Chapter Twelve
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
[Warning D. M. Murdock (now deceased) opposed the Lord God and refused to repent. She claimed that Moses was a myth and wrote a book to this effect (Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver). The Author of this book communicated with Dorothy M. Murdock (a.k.a. Acharya S.) and pointed her to archaeological evidence that verifies the Exodus account and Moses' existence. She refused to acknowledge the truth, challenged God and scoffed, claiming that Moses was a myth and the Ten Commandments are myths, while having claimed she had been raised a Christian. Be wise and read all the chapters and consider the truth contained within, because there is much more than what is in this summation. And your eternal salvation ought to begin as soon as possible. In fact, you really need to be sure of it—right now!
The world is going to change and what we are seeing happening with Muslims in the Middle East and in Europe is but the beginning of a New World Order being implemented in these days. Lord Jacob Rothschild is on record as having said the reason one of his trusts purchased the 1735 painting Boy Building a House of Cards by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) in 2007 had to do with the September, 2008 Global Financial Crisis. To quote Lord Jacob Rothschild from the BBC4 Documentary The Aristocrats: The Rothschilds: "We acquired it because we saw clearly that in 2008, of course, that the world's financial system was coming to an end and we saw that coming." (Was this foresight or foreknowledge?)
If you read the Bible and understand it, you will realize that the Ten Commandments are the Milk of the Word. The Ten Commandments are the milk of God's Word, and few Christians actually understand them. In which case, being perceptive, you can comprehend the reason so many people claiming to be Christians are not heard by God and do not get their prayers answered. Instead, they struggle in their walk and become weak in faith towards God, merely professing a belief and not actually knowing their Savior, because they have no abiding relationship with HIM.
The Ten Commandments alone will not save anybody. Nevertheless, they are needed for understanding, so people can move on from the first step towards growing in faith in Lord Jesus Christ and becoming mature Christians who honor their word; who are humble; who exercise self control in all things and at all times. Without knowledge people miss out, suffer unnecessarily and perish. Therefore the Ten Commandments are essential to begin the walk that God desires for us (read Hebrews 5:7-6:1; Rom. 3:20).]
Some people like to believe that the Decalogue—the ten words that were written by the Finger of God—which was delivered by Moses has been taken from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, or the Babylonian Hammurabi’s Code of Laws. Apart from the fact they do not want to accept the truth, the reason doubters and non-believers say this is there are many similarities in the codes of behavior stipulated in those documents and the commandments, statutes and laws that Moses delivered to the Israelites. From the outset, it is obvious that if people are going to live together, and are disinclined to love each other, laws are needed to bring about justice and define what is acceptable behavior. This way there is no excuse for people committing crimes and making arbitrary decisions that are unjust and favor certain people over others. Unfortunately, partiality and injustice are evidenced today when celebrities, politicians, powerful executives and business people get punishment that is more lenient for their criminal behavior than other mortals possessing less status and influence within the community.
The world is going to change and what we are seeing happening with Muslims in the Middle East and in Europe is but the beginning of a New World Order being implemented in these days. Lord Jacob Rothschild is on record as having said the reason one of his trusts purchased the 1735 painting Boy Building a House of Cards by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699-1779) in 2007 had to do with the September, 2008 Global Financial Crisis. To quote Lord Jacob Rothschild from the BBC4 Documentary The Aristocrats: The Rothschilds: "We acquired it because we saw clearly that in 2008, of course, that the world's financial system was coming to an end and we saw that coming." (Was this foresight or foreknowledge?)
If you read the Bible and understand it, you will realize that the Ten Commandments are the Milk of the Word. The Ten Commandments are the milk of God's Word, and few Christians actually understand them. In which case, being perceptive, you can comprehend the reason so many people claiming to be Christians are not heard by God and do not get their prayers answered. Instead, they struggle in their walk and become weak in faith towards God, merely professing a belief and not actually knowing their Savior, because they have no abiding relationship with HIM.
