Saturday, December 10, 2011

The wonder of His Love, His law

Remember- God is spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and truth.

God's moral law has a very spiritual aspect to it and it's not a law that will ever disappear. Why people want to believe differently is Satan led.

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

This was written after Jesus died. 'Whoso looketh into the PERFECT LAW of LIBERTY… AND CONTINUETH THEREIN- SHALL BE BLESSED.'

Some will try hard to pervert this into meaning the law of liberty is the fact that Jesus did away with all the laws and is liberty for us, liberty from having to keep laws. The fact of the matter is, IF you love Jesus and want to live your life in Jesus' love you will NATURALLY be living more spiritually and that spirit life is a life that automatically follows the spiritual laws given to us, the moral laws that have NO end. The moral laws that exist is something that reveals the beauty of God, it reveals the love that God is.

Such an amazing love! Think about it fully for a moment or two. Living in a world where these laws are followed out of love perfectly by everyone! No one who truly loves God will find a single fault in the moral law of God. Our perfect God created perfect laws and Jesus kept those laws perfectly for us in a way our flesh nature cannot. How could God create moral laws that aren't perfect? Jesus said He was ABLE to keep those laws and that they'll NEVER be destroyed. Never be destroyed.

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.

What do people think this means?! Seriously, what?

Jesus fulfilled- and ALL will be fulfilled when He comes again. The people that are His that rise from the dead to be with Him, and those who are His who are alive that rise to meet Him in the air, all those people will fulfilled the law perfectly through Him forevermore. Sin will be no more. And if sin is no more then there is no need for a law, because sin is breaking the law. If the law is NEVER broken and cannot be broken ever again, the law is being perfectly fulfilled- perfectly lived in Christ. Only when this happens, only when the law can be perfectly kept in Christ by all who are His will we live in a world where the law is no longer needed as it is needed in a sinfilled world. As long as there is sin- there will be laws it can be NO other way.

Salvation is only available to us through our Savior's perfect love, His perfect life, His perfect sacrifice. And our Savior Himself advocated keeping the law every single time He told someone not to sin any more. So those who believe He was doing away with us having to keep any laws only need to look at the verses of the Bible where He spoke these words…

Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Why would he say this if they didn't have a law to transgress any longer? Why didn't He just say I've saved you, go and just believe in me and don't worry about sinning because I've done away with the law that you transgress, the law that means you sin when you break it. He didn't say that, He said 'go and sin NO MORE'. They couldn't sin unless there was a law to break, it'd be impossible. We can't break a law unless there IS a law to break. You can't be guilty unless there is something to be guilty of. This makes perfect, perfect sense and yet people want to do away with the law of God, as if that were possible when our Savior said that it would not go away.

By the grace of God we can keep His law. We can read His moral law and understand the perfect love of God in that law. Jesus lived that perfect love as He was living keeping all the commandments perfectly. Jesus IS our example, the example we are to follow. We are to love as He loves and He loves perfectly.

Oh the wonder of our Lord's love! All that He's done for us, we cannot begin to fully comprehend, we just can't. We have to lay ourselves at the feet of Jesus and it is by His mercy, His grace, His all consuming love that we are saved. We are powerless without Him, completely powerless to even think for a moment we can keep the law without Him.

Please Lord, help us to fully understand as much as You would have us understand, help us to love as You would have us love. All in You all through Your amazing grace, Your love!

In You!

Amen.

God is spirit

Excerpt From yesterday-

'The spiritual aspect of the law is what so many try to take out of the law and it is the spiritual aspect that MUST fill every law and Jesus wanted that Spiritual aspect to be well known.

When the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them of the SPIRITUAL aspect of the law!

Over and over Jesus was reminding everyone of the Spiritual aspect of the law because the law is Spiritual- given in love which is spiritual NOT tangible, not something you can grasp but something you must have, must believe in spiritually.'

*

Spirituality.

Some might try to argue you have to see, touch, smell, hear, or taste something for it to be considered real. Yet you can't see a feeling. You can't touch, smell, hear or taste a feeling- and feelings exist- they are real. You can't touch a thought, you can't use any of your senses. People who can't hear, see, taste, feel, or smell can still have thoughts. We call this the mental part of us, not the physical part. We call this the emotional part of us, not the physical. We call this the spiritual part of us…sometimes.

What are the gifts of the Spirit-Spiritual gifts?

1Co 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
1Co 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
1Co 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
1Co 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
1Co 12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Spiritual gifts for a spiritual living.

Wisdom, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, discernment of the spiritual, different languages, interpreting different languages- gifts- spiritual gifts.

Spiritual existence.

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

In spirit-

Pro 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Spiritually humble.

Ecc 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Spiritually patient.
Spiritually proud.

Isa 29:24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

Spiritual erring.

