Worship

I remember one of my friends telling me how he struggled with the lust of the eyes. My answer? "You need to stop hanging out with women who dress immodestly. You can't resist temptation by stepping right into it."

For the most part, I've been doing that. But then there are times when I am caught by surprise at the attire worn at the gatherings of Christians. Those are the times that I just want to hide or scream. Rarely can I do either.

Jesus said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; because it is far better for you to enter into life half-blind than to enter into Hell with good vision. And if your right hand causes you to sin, then cut it off and throw it away; because it is far better for you to enter into life maimed than to enter into Hell whole. And if your right foot causes you to sin, cut it off; because it is far better for you to enter into life lame than to enter into Hell whole."

Now obviously, all of this is hyperbole. None of the prophets were ever instructed by God to literally dismember themselves in order to deal with sin in their own lives or to dismember other people in order to deal with sin in their lives. But Jesus does have a point: anything that is causing you to sin needs to go. For me, that will have to include some friends I dearly love. I cannot continually resist the temptation, as has been adequately proven by history, so I just need to not be where it is.

Before everyone starts making unfounded and uncalled for and bigoted unnecessary jokes about Islamic oppression, I want to make something really clear: there is no way on earth that anyone--male or female--in their right mind could possibly believe that short shorts are modest. Or cleavage- and/or midriff-showing tops. That is the sort of thing I am complaining about. Give me a break.

How can a man focus on the Lord when he is surrounded by all this flesh? Close his eyes? I'll try that next time one of those women is trying to have a conversation with me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Or I'll just stay away from them and leave them to wonder what happened.

Or, even harder, I'll confront them about their attire and beg them to wear real clothes. Yeah, that will go over well.

How on earth can Christian women wear this stuff and sing praise songs to the Lord?

"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘ These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" (Matthew 15:7-9)

Because we have adopted a different standard of modesty than is revealed to us in Scripture.

Wait a minute--did Jesus say that those who say they follow Him but actually listen to others are hypocrites?

That is scary. I think I should warn them.

Do Actors in Hollywood Like Getting Rich?

If so, will these actors take a million dollar bill? Watch and see!!

Just a thought

I keep hearing people say that they only witness when God gives them "those divine appointments." Well, I got to thinking about that, and came up with this:

If you want a divine appointment, you might need to clear your agenda.

Never Put Confidence in the "Sinner's Prayer"

From Jews for Jesus:

"Shlomy, a staff missionary who is doing campaign follow-up, met with Shlomo, who had prayed with Tzachi to receive the Lord on the phone a few days ago. Unfortunately, Shlomo explained that he’s not really a believer, but that he had prayed with Tzachi in order to please him. He then added that he’d like to begin reading the New Testament. Our follow-up team will continue to meet with him."

In all honesty, nothing in the communication says that we should not count on the Sinner's Prayer to measure a "decision" for Christ, but I thought that the incident should be noted. People pray with us for all kinds of reasons. God alone knows the hearts, and God alone is the Lord of the harvest. Please do pray for Shlomo and the many like him who only pray to please men.

Hell for Christians

Just out of curiosity, how many Christians are willing to go to Hell? None? Well, I hope to change your minds by the end of this post.

How many Christians actually want others to go to Hell (like Hitler, Pol Pot, Richard Dawkins, Steven Spielberg, Bill and Hillary Clinton, etc.)? Many of you? Well, I hope to change your minds by the end of this post.

And how many Christians think that Hell is a good thing? Well, a few of you. But I hope to change the rest of your minds by the end of this post.

I'm sure by now you think that I am a heretic. But, please, bear with me, and I will show you from the Bible why I am saying these things. In reverse order.

First off, why is Hell a good thing? Let's think about Hell for a minute: Weeping and gnashing of teeth in a place of outer darkness, where the worm doesn't die, and the fire isn't quenched, and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever. Hmm...not a fun place to be <---understatement of all time.

So how can anyone in his right mind consider Hell to be a good thing??? That's a question atheists ask Christians all the time. What does the Bible say about that?

Well, Jesus plainly declared, in Matthew 25:41, that Hell was created for "the Devil and his angels": it was not meant for humans, but humans will go there, too, if they side with the devil against God. Hell is proof that God is Just and Holy. Being moral agents, created in the image of God Himself, we would be outraged if a pedophile murderer was given a light sentence or even let go altogether. How much more angry should a Just and Holy God be with this man when he stands before Him to answer for his evil deeds?

