Epistle of James #11

Judging God and Judging the Law

Fred R. Coulter—April 11, 1992

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This is a particular subject that I want to cover in a particular way, so we are not going to necessarily going to be focusing I on the book of James alone, but rather we are going to focus in on a topic contained in the book of James.

Let's review the ten commandments of coming out of the world, which ties right in with this. You have in your hands the letter of two more false prophets claiming to be the two witnesses.

James 4:11 "Brethren, do not talk against one another…." That means to be exalting yourself by portraying your righteousness as better than someone else's. This is a big problem that has caused a lot of difficulty within the Church.

"…The one who talks against a brother…" (v 11)—judging, criticizing and putting down for no apparent reason; and it also means judging and putting down by the thought that you know the other person's heart. In other words, you know what they're thinking. No one knows what anybody is thinking. Only God knows!

"…and judges his brother… [here's what I want to pick up on for today's sermon]: …is speaking against the Law, and is judging the Law…."

We are going to see that this is one of the greatest sins in the world, that the world is doing to God and that what people do in judging the hearts of people. Now, we're to 'know them by their fruits.' We can judge the fruits. We can judge the sin. We can see right and wrong compared to that, but not judge their heart. That has to be left to God.

"…But if you judge the Law… [What happens when you judge the law?] …you are not a doer of the Law; rather, you are a judge." That's really an awful lot to think of when you understand it. We'll see some good examples of that.

Verse 12: "But there is only one Lawgiver Who has power to save and to destroy. Who are you that you presume to judge another?" There's an awful lot contained in here, but I want to focus in on judging the Law. If you are judging the law, then you are not a doer, but you are a judge. In rendering that decision, you are then judging God! You need to think on that because that becomes very important. I will just say, that was Job's sin, judging God!

First you start by talking against other people so you can make yourself feel better. Does that sound like the little political game we're into in the Presidential election? 'I am better than So-and-So because of this…'

Let's look at some other things concerning judging God, which are really, really profound. How do people judge God?

First of all, let's go back and see what God says about the Law, because when people judge the Law, what happens? I have a little booklet here we'll look into: Why Christians Worship on Sunday. I'll give you a little hint. What happens when you judge the Law of God? You become a judge of God! Deut. 6 tells us about the Law of God.

Psa. 119—if you want to know all about the laws of God, the commandments of God, the way they should be properly judged, the way they should be viewed from a converted point of view. It's sufficient that you read it, and marvel in what it says about:

• the commandments of God
• the laws of God
• the statutes of God
• the righteousness of God

and all of those things pertaining to God as the Lawgiver. Remember, there's only one Lawgiver Who has made all law, everywhere! Laws subsequent to that which man has made, which are not in agreement with the law, is judging the Law of God. We will see that they put themselves in the seat of God and issue pronouncements as if they were God. This is one of the greatest violations of religionists.

Deuteronomy 6:1: "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God commanded to teach you so that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it, that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you, and your son, and your son's son, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be diligent to observe it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may greatly multiply, as the LORD God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the LORD, the LORD. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (vs 1-5).

There are people out there—so they can get around doctrine—say that we need love instead of doctrine. But pray tell, what are the commandments concerning love in the Bible other than doctrine? Think about it for a minute! A doctrine is a teaching. If there is something that is taught—and you must be taught to love—you do not automatically have love in your heart Mark 7:21 doesn't confirm that. Jer. 17:9 does not confirm that; you must be taught to love. If you must be taught to love, it is a teaching, and a teaching is a doctrine.

What was one of the greatest doctrines of love that Jesus gave on the Passover night? This is a doctrine of Jesus, which then is a teaching! Let's look at it. How did this doctrine come about? Is love rooted in commandments? Yes!

John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another… [How?] …in the same way that I have loved you, that is how you are to love one another."

Is that a commandment? Yes! He says it's a 'new commandment'! Yet, people say we ought to have love; 'we don't need all this doctrine stuff, we need more love.' How are you going to have love unless it is taught as a doctrine from the Word of God, since you do not possess it yourself? That's another one of those little clever things that people get to, to try and bring in different doctrines. It's under this basis of judging God!

Deuteronomy 6:5: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." That's exactly what Jesus said all the Law and the Prophets were based upon.

How can you take any doctrine of the Bible, any teaching of Christ, which is not based on love? Let's put it another way: If you want to only study about love, how then are you going to avoid the commandments of God? You can't! Impossible!

Here's the whole reason for it, v 6: "And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart." That's where God wants them to be.

If you are judging the Law, you are not a doer of the Law. If you judge the Law then you overthrow the greatest laws that have ever been given! Those are the laws of God! You overthrow them, and when you overthrow them, what do you bring in its place? Your own law, which means then you are a lawgiver!

Deuteronomy 4:1: "And now, O Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the judgments which I teach you, in order to do them, so that you may live…" That's the whole purpose of what God wants.

I was listening to these tapes that Dr. Cameron put out—1983-4, somewhere around there—and it is amazing! Everything that he said is coming to pass. He was talking about how the research now is to try and show that homosexuality—he talks about homosexuality and AIDS—is trying to connect (and he predicted that it would) a so-called genetic difference between homosexuals and straights, as they would say it. But in rejecting the laws that God has, concerning that behavior, they become lawgivers and set their own rules. What happens? They take a position that they are not capable of taking, that is sitting in the seat of God! What happens? The wages of sin is death! It couldn't be anymore clear than with AIDS.

