Scriptures&Comments

Scriptures and Other Comments

Cause no matter where people go, sooner or later, there’s the law. And, sooner or later, they find that God’s already been there. John Wayne in Chisum

  • Key scripture elements of how God’s commandments are being made of none effect because of man’s traditions.
    • Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.Matthew 15:1-9
  • Key inductive scripture
    • But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:Matthew 24:20
    • This verse is projected all the way to the end times.
    • His audience was primarily Jewish and would have understood his reference to the 4th commandment as the sabbath rest when things were to be shut down for that rest. Therefore travel would have been made very difficult. Modern Israel reflects this condition.
  • Wesley on the Law (page 6, Sermons On Several Occasions, Vol. I, c. 1825).
    • “…to warn those who know the religion of the heart, the faith which worketh by love, lest at any time they make void the law through faith, and so fall back into the snare of the devil.”
    • There is a freedom as we walk in faith, but we must be careful that we do not end up thinking that faith gives us a license to break God’s laws.
    • Wesley is telling us that this type of distorted faith can be a snare causing one to fall into the hands of the devil.
    • View/download the entire sermon here: WesleyOnLaw
  • It is not the outward appearance that is important, but full obedience to God’s commandments with one’s heart and faith. This is the mark of a Christian, one who demonstrates his love to God by obedience.
    • Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.I Corinthians 7:19
    • If ye love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.John 14:15,21
    • By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.I John 5:2
  • There is a warning to those who lightly dismiss one of God’s commandments. They will find themselves working directly against the Lord.
    • It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.Psalms 119:126
  • Those who refuse to dismiss any of God’s commandments are called to hang tough against the opposition.
    • Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.Isaiah 51:7
  • Two elements that are instrumental in man putting tradition before God = faithlessness and perversion
    • Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.Matthew 17:17
      • Faithlessness = lacking faith in God’s word, what it says, what it involves, and what it demands.
      • Perverseness = because of the lack of faith in God’s word, this leads to a perversion of his Word to fit one’s personal standards or ethics.
  • God’s commandments are to be obeyed, not just observed.
    • Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.Matthew 23:1-3
    • Unfortunately the world mainly gives lip service to God’s commandments and does not obey them.
    • This verse should help us understand the hypocrisy in the many protests against those who are trying to get rid of the Ten Commandment monuments throughout the USA, while most protesters actually disregard what the commandments are and what they call us to obey.
  • Man’s guilt before God is tied to the law; therefore the law applies not just to the Jews but to all of mankind.
    • Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.Romans 3:19,31
    • A better feel is to view the whole context: Romans 3:19-31 = Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
    • The Bible is clear that faith does not void the law, rather faith establishes the law.
    • The verses above show that the guilt of sin is tied to the law; therefore the law applies not just to the Jews but to all of mankind.
  • And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.Luke 23:56
    • This was a special sabbath day, associated with the passover. We know that this celebratory rest continued on through to the 7th day Sabbath because the Bible tells us they were waiting for the Sabbath to conclude so they could go and finish their burial duties as soon as there was daylight, which was Sunday morning (a work day and the 1st day of the week).
    • The main point here is that those closest to Jesus were observing the Sabbath right up to the time of his resurrection.
    • Are we then to say that as soon as Jesus arose his first act was to abolish the Sabbath?; which would then mean that Jesus was now declaring that there were now only 9 commandments and no longer 10!
  • Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.Colossians 2:16-17
    • It is important to note that all the sabbaths (which would include the 6th day Sabbath) are not to be done away, but are still a shadow.
    • The shadow seems to refer to the Millennial period as we see this reference in Ezekiel 46:1 = Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
    • Another important note is that the issue on judgment is very likely a two way street.
      • You should not judge those who do not adhere to the Sabbath.
      • Neither should anyone judge you if you adhere to the Sabbath.
      • We all answer to God and he will judge our actions.
  • Sin is equated with the law.
    • Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.I John 3:4
    • Transgressing the Sabbath day, which is part of the law, therefore is sin.
  • Law will not fail (Luke 16:17) = And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
  • Commandments tied to examining oneself (I John 2:3-5).
    • And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
    • You can only have a legitimate claim to knowing God if you keep all of God’s commandments.
  • James doesn’t exclude the 4th commandment in this verse.
    • For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.James 2:10
    • If the Sabbath is not a part of the church age then that verse should read more like this: “For whosever shall keep the whole law (which now excludes the 4th commandment), and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
  • Collection of relief funds made on the 1st day = Sunday.
    • Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.I Corinthians 16:2
    • On the Sabbath you are commanded not to conduct business.
    • In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.Nehemiah 13:15-21
    • So collecting funds on the 1st day of the week was not violating the Sabbath in regards to doing business. For many in the Roman empire, Sunday was a pagan day off in commemoration of the sun god. This work day for Christians and Jews would then be the most convenient and logical day for collecting the funds for helping to relieve the Jewish persecution in Israel.

 

Ralph Wendt