What Are God's Commands?

This article will attempt answer the question from the last article Our purpose in life, Fear God and obey His commands for this man's all or duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). 

So, what are God's commands? How do we know if we are in obedience to the Lord? That is an open ended question I believe, but lets see how far we get shall we?

The first command is found in Exodus 20:3, you shall have no other gods before Me. 

How many of us really contemplate the heaviness of this command? People then like now are polytheistic; meaning they are idol worshippers - giving obeisance to created things. God commands us all to monotheism, the worship of Him alone. If one never acknowledges their Creator as Lord of all, they will never obey Him. Our wicked nature needs the power of the Word of God to subdue our evil resistance so that we can submit to Him in reverence.

Remember, God's commands are just that, His commands. They are never suggestions. The Lord commands obedience because He loves and knows what is best for us.

Jesus Mary and Martha

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (italics added for emphasis; Luke 10:38-41).

Can you see the tenderness and love Jesus has for Martha? Notice He did not tell her to stop what she was doing and sit at His feet like Mary was doing. But, Mary had her priorities in check. If God Almighty came to your house for a visit wouldn't you stop whatever you were doing to worship and listen to His every word for dear life?

Then again, perhaps many wouldn't.

This is how we are to love the Lord our God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:4).

God through His servant Moses is commanding the children of Israel that they are to love the Lord with every fiber of their being. God delivered them from Egyptian slavery and made them free. God was telling them they now have a new Master, God Almighty. Pharoah was no longer their master.

Why should we love the Lord our God?

God described Himself to Moses in this way when He was up on the mountain received the second set of the ten commandments: And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the inquity of the fathers upon the children and children's children to the third and fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7).

What I had to learn about why we should love the Lord is because He is good and His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136). The rub for the unbeliever is they look at the misfortune in their lives and ongoing tragedy in our world and draw the wrong conclusion that there is no way God is merciful, gracious and longsuffering and good. It is easy to make God the fall guy when one looks at life through a secular worldview verses a Biblical worldview. You see a humanist worldview offers no real hope or solutions for life's problems. The word of God provides all solutions for every human being. Here is the command: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to you children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).

Notice Jesus never offers an apology for the evil in the world. Why? Because man is responsible for his sins not God. We are the reason the world is a cesspool of degenerecy and debauchery. That is why God commands man to repent. This is a loving invitation from the Lord to us so that we can escape His wrath and enter into His joy. 

This is why God can describe Himself as: merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. 

The only way one can prove their love for Jesus is to obey Him. Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). The same John said in I John 5:3, "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."

The Command to love one another

As Jesus was nearing His death, He taught the disciples this command, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). 

Jesus clearly practiced what He preached. Remember what Jesus said when He was dying in agony on the cross and all were mocking Him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not what they do" (Luke 23:34-36). Love always forgives and it never forgets. Why does love not forget? Because if love forgot, why would one need to forgive anything?

The apostle John wrote these sobering words. They are a loving warning to us as Christians, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethern. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:14-15).

John is providing clear instruction here. The outside world will never know if we love God if we hate one another. Hating one another proves one has not experienced the New Birth; that person is still in their sins. That is not why Jesus died to redeem us - so that we can continue to practice evil and live like the devil.

Here is another poweful text by John, If someone says, "I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he loves God must love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

The text is clear again, we cannot hate who God loves. Just like Christ died for you, He died for your brother and sister who also repented of their sins and believed in Him. We are eternally connected with Church / The Body of Christ.

Summing it up

A Pharisee who was a lawyer asked Jesus a question testing Him and saying, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:35-40).

Jesus replied to the lawyer saying, If you love God with all your might and loving your neighbor, you have fulfilled the entire law of God. Think about it. If anyone does these things, what else in life is left? The person that obeys these two commands is a light bearer in this dark world. That person is fearless and lives a life of truth and righteousness. They will never be defeated by circumstances because God's love is spread abroad in their hearts and they will be able to handle the difficulties life brings them.

This is the character of an obedient life, love God and love your fellow man.

Is Salvation Free?

