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The righteousness of God vs the righteousness of men
Fred R. Coulter—July 13, 2019
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Greetings, brethren! Welcome to Sabbath services!
We've been busy doing quite a few things, and I would like to announce that very soon, probably sometime in September… This is result of Harry Curley's last request to me: Fred, why can't we get The Holy Bible in Its Original Order on MP3 CDs? That's what I have in my hand. There are 10 CDs, the whole Bible plus the commentaries and appendices. So, sometime in September you will be getting it.
Someone was showing me the Blue Bible and E-Sword, that they have on their phone, and they said, 'Can we get the Bible on there?' I asked Randy Vild to research out some of those possibilities.
RANDY:
Have you heard of BibleHub.com? If you put any Bible reference on Google the #1 site will be BibleHub.com. I looked into it and their net worth is $77-million. There's a reason, and that's because they are #1 on Google. So they're getting traffic of millions and millions of people a day. Wouldn't it be nice to have in their search—not just the King James Version and other ones like the Living translation—but AFV, A Faithful Version? That would be a dream to have it on BibleHub.com.
So, there's the Blue Letter one as well, and those get huge results. Have you heard of E-Sword? E-Sword is not online. You need to go online to download it, but it's a program, which are really good, because you don't need the net to operate them.
What's great about E-Sword is that you can compare Scriptures, verses and so forth. So, when Fred left my office, I then put together a letter that I would send out, and I put:
Awesome work of God that you are doing with E-Sword. Fred Coulter, the translator for A Faithful Version wants to have the digital version to be available free to help spread the Gospel of the Good News throughout the whole world. Is it possible to pay someone to create a module where you can offer it as part of your translations?
We had a response! This is very difficult. He says:
Randy, I would be happy to create a module for it without charge!
He simply needed the digital, so we're now going to have version on E-Sword. You don't know how many e-mails I have received—ministers throughout the world—asking if they can get this on E-Sword
I attempted about three or four years ago, and it was a strikeout. That's just one. So, lastly, if you can please pray, because any time you have something you desire for God and it's good, pray for favor. It's powerful! We need all your prayers; we need to get it in the Blue Letter Bible and also eHub.
FRED:
The more you study the Bible, and understand the Bible… Also, I need to mention that we would not have the Old Testament without Michael Heiss. He took care of the Hebrew, and I took care of the English, and it took two-three years to do the Old Testament. He is Jewish by heredity, he speaks and reads Hebrew and went to Judaica University here in Southern California and also one other Hebrew college. Let me tell you what he translated in Gen. 4 about music: that when it came to the one with music, it should be translated that they did it corruptly. The Faithful Version is the only Bible that has that.
One man sent me an e-mail and said, 'How did you come across that it was corruptly?So, I sent that on to Michael. This man sent me another e-mail saying, 'I found out that was correct.' So, what we have done, as you know, with The Faithful Version is correct all the mistakes from the KJV, which has so many difficult Scriptures—and we may cover one or two today—that show that the Law has been ended or done away. This is what is operating right now.
What we want to do is have the Bible available in as many places as possible. Here's the reason, and stop and think about how many times this verse has been read down through history.
Matthew 24:14: "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world…"
All the world in the days of the apostles was around the Mediterranean and Europe and maybe over to India. But God means all the world.
"…for a witness to all nations…" (v 14). Some people say that 'we'll leave that to the two witnesses.' Well, they have their work, and we have our work!
"…and then shall the end come" (v 14). Here we are 45-46 years removed from 'going to a place of safety.' Remember all you old-timers here? So, how much further in time do we go? We don't know!
I just turned 85. How much longer am I going to live? I don't know! I talked to someone here and he said that he just had two of his friends die this month, within two days. Well, that's difficult, but we need to look at from God's perspective.
- there's a time to be born
- there's a time to baptized
- there's a time to live and overcome
- there's a time to die
Just this year Michael lost his wife.
Do not think that the Church is dying out, because we have a guarantee that it will never die out (Matt. 16)! So, don't worry about it. Pray and ask God to call those whom He can call. The call goes out. He has the seven Spirits of God seeking those who are seeking Him.So, those who are truly seeking God they will find Him and God will find them.
