This week when the children and I went to the market, my seven-year-old firstborn son exhibited behavior with which I was displeased. He is usually my superstar helper when we go to the market. I had to repeatedly remind him to do his responsibilities as he should and to not fool around.
I told him after we left that I was going to give a bad report on him to his daddy. It's close to an hour's drive back home, and when we were about twenty minutes away from home, Will said, "Momma, if a person does bad works, and then if he does more good works, does that [cancel out] the bad works?"
I knew why he asked. He had been sitting back there formulating a plan to get out of the probability of being punished by his father. He wondered whether he could get home and do all sorts of good works to get me on his good side, and then I would just cancel out his bad works with the good works of which he would have more, and so then he'd be saved from punishment.
I responded to his question, "No, sweetie, it doesn't work that way. That would be salvation by works. A person cannot be saved from punishment for bad works by doing more good works than he did bad. Salvation from punishment can only come from grace."
I continued, "However, a person who does not stop his bad works and start doing good works won't receive that grace, but the fact remains that he did bad works. Think of it this way. Say I go out and murder someone. I say to the judges that I am sorry, and I'll now do only good works. I'll do the good works of not killing anyone else and will do all manner of other good works. But, not killing other people doesn't and cannot make up for the person I did kill. Only if the people who were hurt by that person's death gave me pardon, gave me grace can I be saved from punishment. But people don't give grace to a murderer who feels no remorse and clearly has the mindset of murdering again."
Will said, "I need grace! Momma, will you please give me grace and not tell Daddy?"
I told him that I knew he was usually well-behaved and that he needed to make sure it didn't happen again; next week when we go to the market, he'd better act the right way. I added that he also needed to make sure he walked the path of righteousness for the remainder of the day, to the time his daddy would get home. I ended by telling him that I forgave him and that I wouldn't bring charges against him to his daddy.
Well, much to my disappointment, Will let his own will get out of control for the rest of the day. He can be so wonderful, but that day was not one of those days. I told him he'd be getting a bad report. I did give his daddy a bad report, and it included the market details. The promised grace was no longer valid, because he had fallen from grace.
Our relationship with our Holy Father and with our Lord Brother, Salvation, is no different. We are saved by grace, because we have all sinned, and the Perfect Firstborn, Salvation, sacrificed for us. Big Brother took the blame for our wrongdoings. He took the punishment from Father. The punishment did not belong to him. Salvation did no wrong in Father's eyes. He was Father's Perfect Firstborn, playing a life out in human flesh without sin. Salvation is Number 1 in Father's eyes, his most beloved Son. None of us will ever come close to comparing, and certainly no number of good works is going to cancel out any bad works. ONE bad work, ONE sin, and we come SHORT of God's glory, and Salvation, the Firstborn, is Father's glory. We should all bow the knee to Salvation, because he's EARNED his right to be Father's Top Son. None of us have EARNED anything...but death. We all have at least ONE sin. Salvation had NO sin. We had better all bow to Salvation and do our best to be like him, and he'll give a good word to Father. Father will see that we are trying to be like Salvation, though knowing we'll never be as good as Salvation, and honor Salvation before Father.
That is how we get GRACE. We have to have the heart of wanting to do everything right and trying to walk on the path of righteousness the way our Elder Brother Salvation did. If we are not even trying to obey Father's household law the way Salvation did and do not care or only care about some commandments but not others, then we shall not get grace from Father.
It's interesting to me that most of those who call themselves "Christian" shout to those who keep Father's commandments and do not play the whore in Father's household but keep themselves as a virgin in his Royal Household, "We're not saved by works! We're saved by grace." Well, those of us who keep Father's commandments are not seeking to be saved by works. We are seeking to be saved by grace. We truly were remorseful that we had broken Father's commandments--all ten of them--and we turned to good works. No matter how many times we don't steal, it won't make up for the time(s) we have stolen. No matter how much we do not murder, it won't make up for the times we did (even in heart). We're not saved by works. But, we know we're not going to get covered by that promised grace through Salvation before Father's throne if we do not change our ways.
If Will acts up at the market next week, he'll really be in trouble, because it is known that he can conduct himself properly and make me very proud, and so if he does not even try to do what is right and instead acts out of line--off the right path--he won't receive grace. It'll be even worse. It's pretty bad when someone gives a transgressor grace, and then he goes back to the evil deeds he had claimed to be remorseful for and turn away from.
