Posted on 10/16/2011 9:57:12 PM PDT by ReformationFan
Today we see an age of anomie—lawlessness. The laws of God are being ignored and His commandments jettisoned. Indeed, it is a lawless age in which we live—reminiscent of what Jesus said in parable about what would come when He went off to a far country. The citizens would hate Him, and they would cry out, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).
The great question before the nations is: Will men and nations submit to having Jesus Christ, the Divine Creator of the world reign over them?
God’s purpose in this world is to establish a kingdom that shall be perfected only when Christ returns—but a kingdom wherein men and women yield themselves in glad and willing submission to the scepter of their King. However, in our time they are in rebellion against that rule.
In the 19th century there were three powerful voices crying out, in effect, “We will not have this man to reign over us.” One was Karl Marx, who said that men are ruled only by economic forces. A second was Sigmund Freud, who claimed that men are controlled by their sexual desires. The third was Friedrich Nietzsche. He declared that God is dead; therefore men are controlled by their own will to gain power and replace God.
These voices were all crying out in concert against the reign of Christ in this world. Before Nietzsche declared God dead, Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, “If God is dead then all things are permissible.” In the 20th century people have endeavored to try all things, and they have brought upon themselves incredible woe and grief and shame. Indeed, is there any shame, any grief, any woe, and any sorrow that has not been the result as men and women have thrown themselves against the Law of God? They have thought they could break His commandments with impunity—but it cannot be done. Engrave this on the walls of your minds, my friends: You cannot break the Law of God; you can only break yourself upon it.
The law that God gave to mankind from Sinai had three distinct kinds. First, the civil laws for the nation of Israel, which was a theocracy ruled by God. Those civil laws disappeared with the disappearance of the theocratic state of Israel in 70 A.D.
Second, the ceremonial laws, which prefigured and foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. When He came, those ceremonial laws were done away with. The third part of the law given by God at Sinai, the moral law, is a reflection of the eternal and holy nature of God. This is eternal and immutable. This has never passed away and will never pass away. It is the Law of the Living God for His moral creatures.
The moral law is subsumed in the Ten Commandments. All other moral laws of the Bible can be placed under one or another of these various commandments that God has given. There are actually three uses of the moral law today: by its promises and its threatenings it restrains the wicked impulses of ungodly men; it convinces men and women of their sin and brings them to Christ; and it provides a guide for the redeemed in how to live their lives for God.
The great desire of every newborn Christian is that he might please his Savior and his Father. My friends, strive to do what God has commanded, and you will have enough to keep yourself busy for more than one lifetime. It is true that we are not saved by the law; nevertheless, the law remains as the way we can please God and show our gratitude to Him.
Adapted from Dr. Kennedy’s sermon, “The Moral Law of God.”
Paul is wrong. He is misquoting scripture. He says that those who are of the works of the law are cursed. G-d forbid! Read Psalm 119. 176 verses...the longest in the bible. The subject? The beauty of the law. How David delights in the law. It is not a curse...it is a BLESSING!
Paul is misquoting Deut 27, the curses of Mt Ebal. If you dont do certain things of the law...you will be cursed. BUT if you DO the law, what will happen?
1 “(A)Now it shall be, if you diligently [a]obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God (B)will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and (C)overtake you if you [b]obey the LORD your God:
This one of many of Pauls false teachings. David calls the law a wonderous thing...Paul calls it a curse. I'll go with David.
I understand you are Jewish, therefore please do not take my posts regarding Yah’shua our Messiah out of context. I completely understand that YHVH is in control & HE will reveal Yah’shua as HIS Son who is the Messiah to the house of Judah in HIS time, not ours. For now the house of Judah has the Torah, others have the Messiah & then there are those of us who have both. In the end we will all come together as one as prophesied and those who believe Messiah but not Torah are going to have a very rude awakening.
I would like to apologize to you for my forefathers who have continually persecuted the house of Judah for nearly 2000 years. I also would like to thank you & your brethren from the bottom of my heart for preserving the integrity of YHVH’s Word for us.
Thanks for the reply, you are very kind. Shalom Shalom
Paul says depending on the law in order to get to heaven is a curse. One just will not make it by depending upon the law because humans fail way to much in comparison to the demands of a Holy God.
But just for arguments sake, what is covering your sins then if one believes Christianity and Paul is wrong?