So why is Hell good? Hell is proof that God is just. That means that criminal activity, though it may go unpunished for a variety of reasons here on earth, will not go altogether unpunished.

Secondly, why should a Christian desire that not even the worst of criminals (or mere political enemies) face the wrath of God, even if it is a good thing for sin to be punished?

I think the scariest verse in the Bible is Matthew 12:36. Therein, Jesus says, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Every idle word.

Do you know what an idle word is? It's a word that comes out of your mouth that you don't even think twice about. I remember when I was in my car with my younger brother and I opened a compartment and was quite surprised at the contents thereof. My brother looked at me in astonishment. "What?" I asked him. "You just cursed," he said. "You said (blank)!" "I did?" I never did hear the word come out of my mouth. How many times have I done that?

If God exacted of me every idle word that I have spoken, I don't think I would be in too much better a place than Hitler, to be perfectly honest. Yes, I know Hitler specifically targeted the Jews for his hatred, but he was a mere murderer of 31 million people. Jesus said, in Matthew 5:21-22, that, if you call someone worthless or a moron/fool/idiot/dummy/etc., you will get the same punishment as a murderer on Judgment Day. Scary? Yes. And if I love my neighbor (which is anyone with whom I have the least bit of contact), then there is no way on earth I wish on them the wrath from which I fled to the Savior fifteen years ago.

Which brings me to my final point: why should any Christians wish that they themselves could go to Hell? Well, for the same reason the Apostle Paul did:

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:..." (Romans 9:1-3)

So great was Paul's love for his earthly kin, that he had the heart of Jesus, being willing to be accursed from God so that his brethren, the Israelites, might obtain eternal life. How great is your love for your people? For your neighbors? For your coworkers? For your friends? What are you willing to endure that they might receive Christ?

Pray about it, will you?

Well, Who Said that Preaching Was Easy?

WARNING: This video is just a live shot of everything that happened. It includes LOADS OF FOUL LANGUAGE!! The video was actually posted on YouTube by someone making fun of the preacher, so there was no effort to edit the vile responses of the people. Watch at your own risk.

Much of You

"I wanna make much of you, Jesus/I wanna make much of Your Love/I wanna live today/To give You the praise/That You alone are so worthy of/I wanna make much of Your mercy/I wanna make much of Your Cross/I give You my life/Take it and let it be used/To make much of You!!!"

What did Jesus do to make Himself so worthy? Why is it so glorious that He died as a common criminal upon a Roman cross? Why is Steven so willing to put himself behind the Life of Jesus, when Steven is so talented himself? He says, "This is Your Love, oh God, not to make much of me/But to send Your own Son so that we could make much of You for all eternity!"

What about Steven? Doesn't he deserve some praise for the way he has led people to the Lord? For the way he has helped so many orphans? For the way he has uplifted so many Christians? Why does he want to give Jesus all the credit?

The answer is that Steven recognizes his own sinfulness and how unworthy he is of God's love. SCC knows that he was condemned--"dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1)--but now has been set free by the Lord against Whom he had sinned, by that Lord taking the punishment that he deserved upon Himself in order to save him.

That is the message of the Gospel--that is the hope of the Christian. Let us evermore make much of Jesus for all eternity!!

Evangelistic Discouragement

"One night when [Dwight L.] Moody was going home, it suddenly occurred to him that he had not spoken to a single person that day about accepting Christ. A day lost, he thought to himself. But as he walked up the street he saw a man by a lamppost. He promptly walked up to the man and asked, 'Are you a Christian?'

"Moody did not find soul-winning easy. In fact, even other Christians often criticized him for having zeal without knowledge. Others called him 'Crazy Moody.' Once when he spoke to a perfect stranger about Christ, the man said, 'That is none of your business...If you were not a sort of preacher, I would knock you into the gutter for your impertinence.' [A gutter ran along the street carrying waste and rain water--it was very filthy.]

"The next day, a businessman friend sent for Moody. The businessman told Moody that the stranger he had spoken to was a friend of his. 'Moody, you've got zeal without knowledgge. You insulted a friend of mine on the street last night. You went up to him, a perfect stranger, and asked him if he were a Christian.'

"Moody went out of his friend's office almost brokenhearted. For sometime he worred about this. Then late one night a man pounded on the door of his home. It was the stranger he had supposedly insulted. The stranger said, 'Mr. Moody, I have not had a good night's sleep since that night you spoke to me under the lamp-post, and I have come around at this unearthly hour of the night for you to tell me what I have to do to be saved.' "

Recounted by Harry Albus, quoted in the Evidence Bible.

