Christ and His Righteousness (Pt. 2)

Studying from the book-  Christ and His Righteousness   by  E.J. Waggoner

Christ and His Righteousness  (Pt. 2)

Chapter 1-

'How Shall We Consider Christ?

But how should we consider Christ? Just as He has revealed Himself to the world, according to the witness which He bore concerning Himself. In that marvelous discourse recorded in the fifth chapter of John, Jesus said, “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.” Verses 21-23.

To Christ is committed the highest prerogative, that of judging. He must receive the same honor that is due to God and for the reason that He is God. The beloved disciple bears this witness, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. That this Divine Word is none other than Jesus Christ is shown by verse 14: “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”

The Word was “in the beginning.” The mind of man cannot grasp the ages that are spanned in this phrase. It is not given to men to know when or how the Son was begotten; but we know that he was the Divine Word, not simply before He came to this earth to die, but even before the world was created. Just before His crucifixion He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.” John 17:5. And more than seven hundred years before His first advent, His coming was thus foretold by the word of inspiration: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from the days of eternity.” Micah 5:2, margin. We know that Christ “proceeded forth and came from God” (John 8:42), but it was so far back in the ages of eternity as to be far beyond the grasp of the mind of man.'

My thoughts-

Further and deeper, very prayerful study has revealed that this isn't quite so.  What I mean by that is, Christ is from everlasting to everlasting. Christ was in beginning. Christ is the Alpha and Omega. The Almighty Father was in beginning. The Almighty Father is from everlasting to everlasting. The Almighty Father is the Alpha and Omega. These are Biblical FACTS.

Rev_21:22  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY   (GOD THE FATHER)

AND

The LAMB  (GOD THE SON)

Rev_1:8  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.  

GOD THE FATHER.

Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

GOD THE SON.

They are BOTH from everlasting, they are both Alpha and Omega, they are both the Beginning and the End, they are both the First and the Last.

How can this be if one is the Father and one is the Son?

This is how… a DECREE was made.

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

This verse is clarified in John and Hebrews-  (the only BEGOTTEN)

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only BEGOTTEN of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Joh 1:18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only BEGOTTEN Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I BEGOTTEN thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstBEGOTTEN into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Heb 5:5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I BEGOTTEN thee.
Heb 5:6  As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

A decree- by decree.

Definition of 'decree'-

noun
noun: decree; plural noun: decrees
    1. 1.
an official order issued by a legal authority.
        ○ the issuing of a decree.
"the king ruled by decree"
        ○ a judgment or decision of certain law courts.
verb
verb: decree; 3rd person present: decrees; past tense: decreed; past participle: decreed; gerund or present participle: decreeing
    1. 1.
order (something) by decree.
"the government decreed a ban on any contact with the guerrillas"
   

Pasted from


Can you give an order or make a decree to someone that doesn't exist?

No.

We've read this before-- 
Zec 6:12  And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:
Zec 6:13  Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

The counsel of peace shall be BETWEEN THEM BOTH.

Here we have two beings from everlasting to everlasting, and the COUNSEL that is between them both could very well have been the decision they needed to make before they undertook the creation of human beings.  Just imagine for a moment of you will - two business men deciding to undertake some amazing adventure together. They aren't going to start before they have a plan, before they've thought everything out. Their plan is going to be thorough and every contingency will be thought of before it's needed.  God the Father and God the Son, both knew that sin could enter their perfect world and if it did what needed to be done. They made a plan. The only thing that could atone for any sin corruption would be for one of them to take on flesh, and sacrifice themselves to save their Creations.  The decision was made, the decree would be given, and was given. The Word took on Flesh. The Only Begotten was in fact Begotten.

Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I BEGOTTEN thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Do you normally need to make a decree that your son in your son? We know the Word was in beginning with God when the worlds were made.  We know the Word took on flesh and BECAME the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father.  When this plan was enacted the roles were defined. A Father God and a Son God.  One who would give power to the One who would give up His power.  Forever now the Father God and the Son God, the Father God and the Savior who showed us the Father.

Our Bibles tell us  the TRUTH.

Joh 8:42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

It was the power of God that brought forth Christ through the Holy Spirit. When God the Son gave up His power to become flesh, He had NO POWER to bring Himself forth as the Son. He emptied Himself.  As One who is emptied of His power He could not create Himself He had to be begotten of the Father, He had to be sent by the Father, He had to proceed forth from the Father.

Php 2:5  Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God,
Php 2:7  but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men
(RV)

The miracle of Christ made Flesh is just that, a miracle. We can never know all of the mystery, but we must by faith believe in our Creator, our Redeemer.

More tomorrow by the grace of our GOD, our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

All in HIS LOVE!

Christ Our Righteousness Pt. 1

We are going to read from the book- Christ and His Righteousness   by  E.J. Waggoner- and study from it, praying all the while that the Holy Spirit impress upon us only the truth as it is found in Christ and no other!

We begin with the introduction. Please, take your Bible, or open your Bible App, or click on the link to your Bible, however you study God's word, PLEASE open that HOLY WORD and with a very prayerful heart take each verse and study it for yourself. We can listen to others interpretations all day long, but in the end it is God's word that is holy, not ours or others.

May the grace of God fill our lives as we study to know more of Christ.

*******

'Introduction

In the first verse of the third chapter of Hebrews we have an exhortation which comprehends all the injunctions given to the Christian. It is this: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” To do this as the Bible enjoins, to consider Christ continually and intelligently, just as He is, will transform one into a perfect Christian, for “by beholding we become changed.”

(Heb 3:1  Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

2Co_3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.)

Ministers of the gospel have an inspired warrant for keeping the theme, Christ, continually before the people and directing the attention of the people to Him alone. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), and there is no reason to suppose that his preaching to the Corinthians was different in any respect from his preaching elsewhere. Indeed, he tells us that when God revealed His Son in him, it was that he might preach Him among the heathen (Gal. 1:15, 16), and his joy was that to him grace had been given to “preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Eph. 3:8.

