Holding Fast the Faithful Word

Dear brethren, let me encourage you today to hold fast to the faithful Word. In this dark and evil age that we live in, we need to hold firmly to it, in order to be saved.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” (1Co 15:1-2, NIV).

He said, “By this gospel you are saved.” (1 Cor 15:2a). So we are saved by the gospel, but look at the condition for being saved, which he states in the same verse. The condition is, “If you hold firmly to the Word I preached to you,” or as the NASB states, “If you hold fast the word which I preached to you.” Paul also wrote to Titus saying, “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching...” (Tit 1:9a). You see, we must hold on to the Word. It’s the basic condition for being saved by the gospel. Someone will say that sounds like a gospel of works. But that is the true gospel, which Paul preached. Those are God’s Words, not mine.

The Lord Jesus gave a parable about the seed scattered on four types of soil. The seed represented the Word of God. Only the seed that fell on one of the four soils ended up bearing fruit. These are the ones who retain the Word. He said, "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the Word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (Luk 8:15).

All three of the other types of soil received the same seed, the same Word of God, but failed to bear fruit. One type will not believe the Word and be saved, because the devil comes and takes the Word out of their hearts. The second type hears the Word and receives it with joy, but since they have no firm root; they believe for a while, and fall away in time of temptation. The third type are the ones who have heard the Word, but as they go on their way, they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life. Those worries, riches, and pleasures are like thorns that choke a plant, so these people bring no fruit to maturity. The fourth type are the ones with a good and honest heart, who hold fast the Word that they have heard, and bear fruit with perseverance; these are the only ones who are saved. Therefore, in order to ultimately be saved, we must hold fast the Word, and by continuance in it, bear fruit.

But aren’t we saved by faith alone and not by works? Yes, we are indeed. Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Eph 2:8). Salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord are a gift of God (Rom 6:23). No man can know the Father unless Christ reveals the Father to him (John 17:25-26). Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father, except through Him (Jn 14:6). No man can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44), and "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.” (Joh 3:27).

Therefore, God gives each of us, whom He draws to Christ, a measure of faith. Paul said, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” (Rom 12:3). That verse also says that He gives us each grace, too.  James also wrote about the gift of grace, saying, “But He gives a greater grace.” (Jas 4:6a). Both he and Peter said, “He gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6b; 1 Pe 5:5b; cf., Pr 3:34). So we are given both the grace and the faith.

Likewise, He has given us a freewill (Joh 7:17; Jam 1:13-16; 1 Co 7:37), so we can decide what to do with the measure of grace and faith we've been given. That “free will” thing is where we run into problems. It is possible to miss the grace of God (Heb 12:15), to resist it (Ac 7:51), to receive it in vain (2 Co 6:1), to abuse it, and to use it as a license to sin (Jude 1:4; Rom 6:1).  It is also possible to shipwreck your faith (1 Tim 1:19), throw away your confidence (He 10:35); and abandon your faith (1 Tim 6:21) as well as to believe in vain (1 Cor 15:2). If we do not hold fast to the Word, then according to Paul, we have believed in vain.  Moreover, we cannot diminish the fact that the devil hates us and is seeking whom he may devour (1 Pe 5:8). There is a very real spiritual war being waged against us (Eph 6:12).

This is why remaining obedient, alert, sober, watchful, vigilant, and prayerful, are so important (1 Pe 5:8; Lk 21:36). We must remain in His love (Jn 15:10), walk in the Light (1 Jn 1:7), remain on the straight and narrow path (Mt 7:13-14), walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), walk in love (Eph 5:2), walk in the Truth (3 Jn 1:4), abide in Christ (Jn 15:4), pray without ceasing (1 The 5:17), practice our righteousness (Mt 6:1), run the race with perseverance (He 12:1), keep the faith (2 Tim 4:7), hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (Heb 10:23), hold fast the faithful Word (Tit 1:9), and by continuance in it bear fruit (Lk 8:15). We must guard the trust (1 Tim 6:20), fight the good fight (2 Tim 4:7), work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12), deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus (Lk 9:23). We must prove faithful with the trust we have been given (Mt 25:21; 1 Cor 4:2), stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24), encourage one another (He 10:24), keep ourselves from being polluted by the world (Jam 1:27), pursue holiness (Heb 12:14), strive to enter the kingdom of God (Lk 13:24) and endure to the end (Mt 10:22; 24:13; Mk 13:13). He who endures to the end shall be saved, so hold on to the faithful Word!

Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Drifting Away, The Straight and Narrow Path, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Practicing Your Righteousness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Doing What is Right, Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith Works!, The Judgment Seat of Christ, The Obedience of Faith, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Remember the Eternal Law of God, Purge the Evil from Among You, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, The Role of the Trinity in Drawing People to God, Election and Predestination, Keeping Power of God, and The Righteous Will Shine Forth as the Sun. Other related articles are available on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Practicing Your Righteousness

I’d like to discuss the righteousness of three men found in Scripture – Noah, Job, and Daniel. These men, who lived so long ago, are still godly examples for us as Christians today.