God wanted them to "…live and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers gives to you. You shall not add to the word, which I command you…" (vs 1-2). In other words, you're not to be a lawgiver.

"…neither shall you take away from it so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal Peor…." (vs 2-3). Of course, we have the doctrine on Baalim varied—Baal, lord.

"…For the LORD your God has destroyed from among you all the men that followed Baal Peor." (v 3). We're being assaulted with the doctrine of Baalim today. It's everywhere: in our schools; in everything that is done—it is incredible! We have allowed people to become lawgivers and judge the Law of God and say the Law of God is not right in this society.

Verse 4: "And you who held fast to the LORD your God are alive, every one of you, this day. Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you should do so in the land where you go to possess it. And you shall keep and do them, for this is your wisdom…" (vs 4-6).

Yet, everyone wants to have more knowledge, more understanding, more technology—which is then continuously eating from which tree? The knowledge of the tree of good and evil! The more knowledge they have, the more degenerate they become, rather than taking the laws and commandments of God as:

"…your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'" (v 6). Just the opposite of what they're saying about us today.

• we're stupid
• we're lazy
• we're ignorant
• we're degenerate
• we're indolent
• we're hedonistic

Verse 7: "For what nation is so great whose God is so near to them, as the LORD our God is, whenever we call upon Him? And what great nation has statutes and judgments that are so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?" (vs 7-8).

I heard one politician say what we need to do is 'wipe the deck clean' and start with the Ten Commandments. This society and this country and this world has become so 'talmudized' by Pharisaical type laws—the same spirit of rejection of God that the Scribes and Pharisees had in their own laws—that we now have regulators and we have regulations that have the force of law. You can go to prison for killing a dog, but you can get off scot free for killing a person. You can go to prison because you don't force your kids to go to these godless, atheistic schools, which they attend; you can go to jail! They shot a man down because he didn't want his kids to go to school.

I don't know when I will ever do it, but I still have it in my mind—and I will just have to say, brethren, that this whole thing of being Babylonianized for Babylon the Great is just another way of being 'talmudized.' Those people who claim that they're in authority to do things, it's incredible!

Rev. 3—I don't think we've really understood this. I've given sermons on this, I've come close to it. It's kind of like being on a trail of an elephant. You can follow the tracks, stumble over the manure, see the broken down trees that he's taken to eat and all this sort of thing, but you don't know what kind of beast you're up against until you get up so you can see him. I don't think we've understood what this is here:

Revelation 3:9: "Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who proclaim themselves to be Jews and are not, but do lie…" I don't think we have understood the power of the synagogue of Satan in relationship to this world. We've said that it's the Catholic Church—that's one branch of it. We've said it's Judaism—that's one branch of it, a major branch. But it also encompasses banking, radio, television, the arts, law, everything in this world. It comes from the same fountain, and it comes from the same source, and that fountain that they are drinking at is Satan. They are not true Jews, as the Bible would describe them.

To give that series would require at least 10 sermons and it would be so overwhelmingly negative that just in trying to read the things that have been planned for over a hundred years, just to try and get it sorted out, is so depressing that I've had to put the book down several times. But there's going to come a time when I'm going to have to, because everything now points to why the Church of God is being invaded by all of these Judaizing things toward Christianity. It's coming from the synagogue of Satan! That's why there is so much of a movement toward a 15th Passover. That's why it's absolutely essential that we understand it. Some people will say it makes no difference. You are judging the Law then! It does make a difference!

Does it make a difference between Sabbath and Sunday? Yes, it does! If you go to a 15th Passover are you not moving up one day? Yes, you are! That's just as important as the difference between Sabbath and Sunday. That's all a part of judging the law! It's really amazing how these things are coming. There are more book written by Jews to destroy the New Testament.

There are more movements to try and get Churches of God didn't want 'sacred names'; to get them to go to a 15th Passover, Jewish prayer shawls; to do the things that are from Judaism; even calling Jesus a rabbi, a Pharisee, taught by them; and that we should follow the authority of the Pharisees as Jesus said in Matt. 23. It is incredible! It is overwhelming! I'm trying to write this book The Christian Passover and I can't get it done fast enough. I have people calling me and asking for the information before I can even get it done, because they're just being inundated by it.

I Had one man call me from North Carolina; someone sent the sermons on the Passover and he said, 'Thank you' for them.' They were getting ready to keep a 15th Passover. That is all a part of judging God when you set yourself up to judge the Law. Whoever does that, that person—you—establish your own version of that law, which then makes you a lawgiver.

Psa. 119 gives understanding on how we need to look at God's way and God's law and everything that God has and said and done and all that sort of thing. This is why when you come to the question of things to do and not to do in relationship to the Old Testament and New Testament, whose word do we go by? We go by Jesus' word, because He is the Lawgiver!

Psalm 119:125: "I am Your servant; give me understanding that I may know Your testimonies. It is time for the LORD to work, for they have made void Your Law" (vs 125-126).