Yes. Salvation is free because it is a gift of God's grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). But salvation was not free for God our Father and the Lord Jesus. It cost the Father to give His Son, and it cost the Son His life - for us. So salvation is both free and not free - free for the recipient, but not for the giver.

The reason I asked the question in the first place is because I have for years pondered that question and not long ago someone asked me that very question:

Is salvation free?

My reply was yes, but that does not mean the Christian life will not bring many trials.

You see, the world has it backwards. They believe they can work their way into heaven through philanthropy, feeding the poor giving to charitable organizations, or being a good citizen. While all the above are good things, they cannot redeem the soul. The world will use their "good deeds" as a sort of good faith deposit for peace and tranquility into what many call the afterlife. In other words, if they believe in their own mind their good has outweighed their bad, then they are "reincarnated" and all will be well. 

I heard the late Pastor and Bible Teacher John MacArthur call that the religion of human achievement. One has to seriously ask themselves the question, "where will my soul end up when I die?"

Here is the main problem with human achievement, it focuses soley on the person and not God. Its the sacrifice of Cain that God had no respect for (Genesis 4:5). When one is spending and laboring their whole life long trying to earn their way to heaven, they blaspheme the Lord. What you are saying to God is, "I don't need you. I am good enough to do this on my own. I can save myself!" 

He that trusts in his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26).

That is someone who is trying to earn what Jesus already paid for by dying on the cross for our sins. That person has despised the atonement of Jesus Christ - trampling on His precious blood He shed for them. In attempting to earn salvation, you're actually mocking God. You have proven that you hate Him.

The Dichotomy

Many who are not saved are striving with every fiber of their being to purchase their slavation in the here and now. These people are hopefully deceived. God will never accept any human achievement from the unrepentant.

Let's read some proverbial passages.

Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. But the prayer of the upright is His delight."

Proverbs 21:27, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more when he brings it with wicked intent."

Then there are those who are saved. Many of them have decided to sit on their hands and do nothing for the kingdom. All they do is attend Church to receive the Word and then leave, nothing more. One would expect that behavior from young believers, but not older ones. This is dishonoring to God. The scripture teaches us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in us both to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12-13).

The message of Salvation is always new

The teaching on salvation of /by Jesus Christ is new everyday. For me its like hearing it for the first time although I've heard it countless times. It refreshes and always invigorates the soul if received by faith. What is Biblical Salvation? First of all is the Rebirth by the Holy Spirit. It is the resurrection from the dead (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13). Did not Jesus declare of Himself that I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives in Me shall never die. Do you believe this (John 11:25-26)? This declaration and question He asked Martha the sister of Mary after their brother Lazarus died. 

It is the forgivness of our sins and the precious gift of eternal life. It is the rescue of the human soul from death. It is deliverance from the fires of hell. It is peace with God, forever. It is the baptism of God's love on our tortured wretched souls. It is the opening of our eyes from blindness. Because of God's revelation I can see all the way to eternity through the telescope of scripture. Now I  know how this present world will end and how the new heavens and earth will begin and remain forever. It is the opening of our ears from deafness. It is joy unspeakable. Who wouldn't want or need the salvation that God offers through Christ?

Thanks be to the Lord. My soul is at peace because of God's salvation. It is important that I say this regarding God's peace: Do not determine the peace of God based on what you see around you. If one has more faith in what they see verses what they can't see; i.e. the promises of God that will be fulfilled in the future, then they will never have real peace at all.  God's peace is untouchable. The world cannot take it away for it is a divine gift of God's grace. It comes from heaven so it transcends the trials of this sinful life. God's peace is His assurance that calms the restless soul which lasts forever. Yes! The child of God can have peace in every circumstance.

The apostle Paul provides us with a wonderful doxology of God's love:

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:37-39

Our Purpose In Life

 One of the things I was always praying regarding my daughters is that I want the best for them. Then I started to ponder my words, what is the best for them? I realized my prayer was selfish. When making this petition to God, I was thinking what I believed was best for them instead of what is actually the best for them from a Biblical perspective. You see, what we as parents want for our children is not necessarily what they want for themselves. So the Lord reminded me of His word and I redirected my prayer. 