There is a righteousness that is imputed to the believer as part of his justification by faith in Christ.  It is the righteousness of God, and although it does not belong to the believer, it is attributed to him. But there is also a righteousness that is imparted to the believer as part of his sanctification, which is also by faith. This has to do with the righteous acts of the saints, practiced by faith in God through the power of the Holy Spirit, for which God confers, gives, or bestows righteousness to the saint for his or her godliness.  This second kind of righteousness that is imparted in connection with sanctification is the kind I would like to focus on right now.

There are many references to this practical righteousness in the New Testament, but a few examples will suffice. For instance, Jesus taught us the level of righteousness required to enter the kingdom of heaven. "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”  (Mat 5:20).  While the scribes and Pharisees had a righteousness that comes from the Law, they did not have God’s righteousness that comes by faith in Christ. But they also practiced their righteousness before men to be noticed by them. Therefore, the Lord said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 6:1).  Immediately after saying this, he gave three examples of practical righteousness, namely prayer, giving to the poor, and fasting.

Once you have been justified by faith and received the gift of God’s righteousness in Christ, you must practice your righteousness.  That involves doing righteous deeds, such as prayer, fasting, worship, Bible reading, giving tithes and offerings, not stealing, not accepting bribes, serving in the Church, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, visiting those in prison, and giving to the poor (Mt 25:35-36).  The Lord calls this "your righteousness."

In Revelation, John mentioned the reward the saints receive for this practical righteousness.  He wrote: “Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Rev 19:6-8).

As Matthew Henry said, "God takes notice of the good that is in his servants, to their honor and benefit."

Don’t Trust in Your Own Righteousness
Now I would like to turn to the Old Testament for some passages about practical righteousness, which teach us more about what it is and warn us not to trust in it. Ezekiel wrote:

"But if a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period-- if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully--he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord GOD. (Eze 18:5-9).

In that passage, we learn that when a man is righteous and practices righteousness, then He is considered righteous in God’s sight.  Several examples of righteous deeds are given. However, listen to the following warning against trusting in your own righteousness:

"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.' "When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. "But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. "None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live. "Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right. "When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. "But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. (Eze 33:12-19).

While a sinner who turns from his sin and serves God in righteousness will live, the same cannot be said of the righteous man who commits sin. The Lord says a righteous man will not be able to save his life by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin. Put differently, a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin. When the righteous man trusts in his righteousness such that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; rather he will die in that same iniquity of his that he has committed. This is the danger of getting comfortable once you become justified as a Christian, and thinking that from now on the matter of sin will never have any bearing on your salvation.

Job was a righteous man

Job is a good example of a righteous man.  He was a man of integrity, who prayed and interceded diligently for his children, feared God, and turned from evil.  “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.” (Job 1:1)

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." (Job 1:8).

"As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. (Jas 5:10-11).

Job was godly, harmless, true, abstaining from all evil, and clinging to innocence.  He endured suffering patiently and practiced righteousness.

Noah was a righteous man
Another excellent example of a righteous man was Noah.

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’"  (Gen 6:5-7)

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (Gen 6:8-9)

“Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.’” (Gen 7:1).

“Noah did according to all that the LORD had commanded him.” (Gen 7:5)

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” (Heb 11:7)

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;”  (2Pe 2:4-5)

So the Scriptures say that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time. He was a preacher of righteousness, who walked by faith with God and did according to all that the Lord commanded him.

Daniel was a righteous man

Another excellent example of a righteous man was Daniel. He prayed on his knees three times a day, even when it was illegal to do so, and the penalty for it was death. He continued as always giving thanks, making petition and supplication to God three times a day.

“Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.” (Dan 6:10-11)

He refused to defile himself with the king’s meat and wine, preferring instead to fast and pray.

“But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.” (Dan 1:8)

Daniel possessed an extraordinary spirit, and was known as a man who served God continually. He was faithful. Even his enemies could find neither grounds for accusation against him, nor any evidence of corruption in his conduct.

“Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, ‘We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.’" (Dan 6:3-5)

No negligence or corruption was found in him.  He was reliable and did not do anything wrong or dishonest. Daniel was an excellent example of a righteous man. By his faith, he shut the mouths of lions (Heb 11:33).

Noah, Daniel, and Job
In fact, God Himself recognized the righteousness of these three men. And it's worth noting that two of them -- Noah and Job -- lived before the Law of Moses was given, which proves that righteousness does not depend on the Law. We saw that Noah found favor with God and the Lord saved him and his whole family from the flood that destroyed the earth.  Job’s health and possessions were restored to him and God answered his prayers for his friends. Daniel had dreams and interpretations of dreams. God protected him from the mouths of the lions, and answered his prayers. The Lord also spoke to Ezekiel about these three men and their own righteousness.

“Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts, though these three men were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate. Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, “Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,” even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered. Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it, even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness." (Eze 14:12-20)

The point that God was making here to Ezekiel was that when He decides to bring judgment on a country, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves.

This reminds me of when Abraham said to the Lord, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen 18:23). Abraham interceded for Lot and managed to get God to spare him from the judgment that was about to come upon Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord still brought judgment on those cities, but spared Lot and his family.

