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That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (I Timothy 6:18,19) |
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In any case, the Evangelical viewpoint concerning the consequence of not keeping Christ's commandments has taken the life out of the Great Commission's injunction to teach people to keep His commandments. It has made a lot of passages of Scripture meaningless. |
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The four areas of difficulty we are discussing are: |
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* The consequences of not keeping the commandments. |
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* The approach we take to the commandments. |
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* The role of our own personality in keeping the commandments. |
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* What the results are of keeping the commandments. |
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The first area of disagreement is that of the consequences of not obeying the commandments. We think the Scriptures state there are dreadful consequences. Current Evangelical teaching is that there are few if any truly significant consequences. What do you think at this point? |
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Let's look at the second area of disagreement. |
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* The approach we take to the commandments. |
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The first viewpoint is that we are supposed to read what they are and then to pray to God for the wisdom and strength for the keeping of them. We see them as coming from God and therefore are to be regarded with utmost seriousness. |
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The Evangelical approach, however, seems to be that the purpose of the commandments is to convince us of our need of a Redeemer. God does not really expect us to keep the commandments, just to acknowledge we are hopeless sinners who must be brought to Heaven by grace. |
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Can you see again the uncrossable gulf between viewing the commandments as something we are supposed to do, and viewing the commandments as a way of reminding us continually that we are unworthy sinners who must always depend on the worthiness of Christ if we are to be admitted to Heaven? |
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How do you like this saying: we do not gain skill or muscle when Christ fights all the battles and does all the work? Think about it. |
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You can see there are two very different viewpoints here. One would compel us to keep the commandments of God. The other is relieving us of the necessity of keeping God's commandments. You and I have to make a choice, don't we? And how are we going to make the choice? By starting at Matthew and reading through the New Testament to see what it says, not what we think it says. |
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Let's move now to the third area of disagreement. |
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* The role of our own personality in keeping the commandments. |
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This third area may be the key to the whole business. The first viewpoint is that our own personality is responsible to keep choosing to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments. We cannot wait for Christ to do the work for us and in us. |
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The Evangelical viewpoint appears to make the first personality a nonentity. "All our righteousness is as filthy rags," and so forth. This statement is from the Scriptures. But God is not saying by this that we are not to keep His commandments! Good night, what are we thinking of? |
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To be continued. |
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If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. (I Corinthians 14:37) |
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Cornelius gave alms and they came up to God for a memorial. When we perform religious duties and our heart is far from God, when we are robbing widows and abusing the poor (as some rich evangelists are doing today), then all our righteousness is as filthy rags. But to claim that when we tell the truth and are faithful to our wife or husband God sees these behaviors as filthy rags is to miss the point entirely. |
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You know what? Religion has a way of destroying character and common sense. And this is true not only of the Christian religion! |
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Perhaps our regarding our own personality as a nonentity or as a source of religious filth proceeds from the fact we have been commanded to crucify the old nature. |
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It absolutely is true that the only place for our first personality is on the cross with Jesus. Yet there is an element in us, a power of will, a mind, call it whatever you decide, that transcends the old Adam and yet is not Christ. It is this power of will that continually makes choices, that governs the thoughts we think and the actions we take. |
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It is like power steering. Nothing happens until you begin to turn the wheel. Then the power-steering motor helps you. |
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When we choose to serve God the power of God kicks in and assists us to climb Mount Zion. When we choose to serve sin the power of Satan kicks in and drags us down to the pit. We make the choice. Never, never, never forget that. |
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You are going to be judged some day for your actions while in the world. Your actions result from the choices you make. The devil can't make you do anything and Christ won't make you do anything. |
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The Christian salvation is largely the product of a finely honed, decisive will. A double-minded person will get nowhere with the Lord. |
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I wonder if the whole second viewpoint (that there is nothing we are to do) is not just one massive device to relieve us of making the choices we must make if we are to please God. How do you feel about this? We just don't want to believe we have to turn away from sin. We are looking for a way in which to basically do what we want and still go to Heaven, or to have God do it all for us so no effort on our part is required. We want to go to Heaven "on flow'ry beds of ease" as the old hymn put it. |
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You would become a millionaire overnight if you could develop a way by which people could eat all they want, never exercise, and become trim and muscular. This is what the Evangelical viewpoint promises. You really don't have to do anything. God does it all for you. Just rest and you will find yourself back in the Garden of Eden. (But what happens if the heavenly snake comes by?) |
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To be continued. |
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For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10) |
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What we have been teaching can get complicated. Why don't we stop and review before we go to the fourth and last area of disagreement. |
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The four areas of disagreement: |
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* The consequences of not keeping the commandments. |
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* The approach we take to the commandments. |
