts that WANT to obey the voice of the Lord their God and spending personal, quality time with Him. My heart's cry as I've been learning to do this blog is that I don't get so consumed with this blog that I forget to spend time with God in HIS Word and not someone else's word about Him! In order for there to be a revival in this land, God's people need to let God put "His knife" to their hearts and circumcise them. Only then will we have hearts to know Him and love Him no matter what He commands of us.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Apostasy and Fearless Grace
I felt the need to do this post on "Fearless Grace" because it goes right along with "Lawless Grace". Prov. 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge". It seems once we take away the "fear of the Lord", it becomes relatively simple to then start taking away His laws. If we believe that God's grace saved us once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ - then we no longer need to worry about being obedient to His laws. You know, "Once saved - always saved". Right? Well, maybe not.
I found a little phrase in Hebrews 10:29 that kind of bothers me, and maybe it should bother you as well. It says that we can be guilty of "insulting the Spirit of grace". How do we do that? By "counting the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified a common thing." God said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay". (vs. 30) And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (vs. 30) In verse 31 it says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Since these verses are talking to God's people, why then would God be telling His people to be fearful of Him if grace will cover His people - no matter whether we are obedient or disobedient?
When we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we think we don't have to worry about being obedient to His laws. You see, it was because of the law - the covenant, that Jesus died for us. So when we treat the law of the covenant as a "common thing" - we are "trampling underfoot the Son of God". (Heb. 10:29) Also, when we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we have no urgency to tell others about Jesus Christ and the need to be saved from the fires of hell. We have been so deceived into believing that God is only a God of love, and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We then become lukewarm, complacent, and become compromising with the world system.
Philippians 2:12 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The two previous verses tell us why. Because "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Obedience and the fear of the Lord go together. Christians - Wake up! There is a Judgment Day coming both for the saved and the unsaved. Let's stop "insulting the Spirit of Grace".
I found a little phrase in Hebrews 10:29 that kind of bothers me, and maybe it should bother you as well. It says that we can be guilty of "insulting the Spirit of grace". How do we do that? By "counting the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified a common thing." God said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay". (vs. 30) And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (vs. 30) In verse 31 it says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Since these verses are talking to God's people, why then would God be telling His people to be fearful of Him if grace will cover His people - no matter whether we are obedient or disobedient?
When we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we think we don't have to worry about being obedient to His laws. You see, it was because of the law - the covenant, that Jesus died for us. So when we treat the law of the covenant as a "common thing" - we are "trampling underfoot the Son of God". (Heb. 10:29) Also, when we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we have no urgency to tell others about Jesus Christ and the need to be saved from the fires of hell. We have been so deceived into believing that God is only a God of love, and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We then become lukewarm, complacent, and become compromising with the world system.
Philippians 2:12 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The two previous verses tell us why. Because "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Obedience and the fear of the Lord go together. Christians - Wake up! There is a Judgment Day coming both for the saved and the unsaved. Let's stop "insulting the Spirit of Grace".
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Sin Is Lawlessness
If you are an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian - then you have heard many times from the pulpit that we are to "confess our sin" as part of our salvation experience. However, how often have we heard the explanation of "sin"? We're told we are sinners, but what is sin?
One day as I was spending time in the Bible, I came across I John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) In order for there to be "lawlessness" - there must first be a "law". What laws are we guilty of breaking in order for us to be considered sinners in God's sight? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) The 10 Commandments are part of God's Law that are still to be obeyed today.
The problem is that Christians today are being taught through various sources that God's law has been done away with because of God's grace. It's true that we are saved by God's grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, but in no way has that done away with God's law. If that were true, then God would be guilty of not only going against His own Word, but also guilty of advocating anarchy, rebelliousness, being law-breakers, etc. God would be saying, "It is OK to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to covet, to not honor the seventh-day Sabbath, to dishonor your parents, to bow down to idols, to lie, to worship other gods, and to take God's Name in vain."
When someone who is convicted of speeding has someone pay his fine, that in no way means that the speed limit signs have now been "done away with". He is still expected TO OBEY the law. He is now expected to be a "Law-Keeper". There is a Judgment Day coming for believers and unbelievers. I have yet to see a court room with a judge - but no law. All of us will stand before God, the Judge, on Judgment Day and His Law will be The Standard for whether we are found obedient to His commands or whether we are found guilty of "lawlessness".
One day as I was spending time in the Bible, I came across I John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) In order for there to be "lawlessness" - there must first be a "law". What laws are we guilty of breaking in order for us to be considered sinners in God's sight? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) The 10 Commandments are part of God's Law that are still to be obeyed today.
The problem is that Christians today are being taught through various sources that God's law has been done away with because of God's grace. It's true that we are saved by God's grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, but in no way has that done away with God's law. If that were true, then God would be guilty of not only going against His own Word, but also guilty of advocating anarchy, rebelliousness, being law-breakers, etc. God would be saying, "It is OK to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to covet, to not honor the seventh-day Sabbath, to dishonor your parents, to bow down to idols, to lie, to worship other gods, and to take God's Name in vain."
When someone who is convicted of speeding has someone pay his fine, that in no way means that the speed limit signs have now been "done away with". He is still expected TO OBEY the law. He is now expected to be a "Law-Keeper". There is a Judgment Day coming for believers and unbelievers. I have yet to see a court room with a judge - but no law. All of us will stand before God, the Judge, on Judgment Day and His Law will be The Standard for whether we are found obedient to His commands or whether we are found guilty of "lawlessness".
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