The Heart Matters.

 As I was reading the following excerpt I came across this verse--

2Co 10:10  For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 

Man looks on the outward appearance ALL the time… ALL THE TIME. We are constantly judged even in tiny ways. Our weight, our hair, our clothes, our words, and so on. Paul is speaking in the above verse saying that people talking about his written word say that written word is WEIGHTY and POWERFUL. Those same people say that Paul's presence in person is one of a weak person, whose speaking is not good.

Paul, made an apostle by Jesus Christ was not much in physical appearance, but the power he had was from God. He didn't need to be physically stunning, his words were the power of God given to him by the Holy Spirit. Satan corrupts our minds starting when we are very young- to look upon ourselves and others- outward appearance as if this is what is most important. Is it any wonder that we grow up with feelings of inadequacy when all along we are praising and worshiping outwardly beautiful people? Their numbers are few compared to the great multitudes and yet the great multitudes spend a lot of time and millions and millions of dollars striving to be as beautiful as they possibly can be. 

Weak and contemptible- judged to be so, yet so incredibly mighty through the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

May we be nothing outwardly and all things inwardly in CHRIST! May our hearts belong to our LORD, our LIVES belong to the LORD.

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Excerpt - EJ Waggoner-

'The Form of Knowledge and Truth. 

Although the Ten Commandments contain a statement of the will of God,  which is the perfection of wisdom and truth, they are only a statement, and not the thing itself, just the same as a picture of a house is not a house, although it may be a perfect picture. Mere words written in a book or graven in stone have no life; but we know that the law of God is life everlasting. Only in Christ can the living law be found,  since he is the only manifestation of the Godhead.

Whoever has the life of Christ dwelling in him, has the perfect law of God manifest in his life. 

But he who has only the letter of the law, and not Christ, has only the form of knowledge and of truth. 

Thus, the law is often rightly said to be a photograph of the character of God. But a photograph or other picture is only the shadow of the reality; it is not the very substance. He who has Christ has both the form and the substance, since one can not have a thing without also possessing its form. But he who has only the statement of the truth, without Christ who alone is the Truth has the form of godliness without the power thereof.

Rom 2:19  And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 

Rom 2:20  An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 

Rom 2:21  Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 

Rom 2:22  Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 

Rom 2:23  Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 

Hard Questions. 

In verses 21-23 the apostle asks some hard questions." Let each soul that has been wont to pride himself upon the correctness of his life answer these questions for himself. It is easy and natural for a man to pride himself upon his "morality." Men who are not Christians comfort themselves with the thought that they live "moral" lives, and that therefore they are as well off as though they were Christians. Let all such know that there is no morality except conformity to the law of God. Everything that is in any respect below the standard of that law is immorality. Knowing this, let them see if they have perfectly kept that law.

"Dost Thou Steal?" 

Most people will say, "No; I am honest in all my dealing." Very well, but let us not decide the case offhand. Let us examine the Scripture. It says, "The law is spiritual." Rom. 7:14. "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb. 4:12. No matter how correct we are in our outward acts, if in spirit or thought we have transgressed, we are guilty. The Lord looks at the heart, instead of the outward appearance. 1 Sam. 16:7.

Again, it is just as wrong to steal from God as to steal from man; have you given God his due? 

Have you dealt in a perfectly honest way with him? Hear what he says: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,  Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation." Mal. 3:8, 9. Does this mean you? Have you rendered to God that which is his due in tithes and offerings? If not, what will you answer when the word of inspiration asks, "Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?"