The Ten Commandments alone will not save anybody. Nevertheless, they are needed for understanding, so people can move on from the first step towards growing in faith in Lord Jesus Christ and becoming mature Christians who honor their word; who are humble; who exercise self control in all things and at all times. Without knowledge people miss out, suffer unnecessarily and perish. Therefore the Ten Commandments are essential to begin the walk that God desires for us (read Hebrews 5:7-6:1; Rom. 3:20).]
Some people like to believe that the Decalogue—the ten words that were written by the Finger of God—which was delivered by Moses has been taken from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, or the Babylonian Hammurabi’s Code of Laws. Apart from the fact they do not want to accept the truth, the reason doubters and non-believers say this is there are many similarities in the codes of behavior stipulated in those documents and the commandments, statutes and laws that Moses delivered to the Israelites. From the outset, it is obvious that if people are going to live together, and are disinclined to love each other, laws are needed to bring about justice and define what is acceptable behavior. This way there is no excuse for people committing crimes and making arbitrary decisions that are unjust and favor certain people over others. Unfortunately, partiality and injustice are evidenced today when celebrities, politicians, powerful executives and business people get punishment that is more lenient for their criminal behavior than other mortals possessing less status and influence within the community.
The Difference in the Mosaic Covenant
One feature that
distinguishes the Mosaic Covenant over these other codes is that the civil laws
also were treated as a covenant between man and God, not just man and man—when people sin against other people,
they also sin against God. People like to distinguish between religious
and civil aspects of the Mosaic Covenant, but these laws were provided to the
Israelites under a theocracy, not a monarchy like the other nations at the
time. As a theocracy, this is how God expects a nation to govern itself as an
Earthly entity. This is why the Old Testament ethos appears to be so different
to the New Testament ethos of the Kingdom of God.
The truth is God was
really working out His salvific plan for humankind.
The Mosaic covenant
provided a structure wherein a nation could exist within the favor of God among
the other nations and have sociological rules to exist peacefully and prosper
and be a testament to the blessing of The Almighty. Ideally, this was so the
other nations would be drawn towards the Heavenly Father. As the Israelites
could not live up to expectations, an environment was being cultivated nevertheless
for the birth and rearing of the Son of God in human form, so the world might
have hope of salvation through Him.
Another feature of
the Mosaic covenant was the teaching about justice, mercy, faith and the love
of God that accompanied many of the ceremonial sacrifices and offerings. But more
than this, the laws delivered by Moses were of a prophetic nature and incorporated promises that are not
evidenced in the other codes. Many of the rituals were indicative of
events that were to come and pointed to the salvation of God through the death
and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
Heart Surgery
One requirement of
the Mosaic code was that everyone has to
circumcise his or her heart. This alone sets the Mosaic code apart
from these other codes; for none has a requirement that every person is
to circumcise his or her heart. But this is a requirement for every person who
calls himself or herself, an Israelite, a Jew, or even a Christian. We can
search any other writing deemed to be sacred religious Scripture, and we will
not find this requirement. It is written only in
the Bible.
John Wesley, who was
mightily used of God, saw circumcision of the heart to be the difference in his
own spiritual walk. While John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress graphically
illustrates the journey towards this critical juncture in eternity, where the
spirits of men are made perfect.
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe” (Deuteronomy 10:16-17).
This edict alone
indicates that the Law given to Moses had to have been given by the Author of
Life Himself. When you think about it: Who would come up with the idea for
everyone to circumcise his or her heart? This may work for a person who is to
become a sacrificial offering to appease Molech or some other bloodthirsty
pagan god. But from a human point of view, this is a preposterous proposition.
For each one of us to have our hearts circumcised would mean death for all.
This is why the concept is not found in the other religious writings and sacred
Scriptures of the manmade religions of the world. If circumcision of the heart
is the requirement of God for us to be saved, then only He can do it.
This is why we need to give God a chance
to move in our lives and perform the required circumcision (Colossians 2:11).
What many of us
Christians fail to realize is the significance of the Mosaic covenant overall
in relation to prophecy and the weightier matters of law: justice, mercy and
faith. The book of Deuteronomy talks about blessings and curses. What is cursed
brings misfortune and ill will. What is blessed brings good fortune and
positive feelings about life. These blessings and curses are prophetic in
nature and help us grasp the manner in which we ought to conduct ourselves.