Paul is wrong. That is basically saying that G-d is tricking us or a liar (G-d forbid) G-d says in Deut 30, regarding the law. (paraphrasing)...This law is not to difficult for you....it is not out of reach... is it up in heaven that it must be brought down? Is it across the sea that we must go and get it? NO! It is near to you!...in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it! Was G-d just saying that? Knowing that it was really a curse? He let his chosen people suffer under the illusion that the law was sufficent, when it really wasnt for 1,500 years from Moses to Jesus? G-d forbid!
The "old testament" people did not get to heaven by doing the law only anyway. Forgiveness (many examples in the OT) is through prayer, repentance, fasting and charity. That coupled with doing ones best to do-keep the mitzvot (commandments)is what gives us a relationship with G-d and forgiveness.
According to Pauls view (or perhaps the church) David would not have gone to heaven. There is not a single case in all of scripture where someone sins and is then going off to do a blood sacrifice for forgiveness! Why? A)Because it is the LEAST effective means of forgiveness (prayer, repentance and obedience is superior) and B) Sacrificial sins were primarily for UNintentional sins. Only about 6 intentional sins could be atoned for by sacrifice (and even then blood is not required, Lev 5:11,12) The rest of intentional sin has ALWAYS been atoned by G-ds grace through prayer, repentance, fasting and charity.
And that is the answer to your question...
They WERE?
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Am taking it that your are writing from a Jewish perspective and wanted to know, from that perspective, how sins were atoned for. And you have answered that question.
You replied that it is by "prayer, repentance, fasting and charity". In other words by your own actions.
Now you have not refuted the statement that "G-d will not allow any sin to go into heaven". Therefore, you must be hoping that your "prayer, repentance, fasting and charity" at the moment of death will give you the absolutely clean slate and permit entrance to heaven.
It is the same as the lady who said if you have 'any un-confessed sin in your heart you will not go into heaven'. For in making that statement, she is saying that she too hopes that her 'confession' of any sins on her death bed will allow her entrance to heaven.
Both puts the burden on you that you will know every last sin on yourselves and be able to get rid of them in that very last instance. For if you fail to do so - well, as you know, eternal destiny depends upon it.
However our faith says that G-d is correct in Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." we contend that blood is required for every sin down to the last jot and tittle of failure to keep the law - the Absolute law of G-d. We believe that David and all the OT saints were justified through their faith in that symbol of that blood sacrifice.
Which our belief says was accomplish on the cross. And I am sure you have already heard.
But the difference is who it is dependent on. In the case you described and the lady, it is upon yourself and you must do it absolutely perfectly and without error and at the time you are dying.
As for me, I am not perfect and I make lots of mistakes. And I make errors particularly when I am under stress or ill. Not only this, but I have a unconscious tendency to overlook some errors and concentrate instead upon those I consider more urgent. And over a lifetime, despite my digging and trying to root all of them out, and knowing the exactness of the law - I am sure there are enough hiding under the rug - to keep me from heaven if I depend upon myself.
The good news is that G-d provided the first sacrifice "And YHWH made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. which pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of which you know I am referring.
For we believe it is the same faith in what G-d would do, and did, that counts.
Please give careful thought of what I've written as I have of yours. Please think if is possible through your own works at your dying moments to get into heaven? Or is it better to rely on what He has done?
Sure and thanks for the kind reply.
You replied that it is by "prayer, repentance, fasting and charity". In other words by your own actions.
Well, it is a two way street. G-d has made it clear in scripture, that we are responsible for our own sins and no one can do it for us. We can not "offload" our sins.
Deuteronomy 24:16: The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the father. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Ezekiel 18: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
In Exodus 32:30-35, Moses tries to offer himself as an atonement for the sins of the people. To be written out of God's book, means to be written out of the Book of Life, which means Moses was asking to die for the sins of the People. God's response was "No, it does not work that way, each man dies for his own sin:"
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Eternal; perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Eternal, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Eternal said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee:
So, there you have it. No one can atone for our sins on our behalf. He who sins...must deal with his own sin (G-d is a conservative! Personal responsibility!)