To lead them to the understanding of God's purpose and God's calling, they have to come to repentance and baptism. Then when they are baptized they are part of the Church of God. Until that time, without the Holy Spirit they can be attending, learning and so forth. But having been baptized and being in covenant with God and have the Holy Spirit of God, and learn and grow in the knowledge of God and the Truth of God is why we're here.
God has called us to the greatest calling of all, which is that we are going to rule the world! So, those who die in the faith have been perfected to the point that God wants, and it's God's decision! All nations, the whole world.
Matthew 16:15: "He said to them, 'But you, whom do you declare Me to be?' Then Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'" (vs 15-16).
As long as I've been in the Church preaching and teaching, I can tell you that you will understand:
- more about Christ
- more about God's plan
- more about the greatness of God
as you study, pray, grow and overcome, especially when you have trials that you go through. Trials are necessary to test us:
- Do we believe God?
- Do we love God?
- Do we have faith in His Word?
That's why we have them! That's why when you have a difficulty or trial, you draw close to God through prayer and study. Ask Him to help you. Sometimes you go to God and say:
O God, I don't have a clue what's happening; I don't know what's going on.
Put yourself in His hands and He'll take care of it.
Verse 17: "And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father, Who is in heaven.'"
Why are we all here in this room? Because:
- God has called us
- given us His Spirit
- He has revealed His Word to us
How does He reveal His Word to us? Through obeying Him! The key to understanding the Word of God is not PhDs, is not theological studies, it is the Spirit of God and you're obedience to Him!
What did Peter say to the whole Sanhedrin when they arrested him? It was really quite a thing! They healed a man at the Gate Beautiful and then they got arrested for healing him. So, they brought them into the Sanhedrin the first time, and Peter said, 'You have killed Jesus and in His name we healed the man' who had this infirmity for 40 years, born this way. The Pharisees and all in the Sanhedrin said, 'We'd like to get rid of this, but there he is, what can we say?' So, they told them, 'Don't preach in that name anymore!'
So, they went out and what did they do? They preached in the name of Christ! People were being healed; fantastic miracles going on. So, they arrested the apostles and put them in the prison called the hold so they could be brought before the Sanhedrin the next morning. What happened? God sent an angel and let them out and said, 'Go at sunrise and start preaching at the temple!'
There they are preaching in the temple and the guards come to get them out of prison and it's empty! Where did they go? They looked out and saw the apostles preaching to crowd at the temple, so they went out an arrested them. They were very careful because they didn't want to be attacked by the people,
So, they brought them to the Sanhedrin again and said, Why are you out there preaching this way, we told you straightly not to preach.' We can't help but preach because that's what God has sent us to do! Furthermore, God gives the Holy Spirit who obey Him!
They just wanted to kill them, so Gamaliel intervened and told them not to do it. 'That if this is of men, it will come to nothing, but if this is of God you don't want to be found fighting God.' So, they beat the apostles and let them go.
Think about that! None of you have had a trial like that! Have you been beaten on your back with a rod? Paul had three times in the synagogue!
Verse 18: "And I say also to you that you are Peter; but upon this Rock… [that's Himself, the Chief Corner Stone that the elite rejected] …I will build My Church, and the gates of the grave…"—'hell' (KJV). That's not true! 'Hades' refers to the grave.
"…shall not prevail against it" (v 18). It's never going to die out! It may get down to a few sometimes, but God can add to and God can take away.
Verse 19: "And I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven…"
How did Jesus do that? Because He wanted them to write the New Testament! How many times have you heard me say that the New Testament interprets the Old Testament? If it interprets the Old it's the key!
"…and whatever you may bind on the earth will have already been bound in heaven…" (v 19). That's what it means in the Greek!
The Catholics say that 'whatever you do on the earth God is going to bind it. Whatever you loose on the earth, God is going to loose it.' NO! If that's the case, then the pope is God and God is not God! You can never have it that way. Unless it agrees with the Word of God there is no validity to it!
"…and whatever you may loose on the earth will have already been loosed in heaven" (v 19).