They also require us to understand what justice, mercy and faith mean.
Therefore, along with the rest of the Scriptures, understanding the truth of the
Ten Commandments can only benefit us—
Mitigation of Offences
In many respects, it
is common sense that if we want to have friends, we do not steal from people,
bear false witness against them, commit adultery with their husbands or wives,
or murder any of them. Just these four prohibitions should be sufficient for us
to live in a civil community and show respect towards each other as human
beings. Instead, people commit murder, bear false witness against each other, steal
from one another, and commit adultery on a wholesale basis. The reasons for
this are often minimized in today’s society because the person committing the
offense at the time was drunk, or was high on drugs, and was not really in
control of his or her faculties. If the reasons for committing these offenses
are not mitigated by substance abuse, they are mitigated by emotional abuse or
physical abuse or sexual abuse—or from parental neglect as a child. In certain
instances, even ethnic culture is proffered as an excuse for delinquent
behavior and considered sufficient reason for a lack of responsibility or any
need to be held to account.
Punishment and Discipline
When people talk of
punishment today, they often use the word “discipline”. This is because the one
who controls the hearts and minds of those who love the world hates discipline
and causes those who are lost to regard this as punishment. Punishment may be a
part of the discipline process, but discipline
goes beyond punishment. Discipline also incorporates teaching, modeling and training. What is construed as
punishment can be used as a negative motivator to point people to the
advantages of being trained correctly, but it is only a part of the
disciplinary process. For punishment is used only as a means to address a
refusal to learn correct procedures or acceptable behavior.
Negative Motivation
Negative motivators
can be physical or emotional. Negative physical motivators can be deprivation
of physical needs, like drink or food or sleep, or the requirement of an
extended effort in the form of additional exercise regimes, or performing
additional cleaning chores, or spending more time in less preferred locations
(like at school), or doing laborious activities or sentry duty. Negative
emotional motivators can be the loss of a simple pleasure such as some type of
drink, food, clothing, outing, privilege or other pleasure that does not
physically deprive a person of any basic need, but creates a feeling of loss
rather than the pleasure of a reward. Negative motivation does not come from
grouping people with like interests together where they are able to turn
deprivation into a quasi-committee meeting for the furtherance of antisocial
activities. Yet this seems to be the preferred option of the judicial system in
congregating like-minded antisocial individuals within comfortable prisons.
Positive Motivation
Positive motivators
can be competition or personal goal setting. Competition can be used as an
effective motivator in many pursuits, and because of competition, industry has
flourished; but it has negative connotations—especially on a personal level.
The reason for competition having a negative
connotation is every competition has to have a winner and at least one loser.
The loser does not feel as positive about losing as what the winner feels about
winning, and this lays down the basis for forming bad attitudes that not only
can be detrimental to the relationship between the winner and the loser, but
can overflow into other relationships and manifest as egotism or resentfulness.
A positive way of
avoiding ill will among losers is to set personal goals. Personal goal setting
is positive in every way because there need be no direct competition.
Competitive elements can be swept aside, because the fixation is always on the
improvement goals rather than winning or losing.
Goal setting is merely
using time to challenge oneself. If we rate ourselves in any way, we ought to
rate ourselves against time and ought not to compare our efforts with anyone
else; instead, we ought to enjoy the rewards we gain from improving our own
productivity or achieving our personal goals more quickly. The ultimate goal is
to get to the place where “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in
me” (Galatians 2:20). Once there, we will have no time to compare.
Time Beats Us All
Everybody is born
into a world that is governed by time. Time is the one thing against which we
tend to measure the aging process of our existence. Time is common to everyone
and has nothing to do with height, size, strength, color, or looks. Therefore,
there is no need to compare ourselves with other people when we are using time
as a frame of reference. It is true that not all things are conducive to using
time as the means by which something can be compared, but when we are talking
about character development, and many other activities, time is a useful
measure, and personal goal setting is the means by which self-improvement can
be measured. Just being here is measured by time, so why not make use of that
time for a positive purpose, rather than be like animals that eat, drink,
procreate, quarrel, fight and die. There is more to measure with time than the
length of time we have been here on Earth, or how long it takes us to lose the
vigor and attractiveness of our youth and, as we grow old, become wrinkled,
weak and wispy. For instance, we can aim to achieve targets regarding fitness
in terms of strength, endurance, and agility. These can be measured by using
time, as well as other criteria, but there is no need to compare ourselves with
someone else. Time beats us all; so why not use time to get ourselves into the
blessings and favor of God faster than we would otherwise get there. Instead of
spending time running from God, we would be better off spending time seeking
God.