(Gal 1:15  But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
Gal 1:16  To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood)

But the fact that the apostles made Christ the burden of all their preaching is not our sole warrant for magnifying Him. His name is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. Acts 4:12. Christ Himself declared that no man can come unto the Father but by Him. John 14:6. To Nicodemus He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14, 15.

This “lifting up” of Jesus, while it has primary reference to His crucifixion, embraces more than the mere historical fact; it means that Christ must be “lifted up” by all who believe in Him, as the crucified Redeemer, whose grace and glory are sufficient to supply the world's greatest need; it means that He should be “lifted up” in all His exceeding loveliness and power as “God with us,” that His Divine attractiveness may thus draw all unto Him. See John 12:32.

(Joh 12:32  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. )

The exhortation to consider Jesus and also the reason therefore, are given in Heb. 12:1-3: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” It is only by constantly and prayerfully considering Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible that we can keep from becoming weary in well-doing and from fainting by the way.

Again, we should consider Jesus because in Him “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col. 2:3. Whoever lacks wisdom is directed to ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and upbraids not, and the promise is that it shall be given him, but the desired wisdom can be obtained only in Christ. The wisdom which does not proceed from Christ and which does not as a consequence lead to Him is only foolishness, for God, as the Source of all things, is the Author of wisdom; ignorance of God is the worst sort of foolishness (see Rom. 1:21, 22) and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, so that he who has only the wisdom of this world knows, in reality, nothing. And since all power in heaven and in earth is given to Christ, the apostle Paul declares Christ to be “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Cor. 1:24.

(Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools)

There is one text, however, which briefly sums up all that Christ is to man and gives the most comprehensive reason for considering Him. It is this: “But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Cor. 1:30. We are ignorant, wicked lost. Christ is to us wisdom, righteousness, redemption. What a range! From ignorance and sin to righteousness and redemption. Man's highest aspiration or need cannot reach outside the bounds of what Christ is to us and what He alone is to us. Sufficient reason this why the eyes of all should be fixed upon Him.'

*******

Amazing. 

I especially want to look at this sentence- ' The wisdom which does not proceed from Christ and which does not as a consequence lead to Him is only foolishness, for God, as the Source of all things, is the Author of wisdom; ignorance of God is the worst sort of foolishness (see Rom. 1:21, 22) and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, so that he who has only the wisdom of this world knows, in reality, nothing.'

'He who has only the wisdom of this world knows, in reality, nothing.'

This is TRUTH!

This is the sort of truth people do not want to hear and do not want to believe. They love to believe that all their smarts are just that, theirs and therefore they are good, and right. The truth is that there is not one thing that we know - not the hardest mathematics, not the deepest science, not the seemingly impossible wealth of knowledge so that you hold millions of facts in your head- none of that matters in the least little bit unless you first know Christ and Him as a reality in your life.  Christ as our wisdom. Christ as our righteousness. Christ as our redemption.

Be as brilliant as the highest winner on the television show Jeopardy,  be as amazingly smart as the highest ranking scientific mind in the word, invent something so astounding that in changes the lives of everyone in the entire world and still… it is NOTHING!  NOTHING!

Why is it nothing? Because all things here and now in this world, and I mean ALL things outside of Christ, are temporary to eternity.

More tomorrow … by the grace of GOD.

All by the love and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Judgement

Judgment-   Please read all the following verses on judgment, we need to study this because as we know our every work is going to be brought into judgment.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Beautiful.

Job 37:23  Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
Job 37:24  Men do therefore fear him...

We were told that our whole duty is to FEAR GOD and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.  Our God is excellent in power and in judgment. Truly we cannot find God out, His ways are beyond us, but He is EXCELLENT in power and in judgment and we do need to fear Him, reverently and with a real fear because if we don't fear God, who has total control of our eternal life, who should we fear?

Psa 9:7  But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
Psa 9:8  And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

We will be judged. Don't think you won't be. Don't think you're an exception.  Every secret thing whether it's good or evil.

Psa 94:14  For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
Psa 94:15  But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

Judgment shall return unto righteousness. How beautiful is that?  Judgment isn't a bad thing, not like we make it out to be. We think being judged is something to be despised. Truthfully, judgment goes hand in hand with righteousness. If we accept Christ as our righteousness then as we are judged we will be judged in righteousness. There is nothing greater than Christ's righteousness. Nothing.  '...all the upright in heart shall follow it.'   By the grace of God we will follow Christ our righteousness and live as He would have us live. Our upright hearts are only upright because we have accepted Christ into our heart, He is our heart, our righteousness.

I have to pause here because there is a study tangent study I think we need to do…

Christ Our Righteousness.


By the grace of our LORD, tomorrow we will begin that study.

In HIS LOVE! HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Moral Monitor

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

The conclusion- the end- of the whole matter- of everything…

FEAR GOD
KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

This is our duty as human beings.

Why?

Because God will bring EVERY work into JUDGMENT.
EVERY WORK.
EVERY SECRET THING- good or evil.

*******

We've been studying this for a bit and no wonder, it's something we really need to believe.  It's easy to understand, yes? But harder to make a reality. To live with this belief in mind.

We must live with the comprehension we are to be judged by our Creator and Redeemer.

It's much too easy to live not believing we will be judged, or not caring, or believing but telling ourselves that no matter what we will be judged favorably.

How differently would people act if they truly believed they were being judged?

Someone could make a fiction movie about this -

There is a world where people live with a monitor attached to them. This monitor lists everything action they make, every word they speak, even their thoughts and each act, every word and thought are judged instantly. You grab up your monitor and look at it every evening going through all the things you've done and next to each act is  a mark for acceptable or unacceptable. You must then make a REAL apology for each unacceptable act. 

Now of course there has to be a story here- beginning, middle, and end.  The beginning- life, how you live with the monitor- the middle, an actual day in and day out enactment of this sort of life. The end however, what makes this a movie so to speak is that when a person dies their monitor goes blank- all the data going back to a mainframe. The mainframe goes through all the data and a determination is made- did that person live their life acceptably, were their apologies sincere, did they try to keep their evil actions to a minimum or did they live a life uncaring, even boasting of their evil? Based on this final evaluation a determination is made whether or not they deserve a new life in a new world that is being created. If it is determined they are undeserving then they are reserved for permanent termination.  The end of the movie shows a new world unveiling and millions of people filling it, while many more millions are destroyed.