How do you find the will of God in these cases? You look to the Old Testament, and now to the New Testament and see what the Word of God tells us! That's the important thing.
I just got the news that last Sabbath they announced from the pulpit that from now on that Grace International [former WCG] is not going to keep the Holy Days. There's a choice for all! So, the incrementalism was leading up to it. You get everybody in a social club and not church. You have it so that everybody has their friends that are there, and you emphasize all the people doing things together. Then you don't preach the full Gospel.
Sooner or later people slack down. When they slack down that's when you hit them with a change.
If you don't have the book God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days then you get it. In doing away with keeping the Holy Days of God, they are taking away salvation. Rev. 3—Let no man take your crown! This is crown snatching time, right now.
Remember what it says in the Parable of the Pounds in Luke 19. With the Bible we need to understand that every word is true! The reason that God had the New Testament written in Greek is because it's very precise. Just like we read: what already has been bound in heaven the spelling of those words in Greek tell you that's exactly what that means. It doesn't mean whatever you decide; it's whatever what God has already decided! So, you search it out.
Verse 13: "And after calling ten of his servants, he gave to them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Trade until I come back.'" That's how God works!
That's why a hierarchy God doesn't want, because the hierarchy tells you what to do. Here's what you do: go occupy.
- What do I do, Lord? Go increase it!
- How do I increase it? You find out!
Verse 14: "But his citizens hated him and sent an ambassador after him, saying, 'We are not willing to have this man reign over us.'" That sounds like the pope!
Verse 15: "And it came to pass that when he returned after receiving the kingdom, he directed that those servants to whom he had given the money be called to him, in order that he might know what each one had gained by trading."
You have the whole operation of stewardship with this! A steward takes the master's money, and he increases the value of whatever it is, and it belongs to the master but you do the work. You get the credit, the master gets what you produced and then you get back from the master.
Verse 16: "And the first one came up, saying, 'Lord, your pound has produced ten pounds.' Then he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities'" (vs 16-17).
You'll find out about that during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Verse 18: "And the second one came, saying, 'Lord, your pound has made five pounds.' Then he also said to this one, 'And you be over five cities.' But another came, saying, 'Lord, behold your pound, which I kept laid up in a handkerchief…. [Matt. 25 says that he buried it] …For I was afraid of you…'" (vs 18-20).
IF you're afraid of God in the wrong way, you don't love God!That's why the most important thing of everything in our lives is loving God! Who is doing the teaching? I may read some Scriptures, you may read some Scriptures, but Who is doing the teaching? God!
John 6:45: "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.'…."
How are you taught by God? You don't hear His voice! But he has it written down so you can read it. It's the most translated book in the whole world. With all the modern things and add to it with what Randy has and we can get The Faithful Version there, plus the other Bibles. What a witness! How thorough; like a flood!
People are going to say, 'Lord, why didn't You tell me.' Did you have a Bible at home? 'Yes, my grandma gave it to me.' Did you read it? 'I looked at it.' Well, you should have read it! 'What for?' So you wouldn't be standing here at the Lake of Fire!
Luke 19:21: "For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow." You're supposed to lay it down! You're supposed to reap!
Verse 22: "Then he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am a harsh man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow. Then why didn't you deposit my money in the bank, so that at my coming I might have received it with interest?'" the bear minimum!
Now, here's what a lot of people don't like, v 24: "And he said to those who were standing by, 'Take the pound from him, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.' (And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten pounds.')" (vs 24-25). You're not fair, God! Why did He give it to him? Because he knew what to do, and was faithful!
Verse 26: "For I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given…"
Don't we have that at this time now? We see the things happening right here in our midst—don't we? The report that Grace International is doing away with the Holy Days!
All of us here, because we're loving God and want to keep His Holy Days and keep His Word. You have it right here. All your friends you better warn, that if they don't stay with God He's going to take it away. That's a sad condition that is difficult for us today.
"…but the one who does not have, even what he has shall be taken from him" (v 26).
(go to the next track)
I want to show you something in the Bible that Protestants go to all the time to show that the Law has been done away. The correct translation is in The Faithful Version. But the King James reads:
Romans 10:4 (KJV): "For Christ is the end of the law…"
Every Protestant preacher says, 'Look, it says that He's the end of the law.' The Greek words:
- law is 'nomos'
- end is 'telos'
- How does that square with what Jesus said?
