I can appreciate your scripture references. The way I see it is if I was issued a ticket/fine to appear before the judge and Yeshua paid the fine for me and got me off the hook, that doesn't mean I don't have to continue to obey the law. If I continue to break the law there are consequences and certainly Yeshua is not going to keep bailing me out, because I would be making a mockery of the law, thinking myself above the law.
Yes, Yeshua paid the price, His Grace is unmerited favor, however, we are still accountable.
"You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days" (Deuteronomy:4:40).
� Immediately after giving the Ten Commandments, God exclaimed: "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!" (Deuteronomy:5:29).
� "You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess" (Deuteronomy:5:33).
"You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you" Deuteronomy:6:17-18).
"Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. And He will love you and bless you and multiply you . . . You shall be blessed above all peoples" (Deuteronomy:7:12-14)
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy:10:12-13).
I do understand the need for GRACE, for we are saved by Grace, however, if you read my thread on God's Law for the last 20yr. charismatic preachers have been pushing the Grace theme to nullify the law.
I'm not saying our salvation is based on the works of the law. Only Yeshua could fulfill the law perfectly and I look to Him the author and finisher of my faith. I do however, believe we must still obey the Ten Commandments.
I think the Grace and Law beliefs can both be viewed in the extremes and it is important to weigh everything according to the word.
Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. Ps 119:165
Those are to be reckoned presumptuous sinners, who sin designedly against God's will and glory. Sins thus committed are exceedingly sinful. He that thus breaks the commandment reproaches the Lord. He also despises the word of the Lord. Presumptuous sinners despise it, thinking themselves too great, too good, and too wise, to be ruled by it. A particular instance of presumption in the sin of sabbath-breaking is related. The offence was gathering sticks on the sabbath day, to make a fire, whereas the people were to bake and seethe what they had occasion for, the day before, Exodus 16:23. This was done as an affront both to the law and to the Lawgiver. God is jealous for the honour of his sabbaths, and will not hold him guiltless who profanes them, whatever men may do. God intended this punishment for a warning to all, to make conscience of keeping holy the sabbath. And we may be assured that no command was ever given for the punishment of sin, which, at the judgment day, shall not prove to have come from perfect love and justice. The right of God to a day of devotion to himself, will be disputed and denied only by such as listen to the pride and unbelief of their hearts, rather than to the teaching of the Spirit of truth and life. Wherein consists the difference between him who was detected gathering sticks in the wilderness on the day of God, and the man who turns his back upon the blessings of sabbath appointments, and the promises of sabbath mercies, to use his time, his cares, and his soul, in heaping up riches; and waste his hours, his property, and his strength in sinful pleasure? Wealth may come by the unhallowed effort, but it will not come alone; it will have its awful reward. Sinful pursuits lead to ruin.
Christianity in its proper understanding should highly regard the importance of law. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, �Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.� The false teaching known as antinomianism has been around a long time, but seems to be growing in popularity today. It has certainly made its appearance in the church. Christians who hold to this idea propose that they can live by grace and faith, and virtually without law or obedience. There are many scriptures that point out the impossibility of this approach (cf. Lk. 6:46; Jas. 1:22-25). The whole New Testament, especially the teachings of Jesus, is based upon law. It is clear that people are blessed as they heed these teachings (Jas. 1:25; 1 Jn. 2:5).
In the last three decades there has been a strong move abroad in our whole society to throw off the fetters of law, particularly all biblical restraints. Today the Postmodernists teach that it is improper even to question what a person believes or does. All this is not something new though. Even as far back as David�s time we perceive these trends. In Psalm 2:3, we have evidence of them. In this Psalm the heathen are saying, ��Let us break their chains,� they say, �and throw off their fetters.'� This seems to be an early reference to God�s holy people, Israel, and the moral restraints that they have introduced into the world.
What would a world be like without law? We may soon find out. I suspect that it would be something like a six-way intersection with no stop light, and with cars speeding through at 100 miles per hour from all directions. For sure, it will be a world in which few of us would wish to live.
A UNIVERSE OF LAW
Our universe is a universe of law. Sometimes things appear chaotic, but this is in appearance only. The tiniest cells operate with incredible order. Planets move through the heavens with extreme precision. Natural life around us proceeds in a complex and well organized system. The exception to this, of course, is man who has fallen into sin, and who has refused to live by God�s order.
All indications are that the universe, being a universe established and operating upon God�s law, is convulsed by lawlessness. Lawlessness is like sand thrown into this delicate machinery. We see some evidences of this in scripture. Fire and brimstone quickly fell from heaven on the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their homosexuality and perversion. Apparently, even the hornets fought against the evil Canaanites as Israel conquered the land (Deut. 7:20). Later, the stars in their courses fought against evil Sisera (Jud. 5:20). The land of Canaan vomited out the inhabitants because of their lawless deeds. God promised the Israelites that if they forsook his law and practiced lawless deeds, the land would also vomit them out (Lev. 18:24-28). They did, and it did.