How did they make void the Law of God? By making their own laws called 'traditions'! This applies to Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism; more particularly those than any other religion. Why? Because they claim to follow the Bible! The Hindus don't claim to follow the Bible. The Buddhists don't claim to follow the Bible. They have their own, but they're not basing it on rejecting the laws of God, they're just out there basing it on their own. So, in their own way they're not quite as bad.

Don't anyone say that Fred Coulter endorsing Buddhism and Hinduism—I'm not by any stretch of the imagination—but I'm trying to relate to us that Judaism, Catholicism and Protestantism fall into an entirely different category than the Buddhist and Hindus, because these three have rejected in degree—whether a 100% down to 20%, however you want to look at it—the laws of God and judge their own laws better!

So, they "…have made void Your Law" (v 126). Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, full well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your own tradition.' (Mark 7) As I have written in the book The Christian Passover, the 15th Passover is a Judaism tradition and is not a command of God!

Here's David's attitude, v 127: "Therefore, I love Your commandments above gold—yea, above fine gold."

The other night as I was doing my notorious TV thing—flipping through the channels—I saw part of a movie where this fellow found—equivalent to a 15-lb. turkey in size—a solid gold nugget. Of course, everyone went loony-bin over it, needless to say. So, it gives us a great cause to think upon where he says, "Therefore, I love Your commandments above gold—yea, above fine gold." That is gold that has been purified in the fire. How many people have been willing to make the judgment against God to accept money instead of the commandments of God? Let alone gold, but just money?

Notice the right attitude toward God's Law so you don't become a judge of the law, hence a judge of God, v 128: "Therefore, I esteem all Your precepts concerning all things to be right…" That says an awful lot; that is a broad, sweeping principle that is absolutely true!

"…and I hate every false way" (v 128). Let's think upon this just a minute here. I consider, "Therefore, I esteem… [by value, by estimation, by analysis, however you want to] …all Your precepts concerning all things to be right…"

• On what one thing has God ever been wrong? Nothing! No answer!
• Why? So that every mouth is going to be stopped!
• Isn't that something? Think about that!

You talk about taking a principle and think and meditate on it all day and all night. Try thinking on that! If we can get away from our ATM/TV mentality to grasp the attention of our minds long enough to meditate at least sufficiently—say, 15 minutes in duration, if that's possible—to think about:

• that everything that God has ever said
• that God has ever done
• that God has ever proposed
• that God has ever thought of

is right altogether, except when a person comes along and decides to change what God has given! What is the greatest and foremost and most profound lie that Satan has contrived?

• that God's way is not right
• that God is wrong
• that God doesn't know what He's talking about

'Therefore, we will make our own laws.' In that then they become judges of the Law and hence, judges of God! What happens when that occurs? We see this happening time and time again:

• with greater intensity
• with more ferocity
• with more boldness
• with more absolute hedonistic rejection of God than ever before

It is amazing! This is the result of judging God and judging the Law, which then becomes the most arrogant thing people can do. The doctrine of Sunday is one of the most arrogant things that men have ever devised as a guise to keep people from keeping the Sabbath of God. Here's what happens; here's the ultimate of that:
Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…" That's precisely what's happening in the world today; everything that is evil is called 'good.'

We can just look at the example of Magic Johnson. We can look at the example of this so-called innocent girl who was supposedly raped by Mike Tyson. If it was so bad, if it was so miserable, if it was so ugly, if she suffered as much as she did, why does she come out in public and smile? To get the publicity and to get the money and all that sort of thing! Now a whole bunch of Baptist ministers turn around and say, 'We ought to let Mike Tyson off because he is a very important black figure.

• Are they not re-legislating the laws of God?
• Are they not judging the laws of God?
• And the laws of the land, based upon the laws of God?
• Yes, they are!

Doing this, v 20: "…who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" (vs 20-21). Stop and think about it. Who is going to say that they're intelligent, when you compare what God has done?

I was waiting for my wife to bring the other car to me today after the one was broken down. I stood there alongside the road, and since we've had all this rain, guess what was growing up in the ditch alongside the highway? Grass! Beautiful, lovely, green grass, which to a cow is marvelous and sweet and great. I was sitting there rather disturbed because my car went down. I just had the new clutch put in and it blew up on the way out of town.

I looked at that grass and I thought, we're all so ignorant! We all know so little about so much that we think we're so smart and intelligent and wise and we stand alongside the road and we look at the grass and we don't even know what makes it grow. All we know is that the rain came and the sun came and there's the grass.

I thought to myself, how stupid and foolish are we as human beings. Even the grass of the field, as Jesus said, 'testifies of the glory of God.' We plan seeds in the ground and we get whatever we get from them, but we don't know how they grow, we don't know what triggers it, we don't know what mechanism is used. I heard this report on Rush Limbaugh, where they had a 'memorial mass' for 20,000 trees that were being cut down to put in this dam because these radical eco-freaks say the trees are living things and they are memorializing the 'spirit of the trees.' They're judging God as unworthy! Exactly as it says here.

Verse 22: "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink… [that may have a reference to drugs] …Who justify the wicked for a bribe…" (vs 22-23). I wonder how much this board of Baptist ministers was going to get to justify Mike Tyson with the petitions; they had 10,000 signatures?

