I had a preacher recently tell me to keep the law and Jesus was adultery.
I told him to keep the law and Jesus was being an adult.
The thought was prompted by autocorrect but it does embody what I believe.
If you believe in Jesus, and call upon him, Jesus will help you keep the law. And in keeping the law you will be saved.
James 1:22 KJV But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
I once said there were two major changes to the law from the Old Testament to the New.
I forgot to mention under the New Covenant circumcision is no longer required. It was part of the Old Covenant in the Old Testament. Additionally, Jesus taught us we may do good works on the Sabbath.
In this present day when preachers teach the law of Christ beginning with The Nine Commandments ( no Sabbath) it is important for us to read the Bible and discover these changes between covenants ourselves.
When your writing God’s laws on your heart. I hope you will begin with the TEN Commandments in Exodus 20. They were indeed part of the law of Moses, but they have been incorporated into the New Testament. All ten can be found in the New and are part of that covenant. With Jesus’ help we overcome sin. Learning the law comes with reading the Holy Bible. What you hear as true comes from God. Therefore write upon your heart the command you have heard from the beginning.
I’ve heard two things this Christmas season that I think are worthy of dispute. I’ve heard the first one before, but the second was new to me.
1. Mary was 13 when she was pregnant with Christ and married Joseph.
2. Lit the Menorah and celebrated Hannukah just like Jesus did.
Neither one of these statements is supported by the Holy Bible. Personally, I wouldn’t want to accuse God of being a pedophile. 18 is widely accepted as an appropriate age for a girl to marry in the U.S. I don’t believe the jurisprudence of men is better than God’s, so I suspect Mary was around 18. Regarding Hannukah it is not one of God’s feasts from the Old Testament, nor is it mentioned by name in the New Testament. There is no evidence that Jesus ever lit a Menorah or celebrated Hannukah.
There is a popular doctrine making the rounds in churches and spreading like wildfire: You can’t do anything to make God love you less. Nor can you do anything to make God love you more.
A similar doctrine seen in a recent tweet is: The gift of JESUS has never been about earning and deserving. It has always been about Believing and Receiving.
The Truth:
Of course those going to Heaven will be the deserving. They loved the Lord and kept his Commandments and the Lord loved them more for it because they chose to walk in the light.
They believed and did not despise his sacrifice and reject his gift. Their belief included duty and obedience, repentance and confession, honor and respect. They received the gift of salvation with zeal and remembered Jesus died showing us to not sin.
Can you earn God’s love and favor. Of course you can. King David was a man after God’s own heart. Why, because King David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.
The Bible warns us of those that like to cause confusion. In fact, Isaiah 5:20 KJV says, Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Preachers and teachers attack and argue with the word of God on a regular basis, usually a result of interjecting their own conscience. How can they read you the exact words of the Bible and then serve you up a watered down or simply wrong meaning. Perhaps they don’t call black white or white black, but they can cause much harm spreading the grey. A few recent examples follow:
Perfection with Christ’s help is possible. Don’t let anyone dissuade you from trying. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:48 KJV
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
And when the Bible says to fearfully expect judgment when you sin willfully that is exactly what the Bible means. Don’t trample the blood of Christ and disrespect his sacrifice with willful sin. Hebrews 10:26-29.
How many chances does God give?
I don’t know the answer to that.
What I do know is that only 3 individuals have their final judgment written in the Holy Bible. The beast, the False Prophet, and the devil will be thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10.
Therefore if you are man, angel, or beast don’t give up. Strive against sin and muster your strength and heart to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
I’ve been told baptism isn’t available to angels and that the gospel was only given to men. I don’t think that’s true. The Bible tells us to preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
I believe in God’s mercy. I believe that angels have the opportunity to ask the Lord about baptism and for forgiveness. I believe he will answer the plea of all that call upon him, Acts 2:21.
1 Peter 4:8 KJV says, And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
I believe the best way to learn God’s law is to read about it in the Holy Bible King James Version yourself. You can even pray for guidance and understanding as you read and study. James 1:5
When a preacher or teacher says, “the Bible says…”, you are better prepared having read the Bible to verify that statement. Don’t be afraid after Church to ask for a direct verse if you have a question about one of your pastor’s points. Send an email or make a phone call. They may even appreciate your interest.
There is a lot of errant doctrine out there and ultimately you are responsible for your own salvation.
Hebrews 8:10 KJV
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
The only way to learn the law is through hearing. You can hope to hear all you need to know in Church or you can read the Holy Bible for yourself. I recommend both. Read the Holy Bible and use it to study and verify what you hear from every speaker.
A great place to start is Exodus 20 and the Ten Commandments. To fully comprehend the law you’ll need to read both the Old and the New Testament of the Holy Bible.
What laws then should I follow? Follow what the Lord writes on your heart. What he’s written on mine I am obliged to share.
In Matthew 28:19-20 KJV, Jesus said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The Ten Commandments are valid, present day Commandments of Jesus. In fact, Jesus taught them. Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20 He also instructed that mercy and love are to be a part of the law. John 8:7
The law did have two significant changes between the Old and New Testament. Here are those changes God made to the law:
Do you love Jesus enough to keep his Commandments? How much do you actually value his sacrifice?
What is more important to the modern day Church, reform or revival?
I think the answer is reform. What good does it do to have 10,000 or 10 million new potential Christians if you will not teach them the fundamentals of baptism and the law?
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 KJV,
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Paul in Galatians describes the law as a school master. Why then do none of the modern churches teach and in many instances even fail to comprehend what is the law? They can divide it into patriarchal, Mosaic, Old, and New, but they can’t tell you correctly which ones to follow.
Let the Church go back to its schoolmaster the law. And if through faith they can let the Lord write his Commandments on their heart, then a flood of revival will come.
There are some deep matters in the Holy Bible and this article is not intended to detract from any of them. It is intended to simplify, explain, and promote the sacrifice of Jesus.
Jesus died showing us how to walk before our LORD, the Heavenly Father. He walked in the truth and did not sin.
He was killed by those who would ask, what is truth and not care for the answer.
He was killed by those who could not or would not give up their sin.
He was killed by people who were afraid of judgment.
Jesus wanted us to walk in the light: Accept the truth, confess your sins one to another, be baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and strive every day not to sin.
Simply put, Christianity and how you live it out depends on how much you value Jesus’ sacrifice.
Does it matter that Jesus was God? Does it matter he was the anointed one? Is there really something special about his blood? Should it matter he was resurrected? These are a few of the deeper matters this article will not cover.
He died showing us how to live!
Saltwaterheart 