So, those saved by grace won't be those who shout loudly to Father's righteous sons that they're "saved by grace, not by works," but those saved by grace will be the ones who sought grace and then stopped breaking the commandments. Most of those "saved by grace" shouters agree that one should not murder, steal, commit adultery, lie, etc. It's mostly the fourth commandment with which they hate. They prefer to fornicate--to play the harlot in Father's Royal House--by keeping pagan-originated holidays, like the weekly "Sunday" first day of the week and the annual holiday feasts of Easter and Christmas, etc. They do not want to walk as Salvation did, keeping the commanded holy days of Father that outline our plan of salvation. Father and Salvation are not pleased that those who claim to be in their Household do not keep Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and 8th Day. This reveals the true Salvation, the true Christ.
Oh, how I LOVE the TRUTH...how I love and meditate daily in Father's royal law. I aim to please him daily. I cry when I fail miserably to compare to my Brother Salvation. Oh, but I then THANK Father for his grace and Salvation for his name, because he is my Salvation. I have FAITH that I am under the loving GRACE of my Holy Father, because I invite him to search my heart so that he knows I love him and aim to please him and follow Salvation's footsteps and because I honor Salvation as the rightful TOP HEIR and am just thankful that I even am called worthy enough through grace to co-inherit my Father's possessions.
PRAISE you, Father, Most High, and my Beloved Lord Salvation. Blessed are you both by those in your Royal Household who LOVE and SERVE you in SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
Amen!
14 comments:
Hi, may I ask, without offending, how do you come to understand that Christians are to keep the feasts and Sabbaths and the letter of the Law in accordance with the New Covenant teaching, where Paul says to let no man judge you concerning holy days, Sabbath days etc. for these are a shadow.. but the body is of Christ? And let every man give thanks whether or not he celebrates a day? I ask not to be devisive but because I am open to receiving the truth on this matter. Blessings!
Jessica
My answer is longer than what this comment box can allow. I will see whether I can email you.
Okay, I'll have to post it in more than one comment. So here goes:
For the LONG version, I recommend you read chapter 6 of my recently published book "God's Law of Love: The Perfect Law of Liberty," or better yet all of it. I make it available for FREE reading here: http://www.endtimecog.net/lawoflove.pdf or you can buy a paperback on Amazon.
The short answer is that it was prophesied by Daniel and later by John (as recorded in Revelation) that the beast (Roman Empire) would "change times and laws" and that of those who are called Christians, there is a virgin bride (Rev. 12) and a whore (Rev. 17). The church in Rome transformed into its own church, rather than to stay loyal to the proper head--Christ--of the original spiritual church of God, the body of Christ. Rome named Christianity as the state religion, but they kept their heathen/pagan beliefs and holy days and gave Christian names to them.
Christ directly commanded the Passover (the first of God's annual seven feasts) to be kept after his death as a memorial, except he gave NEW COVENANT symbols, so the new testament Passover is kept with different symbols than the old carnal covenant's symbols. Then throughout the book of Acts and at least one letter that Paul wrote (to Corinth), it's clear that the Feast of Unleavened bread was being kept by Christians, as well as Pentecost. Paul and John both gave prophecies that explained the meaning of the 5th feast, the Feast of Trumpets. It will be fulfilled at Christ's second coming, at the 7th trumpet.
The seven true feasts outline the TRUE plan of salvation, which is much different than understood by Catholics and Protestants. (I grew up in mostly Southern Baptist churches, but I started reading and studying the bible heavily myself when I was 20 and realized most of what is taught in the churches are lies.) I talk about this in depth in the book, but I also wrote a brief summary on my website, found here: http://www.endtimecog.net/articles/feastplan.html
The good ol KJV bible has the words that were added to help make sense in italic. In other words, they are not found in the original manuscripts. You'll see in the verses you refer to in Colossians some italicized words. Also, you may have a footnote or center column note in your bible (depending on what your bible offers) the proper rendering. Paul was not teaching that we should let no one judge WHETHER or not we keep God's holy days but HOW. The following context supports that. Gnostics believe that we must punish our flesh by restricting good food and drugs--the joys of life. This is contrary to the law of God, which taught we should use our feast money (vacation money) to buy whatever we lust after--food, wine, strong drink, etc.
Some strict people even judged our Lord, calling him a "glutton and a drunkard." Of course, we know he could not have been a drunkard and a glutton, otherwise he would have sinned, and if he'd sinned, he would not have qualified to be our Passover Lamb. But, just as there are left-wing extremists, there are right-hand extremists, and the law of God teaches that we should be BALANCED and stay on the STRAIGHT path, not veering to the left nor to the right. So, there were some who wrongly judged Jesus by calling him a glutton and drunkard, when the fact of the matter was that he just liked to go to gatherings and have a good time with others, eating, drinking, and being merry...all without sinning, not overdoing it.