- What happens when men declare something that is not true, but do so in the name of God?
- Men are making themselves above God!
Matt. 5 is very clear, and in the Greek you have double negatives twice, which makes it very powerful.
Matthew 5:17: "Do not think…" [the Greek word for not for something you're thinking is 'me'] …that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not… ['ook'—absolute negation of the thought] …come to abolish, but to fulfill."
So, they say that the way He fulfilled the Law was through His life. But that's not true! That did apply to Jesus, but that doesn't apply to everybody else.
Verse 18: "For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth shall pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no way… [double negative, it isn't going to happen] …pass from the Law until everything has been fulfilled."
How do they believe that Christ is the end of the Law? If the Law has ended, there's no heaven and earth and you don't exist; you're not here! What does this mean? Appendix A in The Holy Bible in It's Original Order, A Faithful Version is Fourteen Rules for Bible Study or how to study the Bible. One of the rules is:
- What is the context?
- What are the verses before?
- What are the verses after?
In the KJV it says clearly that Christ is "…the end of the law…" Jesus said:
- don't think it
- it's never going to happen
- heaven and earth in existence proves that it didn't
How do you answer this question.
Romans 9:29: "Accordingly, Isaiah also said before, 'Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we would have become as Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.'" That's coming!
Verse 30: "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness…"
Psalm 119:172: "…all Your commandments are righteousness."
They didn't have the Laws of God! However, not having it, if they kept some of the Law God would give them blessings accordingly (Rom. 2).
Roman 9:30: "…who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness that is by faith." That's quite a statement! If you have faith:
- How do you believe?
- Do you believe there's a God? That's not faith! Even the demons believe and tremble!
- How do you have faith? By faith you believe Jesus!
You believe everything He said. What did we just read in Matt. 5?
- Do you believe that by faith?
- Do you believe Jesus came?
- Do you believe that He died for your sins?
- Do you believe that you have to be baptized?
All of this is by faith, and this is what made the Jews absolutely furious! They wanted to keep, even at the beginning of the Church, the Gentiles as second-class citizens like they did in the synagogue (Acts 10-11).
The Gentiles "…have attained righteousness, even the righteousness that is by faith. But Israel… [all 12 tribes] …although they followed after a law of righteousness, did not attain to a law of righteousness" (vs 30-31).
- What is "…a law of righteousness…"?
- Was it the Ten Commandments?
- Was it the Law of God?
- Why did God send the 12 tribes—first the 12 tribes—off into captivity? For rebellion and disobedience! (2-Kings)
- What was a "…a law of righteousness…"?
Let's see!
Mark 7:1: "Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes from Jerusalem… [hey, you're an important dude] …came together to Him. And when they saw some of His disciples eating with defiled hands (that is, unwashed hands), they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding fast to the tradition of the elders…" (vs 1-3). That is "…a law of righteousness…"—the traditions of the Jews!
"…do not eat unless they wash their hands thoroughly. Even when coming from the market, they do not eat unless they first wash themselves…." (vs 3-4).
How are you going to do that if you're coming home with a nice basket of strawberries that the flavor is just coming right up and you're just drooling and you want a drink and you want to eat, and you think: I haven't washed my hands!
"…And there are many other things that they have received to observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and brass utensils and tables. For this reason, the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Him, saying, 'Why don't Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders… [because it's not the way of the Lord, that's why] …but eat bread with unwashed hands?' And He answered and said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites…'" (vs 4-6).
What is a hypocrite? A sanctimonious pretender! The Democrat Party and all religions are filled with it!
"…as it is written, 'This people honors Me with their lips… [Has not attained to a law of righteousness. Why? Because they]: …but their hearts are far away from Me'" (v 6). Yet, they think they're doing good!
God has given us free moral agency. All of us have to choose. All of you are here because we sent out an invitation and you chose to come, and we're glad you did. We set the schedule for me come down here for the 13th of July, so we're here, we chose to come.
Same way with the commandments of God. Do we choose to do them?