Likewise, when God has determined to bring his judgment down on a place, even the presence of these three righteous men altogether – Noah, Daniel, and Job – would not stop Him from carrying out His plan.  Those men by their righteousness would only save themselves. And in fact, Daniel was carried away into exile along with the other Hebrews when God sent the Babylonians to bring judgment on Israel during this period when Ezekiel received this message.  Daniel’s life was spared and it went well with him in captivity, partly because of his righteousness. But his presence did not spare the nation from God’s judgment.

How This Righteousness Works 
I'd like to touch briefly upon how this righteousness works, because it is such a foreign concept to most people these days in the Church. The Bible teaches us that your faith and your deeds work together and your faith is made complete by what you do (Js 2:22). James also taught, "that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (Jas 2:24).  He said our righteous deeds are part of our justification.  King Solomon referred to this as God "justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness." (1Ki 8:32; 2Ch 6:23). We are justified not merely by having a certain opinion about Christ, or profession of Him, or by believing without obeying, but by having the kind of faith that produces good works. These are works of self-denial like the ones produced by Noah, Daniel, and Job, as well as others like Abel, Abraham, Lot, and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The apostle Peter said we must die to sin and live for righteousness (1 Pe 2:24). Therefore, we must sow in such a way as to receive a harvest of righteousness (Js 3:18). The one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward (Pr 11:18, NIV; Gal 6:9).

Putting it All Together
My point in all of this is that in addition to the righteousness imputed to us when we are justified by faith, which does not belong to us, but is God’s perfect righteousness, there is also a practical righteousness that is given or bestowed by God as we grow in sanctification, which is the character of Christ. This is what Jesus called “your righteousness.” The Lord said we need to practice our righteousness, and taught us how to do so in a way that pleases God. Noah, Daniel, and Job were good examples of how we as disciples of Christ should practice our righteousness. And He is coming with His reward to render to every man according to his deeds. "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” (Rev 22:12).

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. The Good Samaritan by Dan Burr of Dan Burr Illustration copyright 2013 used by permission. The Daniel in the Lions' Den painting is by Briton Rivière (1890) and is in the public domain.  The Noah painting is by Joseph Anton Koch circa 1803 courtesy Wikimedia. Painting of Job and his Friends by Ilya Repin, 1869, Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this article, I also recommend Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice, The Righteous Will Shine Forth as the Sun, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith Works!, The Judgment Seat of Christ, The Obedience of Faith, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, and The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer. Other related articles are available on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

In the Body of Christ, you rarely hear anyone teach about the Law, except to say that we are free from it, since we are under grace.  But there are few teachers of the Word, who seek to explain to us what place it has in our lives today as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.  I'd like to share with you from the apostle Paul's epistle how the Law is meant to be used.

Paul wrote to Timothy:

"But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." (1Ti 1:8-11)

First of all, Paul taught that the Law is good, provided one uses it lawfully.  He himself used it lawfully (e.g.,  Eph 6:1-3; 1 Cor 14:34,37)! So there is a lawful way to use it for good.  The problem is that most people don't understand how to use it lawfully, being unable to handle it correctly, so they are unable to do any good with it, nor can they understand how anyone could do so.

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation about the role of the Law or the importance of obedience for the disciple of Christ, I recommend reading the following articles below, beginning with the ones in the left column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship Faith Works! Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Obedience of Faith Remember the Eternal Law of God

Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe Listen to Jesus

Secondly, Paul taught that the Law is not made for a righteous person.  The reason is that the righteous person will have the Law written in his heart and will be living a holy and godly life that is spotless and blameless (see 2 Pe 3:14; Heb 12:14; 1 Pe 1:15-16).  A righteous person will be led by the Holy Spirit, who will always have us do that which is holy and good.

Thirdly, Paul taught that the Law is made for certain people, namely for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers.  Such people need to see in the law that the way they are living is detestable to God.  They need to see that God hates what they are doing.

Here is where (in my opinion) most Christians miss it.  They assume that all Christians, including themselves, are righteous people, who do not engage in such a lifestyle as Paul described here.  They assume that they are neither lawless nor rebellious, neither ungodly nor sinners, neither unholy nor profane.  But this is a big mistake!  If the people of God have gone astray, then they most certainly are practicing certain things that are either unholy, profane, lawless, rebellious, ungodly, or sinful.

In many of the divine revelations I have posted on Eternal Destinations, the Lord is warning His Church that we have gone astray, and He is calling us back to holiness, righteousness, and truth.  He is addressing things that are making his Church "dirty," like wearing ungodly attire and adornment, watching secular television, listening to rock, reggae, and rap, cross-dressing, worshiping idols, and not keeping Sundays holy.  Many people are hearing what the Spirit is saying to the Church in these revelations. They are waking up, repenting, and getting right with God before it is too late.

