The Ten Commandments encompass our entire life- either obeying or disobeying

I just reread yesterday's study and there is so much in there, so much to think about. Let's start at the beginning-

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33.

The beginning of this lesson speaks about God's righteousness. We go on to learn (BIBLICALLY) that God's righteousness is found in His ten moral laws- the Ten Commandments.  Further we discover that those Ten Commandments are interdependent upon one another, and much more spiritual than the mere reading of them at first implies. We discover that the whole of our lives- every act we commit is either in keeping with the Ten Commandments- the Righteousness of God, or not keeping the Ten Commandments, and therefore not partaking in the Righteousness of God.

If this sounds all wonky to you, please read the study from yesterday again (included at the end of my thoughts in this study) .  I see no point in simply re-writing (copying) what was already written. I'm basically summarizing and expounding on the main study.

Remember these verses- we recently studied them in some depth-

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.

Is it any wonder that the WHOLE duty of man is to Fear God, and keep his commandments? Is it any wonder that EVERY WORK, EVERY SECRET THING- good or evil will be brought into judgment?

If we are to SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS- what we are truly seeking, actively seeking- is to keep the Ten Commandments that reveal the righteousness of God.  Christ tells us more than once to 'keep his commandments', that the saints 'keep the commandments and have faith in Him'.

Joh_14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

IF

YOU

LOVE JESUS

YOU WILL KEEP

HIS COMMANDMENTS.

Did He say those words lightly as something to be dismissed?  What do you mean when you say to someone- If you love me….      You really mean if you love me, don't you?  Sure you can make a joke about that, telling your loved one if they love you they'll get you that drink from the kitchen.  But you won't mean it, you know they love you even if they don't get up and go get that drink.  But would you joke like this…  If you love me you'll have no other lovers.  Would that be just a joke to you, or something you really mean?

Christ wasn't joking when He said if we love Him we will keep His commandments. 

Seek first… seek first… 

Actively seek.  When you are seeking something you are actively out there looking, right? When you seek your glasses you aren't going to sit in one place and hope they magically appear.  If you lose your car keys you don't just look for them half-heartedly, do you? If you lost a child you'd stop at nothing looking everywhere for that child.  You seek earnestly for the things that are important to you.  If our Savior tells us to SEEK something first, before all other things, shouldn't we listen?

Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and we know His righteousness is found in His ten moral laws.

So we have to seek our SAVIOR and HIS way of life, the life that comes from following His laws- the laws of life.

In this study as mentioned above, those ten commandments truly do encompass our lives we are either living them or not living them at any given moment.

Is it true we are to love God and have no other God's before Him?

Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.

People will make their own bellies their god! If this is true, and it can not be otherwise, then what other things can people make their gods?  Any earthly thing minded more than heavenly thing is in danger of being a person's god, this is truth!

So when people claim to love only God and only have Him as their God and no other- could they be deceiving themselves? The truth could be they have many gods before God, minding many earthly things.

This lesson goes on to talk about our total inability to keep the law of God perfectly.  To read such truth without going on to the hope we have in Christ, can be a bit frightening. 

It's true our righteousness is as filthy rags.  We are to seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness-  Jesus tells us to do this, just as Jesus tells us if we love Him we will keep His commandments.  We know that our Savior would NOT ask the impossible of us.  He would make it POSSIBLE for us to do as He asks of us.  Seeking first the KINGDOM; if we LOVE HIM…  we cannot keep a single law without the love of CHRIST in us!  That thing we call being good and obeying the commandments mean nothing without Christ's love.

Tomorrow we are going to delve deeper into all this, by the grace of our LORD.

We have a good foundation here, a foundation built upon God's truth and only His truth. 

May we continue to study and seek Him first and foremost!  May He be our Righteousness!

All through His love, through His grace, through His mercy!

*******

(Yesterday's study - not expounded upon)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33.

The righteousness of God, says Jesus, is the one thing to be sought in this life.

Food and clothing are minor matters in comparison with it. God will supply them, as a matter of course, so that anxious care and worriment need not be expended on them; but TO SECURE GOD'S KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SHOULD BE THE ONLY OBJECT OF LIFE.

In 1 Cor. 1:30 we are told that Christ is made unto us righteousness as well as wisdom; and since Christ is the wisdom of God, and in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, it is evident that the righteousness which He is made to us is the righteousness of God. Let us see what this righteousness is.

(((1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption))))

In Ps. 119:172 the Psalmist thus addresses the Lord: "My tongue shall speak of Thy word; for all Thy commandments are righteousness." The commandments are righteousness, not simply in the abstract, but they are the righteousness of God. For proof read the following:—

Isa 51:6  Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Isa 51:7  Hearken unto me YE THAT KNOW RIGHTEOUSNESS THE PEOPLE IN WHOSE HEART IS MY LAW fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

What do we learn from this?—That they who know the righteousness of God are those in whose heart is His law, and therefore that the law of God is the righteousness of God.

This may be proved again, as follows:

"All unrighteousness is sin." 1 John 5:17.

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness; therefore sin and unrighteousness are identical. But if unrighteousness is transgression of the law, righteousness must be obedience to the law. Or, to put the proposition into mathematical form:—

Unrighteousness = sin. 1 John 5:17.

Transgression of the law = sin. 1 John 3:4.

Therefore, according to the axiom that two things that are equal to the same thing are  equal to each other, we have:—

Unrighteousness = transgression of the law which is a negative equation. The same thing, stated in positive terms, would be:—

Righteousness = obedience to the law.

Now what law is it obedience to which is righteousness and disobedience to which is sin? It is that law which says, "Thou shalt not covet;" for the apostle Paul tells us that this law convinced him of sin. Rom. 7:7.

(((Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.))))

The law of ten commandments, then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. There is, indeed, no other righteousness.

Since the law is the righteousness of God—a transcript of His character—it is easy to see that to fear God and keep His commandments is the whole duty of man. Eccl. 12:13.

Let no one think that his duty will be circumscribed if confined to the ten commandments, for they are "exceeding broad."

"The law is spiritual," and comprehends a great deal more than can be discerned by an ordinary reader.

"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2:14.  The exceeding breadth of the law of God can be realized only by those who have prayerfully meditated upon it. A few texts of Scripture will suffice to show us something of its breadth.

In the sermon on the mount Christ said: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,  Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Matt. 5:21, 22.

And again: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Verses 27, 28.