What God’s Word Says About Abortion

by Lynn Copeland



God speaks very clearly in the Bible on the value of unborn children. God’s Word says that He personally made each one of us, and has a plan for each life:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" (Jeremiah 1:5).

"Even before I was born, God had chosen me to be His" (Galatians 1:15).

For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:13, 16). "Your hands shaped me and made me . . . Did You not clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews? You gave me life" (Job 10:8–12).

"This is what the Lord says—He who made you, who formed you in the womb" (Isaiah 44:2).

"Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers?" (Job 31:15).

Because man is made in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27), each life is of great value to God: "Children are a gift from God" (Psalm 127:3). He even calls our children His own: "You took your sons and daughters whom you bore to Me and sacrificed them...You slaughtered My children" (Ezekiel 16:20,21). The Bible says of our Creator, "In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being" (Job 12:10). God, the giver of life, commands us not to take the life of an innocent person: "Do not shed innocent blood" (Jeremiah 7:6); "Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person" (Deuteronomy 27:25). "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Taking the life of the unborn is clearly murder—"He didn’t kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave" (Jeremiah 20:17)— and God vowed to punish those who "ripped open the women with child" (Amos 1:13).

The unborn child was granted equal protection in the law; if he lost his life, the one who caused his death must lose his own life: "If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined . . .But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life" (Exodus 21:22,23). Life is a gift created by God, and is not to be taken away by abortion. God is "prochoice," but He tells us clearly the only acceptable choice to make: "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Abortion

I usually don't talk about abortion, primarily because I didn't want to get into the "political" debates about it. But lately I am coming to realize that this is not about politics: This is about human lives.

There is a new website on my list for Sanctuary Ministries (http://sanctuaryministries.blogspot.com/), and I dearly hope that you will check it out. Like adultery, lying, stealing, and other sins that are damning to the soul, abortion is legalized murder of the most helpless of our society. It is the cause of our workers shortage here in America, it is the reason that fornication (incidentally, from a Latin word that was a euphemism for prostitution) is so rampant (because we are eliminating the consequences of foolish behavior), and, most importantly, it is a stench in the nostrils of the God who gives us every breath we take.

Take a look at this list of "abominations to the Lord" found in Proverbs 6:16-19:

1) A proud look (I have the RIGHT to do what I want with my own body)

2) A lying tongue (An infant's DNA is remarkably and unmistakably different from the mother's, and therefore is not part of her body)
3) Hands that shed innocent blood <--there is no more apt a description of abortion than that!
4) Feet that are swift in running to mischief (like the whores and whoremongers that procreate and then destroy)
5) A heart that devises wicked imaginations (like the many inventive ways they slaughter these innocents)
6) A false witness that speaks lies (Like the people who support abortion)

7) He who sows discord among the brethren (Like the people who tell women to have abortions behind their husbands' backs, who tell children to commit fornication and murder without the parents' knowledge).

There is nothing good about abortion. Nothing. Consider, if you will, the following four cases of hardship with pregnancy*:

1. A preacher and his wife are very, very poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she’s pregnant with the 15th. They’re living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending she get an abortion?

2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. Of their four children, the first is blind, the second has died, the third is deaf, the fourth has TB. She finds she’s pregnant again. Given this extreme situation, would you consider recommending abortion?

3. A white man raped a 13-year-old black girl and she’s now pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?

4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She’s not married. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby, and he’s upset. Would you recommend abortion?

Now for the bombshells:

"In the first case, you would have killed John Wesley, one of the great evangelists in the 19th century. In the second case, you would have killed Beethoven. In the third case, you would have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer. If you said yes to the fourth case, you would have declared the murder of Jesus Christ!

"God is the author of life, and He has given every single individual supreme value. Each life—whether inside or outside the womb—should therefore be valued by us. God knows the plans He has for each individual and has written in His book all the days ordained for us before one of them came to be. When we presume to know better than God who should be given life, we are putting ourselves in the place of God and are guilty of idolatry."

We can't put a price on the lives of the treasures that God has given us in children. Please heed God's Sixth Commandment: "Thou shalt not kill."

___________________________________________
*From Ray Comfort's Evidence Bible. For ordering information, go to www.livingwaters.com.