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* The role of our own personality in keeping the commandments. |
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* What the results are of keeping the commandments. |
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The first viewpoint concerning the first area of disagreement is that there are very serious consequences of not keeping the commandments. The second, Evangelical viewpoint is that there are no really significant, eternal consequences of not keeping the commandments. |
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The first viewpoint concerning the second area of disagreement is that we are to call upon the Lord constantly to help us keep all the commandments given by Him and His Apostles. The second viewpoint is that the commandments were given to show us our need of a Savior and it is impossible to keep them to any great extent. |
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The first viewpoint concerning the third area of disagreement is that it is our own personality that chooses continually whether we go to God to help us keep the commandments or ignore the commandments. The second viewpoint is that our own personality is so beyond redemption that we are to either just keep on believing that we are saved by grace or else wait for Christ to keep the commandments for us or in us (depending on the particular Evangelical group). |
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Now to the fourth and last area of disagreement. |
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* What the results are of keeping the commandments. |
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We already mentioned the first viewpoint, that the result of keeping the commandments is to receive the fulfillments of the promises of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. |
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The second, Evangelical viewpoint seems to be that there is no great benefit, certainly not an eternal benefit, in keeping the commandments of Christ. We go to Heaven by grace, it is taught, and a serious effort to keep the commandments can have a harmful result in that we become a legalist or Pharisee or detract from the perfect work of Christ. |
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The writer has been termed a legalist for stressing that we have been commanded to live a righteous, holy life before the Lord. Can you imagine? |
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It is interesting that we Christians embrace many of the promises of the Old Testament. We trust, for example, in the promises of the Ninety-first Psalms. Yet there is a condition. We must abide under the shadow of the Almighty. |
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We understand this and yet we don't understand it. Is it true now that we have the protection of the Ninety-first Psalm by grace and do not have to make an effort to abide under the shadow of the Almighty? But if the protection is provisional, aren't we really saying that the work of dwelling in the secret place of the Most High is necessary if we are to be protected? |
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To be continued. |
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According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (II Peter 1:3,4) |
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It certainly is true that to abide in Christ each day requires an effort on our part. We know from the New Testament that Christ will not walk with us if we continue in sin. We have to "come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing." It is then that God receives us. |
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God keeps us in perfect peace when our mind is stayed on Him. Are we of the new covenant kept in perfect peace whether or not we keep our mind stayed on the Lord? |
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Jesus said if we are to bear fruit we must abide in Him. If we do not bear fruit we will be cut out of the Vine, out of Christ. Is this still true? |
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The Law of Moses promises us long life if we honor our father and mother. Paul quotes this as being the first commandment with a promise. In so doing Paul is implying that the work of honoring our father and mother still brings the promise of long life, the inference being that the promises of the Old Testament still apply in the same manner as they did under prior covenants. |
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Unless one has a preconceived idea, one would look in vain in the writings of Paul to pick up the sense that it doesn't matter whether or not we keep the commandments of God. |
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But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: (I Timothy 6:11-14) |
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Paul advised Timothy to cut a straight course in the Scriptures. |
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All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (II Timothy 3:16) |
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Does the above verse make any sense if keeping the commandments of God is not necessary and beneficial? |
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Is a man of God perfect through belief in Christ alone or is he made perfect in God's sight as he keeps the commandments of the Old Testament and the New? |
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"For doctrine." "For reproof." "For correction" (what does this mean if not a necessary change of behavior?). "For instruction in righteousness." The man or woman of God is to be perfectly prepared for every good work. |
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To be continued. |
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Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:38,39) |
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You know, the more I write on the subject of God's commandments the more I realize what a terrible lie dispensationalism is with its "dispensation of grace." There is no such thing as a "dispensation of grace" if we mean by this that God deals differently with people now than He did in former days. If such were the case, how could we use the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews as an example of "the just shall live by faith"? |
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When Paul spoke of "grace" he meant we no longer are bound by the Law of Moses now that the atonement has been made by Jesus Christ. He never meant, and his writings show that he never meant, that anyone can please God other than by keeping the commandments issued by Christ and His Apostles. |
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We really are at a place of midcourse correction in the Christian churches. Will we respond to the Holy Spirit and repent or will it be business as usual until destruction falls on our nation? |
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Peter urged us to take heed to the Old Testament writings. |
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"But," one may respond, "the New Testament does not tell us we have to live righteously in order to go to Heaven." Our answer is, nowhere in the New Testament is eternal residence in Heaven promised to us. We just imagine the promise is there because of our traditions. |
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Part of this whole problem of untying the knot is that we are holding the wrong goal. The goal of making our eternal home in Heaven is so deeply entrenched that it may take another generation or two before we outgrow it. It simply is not scriptural and makes logical argument impossible. It is one of the myths that Paul spoke of. |