However, there are many more believers who reject these revelations as legalism and deception from the enemy, as if the devil would want to call us back to holiness with God.  And when we try to show them that the things the Lord warned us about in the divine revelations are found in the Bible, including the Law and the Prophets, some of them argue that these Scriptures are not for those of us today, who are living under the New Covenant of grace.  They argue that anyone who cites a verse from the Law is being legalistic, and sometimes they even ridicule us. But they are badly mistaken.  The Law is good if used lawfully.

Lastly, in Paul's epistle to Timothy, he taught that the Law is also for "whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." (1 Tim 1:10b-11).   I want to highlight this phrase, which Paul added in addition to the other things he already mentioned the Law was made for, namely "for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers."  Let's now look more closely at this "whatever else" phrase.

In this phrase, Paul taught that: 1) Those who are lawless and rebellious, the ungodly and sinners, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers are all living contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." 2) The Law was made not only for such people as he specified here, but for "whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." The term "whatever else" covers everything else in that category without the need for Paul to specify it. 3) When the Law is used lawfully, it is not contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel, but rather it is in harmony with it. 4) When Paul said the Law is for such people and whatever else, although the word "for" is not in the Greek, it is implied.  And in saying the Law is for such people, he did not limit this to non-believers, who are outside of Christ.  He taught that the Law is made "for" all of these situations, regardless of whether the person calls himself a brother.  The reason the Law is established for such people, and whatever else is contrary to the gospel, is that it is a means of rebuking, correcting, teaching, or training in righteousness.

All of these are lawful purposes for which the Law is good to use, since Paul taught that the Law is good, provided one uses it lawfully.  The Law is a lamp, a mirror, and a safety net.

Putting it All Together
Those who reject the Lord's message to the Church in the divine revelations, and those who reject anyone citing from verses in the Law (e.g., to validate such revelations), fail to realize that living a lawless life, or an ungodly life, or an unholy life, or a profane life are all contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  They also fail to understand that the sexually immoral, the homosexuals, the liars, and the perjurers are all contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God," along with those who kill their fathers or mothers, and with murderers.  They incorrectly assume that no Christian, including themselves, would engage in anything that is "contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  They incorrectly assume that the Law would never be necessary as a means of reproof, correction, instruction, or training in righteousness for such so-called believers.  They forget that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16).

But I would like to pose a question.  Is it possible that a born again believer in Jesus Christ could become wayward and engage in the kinds of lifestyles that Paul specified in this passage?  And is it possible that a born again believer could do anything else that is "contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God"? Is it possible that even a pastor or elder could be deceived and could do such things?  I say the answer is most certainly yes, there are plenty of real-life examples we could point to, and the New Testament is full of warnings against such apostasy (see The Apostasy Parables and Drifting Away).

Don't be so quick to say, "I'm not deceived!"  Please let me remind you that the very nature of deception is such that if the person who is deceived knew he was deceived, he would no longer continue to allow himself to be deceived.  So it is certainly possible that you have been deceived, in which case you would not even know it, especially if the majority of so-called Christians are living their lives the same way you are.  But truth is not necessarily in the majority, so don't be fooled by the fact that so many are taking that wide road.  Don't be fooled by those who are conforming to the pattern of this world.

Prayerfully consider whether you have been deceived into sin, into any of the categories Paul specified in this passage, or into anything else that is "contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  If what you are believing is not true, wouldn't you want to know?  Read the divine revelations I have posted on Eternal Destinations, and diligently examine the Scriptures, including the Law and the Prophets, in order to see if these things are so.  Then if the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, repent to God, confess your sin, and ask for him to forgive and cleanse you.  And don't forget to warn others, so that they too might wake up spiritually and be saved.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. Richard Harrison's article called God's Ten Commandments.

Author's note:  I invite you to see these related articles of mine: Holy Living in a Perverted World,  "Is Obedience Optional?", "Faith Works!," "Obedience by the Spirit,"  "Righteous Deeds and White Robes,"  "Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshiping Idols," "Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?" "The Flesh vs. the Spirit," and "Doing What is Right", as well as the other posts on the Main Directory for this blog.  And of course, you are invited to visit Eternal Destinations. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus Christ personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what the God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

____________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

What Then Must We Observe

In today’s culture, people observe many different things, including traditions and holidays -- both secular and religious.  Some sincerely devout people even observe the Law of Moses.  But what does the Scripture teach us to observe?  And what are we not to observe?  Let’s search the Scriptures and find out.

Do not observe traditions of men
First of all, we are not supposed to observe the traditions of men, which the Pharisees did.

“For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.”  (Mar 7:3-4)

The Greek word for “observe” in this verse and the following verses is “phulasso,” meaning “to watch, that is, be on guard (literally or figuratively); by implication to preserve. obey, avoid: - beware, keep (self), observe, save.” (Strongs).

While the Pharisees taught people to watch and obey and keep their traditions, the Lord taught that those man-made traditions actually nullified the Word of God by causing the people who observe them to break God’s commandments (see Mk 7:13).  And the elders in some churches today teach people to follow their beloved traditions, as if they have power to save them, but this is not true. We are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, not by observing traditions of men.  It is the gift of God; so don’t observe traditions of men. Follow Jesus.