What a Waste

There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
Matthew 26:7-8

Jesus sits with His disciples in the house of Simon the leper. They eat a meal while talking about spiritual truths. Suddenly, a woman interrupts their discussion.

Is this another sick person in need of healing? Or perhaps a mother of a demon-possessed child asking Jesus for deliverance? She must be here for some important reason if she's willing to interrupt their lunch.

All eyes open wide as the woman pours very precious ointment on Jesus' head. Christ tells the disciples later it was for His burial, but I don't think the woman realized this at the time. She poured the ointment on His head to worship Him, to show her love for Him.

Did those around the table join her in worship? No. They were too busy figuring out how much the ointment could have been sold for. "What a waste! We could have sold that ointment and given the money to the poor!" (See verse nine.)

Worship is a waste?

How sad it is when we get so focused on service that we ignore worship of God. Remember Martha? She was so busy serving that she forgot the one needful thing. Her sister, Mary, remembered and sat at Jesus' feet. (Luke 10:38–42)

Is giving to the poor important? Of course. But if we do this and neglect worship of God, we are forgetting why we serve in the first place. Meeting people's financial needs is only part of the puzzle. We should want to tell them about a God who loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.

If God gave us so much, how could worshiping Him ever be a waste? If worship were a waste, much of heaven would be wasted time!

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker" (Psalm 95:6).

(If this devotional has blessed you, please pass it on.)

From a fellow traveler just passing through,

Jason Mitchener
http://www.JasonMitchener.com

Jason's Music: http://www.soundclick.com/jasonmitchener
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The Atheist Gets It--But We Don't?

The hosting site for this video, Christclips.com has been hacked. So, the video is down until they are able to make the necessary repairs. I apologize for the inconvenience. You may be able to view the video at Way of the Master Radio.com if it is still listed in their "Past Media Items" under the title "Sobering Words."

Hmm

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article about modesty, based on Scripture, not our own whims. What I didn't know was that at the time, someone was trying to establish a biblical basis for a Christian Nudist Camp.

What!?!

This is a reasonable Christian response. I could probably write an article in response to this wicked idea, but I think he did better than I could have.

This is my original article.

I really get angry when people exploit other people and call it "freedom." "I have my rights." Yeah, okay. That's why we have abortion, school-shootings, pedophilia, etc.--because "I" am entitled to whatever my heart desires, not to be restrained by these religious fanatics who just want to take away everybody's fun.

But I'm not the Judge. God is.

"Uh-oh."

Good Point, Todd

Please be patient with Todd, and watch both videos before responding.

Hollywood Blasphemy

Love

Yesterday, I had the privilege of watching a film called End of the Spear and reading a book called The Hiding Place. Both were stories of Christian sacrifice made for the love of God and man. Jesus said that the two greatest commands were these:

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." In other words, with everything that you are, love God.

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." I don't really think that this should need explanation, except that so many people pretend that they don't love themselves enough. Fact: you never stop loving yourself. Even if you hate what you do, it is because you want yourself to do differently or better--a patent evidence of self-love--that you hate what you do.

But enough of my rant against psychology--see Psycho Heresy Awareness Ministries for more detailed information.

I want to talk about how Nate Saint told his son Steve who asked him if he would use guns against the Waudoni if they attacked him and his fellow missionaries, "Well, they aren't ready for Heaven yet--we are." I want to talk about how Betsie Ten Boom thanked God for fleas and lice and prayed for God's love to be shown to the prison guards that tortured her and so many others in Nazi war camps. I don't ever hear this kind of love shown toward Nancy Pelosi, the latest speaker of the House, or Al Gore, former vice-president, or the ACLU, or anybody else that conservative Christians despise for their policies.

Have we forgotten Paul's words? "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12) O Christian, that is why we are not to fight with fleshly weapons!

Again, the Apostle Paul: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Earthly power says to rely on voting, to blow up abortion clinics (I am not in anyway saying that all conservative Christians want this to happen), to hope that the Supreme Court votes the right way. But Paul says to use the weapons that God has given us for spiritual warfare. And I think that we ought to listen to him (1 Corinthians 14:37).

Here are our weapons: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Does any of this sound like the modern conservative movement? Oh, we pray. We have faith, of some sorts. But do we pray for the bold preaching of the Gospel? But do we truly have faith in God (1 John 5:10)?

Did you notice that the only offensive weapon that auxiliary was the Word of God? Are we preaching that as it is written? Jesus said to the Jews who believed in Him, "If you continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:30-32) Are you truly one of His, by that standard?

