Preaching the Truth of What the Scriptures Say About the True Christian Way
Sabbath Bible Study
July 27, 2019
The Way
By
Lemie McGarity
To be a Christian mean that a person is totally sold out to Jesus Christ and the teaching He gave concerning the Ways of God
Moses told Israel just before they were to enter the Promised Land that evil would befall them because he knew after 40 years of leading them in the wilderness that they were going to turn away from the Way of God.
Deut 31:29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
Paul said the same thing 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.
Jesus said in Matt 24:5 Many would come in in His name, saying I am the Christ and will mislead many…24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
As disciples of Jesus Christ we have been instructed to follow that same way in Him.
Matt 13:29
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Now let’s read what Moses said and other prophets God inspired and sent to the Israel and Judah:
EX 32:8
“They have quickly turned aside from the way H1870 which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘[fn]This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”
Ex 33:13
“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways H1870 that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.”
Jer 2:13; 17
For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. 17 Have you not done this to yourself, by your forsaking the LORD your God when He led you in the way?
The way talked about is Strong’s 1870 and means: way, road, distance, journey, manner
- road, way, path
- journey
- direction
- manner, habit, way
- of course of life (fig.)
- of moral character (fig.)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, G3598 the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Strong’s 3558 hodós, hod-os’; apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, a mode or means:—journey, (high-)way.
In John 14:6 it is metaphorically talking about a mode, a course of conduct or manner properly
- a way, a travelled way, road
- a traveler’s way, journey, travelling metaph.
- a course of conduct
- a way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding
Earlier Jesus had made the statement that He was the light of the world
John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Strong’s Number: g5457Greek: phos
Light, Noun, and Verb (Bring To, Give), Lighten:
akin to phao, “to give light” (from roots pha–, and phan–, expressing “light as seen by the eye,” and, metaphorically, as “reaching the mind,”.
- God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality
- of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it
- that which is exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly
- reason, mind, the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth
Matt 11:29
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. I reference here Matt 18:3 that describes the yoke of Jesus. We must be humble as He is humbled.
I want to say unless we have the Father and Jesus Christ living in us we can never be humble of our selves.
Jesus used parables when he was speaking to the public, and His disciples asked why He did that
Matt 13:11
Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
We are very privileged to be granted to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God that other in world do not know. That’s because Jesus has shined His light upon us. We now know the ways of God and the means of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. It was by God’s choice not our own desire or will. None of us could have understood that our salvation is in Jesus other than the fact we learned from the Father.
John 6:44-45
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
Brethren knowing this information should inspire us as it did King David
Acts 2:25-28
“For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26 ‘THEREFORE, MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER, MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27 BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, FOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28 ‘YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’
At this point I want to go something Paul said in the book of Ephesians that illustrates the point made in the book of Jeremiah 2.13.
Eph 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
In Matt 5 Jesus said we are the salt of the earth. Salt is a preservative and metaphorically Jesus is saying to us that we are to preserve the way of God and if we turn from it we are good for nothing, just like in Jer 2:13 turning from the fountain of living water to a broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Matt 5:13
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Metaphorically speaking again, that is what has happened to the modern day Christian Community. By not properly understanding God’s grace it has loss it’s saltiness and become worthless when it comes to the ways of God
Jude
2 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. 3 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
The word faith as used in these verses implies the same things as the Way.
Strong’s 4102, pis’-tis; from G3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
Paul said in 2 Tim 4:3-4 that times would come when the people of God will no longer hold to the ways of God
2 Tim 4:3-4
3 For time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desire, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
Jesus also said: “For the coming of the Son of Man will be like in the days of Noah 38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.
Sisters and brothers we are privileged to understand the way of God now, and as a result we have an awesome future ahead of us. We have been shown the Way, so hold on and don’t let go of the way God has shown us to go. And that is to take upon us the yoke of Jesus
Part 2
In the book of Micah God revealed to him the whole duty and requirements need to have a relationship with Him
Micah 6:8
8 He has told you, O Man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you But to do Justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”
As we have seen from the Scriptures that there is no way that man can humble himself to walk with God other than being empowered by the holy Spirit of God; The Father and Christ living in us.
Proof of this is found in the writings of Paul. Paul said he didn’t know anything except Christ and Him crucified
Gal 2:20
19 I, through the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Just what does Paul mean it was not him who lived but Christ who lived in Him, and he was dead to the Law
Commentary by Jamison, Fasset and Brown on Gal 2:19-20
“Here Paul seems to pass from his exact words to Peter, to the general purport of his argument on the question. However, his direct address to the Galatians seems not to be resumed till Gal 3:1, “O foolish Galatians,” &c.
For–But I am not a “transgressor” by forsaking the law. “For,” &c. Proving his indignant denial of the consequence that “Christ is the minister of sin” ( Gal 2:17 ), and of the premises from which it would follow. Christ, so far from being the minister of sin and death, is the establisher of righteousness and life. I am entirely in Him [BENGEL].