Do not observe the Law of Moses
Although I teach the need for obedience to God’s commandments, not just adherence to the New Testament, I do not teach people to observe the Law. I do not teach the observance of ceremonial rites and sacrifices, nor the observance of days and months and seasons and years. We are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.  This matter came up in the early church, and as we know, the apostles and elders in Jerusalem met to decide this matter.

“But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’”  (Act 15:5)

However, the council rejected that notion, and decreed the following decision proposed by James, a Jew:

"Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."  (Act 15:19-21)

The apostle Paul, also a devout Jew, agreed with that decision and later wrote to the church in Galatia:

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”  (Gal 4:9-11)

Again, Paul was saying that for the disciple of Christ, these things are weak and have no power to save. Since the church in Galatia had gone back to these things, he feared that his gospel work among them had been in vain.

Observe the decrees decided by the apostles and elders
Rather than observing the Law, we should observe the decrees decided upon by that first Jerusalem council.

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.” (Act 16:1-5)

Notice that there were Jews in those parts in Derbe and to Lystra, as well as Gentiles.  And “while they were passing through the cities,” Paul, Silas, and Timothy “were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.” That means we, too, must observe the decrees of the first Jerusalem council to “abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”  These decrees come directly from the commandments of God found in the Law.

Observe God’s Commandments in the whole Bible
As I have already mentioned, just as the apostles did, I also teach the need for obedience to God’s commandments.  The apostle John wrote: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.”  (1Jn 5:2)

We are supposed to love God and observe God’s commandments.  That means we must obey the whole Bible. The apostle John learned this from the Lord Jesus, who said that the ones who are truly blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

“While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.’ But He said, ‘On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it.’”  (Luk 11:27-28).  Jesus did not say, "Blessed are those who do what the New Testament Scriptures say."  He said, "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and observe it," and at the time He said this, not even one book of the New Testament had yet been written.  Since "the Word of God" refers to all Scripture, that means we must hear and observe what God says in His Word throughout the whole Bible.

Incidentally, we don't obey the whole Bible in order to be justified by God (i.e., made righteous), "because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." (Rom 3:20).  As the apostle Paul said, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." (Rom 3:28).  But through this faith that has already justified us, we uphold the Law, rather than nullify it.  "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (Rom 3:31)

In the passage I cited in Luke's gospel, Jesus redirected the focus of the women in the crowd away from marveling at the blessedness of mother Mary, and emphasized something contrary to popular thinking, which is the blessedness of the obedient observers of God’s Word. In fact, this was one of the last things He taught before ascending to the Father’s right hand in heaven.  He said:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  (Mat 28:19-20)

As we go and make disciples, we are supposed to teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded the apostle and us to do. The Lord said, "Continue in My Word." (Jn 8:31)

We are to obey Jesus Christ
The apostle Peter taught that we should obey Jesus Christ.  All of the previous Scriptures I have cited (except Jn 8:31) used the word “observe” (Gr. phulasso).  But I want to close with this one Scripture that uses a different word, since it confirms and supports my point.

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”  (1Pe 1:1-2)

This is the word hupakoe, meaning “attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or submission: - obedience, (make) obedient, obey (-ing).” (Strongs).

Peter taught that we are chosen…to obey Jesus Christ.

The Difference Between Observing the Law and Observing God's Commandments
Since the Bible says that we must not observe the Law, and yet we must observe God's commandments, you may be wondering what the difference is between those two things.  I believe the main difference is that the observance of dietary laws, ceremonial rites and sacrifices is obsolete, as is the observance of days and months and seasons and years -- the requirements of the Old Covenant. These are types and shadows of the reality found in Christ under the New Covenant. So once you have come to know Christ, you no longer need these.  On the other hand, what counts is keeping God's commandments (see 1 Co 7:19).

That which pleased God thousands of years ago, and which He commanded, is still pleasing to Him today.  These are the ways of God. He changes not."My son, give me your heart and let your eyes delight in my ways." (Pr 23:26). Also see The Ways of Life.

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation, I recommend reading the following articles below, beginning with the ones in the left column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship Faith Works! Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Obedience of Faith

Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

Putting it All Together
So we have learned from God’s Word that we are not supposed to observe the traditions of men or the Law of Moses.  We are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.

We "serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" (Rom 7:6). Becoming a Christian does not mean you become "Jewish", or follow Jewish customs, but that you become one who is a Jew inwardly (Rom 2:29), and there are marked differences in the way we apply the Scriptures to our lives, including the Law.  We do not follow the Jewish customs as if we were now Jews, but we follow Jesus.

We are to observe the decrees decided upon by that first Jerusalem council.  We are to observe God’s commandments and the whole Word of God.  We are to observe all that Jesus commanded the apostles and us to do.  We must obey Jesus Christ, Who alone became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. 

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Holy Living in a Perverted World, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Garments of Godliness,  Is Tithing Required?, Keeping Sundays Holy, and The Lord's Day, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, The Flesh vs. the Spirit, The Highest Form of Slavery, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?