This does not mean that the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill," and, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," are imperfect, or that God now requires a greater degree of morality from Christians than He did from His people who were called Jews. He requires the same from all men in all ages. The Saviour simply explained these commandments and showed their spirituality. To the unspoken charge of the Pharisees, that He was ignoring and undermining the moral law, He replied by saying that He came for the purpose of establishing the law, and that it could not be abolished; and then He expounded the true meaning of the law in a way that convicted them of ignoring and disobeying it. He showed that even a look or a thought may be a violation of the law, and that it is indeed a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In this Christ did not reveal a new truth, but only brought to light and unfolded an old one. The law meant just as much when He proclaimed it from Sinai as when He expounded it on the mountain in Judea. When, in tones that shook the earth, He said, "Thou shalt not kill," He meant,  "Thou shalt not cherish anger in the heart; thou shalt not indulge in envy, nor strife, nor anything which is in the remotest degree akin to murder."

All this and much more is contained in the words, "Thou shalt not kill." And this was taught by the inspired words of the Old Testament; for Solomon showed that the law deals with things unseen as

well as things seen, when he wrote:—

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

The argument is this:

The judgment passes upon every secret thing; the law of God is the standard in the judgment,—it determines the quality of every act, whether good or evil; therefore, the law of God forbids evil in thought as well as in deed. So the conclusion of the whole matter is that the commandments of God contain the whole duty of man.

Take the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The apostle tells us of some "whose god is their belly." Phil. 3:19. But gluttony and intemperance are self-murder; and so we find that the first commandment runs through to the sixth. This is not all, however, for he also tells us that covetousness is idolatry.  Col. 3:5. The tenth commandment cannot be violated without violating the first and second. In other words, the tenth commandment coincides with the first; and we find that the Decalogue is a circle having a circumference as great as the universe, and containing within it the moral duty of every creature. In short, it is the measure of the righteousness of God, who inhabits eternity.

This being the case, the correctness of the statement that "the doers of the law shall be justified," is obvious. To justify means to make righteous, or to show one to be righteous. Now it is evident that perfect obedience to a perfectly righteous law would constitute one a righteous person. It was God's design that such obedience should be rendered to the law by all His creatures; and in this way the law was ordained unto life. Rom. 7:10.  But for one to be judged "a doer of the law" it would be necessary that he had kept the law in its fullest measure every moment of his life. If he had come short of this, he could not be said to have done the law. He could not be a doer of the law if he had done it only in part. It is a sad fact, therefore, that there are in all the human race no doers of the law, for both Jews and Gentiles are "all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth

good, no, not one." Rom. 3:9-12.

The law speaks to all who are within its sphere; and in all the world there is not one who can open his mouth to clear himself from the charge of sin which it brings against him. Every mouth is stopped, and all the world stands guilty before God (verse 19), "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (verse 23).

Therefore, although "the doers of the law shall be justified," it is just as evident that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Verse 20. The law, being "holy, and just, and good," cannot justify a sinner. In other words, a just law cannot declare that the one who violates it is innocent. A law that would justify a wicked man would be a wicked law. The law should not be reviled because it cannot justify sinners. On the contrary, it should be extolled on that account. The fact that the law will not declare sinners to be righteous,—that it will not say that men have kept it when they have violated it,—is in itself sufficient evidence that it is good. Men applaud an incorruptible earthly judge, one who cannot be bribed, and who will not declare a guilty man innocent. Surely, they ought to magnify the law of God, which will not bear false witness.

It is the perfection of righteousness, and therefore it is forced to declare the sad fact that not one of Adam's race has fulfilled its requirements. Moreover, the fact that to do the law is simply man's duty shows that when he has come short in single particular he can never make it up. The requirements of each precept of the law are so broad,—the whole law is so spiritual,— that an angel could render no more than simple obedience. Yea, more, the law is the righteousness of God,—a transcript of His character,—and since His character cannot be different from what it is, it follows that even God Himself cannot be better than the measure of goodness demanded by His law. He cannot be better than He is, and the law declares what He is. What hope, then, that one who has failed, in even one precept, can add enough extra goodness to make up the full measure? He who attempts to do that sets before himself the impossible task of being better than God requires, yea, even better than God Himself.

But it is not simply in one particular that men have failed. They have come short in every particular. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Not only so, but it is impossible for fallen man, with his weakened power, to do even a single act that is up to the perfect standard. This proposition needs no further proof than a restatement of the fact that the law is the measure of God's righteousness. Surely there are none so presumptuous as to claim that any act of their lives has been or could be as good as if done by the Lord Himself. Everyone must say with the Psalmist, "My goodness extendeth not to Thee." Ps. 16:2.

This fact is contained in direct statements of Scripture. Christ, who "needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:25), said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23.

In other words, it is easier to do wrong than it is to do right, and the things which a person naturally does are evil. Evil dwells within, and is a part of the being. Therefore, the apostle says, "The carnal [fleshly, natural] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Rom. 8:7, 8. And again: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Gal. 5:17. Since evil is a part of man's very nature, being inherited by each individual from a long line of sinful ancestors, it is very evident that whatever righteousness springs from him must be only like "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6), compared with the spotless robe of the righteousness of God.

The impossibility of good deeds proceeding from a sinful heart is thus forcibly illustrated by the Saviour: "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:44, 45. That is to say, a man cannot do good until he first becomes good. Therefore, deeds done by a sinful person have no effect whatever to make him righteous, but, on the contrary, coming from an evil heart, they are evil, and so add to the sum of his sinfulness. Only evil can come from an evil heart, and multiplied evil cannot make one good deed; therefore, it is useless for an evil person to think to become righteous by his own efforts. He must first be made righteous before he can do the good that is required of him, and which he wants to do.

The case, then, stands thus:

1. The law of God is perfect righteousness; and perfect conformity to it is demanded of everyone who shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

2. But the law has not a particle of righteousness to bestow upon any man, for all are sinners, and are unable to comply with its requirements. No matter how diligently nor how zealously a man works, nothing that he can do will meet the full measure of the law's demands. It is too high for him to attain to; he cannot obtain righteousness by the law. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified [made righteous] in His sight." What a deplorable condition! We must have the righteousness of the law or we cannot enter heaven, and yet the law has no righteousness for one of us.

It will not yield to our most persistent and energetic efforts the smallest portion of that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. Who, then, can be saved? Can there, then, be such a thing as a righteous person?—Yes, for the Bible often speaks of them. It speaks of Lot as "that righteous man;" it says, "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isa. 3:10), thus indicating that there will be righteous persons to receive the reward; and it plainly declares that there will be a righteous nation at the last, saying: "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." Isa. 26:1, 2. David says, "Thy law is the truth." Ps. 119:142. It is not only truth, but it is the sum of all truth; consequently, the nation that keeps the truth will be a nation that keeps the law of God. Such will be doers of His will, and they shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 7:21.--

Christ and His Righteousness - E. G. Waggoner 

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

*******

Seek ... His Righteousness

Christ and His Righteousness - E. G. Waggoner

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt. 6:33.