Okay, people might think that this movie wouldn't make millions at a box office, but you know what... it's exactly what people think about life.  They don't care for it, it's not the type of story they want to believe or like, and it's not the sort of life they want to believe in either. People don't want to be accountable for their actions.

It's true that we can NEVER be good enough, that we NEED a SAVIOR and it's our Savior who we are apologizing to, asking forgiveness for our wrong doings. When we truly trust and believe in our Savior to forgive us, to save us with HIS righteousness He will know. When He is our everything, He knows. When we live our lives knowing that He is our all in all and we want to keep His commandments, then we are His, He knows us. We must be His. This is REAL! 

We aren't talking about a fictional movie, we are talking truth, we are talking REAL LIFE, OUR LIVES!

Do you believe it?  Do you wish you had a monitor attached to you? It would make our lives easier in some respects wouldn't it? But seriously, we are all accountable- every good or evil deed of ours we are accountable for and will be judged on. 

God knows we fall far short of being good, and that our righteousness truly is as filthy rags. We are only saved by the grace of our Lord, but we have to be willing to believe this, to believe in our SAVIOR, our GOD, our CREATOR, our REDEEMER!

May we believe!

All by His love, His grace and mercy!

Two Laws - One Truth

        The Law of God. Do you believe it is still applicable today? Do you believe it was done away with? Do you believe a new law took the old law's place? Please, if you want to know more about the Law of God, read the following study. Take your Bible, pray to God, and then study like you've never studied before to know God's truth- it really is that important.
       
        You wouldn't (normally) go a day without having something to drink, or eat, so why do we go sometimes days without spiritually drinking or eating?
       
        We need a daily bread- spiritual and physical.
       
        Please… study and don't take anyone's word for God's truth, no, not even mine. Study for yourself to know the truth, God will give you the truth if you truly desire to know it.
       
        *******
       
        Lesson #6 -- THE TWO LAWS
       
        Introduction -- Whenever the question of the Sabbath is studied, a question is raised concerning the Law of God. Certain texts are cited... (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14-17)
       
        Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace
       
        Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
        Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
        Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
        Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
       
        ...with the suggestion that the Law of God has been revoked, and is therefore no longer binding on Christians.
       
        This teaching is the result of failing to distinguish between several groups of laws that are set forth in the Bible. We, in this study, will confine ourselves to two laws mentioned in the New Testament.
       
        Romans 7:12 -- The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just and good. Hebrews 7:14-18 The law of a carnal commandment ... weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
        Hebrews 10:1 The law having a shadow of good things to come ... can never with those sacrifices which they offered.
       
        Note - By comparing these verses it is evident that one law cannot be holy and carnal.
       
        A holy law being good in itself would not be a shadow of "good things to come."
       
        By illustration, one cannot have a fully ripe apple and a "green" apple all in one apple. It requires two. So also in the matter concerning the law. Two laws are required to meet the description of these texts.
       
        Section #2 --THE HOLY LAW
       
        Romans 7:7, 12 -- I had not known sin, but by the, law, the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Wherefore the law is holy.
       
        Note - The law that contains the commandment - "Thou shalt not covet" - is the Ten Commandment law. This law Paul declares to be holy.
       
        Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 32:16 -- And the Lord said ... I will give thee ... a law, and commandments which I have written. And He gave to Moses ... two ... tables of stone, written with the finger of God. And the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
       
        Exodus 25:16, 21 -- And thou shalt put into the ark, the testimony which I shall give thee ... in the ark thou shalt put the testimony.
       
        Note - Twice repeated was the injunction to put the law in the ark, the most sacred object of the Hebrew sanctuary. Of no other portion of the entire Bible, did God manifest such care for an accurate transmission, and preservation as the Ten Commandments.
       
        He wrote them with His own finger upon stone, spoke them with His own lips from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1) and had it placed in the most holy object on earth, which in turn was housed in what was designated as "the most holy place, " the center of His earthly dwelling. (Exodus 25:8-9)
       
        Exodus 20:1-17 -- The Ten Commandments
       
        Note - This law forbids, idolatry, profanation, stealing, killing, lying, adultery, and covetousness. It requires respect of children for their parents, and sets for the seventh day of every week as the "sabbath of the Lord thy God."
       
        Section #3 -- THE CODE OF MOSES
       
        Exodus 20:22 -- The Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say . . .
        Exodus 24:3-4 -- And Moses wrote all the words.
        Deuteronomy 31: 24-26 -- Moses commanded ... Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark ... for a witness.
       
        Note - In the giving, writing, and disposition of this book of the law of Moses, the contrast is clear and distinct between it and the Ten Commandments.
       
        Let us note some of the regulations this lesser code contained.
       
        Exodus 23:14, 17 -- Three times thou Shalt keep a feast unto Me in a year. Three times in a year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God. Leviticus 23:6, 14 (Observe the eating regulations connected with the time of the annual feasts.) Leviticus 23:24, 32 In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest ... in the ninth day of the month.
       
        Note - The Mosaic code regulated aspects of worship involved in the special feast days, as to time, and what could and what could not be eaten at those times. Some of these appointed days were called sabbaths. These were, however, the Sabbaths of the people in contrast with the seventh day which was the Sabbath of the Lord.
       
        The summary of the contrast is given by Moses in Leviticus 23:37, 38. Note carefully the words -
       
        "These are the feasts of the Lord ... everything upon his day: beside the Sabbaths of the Lord."
       
        Section #4 -- THE CONTRAST
       
        Nehemiah 9:12-14 -- Thou camest down ... upon Mt. Sinai ... and gavest them ... Thy holy Sabbath, and commandest them laws, by the hand of Moses.
       
        Note - Nehemiah in reporting this priestly chant classifies the sabbath of the Lord with the law given by God directly, and not with the code of Moses.
       
        II Kings 21:8 -- All that I have commanded ... and all that my servant Moses commanded.
       