Philip Henry

In this day and age, we have lost some of the valuable truths that were once preached and taught by men like Philip Henry, who was the godly father of Matthew Henry, the author of the famous Commentary on the Whole Bible.  Philip Henry was born in 1631 and died in 1696 at sixty-five years of age.  What follows is an excerpt from The Life of Rev. Philip Henry, A.M. by the Rev. Matthew Henry, V.D.M.

[Excerpt begins]

He preached the Ten Commandments
In the years 1677, and 1679, in the course of his ministry at Broad Oak, he preached over the Ten Commandments, and largely opened from other texts of Scripture, the duties required, and sins forbidden, in each commandment. For though none delighted more than he in preaching Christ and gospel-grace; yet he knew that Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill; and that though, through grace, we are not under the law as a covenant, yet we are under it as a rule; under the law to Christ. He was very large and particular in pressing second-table duties, as essential to Christianity. We have known those, saith he, that have called preaching on such subjects, good moral preaching; but let them call it as they will, I am sure it is necessary, and as much now as ever. How earnestly would he press upon the people the necessity of righteousness and honesty upon their whole conversation. A good Christian, he used to say, will be a good husband, a good father, and a good master, and a good subject, and a good neighbour, and so in other relations. How often would he urge to this purpose, that it is the will and command of the great God, the character of all the citizens of Sion, the beauty and ornament of our Christian profession; and the surest way to thrive and prosper in the world. Honesty is the best policy. He would say, that these are things in which the children of this world are competent judges. They that know not what belongs to faith, and repentance and prayer, yet know what belongs to the making of an honest bargain; they are also parties concerned, and oftentimes are themselves careful in these things; and therefore, those who profess religion, should walk very circumspectly, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed, nor religion wounded through their sides.

Legal Preaching?
[How sensible he was of the dislike frequently felt to practical preaching, as well as of the importance of such preaching, appears in the following extract. Having explained, a course of sermons, the Redeemer’s sayings, as recorded in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, he pressed, in his last discourse, the importance, the necessity, of doing, as well as hearing, from the divine assurance,-- that a stormy day is coming shortly, when hearers only will be found fools, and suffer loss; whereas hearers and doers will be owned for wise people, and will have the comfort of it. What ado, he remarks, some one will object, is here about doing; doing! If I had preached, he proceeds, these sermons, I know where, I had certainly been called a legal preacher, if not a papist, a Jesuit, a preacher of works; and some would have said, we will never hear him again. If to preach on these things be legal preaching, then our Lord himself was a legal preacher, for you see they were his sayings all along that I took for my text to each sermon. Such a preacher as he was, may I be, in my poor measure. I cannot write after a better copy. I cannot tread in better steps. His sayings must be done, as well as heard, that we may answer his end in saying them, which was to promote holiness, --that we may approve ourselves his true kindred, --that God may be glorified, --that our profession may be beautified, --and that our building may stand. But they must be done aright. The tree must be good. All must be done by faith, and in the name of the Lord Jesus. Hebrews xi. 6. Colossians iii. 17. --with evenness and constancy, --with humility and self-denial, --in charity, --and with perseverance, and continuance.

Do all you do as those who are under a covenant of grace, which, though it requires perfect, yet accepts of sincere, obedience. While the hand is doing, let the eye be looking at Jesus Christ, both for assistance and acceptance. This is the life of faith. Be resolved in duty. Look often at the recompense of reward.

Thus he preached, and his constant practice was a comment upon it. One thing I remember, he was more than ordinarily enlarged in the pressing of, which was, --upon the ninth commandment, --to speak evil of no man, from Titus iii. 2. If we can say no good of persons, we must say nothing of them. He gave it as a rule, -- Never to speak of any one’s faults to others, till we have first spoken of them to the offender himself. He was himself an eminent example of this rule. Some that have conversed much with him, have said, That they never heard him speak evil of any body; nor could he bear to hear any spoken evil, but often drove away a backbiting tongue with an angry countenance. He was known to be as faithful a patron of offenders before others, as he was a faithful reprover of them to themselves.

Whenever he preached of moral duties, he would always have something of Christ in his sermon; either his life, as the great pattern of the duty, or his love, as the great motive to it; or his merit, as making atonement for the neglect of it.

[Excerpt ends]

A Bold Non-Conformist
Philip Henry was a bold non-conformist preacher.  In 1662, England enacted a new law called the Act of Uniformity that standardized acceptable doctrine, and was radically opposed to all that Puritans like Henry stood for. Philip chose to stand by the Word of God and preach the truth, being ejected as a minister from the Church of England, losing his living, rather than comply with The Act of Uniformity, and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while.  According to an article by the European American Evangelistic Crusades, "Philip thus left his charge at Worthenbury, Shropshire, and took up residence a few miles away at Iscoed, Flintshire...a Christian community that lay ‘under the cross’ of state harassment and persecution."