Here is what I pray regarding my daughters now for this is the only reason for living.

In Ecclesiates 12:13-14 we read, "Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: "Fear God and keep His (italics added for emphasis) commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil."

These verses above require getting to know God on a deep intimate level. Proverbs 1:7 says, " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." We have only two types of people in this world, the wise and the foolish. You see, I have discovered because of sin, we are going to have many trials and tribulations in our lives. With God, we will endure and gain victory. Without the Lord, your suffering and perpetual defeat will have no end. Why? Because the fool has no redemptive purpose in life no matter how materially successful they are - that person's wealth, fame and prestige will perish with them.

Our Time Is Short Here

James the half-brother of Jesus gives us these sobering and humble words, "What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). Translation: our lives compared to eternity is a puff of smoke! Most of the world does not have the slightest awareness the brevity of their lives until it is too late.

Fear God and keep his commands for that is why we are here.

To do anything other than obey the Lord is a life wasted.

So, if you really want to know your life to count, ask the Lord and He will direct you (Proverbs 3:5-6). Let me say this for it is very important. Do not think you can pursue the Lord through wicked means and intentions. Let me explain:

A woman or man dancing at the strip club is not giving glory to God or blessed because they're  making a lot of money and says "Thank you Jesus!" A preacher that is preaching the social gospel and has a huge congregation with lots of fame and money instead of the gospel of repentance that saves is not glorifying God. Jesus marked these type of people and said, "These people draw near to me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8-9;Mark 7:6-7).

We all know talk is often cheap. God judges the fruit (i.e deeds) of a person not just their words. What is in a person's heart will be revealed through their actions.

Intelligent people are driven by purpose. They set goals. Some are short term and others may take years to fulfill. They develop a plan to execute them to fulfill their dreams. Those who I call hyper-driven realize challenges and set backs are part of the journey and use those experiences as stepping stones and fuel to drive them forward. Some with time, patience, dedication and hard work reach and sometimes exceed their goals. They can then breathe a sigh of relief, and then it is on to the next challenge. That is the life of determined people.

But, if all we accomplish is not for the glory of God, we fall into the tragic reality of those who gained the world and lose their soul (Matthew 16:26). What is the moral of this article? Solomon told us:

Fear God and obey His commands for this is man's whole duty...

- Ecclesiates 12:13-14

Victimhood Gospel

 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

- Galatians 1:6-9

We live and are dominated by a me-centered culture. The "gospel" that many people are receiving is nowhere close to Biblical. When the focus is taken off of Jesus and placed on the one in the pulpit week after week, the church has been reduced to a pulpit reality show. Its no longer a house of faith, but a house of cards. The Spirit of God is not there, so what you have is a dead church. 

Why?

Because the one mis-leading the flock preaches victimization and racial social injustice instead of Biblical truth. The writer does not see how this greviance gospel empowers and matures the body of Christ for spiritual edification and battle against the forces of darkness. You see, grievance preachers (lets call them GP's for short), do not have a concern for holiness and preaching repentance, they only have a desire to promote their own revolutionary agenda. All they do week after week is innoculate the masses with screaming fits of what they perceive is justified outrage against the black community. This remark is obviously against the black preacher that claims he is also a civil rights activist. 

If one desires to be a civil rights leader, then leave the pulpit alone. Those that abuse the holy office of Pastor and use said office to preach social activism is serving two masters - the very thing Jesus commanded us not to do (Matthew 6:24). I realize many will disagree with me and that is their right, but I do not believe politics has any place in the pulpit. Politics affects our lives everyday, but if one is preaching politics and grievance, the true gospel is smothered. 

The GP is a Whiner

GP's lack courage in the writer's opinion. Why do I say that? Because they are unwilling to offend their parishoners with the truth. Offending should never be the aim of the preacher, but God's gospel will naturally offend the sinner's sense of ethics, and it should. The ungenerate are headed toward destruction, eternally less they repent. The true gospel is the most offensive message in the universe. But if heeded, it will be the sweetest message in the universe. It is all in how it is received by the listener. 