Isa 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

Spiritual grieving.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Spiritually poor.

Luk 1:80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Spiritually strong.

Luk 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Spiritual rejoicing.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Spiritually worshipping.

Joh 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

Spiritually troubled.

Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord

Spiritually fervent.

1Co 7:34 There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

Spiritually holy.

1Ti 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Spiritual example.

Remember- God is spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and truth.

God's moral law has a very spiritual aspect to it and it's not a law that will ever disappear. Why people want to believe differently is Satan led.

Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

More tomorrow- by the wonderful, amazing, powerful grace of God.


In His LOVE, His PERFECT LOVE!


Amen.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Please Lord help us understand Your, Love.

Too many believe that keeping the law is something separate from the love of God and it is not!


I left off yesterday's study with the above sentence and I want to pick up that same train of thought for today's study.

Separating the love of God from His laws- it's IMPOSSIBLE.

Jesus came and revealed God to us and He kept every commandment in love. If we keep the commandments thinking they will somehow save us we are incredibly wrong. Only our Savior's mercy and grace saves us. We are only saved by the thought action it takes to accept Christ. This assent to being saved is the only thing we can do. However…

Php 2:12 ... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

And…

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Too many people like to stop reading after the 9th verse, continuing on into the 10th we read… we are CREATED in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS….WALK IN THEM.

So here we have the admonition to work out our own salvation and then we have the wonderful announcement that we can't save ourselves and it's a gift we receive of God- however…we are CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS. This salvation gift isn't a gift we receive and then walk away and continue our lives as if nothing has changed. Remember this…

Mat 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

After we receive the word of the gospel- the message of salvation through Jesus Christ we do NOT simply return to our old ways. Those who receive the word HEARETH the word- UNDERSTANDETH the word-BEARETH fruit.

Hear.
Understand.
Bear fruit.

Fruit-
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Why is there NO LAW against those who have the fruit of the Spirit? Because THERE is NO LAW prohibiting these things! These are those intangible things we talked about a few days ago. These are the things you can covet because these are NOT possessions, these are not tangible, these are not of the flesh in any way. We are to covet spiritual gifts- it stands to reason we'd desire spiritual fruit.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

When we claim Christ we claim to CRUCIFY OUR FLESH- crucify our affections and lust- that which desires the earthly possession surrounding us. If we are truly living in the SPIRIT we will live as the SPIRITUAL- desiring the SPIRITUAL- not anything we can possess of the flesh, nothing tangible, nothing we can touch, see, feel.

Imagine LIVING In the SPIRIT, truly living in the SPIRIT. To live in the SPIRIT means living in the LOVE Of GOD fully. Keeping the law of God fully IS living in the SPIRIT and not living in bondage.

We've studied each law and we've seen how not a single one is something our Savior would say is no longer relevant. We've studied and we've seen how our Savior kept the law perfectly- never sinning- never transgressing a single law. We understand that because our Savior remained sinless- never transgressing the law- that He is worthy to save us- He is without sin.

We know that there is no sin without a law, yet there is life with out a written law. The law that was given on Mount Sinai was the unwritten law written. But that wasn't the only law given then- there was a ceremonial law, among other laws to govern life yet those laws were NOT included in the ten commandments, those laws were NOT written by the finger of God, those laws were NOT written in stone. There is a difference, a big difference. For years and years and years since before Adam and Eve sinned- God's ways existed, God's love existed, God's laws of love existed. From Adam and Eve to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph…God's laws existed- how do we know? Because SIN existed. We know that sin existed, we know there were heathen, the God-less, those against God. We know that cities of these God-less people were destroyed! We know that the entire population save eight were destroyed because of sin! And WHAT is sin? Sin is a transgression of the LAW! We cannot get around that though we can try all we want. When people talk about the law being done away with- they are talking about laws that are NOT the ten commandments! Jesus said He did NOT come to destroy the law! How could He, if He destroyed the law He would be destroying love, the love He put into those laws to govern our spiritual lives.

Oh there is soooo much we can talk about with this, so incredibly much. Satan would make this very hard to comprehend - in fact impossible to comprehend but God will not allow that. Those that truly love God will have their understanding opened. We need to have our understanding opened to discern the love of God in the law of God.

There was a reason Jesus said this in clarification--

Mat 5:21 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:
Mat 5:22 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.

The spiritual aspect of the law is what so many try to take out of the law and it is the spiritual aspect that MUST fill every law and Jesus wanted that Spiritual aspect to be well known.

When the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath, Jesus reminded them of the SPIRITUAL aspect of the law!

Over and over Jesus was reminding everyone of the Spiritual aspect of the law because the law is Spiritual given in love which is spiritual NOT tangible, not something you can grasp but something you must have, must believe in spiritually.


Oh please Lord help us..help us understand Your LOVE!