"…and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame burns up the chaff; their root shall be like rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up like dust because they have cast away the Law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel" (vs 23-24)—because they judged the Law!

Between preparing for James and this article that was sent to me—which we'll cover in just a minute—it is absolutely amazing the arrogance of human nature and the arrogance of the spirit of Satan the devil; he says. 'I will be like the Most High; I will exalt myself above the stars of heaven; I will sit in the sides of the north' (Isa. 14). God says, 'You will be brought down to hell!'

Psalm 12:1: "Help, O LORD, for the godly man ceases; for the faithful disappear from among the children of men." Why? Because they are so brow-beaten, by so many people, claiming so many things that faith fails, and people give up on God!Or they run off in their stupidity, in their discouragement, in their arrogance. It's beyond belief; because they have judged the Law of God!

Verse 2: "They speak falsehood each one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." And oh, is that not so! Every message on every one of these stupid soap operas has a message to corrupt your mind, to corrupt your soul and to corrupt your morals. Now you know why I watch Discovery Channel more than anything else. All of these so-called prime-time sitcoms and soap operas are a bunch of trash designed to corrupt the minds of the viewers. You can name them all. I don't have time to name them. They're all a bunch of wretchedness, and sooner or later they all get around to some sort of perversion of sex and some absolutely denigration against God.

Verse 3: "The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, 'With our tongue we shall prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?'" (vs 3-4).

Yes, we have freedom of speech. Isn't that what it's saying here? We can say anything we want, we will do anything we want, because we judge God unworthy; we judge the laws of God as unworthy! We don't want them! We don't care for them! But when people put themselves in that position regardless of whether it may sound nice and right, they're setting themselves up for a judgment from God.

Verse 8: "The wicked walk on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men." In some ways I could say that's self-evident. But there are so many people that don't understand the most self-evident thing, it's incredible! Is that not what is happening with the whole political process of everyone who is involved in politics today?

You get one person out there who is trying to do it at least reasonably straight and he's inundated and put down in such an incredible way. You're not going to solve the problems of this world by politics, because there are too many people right here that fit this category in v 8. Just to give you a small example in our own little town here:

Rachelle was coming home from school and the neighbor has three dogs that they let out and they came at her in a very threatening way as if they were going to bite her. She succeeded and nothing happened, she got home and everything was fine. So, Delores called the SPCA and told them that she would appreciate it if you would give a call to this lady and remind her to take care of her animals. They wanted Delores to testify and take that woman to court. Incredible!

Yet, in the same community they just dug up some bones at the end of the street where it was a transplant of a skeleton from someone who had died three or four years ago in Hollister and no one ever knew. But you get a bureaucrat out there that is going to exercise his power and 'I want to get this person in before the judge over these dogs.' It's insane! That's what happens.

Verse 8: "The wicked walk on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men." Sounds like Washington, D.C.!

Here's the whole crux of it. Here is the greatest judgment that can be made by human beings, and most of them make it in one way or another.

Psalm 14:1: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God!'…." That means down deep inside a person is convicted that there is no God, and they're a total fool! That's what the Bible says.

"…They are corrupt; they have done abominable works, there is none who does good" (v 1). Not one! Why? Because they judge the Law of God, and they become lawgivers and lawmakers by the very act of rejecting God. They now, in rejecting God, what do they always do? They have their own standard! Yes, they do!

Verse 2: "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not even one…. [quoted in Rom. 3, New Testament doctrine] …Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, those who devour My people as men eat bread and do not call upon the LORD. There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous" (vs 2-5). Then it talks about living in this society.

(go to the next track)

Verse 7: "Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD turns away the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad."

Here's an article that was sent to me by a man in Canada. This becomes really profound:

The Folly of Denying God by Hank Hanegraaff (equip.org/article/the-folly-of-denying-god/)

Beyond a doubt, the most significant question to ever penetrate the human mind is that of the existence of God. More consequences for humanity hinge on the denial or affirmation of God's existence than any other issue.

Countless numbers of Christian families have sent their children off to schools across America only to see them return as strangers robbed of their faith in God and of the basis for morality and ethics.

Absolutely true!

Many of these children have attempted to fill the vacuum in their lives through aberrant sex, drugs, and alcohol. Others have sought to fill this void with material success, which can never satisfy the spiritual needs of one created in the image of God.

"Is there really a God?" Though there are a variety of possible responses to this question, there are three traditional responses that predominate in Western society:

1) God does not exist—atheism; (2) we cannot know whether God exists—agnosticism; and (3) a personal God does exist—theism.

In each one of these cases you are making a judgment about God, and you're making a judgment about yourself as a person.

This article will demonstrate how, in witnessing to an atheist, one can move from atheism to agnosticism, from agnosticism to theism, and from the concept of an impersonal God to the personal God of Scripture.

To begin, atheism involves a logical fallacy known as a universal negative. Simply stated, a person would have to be omniscient and omnipresent to be able to say "there is no God"….