Sadly the GP instead of preaching Christ and Him crucified, they're whining about DEI the racism of Trump and reparations - wanting a check although have never been a slave. There are also those that advocate for abortion and the LGBTQIA+ agenda. Why would a preacher champion unrighteousness unless they are a false prophet, a wolf in sheep's clothes? Those that do these things have desecrated the holy office of Pastor and should be immediately removed from the pulpit.

So child of God, are you victorious and more than a conqueror like the Bible declares, or do you regard yourself as a perpetual victim of a godless social political labyrinth? Do you worship at the altar of self-pity and whining all day, or are you going to renew your mind with the Word of God and regain the right focus? There is so much joy when we know the truth and encourge ourselves with it through meditation. It gives me the hope I need from day to day that all this hell on earth one day will literally burn! 

Come Lord Jesus Come!!

We need to hold these false teachers accountable for their actions. I am not saying we have to put them under a religious microscope and monitor everything they say and do. No one deserves that. But to whom much is given, much is required. Are they (or any of us for that matter) preaching the core doctrines of the faith: repentance from sins. Jesus as the only Way, Truth and Life to the Father God (did you get that Steve Harvey?). The Trinity. Virgin Birth. Death and Resurrection of Christ. His return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. These are nonegoitable truths that every Christian must believe and teach. We must be unified in these teachings, always.

When one understands and mediate on these truths, they will not stray away and be capitivated by vain philosphies no matter how alluring they are. All one has to do is filter all worldviews through the lense of scripture and see if the view supports or denies the gospel.

What happens when a Christian lives like the world?

You see, when questions like these are asked "What happens when a Christian lives like the world", it is necessary to go back to the basics. Who or what is a Christian? Well known people like Don Lemon who is homosexual and "married" claims to be a Christian. Others like Steve Harvey believes that Jesus is not the only way to salvation yet professes to be a Christian. Even the most venerated of all black people Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who was a Baptist preacher did not believe in the central and core doctrines of the Christian Faith like the resurrection of Jesus on which our faith rests. Long time word of faith teacher Kenneth Copeland said that when Jesus was dying on the cross He took on the nature of Satan, went to hell and was beat up by the devil and demons for three days.

Think about the implications of Kenneth's heterodoxy. He said Jesus was possessed by the devil while dying on the cross! Kenneth Copeland is and has been a false teacher for decades and must be marked and avoided (Romans 16:17-18).

Simply put a Christian is someone who has placed their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins to receive eternal life. Also, a Christian is a disciple of Christ. A real Christian realizes that Jesus is the only way to be saved. Jesus said of Himself, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me" (John 14:6). Peter in Acts 4:12 said, "There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved"

The prophet Isaiah said regarding the Lord, "And understand that I AM HE. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior (emphasis added). I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there is no foreign god among you" (Isaiah 43:10b-12). You can read my article on what is a Christian by clicking here: 

https://gospelofrepentance.blogspot.com/2023/09/what-is-christian.html 

To be honest the word Christian and Christianity does not have a glowing reputation because of what has been done in the name of Christianity. Slavery has been justified in the name of Christianity. So were the Crusades from the 11th to 13th centuries. Those that fought in the crusades against Muslims to recover the Holy Land of Jerusalem were promised they would receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven if they did so by Pope Urban II.

So when people claim they are Christians and live like hell, the authentic gospel fades in the shadows so much so when those of us who declare the actual truth of the scriptures, it is rejected. The Bible way is the narrow way and for most who claim to be Christians feel that narrow way is suffocating and want nothing to do with it. For many the Word of God is legalistic. What has been the fall out of this? The social gospel has taken center stage sharing its deceptive shine with the prosperity and political (or what I call the grievance) gospel. Guess what, although the aforementioned are popular, they are fake gospels. Remember, gospel means good news. At the end of the day none of these are the good news - they cannot save the soul.

It is essential to carefully and Biblically analyze who a Christian is by the scriptures.

Is a person a Christian if they habitually sin and never repent yet they claim to still be a Christian?