This is the scene we have here with Paul writing to the Colossians. He was basically telling them to not let people judge them "in eating and drinking" in respect to a sabbath, new month day, or annual holy day. Try now reading it, with the context, and see whether that makes better sense, in light of the WHOLE of the scriptures.
If there's anything else you'd like to ask, go right ahead. You're free to read the things I posted. I use a lot of scripture, and at the end of each chapter in my book, I give a lot of scripture references so that a person can study him or herself and judge. "Prove all things," as Paul said.
Father's blessings to you, also.
I want to add:
We are to keep the spirit of the law, but there is more to it than just keeping the feasts in the spirit. Keeping the sixth commandment not to murder also means not physically murdering someone.
A Christian is either following Rome's substitute law and so has Rome's mark of authority, following it in heart and mind ("forehead") and in actions ("hand"), or he or she has the mark of God's authority, following His true Ten Commandments in heart and mind and in actions. Each of us has a mark in our hand and foreheads of either Rome's authority or God's. Some who call themselves Christians keep Easter, Halloween, Christmas, etc. and Sunday. The few Christians have kept themselves as virgins, not fornicating as a whore with other religions, and so they keep the 7th day sabbath, God's sign that identifies him as the CREATOR God, making this world in six days and resting the seventh. Sunday is Rome's mark of authority.
Check out my website: endtimecog.net
Thank you for the explanation. I see what you are saying, but I still cannot figure out why, if this be true, Paul says that these things are a shadow of things to come, but the body (substance) is of Christ?
I have always understood that Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly (the law which was not for the righteous but added because of transgression, that sin would appear exceedingly sinful) and that this handwriting of requirements which was against us was nailed to His cross. That we died to the law through the body of Christ so that by His resurrection we by faith might receive something far better, the promise of the Spirit of life. The Spirit of God which guides us and governs us unto the fulfillment of the law, which is love. For love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
I come to this understanding also after reading and re-reading 1 John and it seems that his big theme is that we are to keep the commandments of God (we who worship in Spirit not by the letter) and that according to John the commandments of God are to believe on His Son and to love one another (in agreement with Jesus statement (love God with all your heart.. and love your neighbor as yourself).
I am willing to further study this though, I never want to say I fully understand because God is always showing me something I didn't see before. I desire to remain teachable. Thanks so much for the time you took here. :)
Jessica
Jessica, we are to let no one judge us "but the body of Christ." Notice the "is" is in italic (in the KJV). It's added, but it makes sense without it. "But" in this case is not a conjunction but rather a preposition, where in the dictionary it means "except, apart from, other than." So, we should let no one judge us how to keep the holy days, except the Church.
The law is against us when transgressed. The judgments part of the law is against us, because it requires death for transgression. That is why he died, what was nailed to the cross. We can't expect to be covered with grace, though, without repentance. Yes, you are right about the spirit. I explain all that in depth throughout my book, too. I highly recommend you read that, and I pray that it will open your eyes like they've never been opened before.
Father's bless you in your studies.
There are other things against us in the LETTER of the law, too, but if you read the book I wrote, it explains all that and how Jesus criticized the Pharisees for such, etc. Let me know if you read it and what you think afterward. :-) If you like it, by that time, my friend and co-worker in the Lord will have his book on the prophets published by then. His book goes live in two weeks or less. We'll be posting the ebook version of it free on our websites, too. Email me at contact@endtimecog.net, and I'll gladly email you when his book is available to read, if you choose to do so. And we ALWAYS encourage everyone to PROVE whether we teach is right or not. See in the bible whether what we say is true. That is the problem in the churches. Too many are going to church on Sunday but not proving whether they're taught is true.
I should add, I am persuaded that when John says we should "believe on the Son of God" he speaks of the faith which leads to obeying Him from the heart. (Even Jesus says, why do you call me Lord and do not what I say?) By God's grace working in us, true faith will obey all that He taught us in the gospels, He teaches us also exactly what it means to love God and others, what it means to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God. His words are life, the words of the Father Himself. His call is to much more than flimsy belief, for even the demons believe but they don't obey. We are called to die to ourselves and live to please our Father. I believe this obedience is a mark of real faith, I do not adhere to the type of faith (to which James refers as dead) that is so often taught today. But on the other hand I cannot see bringing ourselves back under the letter of the law, as Paul says it was nailed to the cross and a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ so that His Spirit can direct our lives in love. Please correct me on this if I am in error.