        Deuteronomy 4:12-14 -- The Lord spake unto you, and He declared unto you ... ten commandments. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes ... that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
       
        Note - The Mosaic code was a statute of limitations to be done only in the land of their possessions, while the Ten commandments as given by God were not limited to any locality, but were worldwide in application.
       
        p 27 -- Summary - The laws and ordinances which Paul stated were nailed to the cross were the codes given to Israel to be done only in the land of Canaan. In Christ, the gospel message would go to all the world, and the center of worship would no longer be a tent or a temple built by men's hands, but the most holy place would be a man's heart surrendered to the Lord Jesus Christ.
       
         Note carefully Hebrews 10:16-17.
       
        Heb 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
        Heb 10:17  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
       
        *******
       
        Until we comprehend that the Ten Moral Laws, the Ten Commandments are to be written on our hearts and kept, we allow ourselves to believe they are no longer in affect. The sinner in us doesn't want to be shown the sin and told it's wrong. Sin is the breaking of the law. It is by the law we even know what sin is. We are sinners. Christ died to save us sinners. If we were not sinners, Christ would NOT have had to die for us.  And if we are sinners, we must sin, and if we sin then we are breaking the law.  It's so incredibly understandable if we allow ourselves to be open to the truth. When we take away one part of the whole truth we introduce lies to fill the gap. Once we allow lies in everything is corrupted. 
       
        Remember the beginning of our study- there would be someone who would think to change times and laws.  IF this prophecy wasn't important, if it weren't important to keep God's law as HE gave His law, then it wouldn't matter if it were changed. Obviously it MATTERS.
       
        We've studied WHO changed the law.  Go back eight days and start the study all over again if you have to, the truth is there.  You might not like the truth, but we aren't required to like it to believe it and know it is what GOD demands of us. TRUTH.
       
        The Papacy changed the fourth commandment of God, the commandment that deals with time, the law and times that were changed. Today Sunday, the first day of the week is considered the sabbath by most Christians, and either knowingly, or unknowingly they are keeping a law that was NEVER changed by God and they will be accountable for this. We are all accountable either for keeping the truth we already know, or for rejecting the opportunity to know the truth. We are accountable.
       
        The Lord is love and love is in His Ten Commandments, every single one, without change. 
       
        Do you follow God's laws or the laws of the man of sin who dared to change our God's law?!
       
        God's law matters! It is to be written in our HEARTS! It wasn't done away with, it wasn't changed! We show our LOVE to our God through worship, through living a life as He expects us to live. We worship Him, His law for us has made this a special requirement so that we would NEVER forget our Creator, our Redeemer.
       
        We really need to study this, we need to study and to learn, and to know, to live, to love our GOD as fully as we can through HIS power, HIS righteousness, HIS love!
       
        Always in HIM!

First or Seveth Day Sabbath. Which is True, Which is a Lie?

When ever we have truth, there are those who like to take and twist it just enough so that it still seems believable and therefore truth as well. We know that there is only ONE true among MANY counterfeits.  The counterfeits that come closest to appearing true are the ones that are believed. We must not be deceived by ANY counterfeits but seek to believe only the TRUTH.

We are going to continue on with lessons from the Bible Study Guide put out by the Late Elder William Grotheer. He was a Biblical scholar on the scale I don't even register on. He always voiced His desire for people to STUDY for THEMSELVES.  He never told anyone to believe him and what he said but rather study and come to the truth on their own. He wanted people to think for themselves.  Never claiming perfection, for who among us is perfect, he ultimately had an amazing mind for Biblical study that I haven't found elsewhere. 

 We know that the closer we are to Christ the harder Satan will work to exploit our every weakness so that we fall away from Christ. All of us can only go to Christ and beg His forgiveness when we fail. Do our failings erase all the truth from us? Are only the perfect (who don't really exist) allowed to claim to know and teach truth? If that were the case than not a single Apostle could have preached the truth. Paul, himself, claimed to be nothing more than a wretched man, and yet he preached the truth. Do you suppose that those who looked only at Paul's sins, his shortcomings, and decided he no longer had any truth to give because of them, were in the right? We are but sinners claiming no righteousness of our own, but begging for forgiveness and laying hold of Christ's righteousness.

May we NEVER let anything keep us from studying the Bible and coming to the truth as the Holy Spirit guides us! May we never shut our minds to truth, but take all theories that come our way and hold them up to the only standard that exists, God's Holy Word. When they fail that test, discard them.  Never discard truth because of the imperfection of the truth giver.

With that all said, let us take this study and dig into our Bibles for the knowledge God would have us possess. His truth and ONLY His truth by the grace and mercy of our Lord!

*******
Lesson #5 -- THE FIRST DAY TEXTS IN THE BIBLE

    Introduction - In our previous study, we noted the doctrine of the Sabbath, and by following the Bible method for understanding doctrine - "line upon line and precept upon precept" - we brought together the outstanding verses in the Bible on that subject. Now in all fairness, because so many people observe the first day of the week in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, making it a Sabbath for worship, we need to note all the verses in the Bible which mention the first day of the week. As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves a question. Do these texts give me a command to observe the first day of the week in place of the seventh day?
   
    Genesis 1:5 -- And the evening and the morning were the first day.
   
    Note - This is the only verse in the entire Old Testament which mentions the first day of the week. It is referring to the first day of Creation on which God brought into existence the mass of the earth, and set it in motion, thus along with the creation of light, established day and night.
   
    Section #2 -- THE FIRST DAY IN THE GOSPELS
   
    Note - In the New Testament, there are eight references to the first day of the week, six of which are to be found in the Gospels and apply to the same first day, namely, the day on which Christ arose from the dead. Let us examine these.
   
    Mark 16:1-2 -- And when the Sabbath was past ... very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
   
    Note - This text merely tells us that when the women came to the sepulchre on the first day of the week to anoint Jesus' body, the Sabbath was past.
   
    Mark 16:9 -- Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week.
   
    Matthew 28:1 -- In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week.
   