The writer would argue that person does not know what a Christian is. We see this all the time with celebrities who will do the most heinous things on stage and screen. Yet when they win an award, they have the audacity to thank Jesus Christ with tears in their eyes. That is hypocrisy. Remember, we all can see the difference between a good tree and a bad one. Every tree bears fruit after its own kind. For those of us who are living faithfully by the Bible, how should we address this? Should we condemn them to hell? Absolutely not! Is that where they are going if they do not genuinely repent? Unfortunately and tragically yes. You see we all have short term memories. That is why we need to continually feed on God’s word so we can remain spirit filled. The Psalmist said it best, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you" (emphasis added, Psalm 119:11) . The power of God’s word convicts and compels us to successfully conquer sin in ours lives. Without it, we are sitting ducks for the devil’s attacks. That’s a shame, many are going to spiritual war naked - that person is defeated before the battle begins.

A real Christian is always thankful and remembers what Jesus has done for them. As a result, when they sin, they're devasted and will go to the Lord and humbly ask for forgiveness so their fellowship with the Father is not broken. A person who claims to be a Christian yet continues in sin without any godly repentance should be very careful. 1) They may be a fake Christian and that is why they live ungodly although they attend church and are in the choir so they "feel" saved. Its an emotional-gospel experience for the hour. Or 2) They may be a Christian, but their lives betray their profession of faith; they are in a pattern of sin which they know is wrong. If they are not careful, God may give them over to the devil (1 Corinthians 5:5). You see the difference between the two is the fake Christian does not feel bad about their sin, so they continue in it. The second person knows their sin is wrong, but has decided to give in to their sinful desires and fulfill their lustful flesh.

Both of these types of people are hypocrites and makes Jesus and His church look bad to the world. All the more reason for those that are faithful to teaching and preaching and living the truth have to always do damage control. Its not pleasurable but it is crucial to correct those in the Church that are wrong. This always causes dissension between mature and immature Christians.

How should Christians live in this world of sin?

The Bible commands us that although we are in the world we are not be of it (John 17:14-16). Believers are members of the ekklesia which means called out ones. We morally must practice separatism - obey God's commands and disobey the world's commands that contradict the Lord's. This makes us hated and a target of all who oppose the truth. Jesus warned His disciples of this reality ahead of time (John 15:19). Living counter culture takes courage and strength. Declaring the gospel will guarantee you enemies. Why? Because men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). We are commanded not to love the world - that is the evil godless system. If we do, the love the Father is not in us (1 John 2:15).

To put it simply and bluntly, love what God loves and hate what God hates.

God, Jesus, and the Bible are under constant attack. We must defend them all. It is our charge and one we must be honored to be enlisted in the war for truth. The writer describes it as a glorious burden because it honors God (Matthew 11:28-30). The more vigorous the devil is with his lies, the even more determined we must be in declaring the truth to quench his fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16).

The faithful Christian will be one where we always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). What does that mean? It means we imitate our Lord Jesus. We never deviate from the truth of those who need to hear it, at the same time have a burden for the souls of all. It is the kindness of the Lord that leads to repentance of sin and salvation (Romans 2:4). The most important thing of all is for someone to repent of their sins and receive salvation. Everything else is secondary - social justice, taking care of material needs and political correctness. Nothing else matters if the person dies and loses their soul in a eternal hell.

How Does Jesus Treat Sinners?

The first question we need to answer is this: Why did Jesus come to the earth in the first place? Jesus answered that question when He was talking to the tax collector Zacchaeus in Luke 19:10, "to seek and save those who are lost." Jesus also told Nicodemus that the Father so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him should not perish but will have eternal life (John 3:16).  

So for the love of God toward His creation is why Jesus was sent. Jesus was sent by God to rescue us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). To this very minute that message is lost to most of the world. In other words, they may be hearing the message, but they are not listening to it and allowing it to transform their lives - it's mental assent[i] at best, and downright rejection of gospel truth at the worst.

The first thing Jesus did was He identified with sinners. How? He was baptized by John. When John was baptizing in the Jordan River, people were publicly confessing their sins. John explains the reason for this: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).