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The actual goal of salvation, which is deliverance from wrath, and then after that conformation to the image of Christ and entrance into untroubled rest in the Father through Christ, the formation of Christ in us, the coming of the Father and the Son to take up Their eternal residence in us, depends absolutely on our obeying the commandments of the Lord. This fact can be verified easily. |
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Remember, we are speaking of the fourth area of disagreement, that of the consequence of keeping the commandments of Christ and His Apostles. The first viewpoint is that the believer who obeys the commandments of Christ will receive the rewards mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. The second, Evangelical viewpoint is that there really is no special reward for keeping the commandments because we are saved by grace. |
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And yet: |
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More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:10,11) |
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To be continued. |
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Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (John 15:14) |
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Here is a way we can work at this knot. Let's take each of the four areas of disagreement and state the first viewpoint, and then supporting passages, and then the second viewpoint, and then supporting passages, and so forth. |
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The four areas of disagreement: |
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* The consequences of not keeping the commandments. |
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* The approach we take to the commandments. |
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* The role of our own personality in keeping the commandments. |
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* What the results are of keeping the commandments. |
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First, what are the consequences of not keeping the commandments given by Christ and His Apostles. |
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The first viewpoint—the consequences are very severe. |
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Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21) |
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Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Galatians 6:7,8) |
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And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23) |
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I would say these are severe consequences and we easily could add many more from the New Testament. |
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I know some will say these apply to the Jews, or to unsaved people, or whatever. But this is playing fast and loose with the Scriptures. It reminds us of the original problem: "Thou shalt not surely die." |
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Now for a passage that supports the second position—the consequences of ignoring the commandments are removed by the authority and power of grace. |
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As far as I know there is only one such passage, at least only one as clear and unencumbered as those listed for the first position. |
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I have written to you who believe in him so that you will have no fear of the judgment seat of Christ. Even though you have lived a life of immorality, violence, lying, and treachery, having spent your days in amassing money, the grace of our Lord has made you whiter than the snow. Your filthiness of the flesh serves only to make his grace shine more brightly. No matter what you do you will hear, "well done, good and faithful servant." Praise God for his salvation which leaves people as they are and forgives them so they may stand before him forever, praising him for the grace that permits them to continue in unrighteousness and enter joy and peace in the Paradise of God. (Farout 4:5-7) |
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Remember, when Paul was comparing grace and works he was referring to the Law of Moses. We concur heartily that the works of the Law of Moses have no bearing on our salvation in Christ. |
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To be continued. |
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And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) |
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Some of the Messianic congregations of our day are going back under the Law of Moses because they have found little substance in Evangelical teaching. Their reaction is understandable but misguided. One cannot add to the perfect redemption in Jesus Christ circumcision, the Sabbath, the kosher laws, the feast days, or any other statute or ceremony of the Law of Moses. All these portray Christ and are filled up in Him. |
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When we say we must keep the commandments of God we are speaking of moral purity, a forgiving, loving nature, the fruit of the Spirit, courage, honesty, faithfulness, the moral image of Christ. We are not referring to circumcision or the Sabbath day. |
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There is a tremendous difference here. Circumcision and the Sabbath are covenantal requirements. Moral purity, honesty, faithfulness, are part of the eternal moral law of God. They are included in and then transcend the covenantal requirements. Circumcision and the Sabbath do not transcend the covenantal requirements unless we apply their spiritual counterparts—circumcision of the heart and the rest of God. |
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So be sure when you are listing a passage from Paul that seems to prove our salvation is by faith alone and works of righteousness have nothing to do with it, make sure that by "works" Paul is not referring to the covenantal requirements of the Law of Moses. Paul's strong statements in Romans and Galatians are referring to the works of the Law of Moses. Paul knew very well that if we continue to walk in the darkness of sin we are courting spiritual death. Paul was a preacher of righteous behavior as the most casual review of his writings will reveal. |
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The second area of disagreement concerns the approach we are to take to the commandments given in the New Testament. |
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The first viewpoint concerning the second area of disagreement is that we are to regard the commandments as binding on us. We are to seek the Lord continually that we may walk in all His righteous ways. |
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Some passages from the New Testament are as follows. (Can you imagine how many there are in the Old? How about Psalms 119? Or should we throw out the Old Testament?) |
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If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15) |
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But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (Romans 6:17) |
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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (Titus 2:11,12) |
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Now for a passage, in support of the Evangelical position, that reveals clearly the approach we are to take to keeping the commandments of the Lord. |
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Dearly beloved, now that the grace of our Lord Jesus has appeared you can safely forget about the commandments He has given and those we have written in His name. Their only purpose was to show you how badly you need a redeemer. Maranatha. (Nonsense 3:1,2) |
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To be continued. |
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