Verse 7: "But in vain…" What is every human being at his or her best self? Vanity! Men after one way, women after another way, some are in between and all messed up.
"…do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men" (v 7)—"…a law of righteousness…"
Verse 8: "For leaving the commandment of God…" Isn't that what they do? God says that 'these are My appointed Feasts that you shall keep in their seasons!'
Men come along and say that 'we're no longer going to keep them.' They are rejecting the commandments of God to keep their tradition! Whatever their tradition is:
- Catholic
- Protestant
- Jewish
- Buddhism
- Cannibalism
Whatever!
"…you hold fast the tradition of men, such as the washing of pots and cups; and you practice many other things like this'" (v 8).
Note book: Judaism: Revelation of Moses or the Religion of Men? There are thousands and thousand of Jewish traditional laws that are incredible! They never come to the knowledge of the Truth of God, because they have their own traditions.
Look at it today, a perfect example, beginning with Dr. Ernest Martin who worked with Prof. Mazar over at the Jerusalem Dig. It became very obvious that where the Mosque of Omar, where the Western Wailing Wall is, is not where the temple was. That was the Roman Fort Antonia. The temple was to the south where the Gihon Spring is, for the temple. Now it's not running very much water.
Other people have discovered through history, through reading that that's where the temple should be. They told the Jews over and over and over again that's where it should be. Why won't they listen? Two reasons:
- because it's not yet time to build it; they have a lot of things ready but it's not time
- the Orthodox Jew will never take the word of a correctly intellectual Gentile on anything concerning Jewish matters.
Perfect example of rejecting the commandments of God so that you man keep you're own traditions!
Romans 9:30: "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, even the righteousness that is by faith."
In order to keep the commandments of God, you have to have faith. Those who don't keep the commandments of God don't have any faith.
John 14:15—Jesus said: "If you love Me, keep the commandments—namely, My commandments." He was the Lord God of the Old Testament, so that's all of them!
Romans 9:31: "But Israel, although they followed after a law…" The KJV says the law, the is not there in the Greek. That makes a real important difference. "…a law…"—tradition! So, The Faithful Version has the correct translation.
"…of righteousness, did not attain to a law of righteousness" (v 31)—because you can't keep all the commandment, the thousands that they have!
Verse 32: "Why?…." That's the astonishing thing that people don't understand. God gave the commandments to all 12 tribes. The 10 went after Baal and were exiled. Judah stayed and was exiled and went to Babylon and came back. They didn't learn the lesson; by the time Jesus comes they don't even understand Who He is!
Verse 32: "Why? Because they did not seek it by faith…" (v 32). You have to keep the Law by faith!
Why do you keep the Sabbath? Because God, Who is true, right, loving, kind and Holy to the wicked, vengeful and will destroy, Jesus said to them to 'keep the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy.' That is the commandment that men forget and reject!
If it involved money and God said, 'Remember where I put the treasure.' Yes Lord, I'll never forget! But when God says to remember the Sabbath, and the Sabbath is the key to:
- understanding the Bible
- understanding God
- understanding salvation
so you will end up with more treasure than just the treasure on earth!
"…but by the works of the law…" (v 32 KJV). That is absolutely false! Any first year student in Greek could prove that! There is no the before works, and there is no the before law in the Greek. It is:
FV: "…but by works of law…" (v 32). Doesn't that make a big difference? They didn't even have the translators ethical honesty of when you add a word for clarification to put it in italic.
"…for they stumbled at the Stone of Stumbling, exactly as it is written: 'Behold, I place in Sion a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of offense, but everyone who believes in Him shall not be ashamed'" (vs 32-33).
When we read in Mark 7 about the traditions of the elders, was that not a repudiation of the traditions?
Michael reminds me that there are some according to the Laws of God, but many are not. That is a repudiation by Jesus of the works of men! Did God repudiate all the works of the Gentiles with their idols? With their religions? With their philosophies? Yes, He did!
That's why it says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All men, in their own righteousness, regardless of what it is, cannot improve upon the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God comes by loving Him and keeping His commandments.