I–here emphatical. Paul himself, not Peter, as in the “I” ( Gal 2:18 ).
through the law–which was my “schoolmaster to bring me to Christ” ( Gal 3:24); both by its terrors ( Gal 3:13 Rom 3:20 ) driving me to Christ, as the refuge from God’s wrath against sin, and, when spiritually understood, teaching that itself is not permanent, but must give place to Christ, whom it prefigures as its scope and end ( Rom 10:4 ); and drawing me to Him by its promises (in the prophecies which form part of the Old Testament law) of a better righteousness, and of God’s law written in the heart ( Deu 18:15-19 Jer 31:33 Act 10:43 ).
am dead to the law–literally, “I died to the law,” and so am dead to it, that is, am passed from under its power, in respect to non-justification or condemnation ( Col 2:20 Rom 6:14 7:4, 6 ); just as a woman, once married and bound to a husband, ceases to be so bound to him when death interposes, and may be lawfully married to another husband. So by believing union to Christ in His death, we, being considered dead with Him, are severed from the law’s past power over us (compare Gal 6:14 1Cr 7:39 Rom 6:6-11 1Pe 2:24 ).
live unto God— ( Rom 6:11 2Cr 5:15 1Pe 4:1, 2 ). I am crucified–literally, “I have been crucified with Christ.” This more particularizes the foregoing. “I am dead” ( Gal 2:19 Phl 3:10 ).
nevertheless I live; yet not I—Greek, “nevertheless I live, no longer (indeed) I.” Though crucified I live; (and this) no longer that old man such as I once was (compare Rom 7:17 ). No longer Saul the Jew ( Gal 5:24 Col 3:11, but “another man”; compare 1Sa 10:6 ). ELLICOTT and others translate, “And it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me.” But the plain antithesis between “crucified” and “live,” requires the translation, “nevertheless.”
the life which I now live–as contrasted with my life before conversion.
in the flesh–My life seems to be a mere animal life “in the flesh,” but this is not my true life; “it is but the mask of life under which lives another, namely, Christ, who is my true life” [LUTHER].
I live by the faith, &c.–Greek, “IN faith (namely), that of (that is, which rests on) the Son of God.” “In faith,” answers by contrast to “in the flesh.” Faith, not the flesh, is the real element in which I live. The phrase, “the Son of God,” reminds us that His Divine Sonship is the source of His life-giving power.
loved me–His eternal gratuitous love is the link that unites me to the Son of God, and His “giving Himself for me,” is the strongest proof of that love.
21. I do not frustrate the grace of God–I do not make it void, as thou, Peter, art doing by Judaizing.
for–justifying the strong expression “frustrate,” or “make void.”
is dead in vain—Greek, “Christ died needlessly,” or “without just cause.” Christ’s having died, shows that the law has no power to justify us; for if the law can justify or make us righteous, the death of Christ is superfluous [CHRYSOSTOM].
Saint John Chrysostom (/ˈkrɪsəstəm, krɪˈsɒstəm/; Greek: Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος; c. 349 – 14 September 407),[6] Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his preaching and public speaking,
Saint John Chrysostom is among the many early Church Fathers that influenced the modern Christian Community today. The theology and writings of these men are the foundation for turning the grace of God into lasciviousness
The church fathers are generally divided into the Ante-Nicene Fathers, those who lived and wrote before the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, those who lived and wrote after 325. Also, the division of the fathers into Greek and Latin writers is also common. Some of the most prominent Greek Fathers are Justin Martyr, Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, and Maximus the Confessor. Among the Latin Fathers are Tertullian, Cyprian, Jerome, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, and Gregory the Great.
Jude refers to them as certain men who have crept in unawares.
Jude 4
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you ask a Christian of today what is the Bible definition of sin and the answer you would most likely get is that Grace is the unmerited forgiveness of sin. This answer would be partly correct. The grace of God is much more than just the forgiveness of sin. It is the way of God.
Strong’s G5485 khar’-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).
The KJV translates Strong’s G5485 in the following mannermanner: grace (130x), favour (6x), thanks (4x), thank (4x), thank (with G2192) (3), pleasure (2x), miscellaneous (7x).
As grace John 1:17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace G5485 and truth came by Jesus Christ.
As favor Luk 1:30
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour G5485 with God.
As thanks 1 Co 15:57
But thanks G5485 be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Tim 1:12
And I thank G2192 G5485 Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; G2192 Means to be closely joined to a person or a thing
As Pleasure Act 24:27
But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, G5485 left Paul bound.
The Scriptures refer to grace as being the love of God
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If it had not be for the love of God for His creation all of us would be doom to the sentence of death because we all were sinner prior to God calling us and opening our minds to the truth.