    Note - This is merely stating the same thing we found in Mark 16. Jesus arose on the first day of the week, and certain women came after the Sabbath to the tomb in the early hours of Sunday morning. Weymouth translates this verse thus - 'After the Sabbath, in the early dawn of the first day of the week."
   
    Luke 24:1 -- Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulchre.
   
    Note - We noted this verse carefully in our previous lesson, and found that it was one of a series which outlines the days connected with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the previous chapter, it is clearly stated that the day before the first day is "the Sabbath day according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56) In this verse, there is no intimation that the command had been changed.
   
    p 21 -- John 20:1 -- The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdaline early unto the sepulcher.
   
    Note - This verse says nothing more than the other verses noting the activities of Christ's followers on the resurrection morning.
   
    John 20:19 -- Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, ... the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus ... and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
   
    Note - This is the first appearance of Jesus to His disciples- as a group after His resurrection. Mary had seen Him. (John 20:11-18) He had appeared to two disciples as they walked home to Emmaus. (Luke 24:13-32) It appears that Simon Peter also saw Him. (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5). However, all of this testimony had not convinced the group that Jesus had indeed risen. Thus their gathering together was not to celebrate the resurrection, but "for fear of the Jews." Jesus' appearance was to quiet their fears and to convict their hearts. (Mark 16:12-14) The time of this meeting would correspond to our Sunday night. This is the last text in the Gospels which mentions the first day of the week.
   
    Section #3 -- PAUL AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK
   
    Acts 20:7 -- And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech till mid-night.
   
    Note - This is the only recorded religious service in the New Testament to be held on the first day of the week. It was a night meeting, corresponding to our Saturday night. (Bible reckoning of time places the first day of the week from sundown Saturday till sundown Sunday.) A careful study of the context of this verse reveals some very interesting facts:
   
            (1)   Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. (verse 16) He stayed in Troas seven days. (Verse 6)
           
            (2)   The group of men Paul had with him left by boat that night for Assos, and planned to pick Paul up the next day. (Verse 13)
           
            (3)   Paul's service was interrupted, by the accident of Eutychus, who, because of Paul's long preaching, had fallen asleep while sitting in a window. (Verse 9)
           
            (4)   After this incident, Paul broke bread with them, and preached till the break of day. (Verse 11)
           
            These verses are merely recording a farewell meeting Paul had with the believers at Troas. However, it is also an incident of humor found in the Bible. You will observe that prior to this recorded experience, the narrative is in the first Person plural - "we" - and resumes with verse 13. The experience itself is told in the third person - "Paul." Naturally as Paul again joins his traveling companions, they ask him about the meeting the night before. He told them about the traumatic experience with Eutychus. But they asked Paul as to why this should have happened. He had to confess it was because he was a long-winded preacher. No doubt on other occasions they had chided him about going "over-time." Luke could not pass up this opportunity of telling about it.
           
    I Corinthians 16:2 -- Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
   
    Note - Paul had placed a burden upon the individual members of the churches to have an offering ready for the poor believers in Jerusalem (I Cor. 16:1, 3) This verse is not a command for a collection to be received at a church service, but asking that each one from his own funds, set aside a gift each week, and let it accumulate at home, so that the sum might be placed in the hands of representatives when Paul would come by on his way to Jerusalem. Two other translations of this verse will aid in our understanding of it.
   
    Weymouth reads: - "On the first day of the week, let each of you put up and keep any profit he may have made: so that there may be no collections made after I come." Lamsa, basing his translation on the Eastern Text, renders the verse thus - "Upon the first day of the week, let each of you put aside and keep in his house whatever he can afford, so that there may be no collections when I come."
   
    Section #4 -- ANOTHER TEXT
   
    Note - With I Cor. 16:2. we have surveyed all the verses in the entire Bible which mention the first day of the week. In none of them do we find an express command authorizing the observance of the first day in honor of the resurrection of Jesus: nor do we find the least suggestion that the first day was to replace the Sabbath of the Law of God as given at Mt. Sinai. There is, however, another text which is sometimes used to suggest this idea. We shall note it also.
   
    Revelation 1:10 -- I was in the spirit on the Lord's day.
   
    Note - Which day is the Lord's day? Using the analogy of Scripture - the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual - we can find our answer in Mark 2:28, where Jesus declared - "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." So instead of this verse applying to the first day of the week, it in reality refers to the Sabbath as the true Lord's day.
   
    Section #5 -- HOW DID SUNDAY WORSHIP BEGIN?
   
    Acts 20:29-30 -- For I know this, that after my departing ... of your own-selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things.
   
    Note - Paul states that after his death, men would arise in the Church itself speaking perverse, that is,. erroneous things, which would be contrary to what he himself had taught. This is what has occurred. The Roman Catholic church, professing to be the true successor to the apostles, has altered the day of worship, and boasts about it. (See Insert - next page.)
   
    Matthew 15:9 -- In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
   
    Note - We love Jesus because He has done so much for us. Because of this, we do not desire to offer before Him a vain worship. But He stated plainly that if our worship is according to the doctrines of men, it is vain worship. Thus we are presented with a choice of worship, that which is of men, or that which is in spirit and in truth, according to the Word of God. We must keep in mind that God cannot accept from us worship contrary to His word, any more than He would accept the worship of Cain.
   
    (Webmaster Note: See also Hebrews chapter 4 - Here Paul is talking specifically about the Sabbath; note especially verse 8-11. Also see Facts of Faith, by C. Edwardson)
   
   
    (Webmaster note: Interesting to note in this letter is the date of 1905 and the amount offered ($1,000). In today's money that would maybe be close to $1 Million offered by a Catholic Priest for Protestants to prove from the Bible only where they are obligated to God to keep Sunday holy, which Father Enright here shows is a sign of the Roman Catholic's power to think to alter God's law. As he states, he offered this amount over and over again, and nobody stepped forward to prove it.)
   
    *******
   
    Truth.
   
    By the grace of God we learn truth.
   