It is incumbent upon us to ask G-d for forgiveness, repent, turn away from sin and or fast, give to charity. And G-d through His mercy (chessed) promises to forgive us. THAT is the two way street of "keeping the law". It doesnt mean you are a perfect human being if you "keep" the law. It means you are doing your best to do your part...And by G-ds grace...he forgives us. How do we know? What is my proof?
Abraham: Not perfect. Yet G-d says: Genesis 26:I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”
Abraham kept the law. Even before the law was given! Was he perfect? no.
Noah was righteous, David had a heart for G-d, Hezekiah was righteous and Caleb too. And there are others obviously.
So, the system works! G-d did not lay out a preplanned failure for His people! That would be the work of a mean or even evil god, to have omniscience and set up a law that is impossible to do...when telling us we CAN do it in Dt 30!
G-ds also tells us the law is forever!(Psalm 111 and many others) Not to be changed: Dt 4:2 2 (C)You shall not add to the word which (D)I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Dt 12:32 “[a](C)Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; (D)you shall not add to nor take away from it.
The law including the sacrifical system is returning during the messianic era. Ezekiel 44. Even the Gentiles must be cicumsized to enter the temple grounds...The priesthood is restored...and they will teach the law...the clean and unclean.
G-d also forbids human sacrifice. Jesus was a human therefore ineligeble for sacrfice.
Both puts the burden on you that you will know every last sin on yourselves and be able to get rid of them in that very last instance....
As I have noted earlier, the sin bearing IS ours because G-d has said so. As long as we are walking with G-d, in this two way street, we are doing what is required. Proof?
Micah 6: 7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, In ten thousand rivers of oil? (NO! my emphasis) Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? (No human sacrifice!) 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God
However our faith says that G-d is correct in Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life." we contend that blood is required ...
Respectfully, this is a misquotation of scripture from the book of Hebrews..I think chapter 9. You have to look carefully what Lev 17 is saying. It says dont eat blood! It is not a food source! Dont let anyone in your midst...even gentiles eat blood! James repeats this command in Acts 15. Bloods only use is to be sprinkled on the altar and the remaining portion dumped on the ground and then covered. Now heres the critical part:.....It does NOT say....that blood is the ONLY means of atonement. Again..Lev 5:11 Flour is a sin offering! And these scriptures...
..if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. [2 Chronicles 7:14]
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. [Psalm 51:16-17]
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [Psalm 40:6]
Take words with you and return to the Eternal. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the bulls of our lips. (Hosea 14:2 Prayer!)
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. [Proverbs 28:13]
He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state. [Job 33:26]
The story of the book of Jonah. Jonah tried to escape from doing God's will, and preaching to the People of Ninevah. After the problem with the great fish, he goes to the people of Ninevah, says five words to them (in the original Hebrew) and what do they do? They fast ("let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water" Jonah 3:7) just as the Jews do on Yom Kippur. The people of Ninevah also prayed ("Let them cry mightily to God." Jonah 3:8) just as the Jews do on Yom Kippur. And, finally, the people of Ninevah stopped doing Evil, started doing Good ("Let everyone turn from his evil ways and from the violence which is in his hands." Jonah 3:8) as we are, hopefully, inspired to do on Yom Kippur. What was God's response? God forgave them of their sins because of their actions ("When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the Evil which He had said He would do unto them, and He did not do it." Jonah 3:10) Please note that the text does NOT read that God saw their sacrifices, the People of Ninevah were never commanded to sacrifice.
G-d gave us these means of Grace. They are forever and not to be changed. These are not words but His. Jews are obligated to the Torah. Non-Jews are obligated to keep the laws of Noah (Genesis 9)given to all manking prior to the law of Moses. The sheva mitzvot or the 7 commandments. (Which is probably what James was getting at in Acts 15)
shalom shalom FRiend!
A bump for your wonderfully eloquent post...thanks again from a seeker who found the right path with help from your postings!
There is only one more thing before I go.
My wife is an ER nurse at the 6th busiest ER in the nation. She sees folks dying a lot.
Those who are trusting in themselves are usually freaking out with all kinds of worries, sometimes cursing G-d, sometimes cursing others and themselves.
But she says those who have placed their faith upon G-d who has atoned for their sins are at peace ready to move on.
It is just an observation. Peace to you as well.
Baruch HaShem! Thank you Magritte..I didnt know that!...it is time to let people know...things arent what they seem! Or have been taught...It is HaShem!!! Melech ha’olam!
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