God is love
1Jo 4:8
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 Jo 4:16
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has [fn]for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
In the very beginning after God had delivered Israel from Egypt established covenant with with them that is based on His character and nature;
Deut 7:9
“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps [fn]His covenant and [fn]His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
God is love and He gave Israel the formula for living a life of abundant joy and peace; His 10 Commandments which are an illustration of who He is (love) and the relationship with Him and with our fellow brethren.
God’s 10 Commandments of Love
Deut 5:1-22
Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your [fn]hearing, that you may learn them and observe [fn]them carefully. 2 “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of [fn]us alive here today. 4 “The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. [fn]He said, 6 ‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of [fn]slavery. 7 ‘You shall have no other gods [fn]before Me. 8 ‘You shall not make for yourself [fn]an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above [fn]or on the earth beneath [fn]or in the water under the earth. 9 ‘You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 11 ‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not [fn]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.
13 ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who [fn]stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 ‘You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. 16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you. 17 ‘You shall not murder. 18 ‘You shall not commit adultery. 19 ‘You shall not steal. 20 ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’ 22 “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.
Each one of the laws of God are laws designed to insure that we do not commit unloving acts toward Him and our brother.
With that in mind we can further define sin as committing unloving acts that cause harm to ourselves by acting unloving acts toward God by being disobedient in our relationship with Him and acts that cause harm to our neighbor.
This is what Christ was referring to when He commented on the greatest commandment in the law.
Matt 22:37
And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOURGOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
In verse 38 Jesus said that loving God with all of our heart, with all your soul and mind is the foremost commandment. However, it is ironic that the majority of today’s Christian Community have been lead into lawlessness by a twist and distorted rendering of the love of God; God’s grace by men who do not know God (1 John 4:8,16).
The following Scriptures have been twisted and distorted to imply that grace is something new and introduced in the NT
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace G5485 and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Gal 3:10-11
For as many as are of the works of [fn]the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.” 11 Now that no one is justified [fn]by [fn]the Law before God is evident; for, THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Col 2:13-17
13 When you were dead [fn]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. 16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath [fn]day— 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
However, we read in the OT where men of God was granted favor (grace) by God.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
So did Abraham
and said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not [fn]pass Your servant by.
So did Lot
“Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the [fn]mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die;
Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.
So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.
From these Scriptures we see that God’s grace is nothing new. It has always existed because God has no beginning or ending of days
John 1:1-4, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.—17 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of [fn]the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The apostle Paul warned his readers not to get involved with the philosophy of men, referring to false teachers of his time and the one that would arise in the future such as some of the early Church Fathers that wrote after 325 AD
Col 2:8-10
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Jesus is head over all rule and authority including the early Church Fathers and this is His teaching concerning the Law
Matt 5:17
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [fn]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [fn]others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever [fn]keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Christians today will tell you that because fulfilled the law for us so we don’t have to keep it. That is not true. In the very beginning of the verse He says He did not come to abolish the Law. That whole understanding do not make since. What Jesus came to fulfill are the things written in the Scriptures about Him.
Isa 9:6
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will [fn]rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
Jesus came to do the will of the Father
then I said, Lo, I come, (in a volume of the book it hath been written concerning me,) to do, O God, Thy will;’
It is God’s will that all men will have an opportunity to get to know God and the love He has for creation and He insured it by demonstrating His love for us through the blood of His Son
14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are [fn]sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”
He then says, 17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 22 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
God want his people to love and He loves us
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love fulfills the law and if we do not show love to God by not obeying His commandments and not loving our neighbor we are transgressors of the law
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law (the ten commandments of love) according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the [fn]law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole [fn]law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
There love that the love we have for our neighbor save the love we must have for God. Christians demonstrate the love they have for their neighbor, but show their disdain for God by rejecting the way we are to show love for God, and loving God is the foremost commandment in the law. There is a good reason for that and that is that they believe that Paul is the apostle that superseded the instructions of God by believing he taught that we are justified through faith and grace which nullified the Law not realizing that is no need for grace if there is no law. Just what is Paul’s teaching concerning the law and grace.
Rom 3:31
Do we then nullify [fn]the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Rom 6:1-2
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
Gal 3:21
Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
The book of Revelation is the last message given to the Church by the apostle John. Christ reveals that the whole world has been deceived by Satan ( the prince and power of the air) Rev 12:9, and verse 17 Christ reveals that Satan is at war with those who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And what is the testimony of Jesus
Matt 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Brethren none of us want to hear those words come from the mouth of Jesus so we do well when we learn to appreciate the Grace of God and the love He has for us by doing what is right in His sight. The grace of God and His law go hand and hand. As it state in Heb 10:26 grace does not apply if we continue to walk in sin.
What is sin? Transgressing the law of God 1 John 3:4
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
Deut 5:9-10
9 for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
The only reason we are not under the penalty of the law is because Christ die in our stead removing the ordinance that had reference to unintentional sin. Lev 4