    No where in our Bible, no where in God's Holy Word is the command to keep the first day of the week holy. God did NOT sanctify the first day. God did NOT make the first day holy.  God did not go on and on about Jesus' resurrection warranting a change in the Sabbath day of rest, a day that will always and forever point to CREATION, and as such REDEMPTION. There need be NO change to comprehend that our Savior was there during Creation, all things were created by Him.  Knowing this, we have to comprehend that our Savior who was there in Creation, our Savior who was there as the Ten Moral Laws were written in stone by the finger of God, would NOT alter one of those commandments without making it very, very clear. It would have been well known. There would have been volumes written upon this so that it was perfectly clear to us, not hidden in the shadows, not left to speculation, God does NOT work that way. 
   
    We must comprehend the importance of all of this! We must!  Our Savior tells us if we love Him we will keep His commandments.  People want to say He changed the commandments because He stressed loving God and loving our fellow man, they're wrong. He didn't change ONE jot (dot of an i) or one tittle (the cross of a t).
   
    Mat_5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
   
    Jesus' words!
   
    More tomorrow on all this, by the GRACE of our LORD, our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!
   
    All in HIS LOVE!
   
   

Where are the truth keepers?

We've studied about the importance of God's law, of God's commandments. We've studied about the 'Whole duty of man- fearing God and keeping His commandments.'  We've studied about the magnitude of keeping God's law and no other's.  We've studied that Jesus was God with God from everlasting to everlasting and He was there with God as the ten moral laws were given to God's people. We've also studied that someone would think to change God's law.  That verse being…

Dan_7:25  And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High: and he shall THINK TO CHANGE THE TIMES AND THE LAW; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.

And we know from our study of the ten moral laws only one of those moral laws deals with time.

Now let's study more about that one law-  (Please pray right now for the Holy Spirit to guide us into ALL truth as it is found in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!)

Lesson #4 -- THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD

 Introduction - In the three preceding lessons, we have studied concepts of truth which will enable us to better understand this lesson. First, we noted how to establish a doctrine. Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line. (Isa. 28:9-10)

Secondly, we observed that God requires not only worship in spirit, but also according to truth. (John 4:24)

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Our worship of the Lord, even the day we observe, must be in harmony with the truth as found in the Word for such worship to be acceptable in His sight.

Thirdly, we studied the place of Jesus in the plan of the ages. We noted His stately movings in the Old Testament as our Creator and Lawgiver. These facts are important as we study this lesson.

Genesis 2:2-3 -- God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested.

Note - Without Christ was not anything made that was made. (John 1:3) HE AS OUR CREATOR, MADE THE FIRST SABBATH DAY by blessing and sanctifying that day above all the other six through the act of resting thereon Himself.

Exodus 20:8-11 -- The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

Note - When one understands that Jesus is the Lawgiver, and equally God with the Father, this commandment takes on a new importance. The seventh day is not the sabbath of the Jews, but it is the Sabbath of the Lord God of Heaven. When we recognize Him as our God, then we happily accept the day He designated for His worship.

Isaiah 56:3, 6 -- The sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him. ... everyone that keepeth the Sabbath.

Note - Even In Old Testament times, when one who was not a Jew, turned from idolatry and paganism to serve the true God, he was not to count himself as separate from the people whom God had chosen, but was to take hold of the covenant, and keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath was the holy day of those who chose the Lord God.

Ezekiel 20:12, 20 -- I gave them MY Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them.

Note - This sign was for two purposes:

(1)   "That they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify them," and  
(2)   "That ye may know that I am the Lord your God."

The Sabbath is meaningful from God's viewpoint. It is His sign to us.

Section # 2 -- The Sabbath in the Gospels

Luke 4:16 -- He (Jesus) came to Nazareth where He had been brought up: and as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

Note - Jesus in His humanity is our Example. We are to follow in His steps (I Peter 2:21-22). We are to walk even as He walked (I John 2:6). He who made the Sabbath in the beginning, observed when upon earth. It was His custom to gather with others for worship on the Sabbath, and to participate in the service of worship.

p 16 -- Mark 2:27-28 -- The Sabbath was made for man ... The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Matthew 12:12 -- It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.

Note - In these verses we find the Lord of the Sabbath teaching the true meaning of the Sabbath. It was made for all mankind; a day in which he was to do good, and thus draw into close fellowship with Him who went about doing good. "It is a time when the spent spirit may catch its breath, and man may look into the face of God and be refreshed." The Sabbath is a day of liberty from the cares of life, enabling man to do the activities of the service of love. It is in such holy service that we see the face of God. Only thus can we worship our God in spirit and in truth.

Section #3 -- Which Day Is the Seventh Day?

Luke 23:50 - 24:3 -- This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down ... and laid it in a sepulchre.. .That day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.
The women ... which came with Him from Galilee ... returned and prepared spices ... and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.

Now upon the first day of the week ... they found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

Note - Here in the gospel of Luke are three days marked out in succession:

(1)   The day of the crucifixion, commonly called Good Friday;  
(2)   The following day noted as "the sabbath day according to the commandment:" and  
(3)   The day of the resurrection, now called Easter Sunday. The only day between Friday and Sunday is Saturday, the seventh day. This then is the Sabbath of the Lord our God.

Section #4 -- Apostolic Practice and Teaching

Acts 13:14; 42-44 -- The Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath day ... And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

Note - Ten years had passed since Paul had seen Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was now on his first missionary journey. Here was a remarkable opportunity for Paul to tell his Gentile listeners that a new day of worship had been appointed for them, if such had been done. When they, therefore, asked that the gospel be preached to them, Paul could have told them to come back on the morrow; but no, they waited a whole week till the next Sabbath day to hear the words of truth.

Acts 16:12-13 -- And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a river side where prayer was wont to be made.

Note - Even in cities where there was no synagogue available for Sabbath worship, Paul sought a place of prayer and study outside of the city. Consistently under all circumstances, Paul who was the Apostle to the Gentiles faithfully observed the Sabbath of the Lord his God.

Acts 17:2 -- Paul as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures.
Acts 18:4 -- And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:4, 9-10 -- And God did rest the seventh day ... There remaineth therefore a rest [margin - a keeping of a sabbath] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, AS GOD DID FROM HIS.