More tomorrow by HIS GRACE.


Amen.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The law and love

Gen 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Abraham obeyed God's voice.
Abraham kept God's charge.
Abraham kept God's commandments.
Abraham kept God's statutes.
Abraham kept God's laws.

All that Abraham did BEFORE Moses became God's prophet. There were no written ten commandments and yet Abraham kept God's commandments. How is that possible? It's possible because God's commandments are as everlasting as He is, was, and ever will be. Seriously. Now before anyone gets all riled up think about it for a moment. Eve broke God's commandments, right? She had to or else she couldn't have sinned.

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

She sinned. She transgressed God's law. It wasn't written but it was known. And it goes beyond the direction God gave to Adam and Eve to not eat of the tree of knowledge.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

We've already discussed it a bit- Eve coveted the fruit of the tree- it was pleasant to her eyes, she desired the wisdom she believed she could gain from consuming the fruit. She wanted more than she needed. In what Eve did, she broke some of those ten great commandments, the laws of God. If people don't recognize that then they are blind because it's truth. God's law were written down, but before they were written down they were known. We KNOW that God can do this…

Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people

God can put His laws into the minds and hearts of people.

Where do you think God's law was in those He first created? Seriously? Think about it. We need to think about this because too many people believe that laws equates legalist and legalist are not those who believe in the love of God and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Too many believe that keeping the law is something separate from the love of God and it is not!

It's really, really not.

More tomorrow by God's amazing grace!


Amen.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Covet spiritual gifts

No coveting anything that belongs to others.

Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

House, wife, servants, livestock, nor ANY THING.

Yesterday we discussed this some but it needs more because look at this next verse--

1Co 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

And this one too--

1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

These gifts are what?

1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

Apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Are these tangible things, are these objects we can possess? No and no. A house, wife, servant, livestock, all are tangible, these are all things we can take hold of and possess. But you cannot take someone's ability to prophesize, or their ability to teach, or their ability to heal, help, govern, and speak foreign languages. You cannot take these things from someone else it is IMPOSSIBLE.

We are being told to covet that which we cannot take from someone else and we are COMMANDED by God to not covet- not lust after, not desire the things that belong to others. The next step after coveting can often be stealing, right? Thieves will tell you readily enough they stole what they did because they wanted it for one reason or another. Surely they wouldn't steal something they didn't want, that's just plain crazy- right? When we covet that desire, that lust begins in us and then it brings forth nothing good out of us. People might jump up and say that coveting things can also lead someone to want to make something of themselves so they can afford to buy the things they covet and that's true too. However we know that possessions mean nothing-we talked about that yesterday. Our possessions cannot go to the grave with us. Not a single possession we own will give us eternal life, not one. Yes, we can find in God's word - the Bible the gospel message but that message is that our Savior saves us, not the Bible. The word made flesh saves us. Not one item we own will give us eternal life and in truth it is eternal life that matters more than any thing we could ever own.

The love of God in us matters, not the car we own, not the clothes we wear, not the television we watch, not the make up we put on, not the many items of entertainment we might own, not our computers- only the LOVE of God truly matters.

It's the love of God that gives us the love we need to possess towards one another.

Coveting what others possess is a sin because it takes our mind completely off God and brings it to this earth and earthly possession making our hearts desire earthly treasures, not heavenly.

It is WRONG to covet no matter HOW ingrained it is in us from childhood on up to do so harmlessly. This is an evil, evil sin to be guilty of. Coveting has a way of entrapping us in Satan's snares and because we are told it is harmless to covet, breaking free of this sin is incredibly hard.

Of course it is ONLY through the grace and mercy of our Savior that we can break free of any sin, we can't do it on our own.

Not coveting is a commandment of our Savior's that will never ever be done away with.

None of the ten commandments are worthy of being discarded, not a single one of them. These commandments were made out of love and should be kept out of love. Our Savior kept them all and desires that we keep them all, He makes it possible for us to keep them- all through His love, His amazing wondrous love.

Amen.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Do not covet

Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
 
 
Boy, this commandment is something isn't it? Stealing, murder, speaking falsely, adultery, dishonoring God, dishonoring parents, worshiping idols, speaking God's name senselessly, breaking the command to rest- these are Commandments we can mostly understand- right? I said mostly, because no matter what people will inevitably debate any and everything.  Yet this commandment the last of the ten great commandments written by the finger of God on stone tablets and in hearts isn't one we can readily understand and why is that? Because we here in America have grown up being taught to covet. We've grown up so commercialize, so engrained with the desire to want things we scarcely can comprehend that it's wrong. It isn't stealing someone's things- it's desiring them. Stealing is wrong, desiring is not wrong, this is how we've been taught to live. Just look at our main source of entertainment- our televisions. Just look at our magazines filled with ads, listen to the radio and you can hardly escape the lengthy commercial breaks. Our smart phones and not so smart phones are filled with advertising's for the next and best thing to desire. Our mailboxes are bombarded with sales ads encouraging us to desire what we don't have. You walk through a store and they have people encouraging you to just *try* their product so you can want it even more than you did before.
 