The Bible says that one is a 'fool.' What position does this put you in? You have prove there is no God! The reverse of that is that you can prove there is a God! What position does this put the individual in that makes that statement: 'I do not believe in God'? They are an atheist! But what position does it put them in? A judge! More so than a judge! It puts them in the position of God!I never really understood that until studying for this on James and this article was sent to me. In order to make the statement 'there is no God,' what must you know? This is profound!

To begin, atheism involves a logical fallacy known as a universal negative. Simply stated, a person would have to be omniscient and omnipresent to be able to say "there is no God" from his own pool of knowledge….

In other words, to say 'there is no God' you must know everything there is in the universe so you can make that as a definitive statement. So therefore, anyone who says there is no God cannot know everything there is in the universe.

…Only someone capable of being in all places at the same time—with a perfect knowledge of all that is in the universe—can make such a statement based on the facts.

I think that is really something when you come down to the most profound thing in judging and in judging God, and in judging God's laws. That's what the Bible says: 'He who says there is no God is a fool.' In other words, a person would have to be God to say there is no God! Hence the insertion is logically indefensible.

By using arguments like this, you will often find that an atheist quickly converts to agnosticism and is thus making progress rapidly in the right direction.

This leads us to the second possible response: agnosticism. In dealing with an open-minded agnostic, an approach I have found effective is to point out that the universe is an effect, which requires a sufficient cause…

Just like standing there looking at that grass. 'Fred, you're a dodo.' That's just how I felt. There I am, my great-exalted Isuzu broken down, brand new clutch, blown out on my way to Church. I'm standing there waiting for the tow truck to come and take it away, and I'm standing out there in the sun, seeing all that God has made. I looked down there at the grass: What do you really know? Ever do that, talk to yourself that way sometimes. What do you really know? You can't even tell how grass grows. Yet, the Bible says that we're all 'as grass.' We all come from grass—you do! Everything you eat comes out of the ground. The meat you eat comes from those that eat the grass, which comes from out of the ground. It's amazing!

So the result of the universe is an affect that requires a sufficient cause, and the only cause is God. As the Scripture says, 'The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands.'

It is helpful to clarify that there are only four possible explanations for how the universe came to be….

Then it goes through that. I won't go on with the rest of the article, but I thought that was a tremendous article.

Psalm 36:1 ties in with the same thing; this is exactly the way that the world is; it is amazing! "The wicked utters transgression in his heart. There is no fear of God before his eyes, for he flatters himself in his own eyes… [I am the greatest!] …until his iniquity is found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he has stopped acting wise and doing good. He plots iniquity upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not hate evil" (vs 1-4). Why? Because he's sitting in the seat of God saying there is no God!

Or if he acknowledges that there is a God, he says, 'God, I acknowledge that You exist, but I've got to tell you something, I don't like this law concerning idols. We're going to make them and we're going to put thing in our church, but we're going to so deceive the people, and we're going to tell them that they're really not worshipping idols.'

Let me read to you a couple of things out of this book concerning Why Christians Worship on Sunday. They are therefore, making a judgment concerning the Sabbath Day. What does this title also tell us? Why they don't worship on the Sabbath! Which then tells us: What do they know? They know that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week? How would they know to come to Church on Sunday if they didn't know which is the first day of the week if they didn't know which day was the seventh day of the week—seeing as how there are only seven days in a week. They start out they even quote the Sabbath commandment. You talk about judging God.

Why Christians Worship on Sunday:

A popular false view! Since the Sabbath commandment in Exo. 20 is one of the Ten Commandments and because the other nine are all repeated in the New Testament, the Sabbath-keepers declare that the observance of the Sabbath is part of God's basic moral law.

Now, we're going to say, 'Yeah but, God, we don't agree with that.' They even quote it! Then it gives the Exodus account. I won't go through and read too much on it.

The Basis for Sunday-worship:

We've got to find a basis for Sunday-worship!

First of all, we worship on Sunday because the Lord rose from the dead on this day.

First error: He didn't rise on that day; He was already risen. They came to the tomb and they said, 'He is not here.'

Mark, Luke and John all assert that when the women went to the tomb they found it empty on the first day of the week. Down through the ages…

Notice this great creative leap:

…of church history, believers have been almost unanimous in looking upon Sunday as the time of our Lord's resurrection. Therefore, the Lord's Day.

Of course, they go through and they give all the things concerning that, which is a bunch of trash!

The Law Today: In light of all this, I well understand someone saying, 'Isn't it a dangerous teaching? Will it not cause some to become lawless in their conduct? Do not the Ten Commandments contain the basic laws of God?'

Now, you talk about arrogance in judging the Law of God, this is profoundly incredible in my mind.

Yes, they do. In fact, nine of the Ten Commandments are restated in the New Testament in various forms. We can see then that certain principles abide and that many of the laws given to Israel by God include eternal moral standards and these have never changed. Now, if they are all moral standards, which have never changed, how then can you come to the next to the longest commandment…

By the way, it is not the longest, the one concerning idols is the longest commandment!

…in the New Testament and say that it is not morally profound and has inherent, eternal spiritual value.

Here's how they do it:

At least two fundamental, underlying and continuing principles can be found in this law. First, every man who has the means of production should have consideration for those less fortunate than he.

What does that mean? That's kind of a nebulous thing.