Note - When one accepts the rest that Jesus offers in the invitation - "Come unto Me and I will give you rest " (Matt. 11 :28), he gives up his own works, and accepts the merits of the Saviour. As a memorial of the surrender to the recreative power of Jesus Christ, he ceases from his own works as God did from His in the first creation. "And God did rest the seventh day." It is interesting to note in passing that a translation of the Aramaic text of the New Testament renders Hebrews 4:9 thus - "It is therefore the duty of the people of God to keep the Sabbath." (Lamsa)

Section # 5 -- The Sabbath in the New Earth

Isaiah 66:22-23 -- The new heavens and the new earth ... it shall come to pass that ... from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord.

Note - The Sabbath of the Lord our God will not cease, but in the new earth state, all beings will come and worship before the Lord on that day. Would it not be well now, to be in harmony with the worship of the world to come?

Section #6 -- The Time and Observance of the Sabbath

Leviticus 23:32 -- From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.
Mark 1:32 -- At even when the sun did set.

Note - God's division of time is from sunset to sunset. The days of creation began with the evening. "And the evening and the morning were the first day." (Gen. 1:5) So the holy Sabbath day begins on Friday evening at sunset, and continues till Saturday evening at sunset. The first hour on Friday night is just as sacred as the hour of worship in the middle of the day. Every hour of the Sabbath is God's time, and is to be reserved sacredly unto Him.

Isaiah 58:13-14 -- If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath ... and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.

Note - Here is a divine comment on the proper observance of the fourth commandment. Mere ceasing from work on the holy hours of the Sabbath is not necessarily keeping the Sabbath. An attitude of mind is involved. We must consider it a delight to thus honor the Lord, by laying aside the ordinary duties of life. In so doing, we seek His interests, not our pleasures; we study His words, not our thoughts: we follow His ways, not our paths. In this, the true essence of Sabbath observance is to be found - we delight ourselves in the Lord.