The righteousness of God, says Jesus, is the one thing to be sought in this life. Food and clothing are minor matters in comparison with it. God will supply them, as a matter of course, so that anxious care and worriment need not be expended on them; but to secure God's kingdom and His righteousness should be the only object of life.

In 1 Cor. 1:30 we are told that Christ is made unto us righteousness as well as wisdom; and since Christ is the wisdom of God, and in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, it is evident that the righteousness which He is made to us is the righteousness of God. Let us see what this righteousness is.

In Ps. 119:172 the Psalmist thus addresses the Lord: "My tongue shall speak of Thy word; for all Thy commandments are righteousness." The commandments are righteousness, not simply in the abstract, but they are the righteousness of God. For proof read the following:—

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither b ye afraid of their revilings."
Isa. 51:6, 7.

What do we learn from this?—That they who know the righteousness of God are those in whose heart is His law, and therefore that the law of God is the righteousness of God.

This may be proved again, as follows:

"All unrighteousness is sin." 1 John 5:17.

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

Sin is the transgression of the law, and it is also unrighteousness; therefore sin and unrighteousness are identical. But if unrighteousness is transgression of the law, righteousness must be obedience to the law. Or, to put the proposition into mathematical form:—

Unrighteousness = sin. 1 John 5:17.
Transgression of the law = sin. 1 John 3:4.

Therefore, according to the axiom that two things that are equal to the same thing are  equal to each other, we have:—

Unrighteousness = transgression of the law which is a negative equation. The same thing, stated in positive terms, would be:—

Righteousness = obedience to the law.

Now what law is it obedience to which is righteousness and disobedience to which is sin? It is that law which says, "Thou shalt not covet;" for the apostle Paul tells us that this law convinced him of sin. Rom. 7:7.

The law of ten commandments, then, is the measure of the righteousness of God. Since it is the law of God, and is righteousness, it must be the righteousness of God. There is, indeed, no other righteousness.

Since the law is the righteousness of God—a transcript of His character—it is easy to see that to fear God and keep His commandments is the whole duty of man. Eccl. 12:13.

Let no one think that his duty will be circumscribed if confined to the ten commandments, for they are "exceeding broad."

"The law is spiritual," and comprehends a great deal more than can be discerned by an ordinary reader.

"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2:14.  The exceeding breadth of the law of God can be Christ And His Righteousness, realized only by those who have prayerfully meditated upon it. A few texts of Scripture will suffice to show us something of its breadth.

In the sermon on the mount Christ said: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,  Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Matt. 5:21, 22.

And again: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Verses 27, 28.

This does not mean that the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill," and, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," are imperfect, or that God now requires a greater degree of morality from Christians than He did from His people who were called Jews. He requires the same from all men in all ages. The Saviour simply explained these commandments and showed their spirituality. To the unspoken charge of the Pharisees, that He was ignoring and undermining the moral law, He replied by saying that He came for the purpose of establishing the law, and that it could not be abolished; and then He expounded the true meaning of the law in a way that convicted them of ignoring and disobeying it. He showed that even a look or a thought may be a violation of the law, and that it is indeed a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In this Christ did not reveal a new truth, but only brought to light and unfolded an old one. The law meant just as much when He proclaimed it from Sinai as when He expounded it on the mountain in Judea. When, in tones that shook the earth, He said, "Thou shalt not kill," He meant,  "Thou shalt not cherish anger in the heart; thou shalt not indulge in envy, nor strife, nor anything which is in the remotest degree akin to murder."

All this and much more is contained in the words, "Thou shalt not kill." And this was taught by the inspired words of the Old Testament; for Solomon showed that the law deals with things unseen as
well as things seen, when he wrote:—

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

The argument is this:

The judgment passes upon every secret thing; the law of God is the standard in the judgment,—it determines the quality of every act, whether good or evil; therefore, the law of God forbids evil in thought as well as in deed. So the conclusion of the whole matter is that the commandments of God contain the whole duty of man.

Take the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The apostle tells us of some "whose god is their belly." Phil. 3:19. But gluttony and intemperance are self-murder; and so we find that the first commandment runs through to the sixth. This is not all, however, for he also tells us that covetousness is idolatry.  Col. 3:5. The tenth commandment cannot be violated without violating the first and second. In other words, the tenth commandment coincides with the first; and we find that the Decalogue is a circle having a circumference as great as the universe, and containing within it the moral duty of every creature. In short, it is the measure of the righteousness of God, who inhabits eternity.

This being the case, the correctness of the statement that "the doers of the law shall be justified," is obvious. To justify means to make righteous, or to show one to be righteous. Now it is evident that perfect obedience to a perfectly righteous law would constitute one a righteous person. It was God's design that such obedience should be rendered to the law by all His creatures; and in this way the law was ordained unto life. Rom. 7:10.  But for one to be judged "a doer of the law" it would be necessary that he had kept the law in its fullest measure every moment of his life. If he had come short of this, he could not be said to have done the law. He could not be a doer of the law if he had done it only in part. It is a sad fact, therefore, that there are in all the human race no doers of the law, for both Jews and Gentiles are "all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth
good, no, not one." Rom. 3:9-12.

The law speaks to all who are within its sphere; and in all the world there is not one who can open his mouth to clear himself from the charge of sin which it brings against him. Every mouth is stopped, and all the world stands guilty before God (verse 19), "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (verse 23).

Therefore, although "the doers of the law shall be justified," it is just as evident that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Verse 20. The law, being "holy, and just, and good," cannot justify a sinner. In other words, a just law cannot declare that the one who violates it is innocent. A law that would justify a wicked man would be a wicked law. The law should not be reviled because it cannot justify sinners. On the contrary, it should be extolled on that account. The fact that the law will not declare sinners to be righteous,—that it will not say that men have kept it when they have violated it,—is in itself sufficient evidence that it is good. Men applaud an incorruptible earthly judge, one who cannot be bribed, and who will not declare a guilty man innocent. Surely, they ought to magnify the law of God, which will not bear false witness.