To baptize means to dip or immerse. Water baptism is symbolic. When one is placed under water that signifies death and burial. When one is taken out of the water that signifies resurrection life. Today when a person is baptized, it is not nor has it ever been for the purpose of salvation, but one is declaring publicly that they are identifying with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some have called water baptism an outward sign of an inward grace. We get baptized because we are saved, not to get saved. It is a sacrament of the Church along with communion.

For another insight on baptism, click on the link below.[ii]

After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness by the devil, He immediately begins to preach the gospel of repentance in Galilee. In Matthew 4:17 He commands everyone to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus is fulfilling the mission of why He was sent by the Father.

Jesus goes deeper into how we are to conduct ourselves toward God and one another when He preaches in depth on the sermon on the mountain in Matthew chapters 5-7. 

Jesus had compassion on all sinners

A major element of Jesus’ ministry was healing and performing miraculous signs. This was so he could prove He was sent from the Father God. He healed the sick. He cast out demons. He raised the dead. He fed the multitudes with a few loaves and fish. He walked on water. He commanded the stormy seas to be quiet and be at peace and they obeyed. He escaped death numerous times. The one thing that people did not see but heard was that He forgave their sins. This caused great controversy with the religious leaders because they knew only God could forgive sins (Mark 2:5-6). They were never going to believe and accept that Jesus was God in the flesh. He didn’t come from a noble birth. As far as they were concerned, He was the son of Joseph a carpenter from Nazareth (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3).

You see Jesus never avoided talking about our sins, but at the same time because of His unfailing love, He forgives all who genuinely repents of them. In John 6:37 Jesus says, “All that the Father gives to Me will come to Me, and the one that comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” The clear implication here is those that come to Christ have acknowledged their unworthiness and are placing their lives at the throne of His mercy. In Hebrews 4:16 we read these powerful words, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

There is NOT a moment in our lives where we do not need the Lord’s mercy and grace.

The idea that God incarnate would dwell with sinful mankind for any length of time is mind boggling to the writer; and He did it for three years! This speaks to the transcendent love of our Lord for His creation who is hopelessly lost without Him. Our sin state is so depraved, that God the Father punished His Son instead of us. Why (Isaiah 53:5;2 Cor 5:21)?

That was the predetermined plan before the beginning of time. The Bible says that Jesus is the lamb slain before the world began (Revelation 13:8). That is predestination language, God’s love language. It was always in the plan of God to save those who would repent and believe in the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ.  In order for man to inherit eternal life, Jesus had to die. 

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Romans 5:20-21 says where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s grace is infinitely greater than man’s sin. But this grace is only available to those who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ, alone. 

Jesus loves sinners

Many have asked the question why would God create man if He knew we would fall into sin? This is a valid question. The easy answer is to say that "we do not know" why God created us since He knew in advance it man would sin. The more complex answer that I believe is Biblically supported is that God ordained all things ultimately for His own glory - even the moral fall of mankind. Think about it, if man never fell into sin, we never know and experience the love and grace of God the Father in Christ Jesus to forgive sins when one repents. When anyone stops being a slave to sin and becomes a slave to righteousness, that gives glory to God. There are many things about God we do not understand; we are finite. God is infinite. God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. God's ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).  So it seemed to serve God’s glory best to allow man the choice to choose good or evil, to obey or disobey. Adam and Eve chose to disobey and plunge the human race into ruin.

We cannot lay the blame of man's sin at God's doorstep because He made us. God made mankind perfect (Genesis 1:26-31). We all are free moral agents and we know right from wrong even at a very young age. The person that crashes their car into a light pole because they were driving to fast and drunk cannot rightfully blame the manufacturer or the dealership for their accident. They have to take responsibility for their actions. Can the person who dies of lung cancer after smoking cigarettes for 50 years family members blame and sue the tobacco company when the smoker knew the risks? Can the murderer who kills an old lady with a gun blame and take the gun manufacturer to court although he pulled the trigger of his own free will?

We all know the answers to these questions.