In the book of
Hebrews, we find a right perspective on setting our goals as Christians:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Forgiveness is Beautiful
In respect to the
Ten Commandments and personal behavior, we can also set goals. Again, we are
not talking about goals where we compare ourselves with other people, but
personal goals. We can, first of all, memorize the Ten Commandments in their
complete form and develop an understanding of what they mean (reading a book like
this helps). This will also help us to meditate on the law of God, and we can
give ourselves a goal of a certain time by which we can achieve this. When we have
a thorough grasp of what the Ten Commandments mean, as a matter of course, we
will become busy with establishing our purpose here on Earth. This is because
in knowing the Ten Commandments; we will
realize how much of a sinner we have been before God. We will realize
how much we have sinned against other people and our need for forgiveness. When
we see how much we have sinned against other people, it is easier to forgive
others for the sins they have committed against us, which is what the Lord’s Prayer tells us we need to do before we ourselves can be
forgiven (Matthew 6:12-15).
Forgiving other
people can be difficult at times. However, one way that I have found that helps
is by praying in two stages. The first stage of prayer consists of supplication and intercession.
The second stage of prayer is thanksgiving
and affirmation. In fact, the second stage of prayer is very important
in the forgiveness process. Below is an outline of how to pray these stages in
the most effective way. Each stage has six parts.
Stage One:
1)
Heavenly Father, I
forgive [name of the person concerned] for what he (or she) has against me.
2)
Heavenly Father, I
pray that [name] will forgive me for what I have done to cause him (or her) to
be offended by me.
3)
Heavenly Father, in
Jesus’ name, forgive me for what I have done.
4)
Heavenly Father, in
Jesus’ name, I pray you will forgive [name] for what he (or she) has done.
5)
Lord, I pray that [name]
can forgive himself (or herself).
6)
Lord, I pray I can
forgive myself (in this matter).
Stage Two:
1) I thank you Heavenly
Father I can forgive [name] for what he (or she) has against me.
2) I thank you Heavenly
Father that [name] has forgiven me for what I have done to cause him (or her)
to be offended by me.
3) Heavenly
Father, in Jesus’ name, I thank you that you have forgiven me for what I have
done.
4) Heavenly
Father, in Jesus name, I thank you that you have forgiven [name] for what he
(or she) has done.
5) I thank you Lord that [name] has forgiven
himself (or herself).
6) I thank you Lord that I can forgive myself.
Sometimes a person has taken offence at me for some reason and I become aware that there is something wrong. If I cannot speak to the person immediately, I have found praying in the aforementioned manner resolves the issue. Sometimes, I have to say the prayer and offering of thanksgiving twice for the same person. This is because it is important to mean what is being said by saying the words with feeling and not rattle the prayer off as if we are calling out breakfast orders to a short order cook.
Although, it is
always best for us to speak to the person who has something against us and pray
together using the above method. This we should always do whenever possible.
Moreover, whenever
somebody asks me to pray for him (or her) about some matter such as unconfessed
sin, after going through the aforementioned method, I always tell the person that I forgive
him as well and thank God that I am able to forgive him. When
the person being prayed for hears that the one hearing the confession has
forgiven him, this creates faith within the person that he is not condemned,
and the response is instant release, with the person feeling a sense of
lightness and freedom. This is why we are
to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16).