It is the perfection of righteousness, and therefore it is forced to declare the sad fact that not one of Adam's race has fulfilled its requirements. Moreover, the fact that to do the law is simply man's duty shows that when he has come short in single particular he can never make it up. The requirements of each precept of the law are so broad,—the whole law is so spiritual,— that an angel could render no more than simple obedience. Yea, more, the law is the righteousness of God,—a transcript of His character,—and since His character cannot be different from what it is, it follows that even God Himself cannot be better than the measure of goodness demanded by His law. He cannot be better than He is, and the law declares what He is. What hope, then, that one who has failed, in even one precept, can add enough extra goodness to make up the full measure? He who attempts to do that sets before himself the impossible task of being better than God requires, yea, even better than God Himself.

But it is not simply in one particular that men have failed. They have come short in every particular. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Not only so, but it is impossible for fallen man, with his weakened power, to do even a single act that is up to the perfect standard. This proposition needs no further proof than a restatement of the fact that the law is the measure of God's righteousness. Surely there are none so presumptuous as to claim that any act of their lives has been or could be as good as if done by the Lord Himself. Everyone must say with the Psalmist, "My goodness extendeth not to Thee." Ps. 16:2.

This fact is contained in direct statements of Scripture. Christ, who "needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:25), said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23.

In other words, it is easier to do wrong than it is to do right, and the things which a person naturally does are evil. Evil dwells within, and is a part of the being. Therefore, the apostle says, "The carnal [fleshly, natural] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Rom. 8:7, 8. And again: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Gal. 5:17. Since evil is a part of man's very nature, being inherited by each individual from a long line of sinful ancestors, it is very evident that whatever righteousness springs from him must be only like "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6), compared with the spotless robe of the righteousness of God.

The impossibility of good deeds proceeding from a sinful heart is thus forcibly illustrated by the Saviour: "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:44, 45. That is to say, a man cannot do good until he first becomes good. Therefore, deeds done by a sinful person have no effect whatever to make him righteous, but, on the contrary, coming from an evil heart, they are evil, and so add to the sum of his sinfulness. Only evil can come from an evil heart, and multiplied evil cannot make one good deed; therefore, it is useless for an evil person to think to become righteous by his own efforts. He must first be made righteous before he can do the good that is required of him, and which he wants to do.

The case, then, stands thus:

1. The law of God is perfect righteousness; and perfect conformity to it is demanded of everyone who shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

2. But the law has not a particle of righteousness to bestow upon any man, for all are sinners, and are unable to comply with its requirements. No matter how diligently nor how zealously a man works, nothing that he can do will meet the full measure of the law's demands. It is too high for him to attain to; he cannot obtain righteousness by the law. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified [made righteous] in His sight." What a deplorable condition! We must have the righteousness of the law or we cannot enter heaven, and yet the law has no righteousness for one of us.

It will not yield to our most persistent and energetic efforts the smallest portion of that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. Who, then, can be saved? Can there, then, be such a thing as a righteous person?—Yes, for the Bible often speaks of them. It speaks of Lot as "that righteous man;" it says, "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isa. 3:10), thus indicating that there will be righteous persons to receive the reward; and it plainly declares that there will be a righteous nation at the last, saying: "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." Isa. 26:1, 2. David says, "Thy law is the truth." Ps. 119:142. It is not only truth, but it is the sum of all truth; consequently, the nation that keeps the truth will be a nation that keeps the law of God. Such will be doers of His will, and they shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 7:21.--

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By the grace of God we will discuss this tomorrow…. Please, read it more than once if you can. There is TRUTH here, truth that Satan does not want us to have. He wants as far from the Righteousness of Christ as he can get us.

Please Lord, help us! Save us! Keep us in YOU and YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS! We have no righteousness at all when we don't have You in us. You are Our Righteousness!

By Your LOVE.

The Law of the LORD is perfect

Yesterday we studied the truth that Christ was the GIVER of the Ten Commandments.  The Biblical proof is irrefutable.  

Christ our Savior is the  LAW GIVER.

Christ our Savior wrote the TEN COMMANDMENTS.

People shake their heads when they hear it but it's the TRUTH. 

Does it make a difference whether it was God the Father or God the Son who gave us the Ten Commandments? 

It does make a difference. Why? Because when you realize that it was Christ, God who took on flesh and became one of us- HUMAN- who wrote those Ten Commandments on the two tablets of stone with His own finger, then you have to know that He would NEVER destroy those ten moral laws, never.  They were set in stone!

Mat_5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

He didn't come to destroy the law, or the prophets.

So many believe that's exactly what He came to do. That He came to tear down those Ten Commandments and make them unimportant, make them take a backseat to something else.  Unfortunately people have called that something else love and therefore have taken the love out of the Ten Moral Laws.  We were given those Ten Moral Commandments out of LOVE, pure love.  That love will endure forever! 

Our Savior said this--

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

He did NOT say He was replacing the old Ten Moral laws.  You can ADD to something when you say you have a NEW something, right? I have a new pair of shoes- that means I'm adding to my shoes not getting rid of them all but the new ones.  I can ADD to a list, that doesn't mean I'm getting rid of everything else on the list.   Christ has a new commandment- and it's NEW because He took on flesh and dwelt among us revealing His love to us PERSONALLY, with a person experience, HE was a personal EXAMPLE of that love and He wants us to LOVE as HE LOVED and when He loved HE kept every single one of the Ten Moral commandments that He gave at Mount Sinai.

We are to LOVE as He LOVED and in doing that we are automatically keepers of His commandments.

Wherever the New Testament talks about the old law and doing away with it, it is NOT referring to the Ten Moral laws, but rather the ceremonial law that was an example to the true- Chris t and His Sacrifice- no other sacrificial system, no ceremonial system of laws could ever survive once the One, the True, the Holiest of Holy Sacrifices was made- Christ our Sacrifice.

To get rid of the Ten Moral laws would mean they were somehow not perfect, but the law is perfect as the One who gave it, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psa_19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

We have to remember this--

Joh_14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

More tomorrow by the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

The commandments of God and Jesus, the Father and the Son, God the Father, God the Son, are the same, they are in one agreement. There isn't a harsh Father and lenient Son,  they agree as one.

Please Lord help us, guide us, keep us in You, in Your truth always! Let us love your commandments as You would have us love them and keep them as you would have us keep them all through YOU, all through the Holy Spirit.

In Your love!

Christ is the Giver of the Ten Commandments

Christ and His Righteousness - E.G. Waggoner

Christ the Lawgiver

'For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.  Isaiah 33:22.

We have now to consider Christ in another character, yet not another. It is one that naturally results from His position as Creator, for the One who creates must certainly have authority to guide and control.

We read in John 5:22, 23 the words of Christ, that “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.” As Christ is the manifestation of the Father in creation, so is He the manifestation of the Father in giving and executing the law. A few texts of Scripture will suffice to prove this.