Romans 10:1: "Brethren, the earnest desire of my heart and my supplication to God for Israel is for salvation. For I testify of them that they have a zeal for God…" (vs 1-2). Were they to do all of these
- in the name of God?
- in the name of the traditions?
- in the name of the learned people?
…but not according to knowledge" (v 2). That is not according to the knowledge of God! The knowledge that God gave them they're weren't using. They were using their own carnal minds and thoughts.
For example: When is sundown? Sundown starts about three in the afternoon. Ask another Jew and he says, 'Sundown starts when you see three stars at night.'
When you read about the Day of Atonement, it tells you that if you don't keep it, 'you're cutoff from God!' What if one started at three in the afternoon and one at 7:30 at night when he saw three stars? Who is right? Neither! God said that He didn't want anyone to have a mistake about it:
Leviticus 23:32: "It shall be to you a Sabbath of rest… [Day of Atonement] …and you shall afflict yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at sunset, from sunset to sunset, you shall keep your Sabbath." That's the righteousness of God! All of the others are opinions.
Verse 3: "For they, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God…"
What makes you ignorant of the God's way? When they leave God's Truth for the traditions of men!
"…and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God" (v 3). They didn't choose to do what God said! Remember the three most important words: Obey My voice!
The King James says that "…Christ is the end of the works of the law…."
Here's the correct translation, because what are we talking about all the way through? The righteousness of God vs the righteousness of men!
If you come to Christ and believe in faith, what are you going to do with the righteousness of men? the righteousness of their works of law? You're going to forsake them!
Verse 4: "For Christ is the end of works of law for righteousness… [not the works of the law; that's what has ended] …to everyone who believes."
What else ends? Following the traditions of men for the substitutes of the Laws of God! Look at the world today. This year we're going to end the Feast of Tabernacles just a little before Halloween. Then comes Christmas.
Sean Hannity is big Christmas guy. Walk up to him and say, 'Did you know that Christmas is pagan and it's not of God and you need to repent and quit keeping it?' When that comes to an end and you stop it, what do you do? You keep the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Sabbath and the Holy Days of God!
What do all of these things do for us? They teach us God's plan! So, when people come along and say they are no longer keeping them, they're saying that they're taking you away from God and 'why don't you follow us because we're so good.'
Let's see what loving God, keeping His commandments, living in grace… You have to have the grace of God in order to keep the commandments of God. The grace of God is your standing before God. What is that? Here's what it is for us every day:
Ephesians 2:16: "And that He might reconcile both… [Jew and Gentile] …to God in one body through the cross, having slain the enmity by it"—enmity of the rules of men!
Verse 17: "Now when He came, He preached the Gospel—peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. For through Him…" (vs 17-18).
This is why we pray, and our prayers go to God. He hears them and He answers them.
"…we both have direct access by one Spirit to the Father" (v 18).
Anyone who is a minister, elder or teacher, you always teach pointing to Jesus Christ and the Father! Not to anything else, because God has given—through His grace—every single one of us direct access to God the Father in heaven above. Think of that! Think about how important that is! It's all through the sacrifice of Christ. Compare that relationship with the traditions of men! There's no comparison!
Verse 19: "So then, you are no longer aliens and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of the household of God. You are being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone in Whom all the building, being conjointly fitted together, is increasing into a Holy temple in the Lord" (vs 19-21)—that will be at the resurrection!
This is why, as we have pointed out, the most important thing is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and being. You need to pray about that every day. I do! People can get wrapped up in their own importance, or down on themselves because of the trials and difficulties they're going through.
To love God, that's what He wants! That's how He runs His Kingdom. That's how He wants His Church run! We're to love each other. How are we to love each other?
You have to admit that each one of us may be a little tough to love. That's why God has brought us together, so that you can learn to love when it's tough. Have love, mercy, forgiveness and help.
Verse 22: "In Whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit."
You've heard me say that John 14 is some of the most important verses in the New Testament. That probably is true.
John 14:21: "The one who has My commandments and is keeping them… [present tense participle means always, always, always keeping] …that is the one who loves Me, and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father… [notice direct access to the Father and He loves you, the Father Himself] …and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.' Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" (vs 21-22).