So by allowing sin to exist, God demonstrated the wonders of His grace in a way He never would have been able to had man never sinned. Please understand me, that does not mean God wanted sin to occur; He commands us not to sin. But the Lord knowing our evil nature provided the only way for us to conquer our sins. through the shed blood of Christ. This way, God glorifies Himself in His love toward us. Jesus said to His disciples, “No greater love is there than this, that one would lay down His life for His friends” (John 15:13).  

The lengths the Lord has gone through to secure our salvation should humble any heart and cause us to lift our hands and praise God in private and public. To reject His love is the ultimate blasphemy against the Lord. When one rejects God’s love, the only thing left for that person is God’s just wrath.

The Lord Jesus’ arms are still stretched out wide to receive all who genuinely come to Him. Think about it? With all the rising evil in our world today, why would anyone refuse to come to Jesus? If your life is a mess, repent of your sins today, trust in what He did for your sins on the cross, so that your soul is saved. Receiving Jesus does not necessarily mean your life here on earth will get better, it may get worse naturally speaking. So now one may be asking, “Then why trust in Christ if my life will not improve?” The fact that you are saved and your sins and are forgiven is ultimate victory. We do not have long to be here. This world is passing away so don’t focus on the here and now to the point that it paralyses you with fear. If you become very wealthy, to do not let that lull you to sleep that you are ineffective for the kingdom. We as believers are looking toward a new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells forever (2 Peter 3:13). We must focus on the eternal, not the temporal (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

Stay vigilant! You're an ambassador for Christ now. Run your race with joy.

You must be willing to lose this world and have your soul saved rather than gain this world and lose your soul (Matthew 16:26).

Faith, forgiveness of sins, salvation, peace, the afterlife and so much more are the blessings children of God enjoy now and forever.

This is all because of the love of God in Christ Jesus. Everyone wants peace in their lives. Jesus Christ is the only way to that peace (John 14:27).

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden  your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15). 

 

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[i] Mental assent refers to the intellectual agreement with or acceptance of certain beliefs or truths, particularly in a religious context, without allowing those beliefs to impact one's heart or actions. It is often seen as a superficial understanding of faith, lacking the transformative power that genuine faith can bring.

[ii] https://learn.ligonier.org/podcasts/things-unseen-with-sinclair-ferguson/why-was-jesus-baptized  

 

Emotional Gospel

The word emotion comes from the Latin word "emovere" which means to stir up or agitate. It was adapted into Middle French as "emotion" which referred to a social disturbance or agitation. So emotional would be an adjective describing a person's state mind and being. When a person is emotional, they are very passionate about what they are doing and /or saying to get their point across. Emotions are and should be high when one is performing (I'll get back to the word performing later in the article) in sports, singing and acting on stage or on the big screen. Emoting in these arenas is essential.

Now, let’s talk about emoting in the pulpit. Is there a place for it or no? Or should one be stoic and melancholy? We all are emotional beings. The good Lord made us that way. But with anything, a healthy balance is the key right? 

I have always been a keen observer of people. And since I am a Christian, I definitely have my focus on the Church - all the time everyday. What I am observing now is sad. 1) The Church is too feminized - we have women in positions they have no Biblical right to be in. They are claiming they are Apostles and Prophetesses, Pastors and Co-Pastors with their husbands. And because of this unbiblical leadership we have )2 false prophecies running amuck and silly women along with weak men co-signing this foolishness in the congregations. What is the tragic result: emotional gospel. 

We are definitely hard headed people. God help us!

Tickle Me Elmo!

Elmo is a Muppet character from the children's television program Sesame Street. In 1996 a plush toy was made of the character named "Tickle Me Elmo." When squeezed Elmo would belt out his silly little laugh. Unfortunately, I liken this seeker sensitive Church cult we are experiencing like that toy from the nineties. The "preacher" in the pulpit are saying ticklish things that parishioners can laugh and emotionally cry about, but not much else. We are in the church era of good feelings. These are TED Talks in the pulpit; its reality TV. It may sound and look good, but it’s spiritual diabetes - it’s poison to the soul. 

This is what Paul commanded Timothy to do: 

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears (emphasis added) they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

If you are keeping a pulse on what is going in the Church, this is where we are right now! Many have walked away 

from the truth and sound doctrine, and have decided to dis-engage their minds and are paying for false teachers to tell them what they want to hear. This is typical of the rebellious heart of humans to push God aside and to put an idol on their hearts instead of the liberating truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What is the result of this? 