The reason we state that we forgive the other person first is because the Lord’s Prayer says that we are to forgive others; if we are to be forgiven by the Lord Himself. What this means is that we are required to take the first step, then God does the rest. There are unbelievers claiming to be Christians who disagree with the Lord’s prayer and say that a person is full of pride when taking the first step towards the Lord or to forgive another person. Contrary to what is written in the Bible, they claim God has to take the first step and then we follow. These false Christians do not believe in being saved by faith or the need to know Jesus intimately and say we are unable to do anything of ourselves; which is contrary to what Jesus taught. Jesus said, “Forgive and then you will be forgiven. Acknowledge me before men, then you will be acknowledged in Heaven” (cf. Matthew 6:12; 10:32; Luke 6:37; 12:8; Mark 11:25).
The reason we state that we forgive the other person first is because the Lord’s Prayer says that we are to forgive others; if we are to be forgiven by the Lord Himself. What this means is that we are required to take the first step, then God does the rest. There are unbelievers claiming to be Christians who disagree with the Lord’s prayer and say that a person is full of pride when taking the first step towards the Lord or to forgive another person. Contrary to what is written in the Bible, they claim God has to take the first step and then we follow. These false Christians do not believe in being saved by faith or the need to know Jesus intimately and say we are unable to do anything of ourselves; which is contrary to what Jesus taught. Jesus said, “Forgive and then you will be forgiven. Acknowledge me before men, then you will be acknowledged in Heaven” (cf. Matthew 6:12; 10:32; Luke 6:37; 12:8; Mark 11:25).
Praying using the
above formula might seem complicated, but it is as simple as one, two, three,
four, knocking on Heaven’s door, when you practice the method regularly.
The reason why this method of praying works wonders is
because whatever we bind on Earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever we
loose on Earth will be loosed in Heaven (Matthew 16:19;
18:18). Not only do we release the other person, but by doing so, we release
ourselves from the Devil’s deceptions.
However, in certain instances, when it comes to people who have been doing more than just dabbling in sin (which in itself is not advisable) and have gotten caught with their pants down, so to speak, there may be more that is needed than what has been laid out here to get clean before God. Not that repentance and forgiveness is to ever be taken lightly, but sometimes a deeper sense of contrition and realization for deliverance may be required. For we are dealing with princes of darkness and satanic forces that can weaken our will and deceive us, if we are not totally honest. In which case, the book Prayers That Heal The Heart by Patti and Mark Virkler and its companion volume (How To Hear God’s Voice by Mark Virkler ) are very helpful; especially, if we are develop our maximum potential as citizens of the Kingdom of God and become the children of God that the Creation is waiting with eager longer to have revealed.
For us to run the
race and reach the goal, we need to know what we are doing. Stumbling around in
the dark grasping at straws, or walking in the twilight on tiptoes, is not what
running the race that is set before us is all about. We need to unload the
weights that tie us down and look to Jesus, the perfecter of our faith—hence, the recommendation of the two very helpful books How To Hear God’s Voice and Prayers That Heal The Heart.
Honor, Riches and Life
Having a sound knowledge of the Ten Commandments will not turn any of us into spiritually proud persons. We will become more humble than proud. We will know what sin is, and what the consequences are for us when we sin. We will also know what we can expect of God and what God expects of us. The reason for this, understanding the Ten Commandments means that we have an understanding of life and why we were born, and what entitlements are ours as the result of being here on planet Earth. This is why the Ten Commandments are a guide to honor, riches and life—including inner strength and happiness.
Jesus did not say
the meek would inherit the Earth for nothing; Moses was said to be the meekest
man on Earth in his day. It is worth noting that some fifteen hundred years
later, the last time Moses was seen, he
stood on the Mount of Transfiguration talking with Jesus; so there
definitely is more to this than meets the eye. It is just a matter of getting rid of the log from each of our own eyes, so
we can see more clearly to read the directions on the map for successful
living.
Temporary Sacrifices
When we study the
lives of people who achieve anything in life, we will learn that the one thing
they all had that enabled them to achieve their personal goals was
discipline. Without being personally disciplined, we are unable to achieve
anything. Discipline always requires sacrificing one thing for another. A
student sitting examinations needs to sacrifice hanging out with friends for
diligent study. An athlete needs to sacrifice lying on the couch and watching
television to acquire fitness and skills as part of being successful; so, too,
everyone needs to sacrifice the temporary buzzes from sin for the everlasting
pleasures (of gin, said the alcoholic—but then he did not read Psalm One).