So trite is the saying, "They will know that we are Christians by our love." We don't even know what love is! "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10)!! What greater message of love can there be than that God, wanting to spare us His wrath, sent His only begotten Son to take our punishment upon Himself that we might have eternal life? Is this what we are preaching? If not, then we do not have Biblical love.

Objection: "But you can't just call people sinners--that's not loving!" Oh really? Have you read the words of Jesus Himself? Read Matthew 23. Watch End of the Spear--that's what they came to tell the Waudoni, and it changed them forever. It literally saved that tribe from extinction. That the great Creator of the world and mankind would die for us instead of punishing us. That message is what made Nate Saint and his friends ready for Heaven--and it was that message that they went to preach to the Waudoni to get them ready for Heaven, too.

I like to put it this way: This criminal (that means me) has received mercy from God--and he wants his fellow criminals (that means the world) to receive that same mercy. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Where Are Your Tears?

Where are the tears?

When Jesus looked over the City of Jerusalem, He knew the things that would befall Him there, that He would be received with much rejoicing at first, but crucified later. And He knew that the Jews would not receive the salvation that was offered them, that as a nation they would still not repent. And He knew that He had spent many centuries sending them prophet after prophet, and yet still, "but in vain do they worship Me, teaching in place of doctrine the commandments of men." And He knew that justice would be His abandonment of them to the consequences of their choices, to the destruction of Jerusalem, the merciless slaughter by the Romans, the sowing of Israel with salt, the renaming after her enemies.

And He wept.

I ask you, "Where are your tears?"

Yes, it is just for God to send those who reject Him to Hell--but are you willing to weep for their souls? Or are you content to preach from a high horse, "You're all going to Hell!"

Oh, Christian, weep for the lost that they might know your compassion for them! It may be that they may be pricked at the heart and repent. No, do not compromise the Gospel, but, yes, do love as you give it to them! Make it a hard thing to say, "...and all liars shall have their part in the Lake of Fire"--let it tear you up inside though it be Bible Truth! God is not willing that any should perish--Christian, where is your compassion? Where are the tears?

"Though I [fill in the blank of good Christian works, and duties toward God and man], if I do not have love, I am nothing."

Yes, the Greatest Command is to Love God. But the Second Command is right next to it--in fact, if you don't keep it, then you don't keep the First (John 14:15): "Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself." You loved yourself enough to flee to the Savior from the wrath to come! Oh, please, love your neighbor enough to bid him to flee from the wrath to come!!

One Hundred Fifty Thousand people die everyday. Which one of them are you going to talk to about the only One who can save them from the wrath of God? Oh, Christian, make it someone today!!

Evangelism: Stop Clapping Your Hands and Get to Work

There are a lot of people that I look up to, especially as far as evangelism goes. Ray Comfort, Todd Friel, Darrel Rundus (leader of GNN), Mark Cahill (Ray Comfort even looks up to him!), Dave Hunt, many missionaries, etc. There are people who look up to me. I think I speak for us all when I say:

GET OFF YOUR DUFF!!! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HELL!!! STOP APPLAUDING ME AND START PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE!!! 150,000 PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?

But I'm sure you have a good reason! In fact, there are probably 8 Reasons why you don't share your faith


Now that you have been thoroughly convicted, go to Living Waters and get some Gospel Tracts and go hand them to somebody!! Or else...

I'll have to send in the Evangelism Linebacker!!

The Law and the Christian

"For we are not under the Law, but under Grace." (Romans 6:14)

Many Christians use this verse to say that we cannot use the Law to correct the behavior of fellow Christians. I differ (I do not beg).

On the contrary, in the same Letter, the Apostle Paul writes, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Furthermore, Jesus agreed with the man who said, "there is one God; and there is none other but He: and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. "

Jesus Himself said, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'--This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. "

So if our definition of love does not include the message of the Law and the Prophets, then we lack the kind of love that Jesus wants us to have for Him and for one another. That's pretty serious.

The point of Paul's statement is that we no longer need to fear the punishment due us for breaking God's Law. But in no way is he suggesting another set of standards for Christians to live by than God's Holiness, which is revealed by His Law. That's why he comes back to it in the later passage. God wants us to follow His Commandments, not because He'll punish us if we don't (though He will chastise us for disobedience, Hebrews 12:1-11), but because He has been so gracious to save us, that we will do anything for Him (1 John 4:19; John 14:15, 24).

