Christ gave us many commandments. If we love Him we will keep those commandments. If we do not love Him we will not keep His commandments.

We may say we love Jesus. But the only way we can be certain we love Jesus is by the keeping of His commandments. "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (Luke 6:22,23)

Christ commands us to leap for joy when people hate us and separate us from their company for the sake of His name.

Are we supposed to do this? Yes!

"Brother Thompson I am old and my leaping days are over." Then tear yourself away from the television and leap in your heart when mean people talk about you and keep away from you because you love Jesus. You are not to seek revenge or dwell in bitterness and hatred when people hate and reject you because of Jesus. To do so is sin.

Under the Law of Moses you would have had to jump about, arthritis or no arthritis.

Maybe if you pray to Jesus you will find yourself leaping around the front room. You may get the holy jumps. Wouldn't that be nice? What a thrill for your visiting nurse. Be careful of hitting the ceiling!

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections [passions] and lusts. (Galatians 5:24)

Here the Lord Jesus Christ is talking to us through the Apostle Paul. Christ is telling us that those who belong to Him have crucified their flesh with its passions and lusts. Christ is referring here to spiritual circumcision.

How do we respond to this commandment? We take it very seriously and look to the Lord each day, coming before the Mercy Seat in Heaven with complete confidence, knowing that God will help us to crucify our flesh with its passions and lusts.

Some Christians go to X-rated movies or watch them at home, smoke cigarettes, swear like a drill sergeant, and drink booze. They are not obeying Galatians 5:24. They can talk about grace all they want to. They can say "to the pure all things are pure" all they want to. They are disobeying Galatians 5:24 and it is sin to disobey the commandments of Christ and His Apostles.

You are not building your house on the rock! You are going to face an angry Christ when you die because you are living in disobedience to His commands.

The Great Commission is not to tell people they don't have to keep Christ's commands, it is to tell people they have to keep Christ's commands. Right or wrong?

Let's get a little clarity here! The churches are in monumental confusion and inconsistency over this issue of the transition from the Law of Moses to Christ and His Kingdom!

To be continued.