Secondly, this law demonstrates that if the needy are able-bodied it is better for them to work for their food than…

How did he get from that to that? Oh, ghastly! Then he goes through and he gives all of the first day of the week quotes in the New Testament and tries to justify it. Meanwhile, I want to come to the conclusion of it, because I don't want to get bogged down into all of the technical arguments one way or the other. I want to come to the conclusion of it. Listen to this statement; here's the final conclusion after going through all of this:

In our society, Sunday is the most suitable for corporate Christian worship and fellowship. Most suitable! Did they not judge the Law of God as being not right, and now 'we set our own law'? Yes!

The believer who is not required to work on Sunday should be grateful of the special blessing afforded to him on the Lord's Day.

But, it's all right if you have to work on that day, just come to church early. Or, if you want to play golf, come to the drive-in. There's a drive-in church in Southern California, you don't even have to get out of your car!

He will gladly set aside that day from the routine of his daily pursuits to meet and fellowship with other Christians and to worship the risen Savior. His attendance at church and performance of spiritual service should never be done grudgingly. It's a glorious privilege when we make…

Notice the words here, because now they have sat in the judgment of God!

…the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, a time of rest from temporal cares and give ourselves to greater spiritual activity, we receive a wonderful blessing, a wonderful reward. We will grow in grace and rejoice in the fellowship with God's people. We will keep ourselves in tune with the Lord and His Word and delight in the victory we see in the lives of others. And we will mature in service to the Lord…

I couldn't believe it when I read this! Right when I was studying about judging the Law!

…and the blessing of His love. The Lord's Day has a special significance for the sincere believer, for on Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and rejoice in our new life in Him. We are reminded that we have been born anew by faith and thank God for the miraculous redemption performed in us. May the Lord's Day always be, for all of us, a day of overflowing praise and service and truly the day of all the week which is the best.

In conclusion, Christians worship on Sunday because they love the Lord, and deeply desire to honor Him, study His Word and fellowship with His people.

That's the opposite of what the Bible says. Let's go to 1-John for just a minute {note sermon series: Epistles of John—absolutely marvelous, brethren, perhaps one of the best series we have ever undertaken.}

1-John 4:19: "We love Him because He loved us first." The Catholics who have forced upon the Protestants—and the Protestants have willingly followed along—have accepted Sunday as the day of worship because they judged and deemed the Sabbath unworthy of them. So, now 'weare greater than that and wecome to God and we tell God which day we will worship on. And wein loving God will force Him to love us.' But that's just the opposite of what this says. "We love Him because He loved us first."

1-John 5:2: "By this standard we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments." Except for the Sabbath! And the Catholics say then, 'except for the second commandment.' Then we have to say, 'Well, except for the fifth commandment, and except for the sixth commandment.' Then you have to have an exception for all of them!

That's why David said, 'I esteem all Your laws to be right and good, and every precept about everything that You have, O Lord, is right!' What happens when we sin? We make a mini-judgment when we sin and go along with it! 'Oh well, whatever the cause may be.' So, we make a judgment against God—don't we? Yes! That's why we need to repent and grow in grace and knowledge and understanding.

Let's see another example here in the Old Testament, and this is absolutely profound. Here is a command that has nothing to do with the commandments of God as being the Ten Commandments. Let's see what happened.

1-Samuel 15:1: "Samuel said to Saul, 'The LORD sent me to anoint you to be king over His people, over Israel….

Verse 3: "Now go and strike Amalek, and completely destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." The account says that he didn't do that.

Then came in, v 8: "And he [Saul] took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive. And he completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and…" (vs 8-9).

They judged God! They judged the commandments of God! This is anything that God says, if it's right and good and true… Not IF! Anything that God say IS right and good and true and just, whether it is painful or not!

So they says, 'Man, look at: "…the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not completely destroy them…." (v 9). Surely God would not want us to destroy all of this—would He? That's exactly what happened!

Verse 10: "And the Word of the LORD came to Samuel saying, 'It repents Me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments….'" (vs 10-11).

Did God have a judgment against Saul, because of not following that? Yes, He did! He lost his kingship. And what did aged Samuel have to do? He had to go hack up Agag with the sword!

Samuel went down to see Saul and Saul got up and said, v 13: "…'You are blessed of the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD.'…. [Sounds like some Sunday-keepers!] …And Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the flock in my ears? And what is the sound of the herd which I hear?' And Saul said, 'They… [always an excuse] …have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God…." (vs 13-15). And that makes it right! Anything you do in the name of God is right. As long as you do it in the name of God, it's right. NONSENSE!

"'…And the rest we have completely destroyed.' And Samuel said to Saul, 'Stay and I will tell you what the LORD has said to me tonight.' And he said to him, 'Speak on.' And Samuel said, 'When you were little in your own sight… [when you had a right attitude and were humble] …did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? And the LORD anointed you king over Israel. And the LORD sent you on the way and said, "Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until you destroy them." Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you fly upon the spoil and do evil in the sight of the LORD?'" (vs 15-19).

Notice how these people think once they've made a judgment against God and establish that what they have done in judging God that theirs is better than God's. What do they say? Same thing as Sunday-keepers! Same thing as anyone who does that!