It's so incredibly sad to say, but people world wide have become corrupted with coveting so much so no one would EVER think about making it a law to NOT covet.
 
Can  you imagine being in trouble for desiring something that belonged to another? How much jail time should a person get for desiring their neighbor's car? Sound ludicrous doesn't it? Because we've been taught from our infant-hood to covet.
 
We'd all be in jail wouldn't we? Seriously, wouldn't we? Yet it is a law of GOD'S! And He holds our eternal lives in His hands. How could it be wrong to desire what others have?  How can desiring things be a sin?
 
Gen 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
 
Eve coveted the forbidden fruit. Eve wanted that fruit that wasn't hers to want. 
 
We get so caught up in our possessions I don't think we even realize to what extent our lives are wrapped up in the things we own and the things we want to own. We often tell ourselves most of these things are necessities, but are they? We want a better this or that because it's better, it's more efficient. We tell ourselves that it is very, very, incredibly NORMAL to desire - to covet. We tell ourselves we'd have to be crazy not to want things- the necessities at the very least. We have been so well corrupted that to keep this tenth commandment seems all but impossible.
 
Jesus said--
Luk 12:15  ... Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
 
Jesus said--
Luk 8:14  And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
 
Jesus said--
Luk 21:34  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
 
Jesus said--
Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22  Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
 
Jesus said--
Mat 6:24  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
 
Did Jesus do away with the tenth commandment? Obviously not!
 
More on this subject tomorrow by the grace of God.
 
Please Lord, help us to comprehend fully this commandment You've given to us. We don't wish to be deceived by Satan who has a tight grip on this world, whose snares are so engrained in our lives we have begun to call evil good, and good evil. Help us Lord, please Lord all by Your grace and love!
 
 
Amen.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Do NOT speak falsely of others!

Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Honor God.
Bow down to no idol.
Do not use God's name without honor.
Keep the Sabbath.
Honor your parents.
Do not kill.
Do not commit adultery.
Do not steal.

And the ninth commandment- do NOT speak falsely of another. Don't lie about another.

Is lying ever good? Seriously, is lying ever a good idea? We often believe so. And why not, rather than hurt someone isn't it better to lie? Is this what the commandment is saying? Don't speak- that means do not talk if what you are going to say is a lie- is a falsehood against another person. Don't LIE about anyone!

Have you ever told a lie about someone else?
Has anyone ever told you a lie about someone else?

Some might say it's okay to tell al lie, a falsehood about someone else if it's to paint them in a good light and not to hurt them, but is that true?

Wasn't God telling us that we are NOT to speak lies about others, period. Can't you hurt someone by painting them in a good light when it's undeserved? How many well intentioned lies have backfired on people, millions?

I'd venture to say that lying about someone is never good- because speaking falsely- speaking untruths is the opposite of what God is- the truth. Jesus said He was the truth- John 14:6.

If Jesus is the truth then who is the representative of lies and lying?

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

The devil is the father of lying. Lying began with the devil. If lying began with the devil and lying is of the devil and the truth is of God then can it be fine with God for us to lie? How can it ever be a good thing to speak falsely against someone?

Don't tell me this is an old outdate law that Jesus did away with. Why would He ever do away with this law? Why?

Yet people daily tell falsehoods about others, people lie about others all the time and think nothing of it.

We have laws against lying about other people, don't we? Slander, defamation, libel- read more about that here- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation#United_States

Yet telling falsehoods about others is something that goes unpunished more often than not. Consider all the childhood school bullying where one child tells a lie about another that starts a chain of events that makes the life of the person lied about miserable. Yet rarely is anything done to stop this from happening. Some people will gossip about others embellishing on things and turning the truth into lies.

I don't have to go on and on about speaking falsely against others- everyone knows what it means to do so. We KNOW speaking falsely will NEVER be condone by God and is truly a sin.

When we break this law of God we are sinning and we must repent, we must seek forgiveness for that sin- it isn't something minor to be overlooked. Too many people believe that as long as they aren't committing what they consider to be the *BIG* sins, they're fine - no harm, no foul. God will NOT see it that way, God cannot see it that way.

By the grace of God may we understand this commandment fully, knowing that at NO time are we to EVER speak falsely about one another.

Please Lord help us with this. Help us to recognize when we are prone to doing this. It has become such an engrained part of our society that it has to many become a normal way of life. Help us Lord, guide us into all truth and keep us from the evil of false accusation, false witnessing, from any falsehood.


In Your amazing Love!


Amen.