"Tickle-Me-Elmo!" Emotional Gospel.

Come Get Your Tickets!

Numerous mega churches have a concert atmosphere. The false teacher is the main attraction not the Lord. There seems to be a dying breed of sound Bible expositors men like: Billy G. Ingram, Voodie Baucham, RC Sproul, John MacArthur, Charles Stanley all who have gone on to glory. Fortunately we still have Allister Begg, Sinclair Ferguson, Stephen Nichols, Chuck Swindoll, Justin Peters, Paul Washer, David Jeremiah, Todd Friel, Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker, et al.

In these performing art centers there is super hyperactive music that will obviously produce an overload of dopamine levels. But in order to keep the party going, the performer in the pulpit has to keep-the-needle-on-the-record with the music going in the background in order to keep the attention of the dupes in the audience. How does he or she do this? Ignore sound doctrine, but at the same time sprinkle in some Bible verses they always, and I mean always use out of context so as to appear they have fidelity to God and His word when in actuality they are building a monument to themselves like Saul did when he claimed he obeyed God when commanded to destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:12).

These are not teachers / preachers of the gospel, they are hypnotists casting spells on the undiscerning.

Like Paul said in Galatians 1 these false teachers are preaching a different gospel. Paul also said if anyone teaches any other gospel other than the true gospel let them be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8). Translation, let them be condemned to destruction! Paul also commanded that we mark and avoid those who cause divisions by teaching false doctrines and thus disrupt the unity of the body (Romans 16:17-18).

Paul gave Titus who was a Pastor this charge:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should appoint elders in every city as I commanded you - if a man is blameless, the husband of  one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God. not self-willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, just, holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict (or rebuke) who contradict (speak against the word of God) Titus 1:5-9.

God refuses to be mocked (Galatians 6:7).

I have said this before and I am saying it again, the most dangerous person in the world is a false teacher. Why? Because they are wolves in sheep's clothing; they appear as preachers of righteousness. They have the Christian lingo, cadence and charisma. They know enough Bible verses to give the illusion they are genuine. The mega church atmosphere, the clothes they wear, the money they have, the beautiful family provide the optics of success and holiness. Looking at all of that, they can sell the idea that they are blessed of God because they are rich - but not in spirit. 

True witnesses of Christ never put the focus on what they have because that is not what a real shepherd does. Neither do they puff themselves up like false teachers do. The Apostle Peter commanded the following of elders / bishops / pastors:

So I exhort the elders among you. as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed; shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain (emphasis added), but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears (Jesus Christ), you will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1-4).

Those that do not heed the words of Peter and Paul that I have cited in this article and continue to minstrel God, the Church and the gospel will sadly give more material to comedians like Druski to parody and lampoon the God we serve. Proverbs 25:26 says, “A righteous man who falls before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.”

Many are making God look foolish to the world. Either live right or stop calling on His name.

So, to those women who are rebellious and out of pocket; pastoring churches when God has clearly forbidden you because God has charged qualified men with headship of HIS Church, not yours (1 Tim 3; Titus 1). Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Stop usurping authority over men and obey God. Do you think the Lord is blessing “your church” because it’s large and filled every week? You’re just as valuable as men in the Church, but you’re not supposed to share the same authority. Just as the man is the head of his wife in the home, the man is also the head of the woman in the Church. Women can teach women and children, but not men in a Pastoral capacity. 

This ordinance did not disappear after the first century. It also is not misogyny for me to say these things either. It’s the Word of God. It does not matter if a woman has her DDiv or MDiv. This is one of the main reasons the Church is dysfunctional; once again unbiblical leadership- silly and rebellious women in charge and weak men who are simping for them.

Jesus died and shed his precious blood to redeem us. He deserves far better than what many of these Churches are doing.

For the Churches that are apostate, I implore you, repent, love God, teach the Word faithfully so that souls are saved. Leave the worldly culture out where it belongs, in the streets.