Verse 20: "And Saul said to Samuel 'Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD… [I'm doing the will of God] …and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took from the spoil, of the flocks and herd, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.' And Samuel said, 'Does the LORD have as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD?….'" (vs 20-22).

• Did not God speak all those words in the Ten Commandments? Yes, He did!
• Did not God speak all the words that are written in the Law? Yes, He did!
• Did not Jesus speak the words in the New Testament?
• Did not Jesus inspire the words in the New Testament?
• Yes, He did!

"'…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice!'" (v 22). Isa. 1 talks about all 'your sacrifices, your new moons, your sabbaths, I can't stand them, get them away from Me, they are a bother to Me, they are a burden to Me, they are a worry to Me,' God says.

"…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice! To hearken is better than the fat of rams, for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the Word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king!" (vs 22-23).

Judging the Word of God unworthy! When you do that you become a lawgiver. Did Saul not have his own version of the law? Yes, he did! Did he not say then that 'we have obeyed' the voice of the Lord? Yes, he did—but they didn't!

Even though he said, 24: "And Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned….'" and didn't repent and do.

Verse 26: "And Samuel said to Saul, 'I will not return with you, for you have rejected the Word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.' And as Samuel turned around to go…" (vs 26-27).

And Saul said, 'Oh please come with me before the people so the people won't see that I've been rejected of God.' And Samuel said, 'All right, I'll do it, but you bring Agag here and I'll hack him to pieces.

Let's see another case of someone who had their own judgment, going to do it their own way against God.

2-Samuel 15:1 "Now it came to pass after this, Absalom…" Absalom was quite a person. He had hair that it is reported was clear down to his ankles. You talk about long-haired freaks! One of the sons of David, by the way.

"…prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him" (v 1). He wasn't self-centered—was he? As you go down the road and you have 50 men running before you, 'Hail! Hail! Here comes Absalom!' Had their own Hollywood routine—didn't they?

Verse 2: "And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate. Now it was so, if any man had a suit… [controversy] …to come before the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him and said, 'What city are you from?' And he said, 'Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.' And Absalom said to him, 'See! Your matters are good and right, but no one from the king will hear you'" (vs 2-3). In other words, 'You're not going to get in to see the king. I'll take care of you.'

Verse 4: "And Absalom said, 'Oh, that I might be made judge in the land…'" Sounds exactly like the presidential campaign. 'Oh, if I were made President!'

"…so that every man who has any suit or cause might come to me, and Iwould do him justice!' And it was so, when any man came near to bow down to him, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him. And in this way Absalom did to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. And Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel" (vs 4-6). The rest of it is that he set up his own rebellion.

Let's see what Job did, how Job was judging God, and that was the biggest sin that he had—he was judging God! Here's what Job said:

Job 9:32: "For He [God] is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, that we should come together in court… [judgment] …there is no umpire between us, who might lay his hand upon us both" (vs 32-33). He's judging God, putting God in that human realm as it were. There are many places in Job that you could go and read.

Job 34:35—God says: "Job has spoken without knowledge…" That's exactly what happens when people make these judgments.

"…and his words were without wisdom. My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because his answers are like those of wicked men. For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God" (vs 35-37). That means he judged God!

Whatever God does is good and right—isn't it? Whether for good or evil, it is right! You read Rev. 16 and all the judgments of the final seven last plagues—those are awesome! I mean, when you really think about those things happening, it just takes the breath out of you. And the angel says, 'Holy and righteous and true are Your judgments, O Lord.'

Job 35:1: "And Elihu answered and said, 'Do you think this to be right, you that say, "My righteousness is more than God's"?'" (vs 1-2).

• Isn't that what people proclaim when they judge the Law?
• When they judge God?
• When they have the audacity to run up and:
• tell God what they will do?
• tell God what they won't do?
• tell God what to do?

That's what they're doing when they say: "'…"My righteousness is more than God's"? For you say, "What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?" I will answer your words, and your companions with you. Look to the heavens, and see…'" (vs 2-5).

In other words, the same argument that we are told to tell the atheists: 'you are not omniscient; you are not omnipotent; you're not omnipresent; you are not everywhere; you are not God; you have no reason or business to judge God or to judge His Law! You're not God! Only God can do that!

There are two men going around the country—Ray Lampley and John Trescott—cavorting around as the two witnesses and writing and calling brethren and telling God when He may return! And telling God what He may do! They're on a tour of warning officials in the land. Who sent them to warn? Besides, the two witness, I feel, are exactly who they're going to be: the high priest at the temple to be built and the governor of Judea. It's not going to be some upstart Oklahomans and run around and tell God what to do.

Letter from Lampley: Many are claiming that the Great Tribulation is not here yet, we have hundreds of proofs that it is here and has been since March 26, 1991. We are in those 1,290 days of Dan. 12:11 and the 1,260 days of Rev. 12:6. Our prophecy as a whole has been right on target. Only the ignorance of the American people has prevented them from seeing and knowing we are in the last days with only 981 days left before Jesus sets His feet on the Mt. of Olives.

Jesus said that 'no man knows the day or the hour.' Not even the Son of man. Why? Because the events have to be fulfilled before it's going to be put into action! I'm sure because of stupidity and people like this that God is going to have it at a time when they don't know.