In Numbers 21:4-6 we have the partial record of an incident that took place while the children of Israel were in the wilderness. Let us read it. “And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom; and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.” The people spoke against God and against Moses, saying, Why have ye brought us up into the wilderness? They found fault with their Leader. This is why they were destroyed by serpents. Now read the words of the apostle Paul concerning this same event:

“Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.” 1 Cor. 10:9.

What does this prove? That the Leader against whom they were murmuring was Christ.

This is further proved by the fact that when Moses cast in his lot with Israel, refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Heb. 11:26.

Read also 1 Cor. 10:4, where Paul says that the fathers “did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ.” So, then, Christ was the Leader of Israel from Egypt.

The third chapter of Hebrews makes clear this same fact. Here we are told to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful in all His house, not as a servant, but as a Son over His own house. Verses 1-6. Then we are told that we are His house if we hold fast our confidence to the end. Wherefore we are exhorted by the Holy Ghost to hear His voice and not to harden our hearts, as the fathers did in the wilderness. “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end; while it is said, Today if ye will hear His [Christ's] voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke; howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

But with whom was he [Christ] grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? Verses 14-17. Here again Christ is set forth as the Leader and Commander of Israel in their forty years' sojourn in the wilderness.

The same thing is shown in Josh. 5:13-15, where we are told that the man whom Joshua saw by Jericho, having a sword drawn in his hand, in response to Joshua's question, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” said, “Nay; but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.” Indeed, no one will be found to dispute that Christ was the real Leader of Israel, although invisible.

Moses, the visible leader of Israel, “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” It was Christ who commissioned Moses to go and deliver His people. Now read Ex. 20:1-3:

“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Who spoke these words? The One who brought them from Egypt. And who was the Leader of Israel from Egypt? It was Christ. Then who spoke the law from Mt. Sinai? It was Christ, the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His Person, who is the manifestation of God to man. It was the Creator of all created things and the One to whom all judgment has been committed.

This point may be proved in another way. When the Lord comes, it will be with a shout (1 Thess. 4:16), which will pierce the tombs and arouse the dead (John 5:28, 29). “The Lord shall roar from on high and utter His voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations; he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.” Jer. 25:30, 3. Comparing this with Rev. 19:11-21, where Christ as the Leader of the armies of heaven, the Word of God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, goes forth to tread the wine- press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God, destroying all the wicked, we find that it is Christ who roars from His habitation against all the inhabitants of the earth, when He has His controversy with the nations. Joel adds another point, when he says, “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake.” Joel 3:16.

From these texts, to which others might be added, we learn that in connection with the coming of the Lord to deliver His people, He speaks with a voice that shakes the earth and the heavens--“the earth shall reel to and from like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage” (Isa. 24:20), and “the heavens shall pass away with a great noise” (2 Peter 3:10). Now read Heb. 12:25,26:

See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh; for if they escaped not who refused Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven; whose voice then shook the earth; but now He hath promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”

The time when the Voice speaking on earth shook the earth was when the law was spoken from Sinai (Ex. 19:18-20; Heb. 12:18- 20), an event that for awfulness has never had a parallel and never will have until the Lord comes with all the angels of heaven to save His people. But note: The same voice that then shook the earth will, in the coming time, shake not only earth, but heaven also, and we have seen that it is the voice of Christ that will sound with such volume as to shake heaven and earth when He has His controversy with the nations. Therefore it is demonstrated that it was the voice of Christ that was heard from Sinai, proclaiming the ten commandments. This is no more than would naturally be concluded from what we have learned concerning Christ as Creator and the Maker of the Sabbath. Indeed, the fact that Christ is a part of the Godhead, possessing all the attributes of Divinity, being the equal of the Father in all respects, as Creator and Lawgiver, is the only force there is in the atonement. It is this alone which makes redemption a possibility. Christ died “that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18), but if He lacked one iota of being equal to God, He could not bring us to Him. Divinity means having the attributes of Deity. If Christ were not Divine, then we should have only a human sacrifice. It matters not, even if it be granted that Christ was the highest created intelligence in the universe; in that case He would be a subject, owing allegiance to the law, without ability to do any more than His own duty. He could have no righteousness to impart to others. There is an infinite distance between the highest angel ever created and God; therefore, the highest angel could not lift fallen man up and make him partaker of the Divine nature. Angels can minister; God only can redeem. Thanks be to God that we are saved “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and who is, therefore, able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him.

This truth helps to a more perfect understanding of the reason why Christ is called the Word of God. He is the One through whom the Divine will and the Divine power are made known to men. He is, so to speak, the mouth-piece of Divinity, the manifestation of the Godhead. He declares or makes God known to man. It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell; and therefore the Father is not relegated to a secondary position, as some imagine, when Christ is exalted as Creator and Lawgiver, for the glory of the Father shines through the Son. Since God is known only through Christ, it is evident that the Father cannot be honored as He ought to be honored, by those who do not exalt Christ. As Christ Himself said, “He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.” John 5:23. Is it asked how Christ could be the Mediator between God and man and also the Lawgiver? We have not to explain how it can be but only to accept the Scripture record that it is so. And the fact that it is so is that which gives strength to the doctrine of the atonement. The sinner's surety of full and free pardon lies in the fact that the Lawgiver Himself, the One against whom he has rebelled and whom he has defied, is the One who gave Himself for us. How is it possible for anyone to doubt the honesty of God's purpose or His perfect good-will to men, when He gave Himself for their redemption? for let it not be imagined that the Father and the Son were separated in this transaction. They were one in this, as in everything else. The counsel of peace was between them both (Zech. 6:12, 13), and even while here on earth the only-begotten Son was in the bosom of the Father.

What a wonderful manifestation of love! The Innocent suffered for the guilty; the Just for the unjust; the Creator for the creature; the Maker of the law for the transgressor against the law; the King for his rebellious subjects. Since God spared not His own Son but freely delivered Him up for us all--Since Christ voluntarily gave Himself for us--how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?

Infinite Love could find no greater manifestation of itself. Well may the Lord say, “What could have been done more to My vineyard that I have not done in it?”

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My thoughts-

All I'm going to say on this tonight is this… read this again, and again if needed.  There is TRUTH being spoken in these words. There is TRUTH that Satan does NOT want any of us to hear or believe!

Please Lord, please help us to know your TRUTH and LIVE your TRUTH! 

By the grace of God we will discuss this tomorrow, but for now… please...please reread the above.

In the LOVE OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOR!