Every New Testament command has its roots in the Old Testament, the Law and the Prophets. To call them obselete is to abuse one verse of Scripture in trying to create a whole doctrine.

Law and Gospel

Who can say that they have kept the Ten Commandments perfectly? Jesus of Nazareth and no one else.

And it doesn't matter which ones you do keep--if you break one, you are a criminal, just like in our system of Justice: You don't have to break all the Laws to be a law-breaker--you only have to break one. And God's Standard is higher than man's. David said, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." (Psalm 51:6)

Therefore, as Proverbs 24:9 says, "The thought of foolishness is sin," something Jesus acknowledged when He said that unjustifiable anger deserves the same punishment as murder and that merely looking at someone with a lustful heart is all the same to God as adultery (Matthew 5:21-30).

Which of God's Laws have you broken?

The First Commandment That means that God, not man, should decide for you in all things (Proverbs 29:25). Is this true for your life? Do you really love the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?

The Second Commandment Do you serve a god that likes you and you like him? Does he love the people you love and hate the people you hate? Then your god doesn't exist. There is One God, the thrice Holy One of Israel. And He promises fiery indignation to all who invent their own gods.

The Third Commandment This means more than using God's name irreverently or as a curse word. It also means pretending to be His when you are not. It also means bringing reproach upon His name while you wear it because of your sin (e.g., King David, when he sinned against God with Bathsheba and murder her husband, 2 Samuel 11:1-12:14).

The Fourth Commandment The very God who daily gives you breath only asks for one day out of seven--and you are loathe to desist from your pursuits to give it to Him? What is more valuable than God? "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" a Very Wise Man once asked.

The Fifth Commandment Have you always honored your parents the way God would want you to honor them? Why not? (Whoever says that he has is deceiving only himself--you broke this Commandment when you were two.) Don't you want long life in the Land?

The Sixth Commandment Knowing that God desires truth in the inward parts, and that the very thought of foolishness is sin in His eyes, who dares to claim that Jesus was exaggerating the Law when He said that unjustifiable anger deserves the same punishment as murder (thereby making them equal crimes in the sight of God Almighty)? And who can say that every time that he was angry it was justified? Who hasn't had to retract some angry thing they said once they discovered the truth? Moreover, the Bible says that hatred is murder (1 John 3:15), pointing to the fact that Cain murdered Abel, simply because he hated him (Genesis 4:1-15).

The Seventh Commandment God made one woman for Adam. Not two. Not a woman and another man. Not even one other man. Just a woman. And God made woman just for one man. Not two men. Not a man and another woman. Not even merely another woman. Just a man. And Leviticus 18-19 is full of other instructions and concludes that the death penalty shall apply to all who reject God's rules on His gift of sex. Furthermore, Jesus said that merely looking with a lustful eye is the same to God as adultery. Remember, even the very thought of foolishness is sin in God's eyes (Proverbs 24:9).

The Eight Commandment Have you taken or used even one thing that didn't belong to you and to which you had no right as recognized by God? A celery stick. a piece of cheese, a penny, a paper clip? Remember, God is thrice Holy: He sees all sin the same way. Whether you think it is little or not.

The Ninth Commandment Have you ever told a lie? How many lies must you tell to be considered a liar? Ten, then the bell rings, "We've got a new liar over here!!"? No matter the color, if I told you a lie, what would you call me? What does God consider you to be? Furthermore, the Bible says that a lying tongue shows hatred to those it afflicts (Proverbs 26:28). Now you're in BIG trouble.

The Nail in the Coffin Also known as the Tenth Commandment. Covetousness is the universal flagrant sin of all mankind. And it's quite amazing the things we covet. But we all covet something. And God says that covetousness is a sin. The Thrice Holy One of Israel will give you what you need. Don't be greedy for more--but we are.

So, having broken all these Commandments, just how good a person are you really? You need only break one Law to be guilty, and I guarantee that anyone reading this has broken all ten. What are you going to do about this? If God gives you Justice--Thrice Holy Justice--come Judgment Day, where will you spend eternity? Be honest with yourself. You deserve to go to Hell.

That is not God's will for you. That is why He sent Jesus to die for your sins. If you repent of your sins, Jesus will apply His righteousness to your account, and God will dismiss your case because your sins have been paid for. By the Blood of the Son of God, the Messiah to the Jews, and the Light to the Gentiles. This was God's promise to Abraham when He said, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). Read Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and see if this is not true.