How is that going to be, Lord? He said that He was going away, so how is He going to manifest Himself? By God's Spirit!That's the important thing!
Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If… [free choice] …anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word… [His whole message] …and My Father will love him, and We…'"—the Father and the Son, the two parts of receiving the Holy Spirit:
- the Spirit of the Father for begettal to be a son or daughter of God
- the Spirit of Christ to develop the mind of Christ
"…We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (v 23)—dwelling in you, the earnest of the Spirit of God! The completeness of the Spirit of God will be at the resurrection.
Verse 24: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words…" What does that say about all those people who change it?
There are other Churches of God that have difficulties and problems, too. Pray for them because God has to deal with them.
"…and the Word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me" (v 24).
What is happening when you reject the commandments of God and don't keep them? You're rejecting God the Father!
Paul tells us how important that all the brethren of God are, every single one of us! How important it is that we teach the Truth of God. God the Father wants a direct relationship with each one of us. Wherever the saints are. He can do that because He's God!
Ephesians 1:1: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints… [the Holy ones; that's us] …who are in Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus… [a prophecy going down through time] …Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 1-2).
Think of that! That's to you! The grace of God to you, the peace of God to you from the Lord Jesus Christ!
Verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ."
That includes everything that God is going to give us at the resurrection! We don't have it all, yet. But we have some of it!
Verse 4: "According as He has personally chosen us… [think on that; God personally has chosen each and every one of us] …for Himself before the foundation of the world… [in His plan that He had before the foundation of the world] …in order that we might be Holy and blameless before Him in love." That's what God wants! That's what's important!
Verse 5: "Having predestinated us for sonship…"—to be His sons and daughters! That's magnificent! What is that going to be?
"…to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of His grace in the Beloved Son" (vs 5-6).
When we take these words, and let these words be etched in our mind and spirit, think of what God has given us. Think how we are able to do the things that please God. This doesn't mean that you won't have trials and tests, but it gives you the strength spiritually so that whatever you have to go through, God will see you through it.
Think of all the martyrs that willing went singing hymns as they were on their way to be burned at the stake and be beheaded. They had that in their minds because they had the Word of God.
Actually, they had thousand and thousands more of who had the Spirit of God then than who are in the Churches of God today. There's one account of 800,000. So, when God says that He has a work that He is doing, He's not out there doing it with tinker-toys. He's doing it with His Spirit. God has given us all of these things for us to grow in grace and knowledge and overcome.
Verse 7: In Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He has made to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence; having made known to us the mystery…" (vs 7-9)—the secret of God, which is contained in:
- loving God
- keeping His commandments
- the Sabbath
- the Holy Days
- God's plan to unfold
"…of His own will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself" (v 9).
That's quite a thing, isn't it, brethren? That's why we're here! This is why God called us! This is why every day is a new day, take it and use it! The problems and difficulties that you have, pray about them and over come them. If you're coming to a situation where you somewhere down the road it's going to be your last sleep, well, you'll be resurrected.
- God loves you
- God cares for you
- God wants you
We need to respond back to God spiritually, everyone of us, with:
- prayer
- study
- yieldedness to Him
That's what we have to cover when find news like we found today!
Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version (except where noted)
Scriptural References:
- Matthew 24:14
- Matthew 16:15-19
- Luke 19:13-20
- John 6:45
- Luke 19:21-26
- Romans 10:4
- Matthew 5:17-18
- Romans 9:29-30
- Psalm 119:172
- Romans 9:30-31
- Mark 7:1-8
- Romans 9:30
- John 14:15
- Romans 9:31-33
- Romans 10:1-2
- Leviticus 23:32
- Romans 10-:3-4
- Ephesians 2:16-22
- John 14:21-24
- Ephesians 1:1-9
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Genesis 4
- Revelation 3
- Matthew 25
- Romans 2
- Acts 10; 11
- 2 Kings
Also referenced:
Appendix A: Fourteen Rules for Bible Study(The Holy Bible in It's Original Order, A Faithful Version)
Books:
- God's Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days by Fred R. Coulter
- Judaism: Revelation of Moses or the Religion of Men? by Philip Neal
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 7/19/19
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