We must bring ourselves to the table of the Lord before we can eat

Christ and His Righteousness   -  E.G. Waggoner

'Important Practical Lessons

It is not merely as a beautiful theory, a mere dogma, that we should consider Christ as God and Creator. Every doctrine of the Bible is for our practical benefit and should be studied for that purpose. Let us first see what relation this doctrine sustains to the central commandment of the law of God. In Genesis 2:1-3 we find these words closing the record of creation, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all His work which God created and made.” The Jewish translation renders the text more literally thus, “Thus were finished the heavens and the earth and all their host. And God had finished on the seventh day His work which He had made,” etc. This is the same that we find in the fourth commandment, Ex. 20:8- 11.

In this we find, what is most natural, that the same Being who created, rested. He who worked six days in creating the earth, rested on the seventh and blessed and sanctified it. But we have already learned that God the Father created the worlds by his son Jesus Christ and that Christ created everything that has an existence. Therefore the conclusion is inevitable that Christ rested on that first seventh day at the close of the six days of creation and that he blessed and sanctified it.

Thus the seventh day--the Sabbath--is most emphatically the Lord's day. When Jesus said to the carping Pharisees, “For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day” (Matt. 12:8), He declared His lordship of the identical day which they had so scrupulously observed in form, and He did this in words which show that He regarded it as His badge of authority, as demonstrating the fact that He was greater than the temple.

Thus the seventh day is the Divinely appointed memorial of creation. It is the most honored of all days, since its especial mission is to bring to mind the creative power of God, which is the one proof to man of His Divinity.

And so when Christ said that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day, He claimed a high distinction--nothing less than being the Creator, of whose Divinity that day stands as a memorial.

What shall we say, then, to the suggestion often made, that Christ changed the day of the Sabbath from a day which commemorates completed creation to one which has no such significance?

Simply this, that for Christ to change or abolish the Sabbath would be to destroy that which calls to mind His Divinity.

If Christ had abolished the Sabbath, He would have undone the work of His own hands and thus have worked against Himself, and a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. But Christ “cannot deny Himself,” and therefore He did not change one jot of that which He Himself appointed and which, by testifying to His Divinity, shows Him to be worthy of honor above all the gods of the heathen. It would have been as impossible for Christ to change the Sabbath as it would have been to change the fact that He created all things in six days and rested on the seventh.

Again, the oft-repeated declarations that the Lord is Creator are intended as a source of strength. Notice how creation and redemption are connected in the first chapter of Colossians. To get the point fully before us, we will read verses 9-19:

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins; who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of every creature; for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell.

It is not an accident that the wonderful declaration concerning Christ as Creator is connected with the statement that in Him we have redemption. No. When the apostle makes known his desire that we should be “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power,” he lets us know what that glorious power is. When he tells us about being delivered from the power of darkness, he lets us know something of the power of the Deliverer. It is for our comfort that we are told that the head of the church is the Creator of all things. We are told that he upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3), in order that we may rest in the assurance that “The Hand which bears all nature up/Shall guard His children well.”

Note the connection of Isa. 40:26. The chapter presents the wonderful wisdom and power of Christ, in calling all the host of heaven by names and in keeping them all in their places, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, and then inquires, “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.” On the contrary, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” His power is, in fact, the ability to create everything from nothing; therefore, He can work wonders through those who have no strength. He can bring strength out of weakness. Surely, then, anything which serves to keep before the mind the creative power of Christ must tend to renew our spiritual strength and courage.

And this is just the design of the Sabbath. Read the ninety-second psalm, which is entitled a psalm of the Sabbath-day. The first four verses are these:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High; to show forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

What has this to do with the Sabbath? Just this: The Sabbath is the memorial of creation. Says the Lord: “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Eze. 20:12. The Psalmist kept the Sabbath as God designed that it should be kept--in meditating upon creation and the wondrous power and goodness of God displayed therein. And then, thinking of that, he realized that the God who clothes the lilies with a glory surpassing that of Solomon cares far more for His intelligent creatures, and as he looked at the heavens, which show the power and glory of God, and realized that they were brought into existence from nothing, the encouraging thought would come to him that this same power would work in him to deliver him from human infirmity. Therefore he was glad, and he triumphed in the work of God's hands. The knowledge of God's power which came to him through a contemplation of creation, filled him with courage, as he realized that the same power was at his disposal, and, grasping that power by faith, he gained victories through it. And this is the design of the sabbath; it is to bring man to a saving knowledge of God.

The argument, concisely stated, is this:

1. Faith in God is begotten by a knowledge of His power; to distrust Him implies ignorance of His ability to perform His promises; our faith in Him must be in proportion to our real knowledge of His power.
2. An intelligent contemplation of God's creation gives us a true conception of His power, for His eternal power and Godhead are understood by the things which He has made. Rom. 1:20.
3. It is faith that gives victory (1 John 5:4); therefore, since faith comes by learning the power of God from His word and from the things that He has made, we gain the victory or triumph through the works of His hands.

The Sabbath, therefore, which is the memorial of creation, is, if properly observed, a source of the Christian's greatest reinforcement in battle.

This is the import of Ezekiel 20:12. “Moreover, also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” That is, knowing that our sanctification is the will of God (1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23, 24), we learn, by means of the Sabbath, properly used, what the power of God is that is exerted for our sanctification. The same power that was put forth to create the worlds is put forth for the sanctification of those who yield themselves to the will of God. Surely this thought, when fully grasped, must bring joy and comfort in God to the earnest soul. In the light of this, we can appreciate the force of Isaiah 58:13, 14:

If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; 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; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

That is, if the Sabbath is kept according to God's plan, as a memorial of His creative power, as bringing to mind the Divine power that is put forth for the salvation of His people, the soul, triumphing in the work of His hands, must delight itself in the Lord. And so the Sabbath is the grand fulcrum for the lever of faith, which lifts the soul to the heights of God's throne, to hold communion with Him.

To put the matter in few words, it may be stated thus: The eternal power and Godhead of the Lord are revealed in creation. Rom. 1:20. It is the ability to create that measures the power of God. But the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Rom. 1:16. Therefore the Gospel simply reveals to us the power which was used to bring the worlds into existence, now exerted for the salvation of men. It is the same power in each case.

In the light of this great truth, there is no room for the controversy about redemption being greater than creation, because redemption is creation. See 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24.

(((2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. ))))

The power of redemption is the power of creation; the power of God unto salvation is the power which can take human nothingness and make of it that which shall be throughout eternal ages to the praise of the glory of the grace of God. “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” 1 Peter 4:19.'