According to Wikipedia, the act, "Prescribed the form of public prayers, administration of sacraments, and other rites of the Established Church of England, following all the rites and ceremonies and doctrines prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. Adherence to this was required in order to hold any office in government or the church...An immediate result of this Act, over 2,000 clergymen refused to take the oath and were expelled from the Church of England in what became known as the Great Ejection of 1662. Although there had already been ministers outside the established church, this created the concept of non-conformity, with a substantial section of English society excluded from public affairs for a century and a half."

As a matter of fact, that act was still partly in force in Great Britain at the end of 2010.  And look how far they have fallen!  According to Wikipedia, " The Church of England, the mother church of the Communion, currently maintains (according to the statement Issues in Human Sexuality) that same-sex partnerships are acceptable for laypersons but gay clergy are expected to be abstinent."  On the other hand, in 2003 the Episcopal Church, which is the American body (province) of the Anglican Communion, approved Gene Robinson to the bishopric of the diocese of New Hampshire. Bishop Gene Robinson is the first openly gay (non-celibate) clergy to be ordained to the episcopate..."  Moreover, the article continues, "The Anglican Church of New Zealand has decided to allow non-celibate homosexuals to become clergy."  They are no different from the apostate Roman Catholic Church, whose own Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality.

The reason that the Church of England and the Episcopal Church have fallen so far away from Scripture is because the foundation was faulty all the way back to the seventeenth century.  It was not built upon the foundation of the Jesus Christ and His Word, which Philip Henry had based his life and ministry upon.  Therefore, if you have a problem with Philip Henry's life and ministry, then take heed to what has now become of the Church that once rejected him and men like him.

Putting it All Together
I want to meet this great man of God some day in heaven.  As Tim Challies states, "Matthew Henry was raised by godly parents in the Puritan way (daily Bible reading, prayer, self-examination, etc.)."  As you can see, I underlined almost everything in this excerpt for emphasis.  I highly recommend reading the entire book.  Although I have not read every page, I would like to, if I had the time, and have read portions of it, which are extremely edifying.

Philip Henry preached over the Ten Commandments, the duties required, and sins forbidden, in each commandment. He delighted more than anyone else in preaching Christ and gospel-grace. "Yet he knew that Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill; and that though, through grace, we are not under the law as a covenant, yet we are under it as a rule; under the law to Christ."  Such good moral preaching is necessary, and as much now as ever!

He was very sensitive to the dislike his listeners frequently felt to such preaching on the need to practice righteousness.  But he was also keenly aware of the importance of such preaching.  He taught a sermon series on the hard sayings of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7).  And he concluded by emphasizing the importance, the necessity, of doing, as well as hearing.  We can be sure that a stormy day is coming shortly, when those who only hear and do not act upon the Words of Christ will be found fools, and suffer loss; whereas hearers and doers will be revealed to all as wise people, and they will enjoy the comfort of it.

He knew that some one would object to all this preaching on "Doing; doing!"  In 1662, the year his son Matthew was born, England had passed the Act of Uniformity, which forbid the preaching of any doctrine that did not comply with the Church of England.  But Philip was a non-conformist.  He was aware that if he had preached such sermons from the pulpit in the Church of England, he certainly would have been called a legal preacher, and a preacher of works.  He knew that some would have said, "We will never hear him again." But as he said, if to preach on these things be legal preaching, then our Lord himself was a legal preacher.  For you see they were our Lord's sayings all along that Philip took for his text to each sermon. He wanted to be such a preacher as Jesus was, and so do I.

Let those who consider legalistic the articles I have written take heed to this wise man's words, who lived so many centuries ago.  I refuse to preach the cheap grace that is uniformly preached in churches throughout the world, which is used by so many as a license to sin.  I will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Costly Grace.  He is the source of salvation for all who obey Him (Heb 5:9).

Obey the Gospel of God (1 Pe 4:17).  Practice your righteousness (Mt 6:1). Live for the will of God (1 Pe 4:2; Mt 7:21).  It is hard for the righteous to be saved (1 Pe 4:18a).  That is why we must live for God and for His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again (2 Co 5:15), which means we now live for righteousness (1 Pe 2:24).  The end of all things is near (1 Pe 4:7), therefore, we ought to live holy and godly lives (2 Pe 3:11b). Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10).

I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on the need for obedience in Working God's Way and Eternal Destinations, as well as in Seeking the Lord, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that some of my teaching is legalism, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Righteousness by Faith not Law The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Author's note:  Also see The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, as well as Wesley and Henry on the Gospel Law. And see my other articles called, Restored Truth, Practicing Your Righteousness, Obedience by the Spirit, Pleasing the Lord, The Person of the Holy Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

___________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Spirit of the Law

Dear Kingdom workers, in my previous article, The Spirit’s Law of Life, I indicated that the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Christ agree with the Law of God.  Having posted that, I feel the need to write here today about the Spirit of the Law to ensure that I am making myself clear.

I can say with the apostle Paul that I worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as a follower of Jesus Christ, and I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets. I have the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Ac 24:14-16)

If you need to know God’s definition of sin, read the Law and Prophets. For starters, in order to get an elementary level of understanding, go back and read The Ten Commandments, and realize that none of them have been abolished, not even the Fourth Commandment -- not one (Ex 20:1-17; Mt 5:17-20).