Revelation 22:14 -- Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

~~~

ITEMS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION IN ADDITION TO THIS STUDY -- Sixty Bible Facts Concerning the Seventh Day

p 1 --Why keep the Sabbath day? What is the object of the Sabbath? Who made it? When was it made, and for whom? Which day is the true Sabbath? Many keep the first day of the week, or Sunday. What Bible authority have they for this? Some keep the seventh day, or Saturday. What Scripture have they for that? Here are the facts about both days, as plainly stated in the Word of God:

1. -- After working the first six days of the week in creating this earth, the great God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:1-3.)
2. -- This stamped that day as God's rest day, or Sabbath day, as Sabbath day means rest day. To illustrate: When a person is born on a certain day, that day thus becomes his birthday. So when God rested upon the seventh day, that day became His rest, or Sabbath, day.
3. -- Therefore the seventh day must always be God's Sabbath day. Can you change your birthday from the day on which you were born to one on which you were not born? No. Neither can you change God's rest day to a day on which He did not rest. Hence the seventh day is still God's Sabbath day.
4. -- The Creator blessed the seventh day. (Genesis 2:3.)
5. -- He sanctified the seventh day. (Exodus 20: 11.)
6. -- He made it the Sabbath day in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:1-3.)
7. -- It was made before the fall; hence it is not a type; for types were not introduced till after the fall.
8. -- Jesus says it was made for man (Mark 2:27), that is, for the race, as the word man is here unlimited; hence, for the Gentile as well as for the Jew.
9. --It is a memorial of creation. (Exodus 20:11; 31:17.) Every time we rest upon the seventh day, as God did at creation, we commemorate that grand event.
10. --It was given to Adam, the head of the human race. (Mark 2:27; Genesis 2:1-3.)
11. -- Hence through him, as our representative, to all nations. (Acts 17:26.) TOP
12. -- It is not a Jewish institution, for it was made 2,300 years before ever there was a Jew.
13. -- The Bible never calls it the Jewish

p 2 -- Sabbath, but always "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Men should be cautious how they stigmatize God's holy rest day.
14. -- Evident reference is made to the Sabbath and the seven-day week all through the patriarchal age. (Genesis 2:1-3; 8:10, 12; 29:27, 28, etc.)
15. -- It was a part of God's law before Sinai. (Exodus 16:4, 27-29.)
16. -- Then God placed it in the heart of His moral law. (Exodus 20:1-17.) Why did He place it there if it was not like the other nine precepts, which all admit to be immutable?

p 19 -- 17. -- The seventh-day Sabbath was commanded by the voice of the living God. (Deuteronomy 4:12, 13.)
18. -- Then He wrote the commandment with His own finger. (Exodus 31:18.)
19. -- He engraved it in the enduring stone, indicating its imperishable nature. (Deuteronomy 5:22.)
20. -- It was sacredly preserved in the ark in the holy of holies. (Deuteronomy 10:1-5.)
21. -- God forbade work upon the Sabbath, even in the most hurrying times. (Exodus 34:21.)
22. -- God destroyed the Israelites in the wilderness because they profaned the Sabbath. (Ezekiel 20:12, 13.)
23. -- It is the sign of the true God, by which we are to know Him from false gods. (Ezekiel 20:20.)
24. -- God promised that Jerusalem should stand forever if the Jews would keep the Sabbath. (Jeremiah 17:24, 25.)
25. -- He sent them into the Babylonish captivity for breaking it. (Nehemiah 13:18.)
26. -- He destroyed Jerusalem for its violation. (Jeremiah 17:27.)
27. -- God has pronounced a special blessing on all the Gentiles who will keep it. (Isaiah 56:6, 7.)
28. -- This is in the prophecy which refers wholly to the Christian dispensation. (See Isaiah 56.)
29. -- God has promised to bless all who keep the Sabbath. (Isaiah 56:2.)
30. -- The Lord requires us to call it "honourable." (Isaiah 58:13.) Beware, ye who take delight in calling it the "old Jewish Sabbath," "a yoke of bondage," etc.
31. -- After the holy Sabbath has been trodden down "many generations," it is to be restored in the last days. (Isaiah 58:12, 13.)
32. -- All the holy prophets kept the seventh day.
33. -- When the Son of God came, He kept the seventh day all His life. (Luke 4:16; John 15:10.) Thus He followed His Father's example at creation. Shall we not be safe in following the example of both the Father and the Son?
34. -- The seventh day is the Lord's day. (See Revelation 1: 14; Mark 2:28; Isaiah 5 8:13; Exodus 20: 10.)
35. -- Jesus was Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), that is, to love and protect it, as the husband is the lord of the wife, to love and cherish her (1 Peter 3:6).
36. -- He vindicated the Sabbath as a merciful institution designed for man's good. (Mark 2:23-28.)
37. -- Instead of abolishing the Sabbath, He carefully taught how it should be observed. (Matthew 12:1-13.)
38. -- He taught His disciples that they should do nothing upon the Sabbath day but what was "lawful." (Matthew 12:12.)
39. -- He instructed His apostles that the Sabbath should be prayerfully regarded forty years after His resurrection. (Matthew 24:20.)
40. -- The pious women who had been with Jesus carefully kept the seventh day after His death. (Luke 23:56.)
41. -- Thirty years after Christ's resurrection, the Holy Spirit expressly calls it "the sabbath day." (Acts 13:14.)
42. -- Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, called it the "sabbath day" in A.D. 45. (Acts 13:27.) Did not Paul know? Or shall we believe modem teachers, who affirm that it ceased to be the Sabbath at the resurrection of Christ?
43. -- Luke, the inspired Christian historian, writing as late as A.D. 62, calls it the "sabbath day." (Acts 13:44.)
44. -- The Gentile converts called it the Sabbath. (Acts 13:42.)
45. -- In the great Christian council, A.D. 49, in the presence of the apostles and

p 3 -- thousands of disciples, James calls it the "sabbath day." (Acts 15:21.)
46. -- It was customary to hold prayer meetings upon that day. (Acts 16:13.)
47. -- Paul read the Scriptures in public meetings on that day. (Acts 17:2, 3.)
48. -- It was his custom to preach upon that day. (Acts 17:2, 3.)
49. -- The Book of Acts alone gives a record of his holding eighty-four meetings upon that day. (See Acts 13:14, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4, 11.)
50. -- There was never any dispute between the Christians and the Jews about the Sabbath day. This is proof that the Christians still observed the same day that the Jews did.
51. -- In all their accusations against Paul, they never charged him with disregarding the Sabbath day. Why did they not, if he did not keep it?
52. -- But Paul himself expressly declared that he had kept the law. "Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all." (Acts 25:8). How could this be true if he had not kept the Sabbath?
53. -- The Sabbath is mentioned in the New Testament fifty-nine times, and always with respect, bearing the same title it had in the Old Testament, "the sabbath day."
54. -- Not a word is said anywhere in the New Testament about the Sabbath's being abolished, done away, changed, or anything of the kind.
55. -- God has never given permission to any man to work upon it. Reader, by what authority do you use the seventh day for common labor?
56. -- No Christian of the New Testament, either before or after the resurrection, ever did ordinary work upon the seventh day. Find one case of that kind, and we will yield the question. Why should modem Christians do differently from Bible Christians?
57. -- There is no record that God has ever removed His blessing or sanctification from the seventh day.
58. -- As the Sabbath was kept in Eden before the fall, so it will be observed eternally in the new earth after the restitution. (Isaiah 66:22, 23.)
59. -- The seventh-day Sabbath was an important part of the law of God, as it came from His own mouth, and was written by His own finger upon stone at Sinai. (See Exodus 20.) When Jesus began His work, He expressly declared that He had not come to destroy the law. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets." Matthew 5:17.
60. -- Jesus severely condemned the Pharisees as hypocrites for pretending to love God, while at the same time they made void one of the Ten Commandments by their tradition. The keeping of Sunday is only a tradition of men.

Three points to consider after going through this study:

The Sabbath has been from eternity in heaven; God gave it to us at creation, he reaffirmed it through all the patriarchs and prophets through the Old Testament and to his chosen people. He reaffirmed it with his own Son Jesus Christ and through the Apostles all through the New Testament and, as we have already read in the Study from Isaiah, it will be continued in heaven at the end of time and for eternity. So, with all this evidence through thousands of years of history and the fact that we can find no biblical proof of a change, the question is - Why would any person believe God would change the day of worship for this short period of time only?

In the study of astronomy we are shown reasons for the existence of a Day, a Month, the four Seasons and a Year but there is no scientific reason for the existence of a Week -- EXCEPT THAT GOD INSTITUTED IT.

People say, "How can we tell which day is the Sabbath with all the calendar changes that have been made over the years." In looking at these calendar changes, such as the change from the Gregorian Calendar to the Julian Calendar, the numbering of the days has been changed, however, the weekly cycle has never been altered.         (Bible Study Guide - William Grotheer)

*******

Blessed and sanctified by God the Father, and by God who became the Son. Kept by the Son, who was God in the flesh.  So why do we even begin to imagine that this law is one that has no particular importance when it comes to its time-the day to honor it, to keep it holy? What gives us the right to discard that part of the law? Do we take the 'honor your mother and father' and add but only do it once in a while? Do we say 'do not steal', unless you really have to?  Do we believe that it's okay to commit adultery because it's what we want?  Have we the right to covet our neighbors goods? On and on we could go through all ten moral laws of God. And we can twist them accordingly to shape them into something acceptable to us, or we can take them as God's truth- holy and just- unchangeable as they were intended. 

The one who would think to change the times and the law- did he? We know he did. How many people do you know keep a Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday?  How many keep the entire Sabbath day holy? Count them. Maybe I'm wrong and you know a lot of people who do this, but I don't. There are millions and millions, and millions of people who do not keep God's law but instead keep a law man created to take the place of God's law, all the while calling it God's law. Deception! Lies! Where are the TRUTH KEEPERS?! Where are they?!  I'll tell you where they are… they are on a very narrow strait road.

By the grace of our LORD GOD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, more tomorrow!  In His LOVE!