Earth�s systems seem to unite to attack lawlessness just as cells in our bodies unite to attack a disease germ. They often seem to focus their wrath specifically upon the lawbreakers. Consider just one example of this. Some years ago a massive earthquake struck California. The quake�s hub was a previously unknown fault centering on the Northridge area. At the time of the quake, few people knew that this area housed nearly ninety-five per cent of America�s pornographic industry. The industry was left in shambles.** As was later reported by the Jerusalem Post, the largest egg farm in America was just eight kilometers (4.8 miles) away. The extent of the damage there � a broken water line and a single broken egg.
LAWLESSNESS TO INCREASE
As we approach the end days, the Bible indicates that the human race will become exceedingly lawless. Jesus himself warned us that evil would increase in the end days (Matt. 24:12). Some of the lawless deeds of the end times are vividly described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Paul warns us in this passages: �But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God�having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.�
Today there is already a great move on to establish lawlessness. In Israel, the rise of Yasser Arafat underscores this trend in the political arena. Here is a man who has over the last 30 years proven himself completely lawless. He has ruled by deceit, threats, intimidation, murder, graft, theft and yet he has been lauded by many of the world�s leaders, including Israel�s left, as the worthy head of the Palestinians. He has long been the darling of the media. He has even been awarded the world�s highest honor by receiving the Nobel Prize. Were he not presently confined by the Israeli Army he would no doubt still be wined and dined in the world�s capitals. Arafat may not be the Beast spoken of in Daniel, but he certainly illustrates how easily such an evil person can arise and be honored by the whole world.
We see the trend to honor scoundrels all over today. It seems that if a person can prove himself absolutely worthless and beyond redemption, he will likely become the idol of this age. In Proverbs 28:4 we read: �Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.� The righteous can certainly long and pray for the day spoken of by Isaiah. He says of the end days: �No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected� (Isa. 32:5).
It seems apparent that the revulsion to biblical law creates an atmosphere of wickedness. This atmosphere of lawlessness may be the key to Antichrist�s rise. The Bible assures us that ��when rebels have become completely wicked�� that the Beast or Antichrist will come (Dan. 8:23). It is very interesting that in the Greek language of 2 Thessalonians 2:8, this evil world ruler known as Antichrist is called �the lawless one.� It seems that the one thing that restrains his rise is law, particularly biblical law. It is sad indeed that God will surely give people who desire lawlessness their wish. They will someday be under the control of a completely lawless world ruler.
As a direct result of the rise of this lawless one, the whole earth will immediately be thrown into chaos. Mountains will erupt, stars will fall, natural systems will collapse (Rev. 8:6-9:21; 16:1-11). Evil men will be plagued with unspeakable horrors � all apparently as a result of their own sin. Yet these evil men will not call upon God or choose to live by his rules. Instead, they will curse God all the more (Rev. 16:11).
GOD�S LAW AT LAST
The day is surely coming when God�s law will be established. The law will proceed from Zion to the ends of the earth. Perhaps out of pure frustration with lawlessness, many will beg to go up to Zion. �Many peoples will come and say, �Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.� The Law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem� (Isa. 2:3).
God�s King will rule from Mt. Zion. His name is Jesus (Yeshua). He is known as the � living word, � and from this we can conclude he is also the �living Torah� or living law. It seems clear in scripture that he will have to deal in a rather forceful manner with many warlike and lawless nations still on the earth during this reign of peace (Mic. 4:3). As he begins to reign, the world will begin to run by the �manufacturer�s handbook,� as one writer put it, or by the Word of God. The world is groaning and in pain awaiting this day (Rom. 8:22).
God is calling his people to fear him and to walk in his ways. This walk must be a walk of obedience to his word and to his precepts. Jesus came to the world to reestablish the rule of God and the rule of his law. The true children of God in this day should be crying out for God�s rule and law to be established. The prayer of God�s people as we approach this era of coming lawlessness, should be the prayer we have been taught to pray in Matthew 6:10: �your kingdom come. your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.�
Sabbath 12/20/14 Alfred Station SDB Pastor Ken sermon Taking the Light Into the World
Posted : 26 Dec, 2014 04:11 AM
Amen WaitingforJesus,
Letting Jesus into the kitchen is the sanctification process. It is also described as entering the outer court,the inner court, the inner room, and the sanctuary.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Here we have the true Israel described. The men who shall stand as courtiers in the palace of the living God are not distinguished by race, but by character; they are not Jews only, nor Gentiles only, nor any one branch of mankind peculiarly, but a people purified and made meet to dwell in the holy hill of the Lord.Ps 24:3
"But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." 22Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23"For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." Sam 15:22
The man was stoned because he broke the law and there was no atonement for his sin in the OT.
For an interesting perspective on the real meaning of hell, as well as the rapture, and fascinating archeological finds in Israel refer to this site, www.mountaintopministries.info. I'm interested to know what other ppl think.
Tonight (FRI), 9p EST and other times as well, if this time is not good for u, it can be accessed at www.simplesite.com forward slash Robert824, I believe the topic tonight is the 144,000. Just click on the bible chat link and that will take u there, hope u can join us!
Over-Allegorization or Over-Literalization of the 144,000
Posted : 7 Dec, 2012 04:24 PM
We are having a bible study on this very subject tonight, u can access it via www.simplesite.com forward slash Robert824, and click on the bible study chat link, hope u can join us!