So am I suggesting we seek by the flesh to fulfill only the letter of the Law? Certainly not! The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.  As the apostle Paul said:

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Co 3:6)

As a Gentile follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am no longer looking for instructions about circumcision, various gifts, sacrifices, food, drink, and ceremonial washings, which were merely shadows of the realities we have found in Christ (although I can still learn about God through those passages).  I’m not looking for laws to perform with regard to religious festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days, since they are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:16, 17).

By the way, the word for the Sabbath is the Greek word "sabbaton," which means "the Sabbath (that is, Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension...the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: - sabbath (day), week."  (Strongs). The apostle Paul's statement that "no one is to act as your judge in respect to...a Sabbath day," simply means not to let any man judge you with regard to this.  You must not let any man judge you with regard to how we keep the Sabbath, as the Pharisees did in accusing Jesus of breaking it by healing on that day, or doing anything else that is good and right in God's sight, or breaking traditions of men on that day.  You must keep it holy according to God's Word, and He will be the one to judge you if you truly break it.  One application of this is let no man judge you for not keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, as some people are known to be quite judgmental of others in this regard (see Seventh-day Adventist Heresies).  As I said, you must do what is right in the sight of God.

Since we know Paul agreed with the Ten Commandments, and everything written in the Law (Ac 24:14-16), and he upheld the Law (Rom 3:31), and he said that what matters is the keeping of God's commandments (1 Co 7:19), we know he was not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment.  Some think he may have been referring to the plural form of Sabbath (as in "Sabbaths"), rather than the weekly "Sabbath Day."  If so, that would refer to other “special Sabbaths”, like what we would call national holidays that occur throughout the year.  Likewise, he may have meant "weeks," such as "the Three Weeks of Sorrow" and "the Seven Weeks of Comfort".  If so, that would explain why he said that these are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:17). Therefore, I am not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment. But we are living according to the Spirit that gives life, and not the letter.  That means that we most surely honor the Lord’s day and keep it holy (1 Co 16:2; Re 1:10).  (See my blogs Resting from Work, Keeping Sundays Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, and The Lord's Day).

Moreover, it’s a higher standard spiritually than what is written. Remember, Jesus explained God’s standard regarding the commandments in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5).  God looks at the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and His standard is high. This means we should always uphold the spirit of the law, and ask the Lord what His heart is for us today for His holy people with respect to these things. His heart is always that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourself. (Mark 12:29-31) His heart is always that we restrain sensual indulgence (Co 2:23) by the power of the Holy Spirit, taking up our cross. His heart is always that we pursue holiness, know the Truth, and seek His righteousness (Mt 6:33; Heb 12:14, Ro 14:17; Jn 8:32-36; 14:6). His heart is always the message of the cross, repentance and forgiveness of sins, believing the gospel of the kingdom, and following Jesus in His eternal purposes (1 Co 1:18; Ac 2:38; Jn 3:16-21; Jn 4:24) Lk 13:5; Lk 24:46-47). His heart is always preaching the gospel of salvation to all creation, and rescuing lost souls from perishing in hell. (Mk 16:15; Lk 15:1-7; 2 Pe 3:9). His heart is always to destroy the works of the evil one (1 Jn 3:8). His heart is always for us to do good, do what is right, obey His commands, help the weak, the orphans, and the widows, and keep ourselves unstained by the world. (Ps 82: 3-4; 1 Jn 3:7-8; 5:3; 2:15-17; Jas 1:27).

The Holy Spirit may lead you to celebrate a special Sabbath found in the law, as a time of putting aside everything else to seek Him personally or corporately, or He may lead you to celebrate a Jewish feast found in the law as a time to worship the Lord Jesus, who is typified in all the feasts. But if you are not led to do so, don't let any man judge you with respect to such things.

By the same token, you will be viewed as odd or even judged, in these last and evil days, if you do not celebrate the so-called Christian holidays on the certain days -- and in the worldly ways -- that the apostate Church celebrates them. But if you are going to look for feasts and holidays to celebrate by gathering together, and you feel a need for that, then why not look at the Hebrew feasts that are already in Scripture? Aren’t they good enough?

Obedience is Essential for Disciples
Here are just some of the other blogs I have written, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that my obedience doctrine is legalism, especially the first three in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Putting it All Together
We should believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.  The Lord Jesus did.  The apostle Paul did.  The apostle John did. The apostle James did.  If you think I am being legalistic, then you will have to also call the Lord Jesus and the apostles legalistic.  As a matter of fact, you would also have to say the same about John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Philip Henry, and his son Matthew Henry, the author of the famous, Bible commentary.

Let’s get back to the Bible and seek to live our lives according to God’s Word, not according to the letter, but in the new way of the Spirit. "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom 7:6b). Do not rely on your obedience to the Law to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10).  Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10).

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” (1 Thes 3:12-4:1).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  The "Holy Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see part one, called The Spirit's Law of Life and my other articles called, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Zipporah Mushala’s Second Testimony of Hell, Obedience by the Spirit, The Person of the Holy Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.