Back to the Sabbath, I have always understood that the seventh day was a shadow of the true and perpetual rest that God provides in Christ, the rest we who have heard the gospel and mixed it with faith do enter, ceasing from our own works as God did from His in creation, as Hebrews alludes to. For it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but He saved us by grace and we are to work out what God is working within by His Spirit. Paul says that no matter what day we observe or do not observe, we do all things as unto the Lord, giving God thanks. True?
On an entirely different subject, I thank you dearly for your explanation of the Daniel's Timeline errors. I stumbled upon it in my research because I recently got sucked into Bruton's theory myself. I think it's popular because we all want the Lord to come quickly, and it appeals to that hope to set a fixed date. He did a good job of making it appear accurate with the numbers and all matching up. And especially with the idea that in these latter times God would reveal His coming to those who watch.
But I thought you did an excellent job of dissecting it as it seems God has blessed you with that ability to compare scripture with scripture. Good work! It is an encouragement for me to be more of a Berean. So thank you!
Jessica
YES! I agree with you, that we are to follow the SPIRIT of the law, rather than the letter. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree. I do not believe penile circumcision, tassel-wearing, animal sacrifices, ritual baptisms (except for the initial baptism of repentance), etc. is required. Read the book. :-) Then tell me what you think. Our Lord kept the true sabbath and taught us the correct way to keep it and NOT by the letter. Almost every command, if kept strictly by the letter, would have someone BREAKING what is more important, the SPIRIT of the law. There are valid reasons why sometimes the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth commandments (or at least certain aspects underneath each one) should be broken in the letter in order to uphold the spirit of the law. I explain all that in the book.
I KEEP FORGETTING to answer you about the "shadow." Yes, Paul said those things ARE a shadow of things to come, NOT WERE. The seventh day sabbath and annual holy days DO foreshadow things. The spring holy days had their main fulfillment during Christ's first coming (though we are to still keep them, but in NEW COVENANT ways, like how Christ explained the NC way of keeping the Passover with unleavened bread, wine, and footwashing, rather than a roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, for the NC Passover Lamb is Christ). The fall holy days have their fulfillment during Christ's second coming to set up the Kingdom of God on this earth.
I have a brief summary on the plan of salvation as outlined by the holy days. It will only take a few minutes to read.
http://www.endtimecog.net/articles/feastplan.html
I have other feast articles, too, but I REALLY recommend the book. You also may be interested in my "Mark of the Beast" article found here: http://www.endtimecog.net/markofthebeast.html
Glad I could help with the D. Timeline. False prophets abound.
Thank you, Tara! Yes, I would like to read that ebook. I'll message you so you can let me know when it comes available. PS, I do agree with you about the Roman Church and how it has perverted much of the Bible with pagan thought and such. I did, however, think that the disciples met on the first day of the week in Acts, being the day Jesus rose. I do see also how they gathered at Pentecost though. Am I correct? One other thing, I wonder, could you explain what you understand from Acts 15:5-20 concerning the law and the gentiles? Again, I very much appreciate having someone to talk to about this important subject of God's Law in the life of His children. :)
Jessica
I suggest reading my book on the Law now (you can read the ebook free at http://www.endtimecog.net/lawoflove.pdf), and then you'll be ready to read the Prophets book that Keith Hunt wrote.
About Acts 15, the council met concerning the topic of penile circumcision. They agreed that it should not be required to enter the new covenant. Furthermore, it said to write to the gentiles with the four immediate commands of not to eat blood, etc. Of course, using logic, we know that those aren't the only things that should be kept. They shouldn't murder, they shouldn't bow down to false images, etc. Those things were DEEPLY entrenched in the heathen cultures, so that was an upfront immediate thing, and then notice verse 21, for they would CONTINUE to learn the law of Moses as it was taught in the synagogues on the sabbath day.
Well I can't argue with your reasoning here. It seems very scripturally sound but so different from what I was taught concerning the meanings of those verses. I can't access the ebook through the link you sent for some reason. Is there any other way to get to it? Also, may I ask what church believes like this? All the churches in my area either teach the trinity and worship on the Sabbath or teach modalism or some form of oneness doctrine and worship Sunday. Or some mix of these things.
Jessica, try going to this link: http://www.endtimecog.net/lawprophets.html
Then click directly on the image of the book. It is a pdf file, so if you do not have a pdf reader like Adobe Acrobat Reader, it won't work. Amazon has the preview of the ENTIRE book, too, though, so you can go to Amazon and read it. If you'd rather have it in paperback, you can buy it from there.
Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Law-Love-Jehovahs-Commands/dp/1450259413/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297374732&sr=8-1
Email me at contact@endtimecog.net. I'll continue talking to you via email. I'll then answer your other question concerning church congregations.
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