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My Thoughts-

People like to imagine that the God of the Old Testament was left behind when Jesus of the New Testament did away with all the old laws and standards, the strictness and severity, the punishment and accountability. People will hold Jesus up in their lives as if He is a liberator from God. When people FAIL to realize that it was Jesus with God at Creation and Mount Sinai who brought all these things into being, they limit Jesus' power.  Divorcing Jesus from God is IMPOSSIBLE, but people do it all the time as they point to the sermon on the mount and smile, while stomping on the ten moral laws with vicious scowls.  The same mind that brought into being those ten moral laws was in Christ as He spoke the sermon on the mount.  They came from the same being!  To believe that Christ could do wrong in giving His law so that He'd need to destroy that law, is to lose the truth!

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
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.
Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Does this sound as if Jesus was against the law, the commandments, the written commandments?

Jesus told the man the man keeping the commandments that he lacked one thing… he needed to sell all that he had, give it to the poor, and then follow Jesus.

Luk 18:18  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luk 18:19  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Luk 18:20  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luk 18:21  And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luk 18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luk 18:23  And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
Luk 18:24  And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Luk 18:25  For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Luk 18:26  And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
Luk 18:27  And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

What was Jesus telling that man who kept all the commandments?  He was telling him that keeping the commandments alone without the SELFLESS love they were created to promote would not give him eternal life. Jesus was telling that man to keep on keeping the commandments and add one thing, give up all worldly wealth and follow Him.  Jesus knew that the wealth the man had consumed him, that it was more important to him than the will of God which is for us to LOVE God and LOVE our fellow man.  That man was more interested in taking care of himself than helping others.  When self is first, God is last and God NEEDS to be first.

The Creator of the commandments is our Redeemer, the Creator of our salvation.

Truly this knowledge needs to be refreshed every Sabbath day.  As a plant needing water, we NEED to keep the Sabbath as God intended us to keep the Sabbath in order to be His.  We can starve ourselves spiritually and that will result in spiritual decay and ultimate death. Or we can feed ourselves spiritually and that will result in spiritual life and ultimate eternal life.   When I say feed ourselves I mean- bring ourselves to the fount of which we MUST, the living waters of Christ.  We must bring ourselves to the table of the Bread of Life of Christ.  The table is set, the food and drink have been prepared but we must come in and sup with Him, He will not force us to sit at His table.

By His LOVE, His GRACE, His MERCY, His FORGIVENESS, His RIGHTEOUSNESS ALWAYS! May the LORD JESUS CHRIST bless us all!

With what flesh was Christ born?

Christ and His Righteousness - E.G. Waggoner

'God Manifest in the Flesh

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14.”

No words could more plainly show that Christ was both God and man. Originally only Divine, He took upon Himself human nature and passed among men as only a common mortal, except at those times when His Divinity flashed through, as on the occasion of the cleansing of the temple or when His burning words of simple truth forced even His enemies to confess that “never man spake like this man.”

The humiliation which Christ voluntarily took upon Himself is best expressed by Paul to the Philippians. “Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being originally in the form of God counted it not a thing to be grasped [that is, to be clung to] to be on an equality with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8, Revised Version, marginal reading.

The above rendering makes this text much more plain than it is in the common version. The idea is that, although Christ was in the form of God, being “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person” (Heb. 1:3), having all the attributes of God, being the Ruler of the universe, and the One whom all Heaven delighted to honor, He did not think that any of these things were to be desired, so long as men were lost and without strength. He could not enjoy His glory while man was an outcast, without hope. So He emptied Himself, divested Himself of all His riches and His glory, and took upon Himself the nature of man, in order that He might redeem him. And so we may reconcile Christ's unity with the Father with the statement, “My Father is greater than I.”

It is impossible for us to understand how Christ could, as God, humble Himself to the death of the cross, and it is worse than useless for us to speculate about it. All we can do is to accept the facts as they are presented in the Bible. If the reader finds it difficult to harmonize some of the statements in the Bible concerning the nature of Christ, let him remember that it would be impossible to express it in terms that would enable finite minds to grasp it fully. Just as the grafting of the Gentiles into the stock of Israel is contrary to nature, so much of the Divine economy is a paradox to human understanding.

Other scriptures that we will quote bring closer to us the fact of the humanity of Christ and what it means for us. We have already read that “the Word was made flesh,” and now we will read what Paul says concerning the nature of that flesh: “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:3, 4.

A little thought will be sufficient to show anybody that if Christ took upon Himself the likeness of man in order that He might redeem man, it must have been sinful man that He was made like, for it is sinful man that He came to redeem. Death could have no power over a sinless man, as Adam was in Eden, and it could not have had any power over Christ, if the Lord had not laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Moreover, the fact that Christ took upon Himself the flesh, not of a sinless being, but of a sinful man, that is, that the flesh which He assumed had all the weaknesses and sinful tendencies to which fallen human nature is subject, is shown by the statement that He “was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” David had all the passions of human nature. He says of himself, “Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Ps. 51:5.

The following statement in the book of Hebrews is very clear on this point:

For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. [“For verily not of angels doth He take hold, but He taketh hold of the seed of Abraham.” Revised Version.] Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted. Heb. 2:16-18

If He was made in all things like unto His brethren, then He must have suffered all the infirmities and been subject to all the temptations of His brethren. Two more texts that put this matter very forcibly will be sufficient evidence on this point. We first quote 2 Cor. 5:21:

For He [God] hath made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

This is much stronger than the statement that He was made “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” He was made to be sin. Here is the same mystery as that the son of God should die. The spotless Lamb of God, who knew no sin, was made to be sin. Sinless, yet not only counted as a sinner but actually taking upon Himself sinful nature. He was made to be sin in order that we might be made righteousness. So Paul says to the Galatians that “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Gal. 4:4,5.

“In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.” “For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 2:18; 4:15, 16.

One more point and then we can learn the entire lesson that we should learn from the fact that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” How was it that Christ could be thus “compassed with infirmity” (Heb. 5:2) and still know no sin? Some may have thought, while reading thus far, that we were depreciating the character of Jesus by bringing Him down to the level of sinful man. On the contrary, we are simply exalting the “Divine power” of our blessed Saviour, who Himself voluntarily descended to the level of sinful man in order that He might exalt man to His own spotless purity, which He retained under the most adverse circumstances. His humanity only veiled His Divine nature, by which He was inseparably connected with the invisible God and which was more than able successfully to resist the weaknesses of the flesh. There was in His whole life a struggle. The flesh, moved upon by the enemy of all righteousness, would tend to sin, yet His Divine nature never for a moment harbored an evil desire nor did His Divine power for a moment waver. Having suffered in the flesh all that men can possibly suffer, He returned to the throne of the Father as spotless as when He left the courts of glory. When He lay in the tomb, under the power of death, “it was impossible that he should be holden of it,” because he “knew no sin.”