I'd like to have an opportunity to speak to your people in your area…. And to give them the warning… John Trescott and I will be in the Los Angeles area around 5 p.m., March 16th, leaving at 8 a.m. March 19th for Bakersfield. We will have most of our necessities, but it would be nice if we could have a place to sleep overnight and have a hot shower.

If you're the two witnesses, how are you going to be dressed? You talk about the height of arrogancy! You talk about the height of judging God and telling God what He will do and what He won't do and why He will do it—this is it!

We've had run-ins with this man before. I will label them as unequivocally false prophets! They are not the two witnesses. There was already one guy who was the two prophets—Martin Philapello[unsure of spelling]. He preached for years that he was one of the two witnesses and that God was going to raise up Herbert W. Armstrong. I forget what year it was going to happen. No, it didn't happen that year, and he said it was going to happen the next year. No, it didn't happen then. He said it was going to happen on Passover. No, it didn't happen. It's going to happen on Pentecost. It didn't happen. It's going to happen on Trumpets. It didn't happen. So, he finally came to the conclusion that he was the two witnesses.

Here is what the two witnesses are going to be and how they're going to act. Where are they going to prophecy? In Jerusalem! Not coming to California! Not sending some stupid insane letter to the heads of government! It doesn't say that the two witnesses 'wrote scorching letters to the leaders of the world and they repented.' Nonsense!

Revelation 11:3: "And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth. And if anyone attempts to harm them, fire will go out of their mouths and devour their enemies.…" (vs 3-5).

If we only have 981 days left where's the fire that's proceeded out of your mouth? Didn't happen! You need to beg for food.

"…For if anyone attempts to harm them, he must be killed in this manner…. [How many have you killed with the fire out of your mouth?] …These have authority to shut heaven so that no rain may fall in the days of their prophecy…" (vs 5-6).

Come and stand out here and stop the clouds. Come out here and stop the sun if you be the two witnesses and the arrogancy of what you're doing in bother brethren and send letters like this.

"…and they have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they will" (v 6).

I forgot, v 3, this is the main part: they are clothed in sackcloth! They're not running around begging brethren for a shower. They're clothed in sackcloth!

Verse 7: "And when they have completed their testimony, the beast who ascends out of the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them. And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified" (vs 7-8). Jerusalem!

The two witnesses are not going to be traveling around in broken down cars, mooching off of brethren, and sending letters to various governors of the states and the President and so forth. When the two witnesses come on the scene, we will know that they are the ones, because of what they do. They're not going to go up and play hand-holding patty-cake with the governor of California or any other governor. They're going to stand in the face of the beast and the false prophet and say, 'Thus says the Lord!'

I'll tell you one thing: If there's anything I don't want to be—which I know I won't be—is one of the two witnesses. And the last thing that anyone ought to do is have the arrogance and the judgment against God to set themselves up as the two witnesses. You think about that! Has not one big Church of God already been disintegrated for the arrogancy of trying that? Yes! Claiming that it was Elijah, the two witnesses, it was fulfilling the commission of Ezekiel and Jeremiah and Isaiah all rolled into two people. One died and the other's trying to exalt himself again! Then we have this! I tell you, it's something! Anyway, that's what it means to be a judge against God!

James 4:11: "Brethren, do not talk against one another…." I'm not talking against these men, their own testimony and their own words are talking against them. I'm just telling them what the Bible says. I hope they repent. I hope the brethren they visit will get them in a corner and say, 'Look, what are you doing with this kind of attitude?'

"…The one who talks against a brother, and judges his brother, is speaking against the law, and is judging the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law; rather, you are a judge. But there is only one Lawgiver… [God! If you're judging the Law, you're judging God!] …Who has power to save and to destroy. Who are you that you presume to judge another?" (vs 11-12).

The whole lesson in here is so profound! Just take this lesson and think about it when you see some of these religionists or you watch them on television, when you read some of the things they say or look at some of their doctrines, and you will see it is absolutely amazing what they claim.

So, brethren, let's not judge one another and let's not judge God!

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order—A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• James 4:11-12
• Deuteronomy 6:1-5
• John 13:24
• Deuteronomy 6:5-6
• Deuteronomy 4:1-8
• Revelation 3:9
• Psalm 119:125-128
• Isaiah 5:20-24
• Psalm 12:1-4, 8
• Psalm 14:1-5, 7
• Psalm 36:1-4
• 1 John 4:19
• 1 John 5:2
• 1 Samuel 15:1, 3, 8-11, 13-24, 26-27
• 2 Samuel 15:1-6
• Job 9:32-33
• Job 34:35-37
• Job 35:1-5
• Revelation 11:3-6, 3, 7-8
• James 4:11-12

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Mark 7:21
• Jeremiah 17:9
• Matthew 23
• Isaiah 14; 1
• Romans 3
• Revelation 16

Also referenced:

Books:

• The Christian Passover by Fred R. Coulter
• Why Christians Worship on Sunday (no author found or cited)

Article: The Folly of Denying God by Hank Hanegraaff (equip.org/article/the-folly-of-denying-god/)
Sermon Series: The Epistles of John

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 2-13-11
Corrected: 7/2016