But someone will say, “I don't see any comfort in this for me. To be sure, I have an example, but I can't follow it, for I haven't the power that Christ had. He was God even while here on earth; I am but a man.” Yes, but you may have the same power that He had if you want it. He was “compassed with infirmity,” yet He “did no sin,” because of the Divine power constantly dwelling within Him. Now listen to the inspired words of the apostle Paul and learn what it is our privilege to have:

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph. 3:14-19.

Who could ask for more? Christ, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, may dwell in our hearts so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. What a wonderful promise! He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmity.” That is, having suffered all that sinful flesh is heir to, He knows all about it and so closely does He identify Himself with His children that whatever presses upon them makes a like impression upon Him and He knows how much Divine power is necessary to resist it, and if we but sincerely desire to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” He is able and anxious to give to us strength “exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think.” All the power which Christ had dwelling in Him by nature, we may have dwelling in us by grace, for He freely bestows it upon us.

Then let the weary, feeble, sin-oppressed souls take courage. Let them “come boldly unto the throne of grace,” where they are sure to find grace to help in time of need, because that need is felt by our Saviour in the very time of need. He is “touched with the feeling of our infirmity.” If it were simply that He suffered eighteen hundred years ago, we might fear that He had forgotten some of the infirmity, but no, the very temptation that presses you touches Him. His wounds are ever fresh, and He ever lives to make intercession for you.

What wonderful possibilities there are for the Christian! To what heights of holiness he may attain! No matter how much Satan may war against him, assaulting him where the flesh is weakest, he may abide under the shadow of the Almighty and be filled with the fullness of God's strength. The One stronger than Satan may dwell in his heart continually and so, looking at Satan's assaults as from a strong fortress, he may say, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.”

*******

My thoughts-

Mat_4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Mar_1:13  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

Luk_4:2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Tell me, if our Savior wasn't able to succumb to temptation, would the devil even try to tempt Him? What would the point have been?  If Christ had some special power that is beyond our ability to also wield, would it even matter if He came at all? Seriously.  How could our Savior possibly save us sinners if He didn't also risk sinning Himself?

Don't you imagine that Satan would have been the first one objecting if Jesus were completely beyond His ability to tempt? Satan, the ultimate in deception would not stand for a Savior unable to be tempted. Look what he did about Job. He told God that if He removed His shielding hand from around Job then Job would curse God, He would sin easily enough.  And Job was just an example of a man, not the Savior come to lay claim to the right to save ALL who believe in Him.  You have to comprehend that Satan would have disputed with God mightily if Jesus was just going to dress Himself up in human flesh to put on a show for people and angels. Jesus had to be able to be tempted of the greatest of all temptations. Jesus had to be able to comprehend the tempting a fallen sinning human being could endure, because it was that fallen sinning human being He was going to save.  Jesus was NOT placed in an earthly Garden of Eden, the angels were not asked to move aside to let Jesus in that Garden where the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil existed. Jesus wasn't given the Garden life clothed in the light of God's righteousness, not even aware of His own nakedness.  That life was gone.  No human being would ever again experience what Adam and Eve experienced, not even Christ and why would Christ go back to that point, who could He save by proving that He could resist that temptation? Couldn't we ALL say we deserve to have the same experience as Adam and Eve, if that were the case? Put in the exact same situation is it guaranteed that any of us would have fallen to temptation?  The ONLY way Christ could save fallen mankind was outside of the Garden experience because that is where we dwell.

Some say that we are born condemned, in fact whole churches, whole denominations believe in this.  They believe that an infant who dies is condemned to death as a sinner unless of course they step in and do something such as infant baptism which is found NO WHERE in our Bibles.

Isa 11:6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

We know for a fact that this projected scenario will NOT take place until we live in a whole new world, the world after Christ returns and after we dwell with Him in heaven for a thousand years. The new earth. In the new earth a sucking child (infant) will play on the hole of the asp a very deadly snake.  This sucking child, this infant is saved, and this was stated long before any sort of infant baptismal rite was initiated.

We are born with all the tendency to sin, we are born sinners, but we are not born condemned sinners. We are condemned when we are accountable for our sins whatever age that begins for the individual.

Christ never sinned, not once.  Born with our weak, infirmed flesh He never ONCE consented to sin with His mind, not once!

Satan knew that Christ felt every temptation thrown His way. Satan knew that there existed the possibility for Christ to commit sin, to fail.

We through the sacrifice of our Savior can live in Him, live in Christ's righteousness.  He did no sin, He beat every single temptation known to mankind.

Before you start with naming all the temptations He couldn't have been tempted with because He didn't walk the earth in our day with our modern temptations, the truth is that EVERY single temptation has a commonality- they involve choosing self over God.  That commonality unites every single sin there is. No, Christ wasn't tempted with chocolate covered donuts, or a syringe full of heroin. Yet, Christ felt the temptation to choose self over God in ways we will never comprehend.

The Garden of Gethsemane  where He was sweating blood, His temptations were so great, tell me-- when was the last time you sweat blood fighting against temptation?  He was being tempted to free Himself from the crucifixion, from the pain, the humiliation, the horror, the torture, the separation from His Father that death would bring.  We who think little of sinning, of succumbing to temptation to save ourselves from the smallest of inconveniences, we can't even imagine what our Savior endured.

He was touched by our infirmities. He emptied Himself.  God with us!  The Word made flesh and dwelling among us. Dwelling among us as one of us. Honestly and truly to outside appearance He was just another man, having nothing remarkable to prove He had some special power of His own to keep Him from sinning. He looked like everyone else. He wasn't glowing with a halo. He appeared like sinful man- like you and I.

By the grace of God may we fully comprehend what our Savior has done and still does for us. We can't let ourselves make the mistake of believe Christ succeeded because He used His own special powers against sin. We can't let ourselves believe that Christ took on any other flesh than the flesh He was born through- Mary's sinful flesh, the same flesh that all her ancestors had inherited through Adam and Eve- after they sinned.  Our Savior suffered to save, Satan made sure He would suffer in every way He possibly could.  Satan would not have tempted our Savior, Satan would not have been so cruel if all our Savior did was in vain. Our Savior's sacrifice was worth more than we'll ever fully realize. Our Savior's sacrifice was accepted, wholly accepted by God the Father and by all who have a stake in the outcome between good and evil.

Please Lord, help us in all we do as we seek to know Your TRUTH, always Your TRUTH!

In Your LOVE!