Truly though, we need to meditate this truth found in Psalm One in the hope
that we really grasp what it means. By not walking in the counsel of the
wicked, nor standing in the ways of the sinner, nor sitting at the seat of the scoffer,
we can have everlasting life and prosper in all that we do—that is, of course,
if we keep faith with God (Ps 1:1-3).
Keeping Faith
Keeping faith with
God is the same as keeping faith with people, except that the level of
appreciation is greater—not to mention the rewards. God will do more for us
than what another person is capable of doing. This stands to reason because
people are mere mortals who, like animals, are born, grow larger, mature,
produce offspring and then die; whereas God is not only faithful but also
ever-present, all-knowing and all-powerful and immortal. Having God on our side
means all our problems are technically over; only the problem with this is it
sounds too simple and too good to be true. When all is said and done, the bottom
line is we only have one overriding problem in this temporal life, and that is
how we are going to overcome death. Once we have established our relationship
with God, the death issue is resolved, and then it is just a matter of keeping
faith. It is truly this simple. Only, as Jesus said, “The way to life is narrow and few it is that find it.”
It pays to bear in
mind, though, if we decide to live in the fast lane, compared to the road to
life, the highway to Hell really is a multi-lane freeway with no speed limits.
Without Knowledge We Perish
To keep the Ten
Commandments and not break them at one point is possible. Jesus did this. Even
John the Baptist did this up until the Holy Spirit left him and doubt entered
his mind.[i] The difference between Jesus and John the
Baptist begins with their parents. John the Baptist had a human father, whereas
Jesus did not. What this means is the blood of Jesus was the actual blood of God and
not human blood. However, Jesus’ blood is not what enabled him to keep the
Ten Commandments. Jesus kept the commandments because He chose not to sin. Among the attributes of Jesus were his hatred
of evil and his fear of what sin could do. It is no wonder Jesus spoke about Hell more than anybody else in the Bible. Once we
realize what sin can do to us, and we
get a picture of what Hell is really like, we will not want to go there.
Hell is considered
amusing by the multitude of people who laugh and joke about how they are going
to enjoy Hades because they will not have to suffer freezing winters, or they
will be able to party because all their friends will be there with them. Oddly,
enough, the closer we get to God, the more we seem to become aware of the
reality of Hell.
Hell is not a
manmade concept. The pastor, who died and came back to life, was taken to Hell
and did not see flames; instead, he saw people reliving over and over again the
evil they did to others and their personal torments. Hell is so dreadful that
people cannot even have a pity party. Fortunately for that pastor, he got a
wake-up call when he was told that Hell was where he was heading, except
circumstances fell in his favor because he just happened to be seeking God and
asking for forgiveness at the time of his (otherwise fatal) car accident.
Naturally, we would
do anything to try to avoid Hell, like striving to seek God’s face. In fact, we
should find ourselves seeking God to help us to resist sin in all its forms;
including harboring grudges against other people and contemplating evil
thoughts. The Bible is quite clear that if we resist the Devil and draw near to
God, we will be rewarded—but without faith, this is impossible. We have to draw
near to God if we endeavor to keep the Ten Commandments, for it is impossible
to keep them otherwise. Actually, all
who draw near to God will find themselves keeping the Ten Commandments.
However, if we do not know the Ten Commandments, we will not know what sin is.
If we do not know what sin is, then we will not be able to repent of our
wicked ways and draw near to God. Once we begin looking to God and calling upon
Him to reveal Himself to us, then we become more aware of sin, and how it can
cut us off from having a relationship with Him.
Power of a Changed Life
The one thing that
will begin to stand out to other people as we develop our relationship with God
is the fact that we now live a changed life. We will find ourselves having a
different attitude towards life. We will have a different attitude towards
people. Instead of begrudging in our heart what others have or deserve, we will
find ourselves wishing them well. We will find ourselves being less covetous of
the world’s goods and more inclined to experience a richer relationship with
God in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. People will find that we tend to be
more considerate than what we were previously. We will exude a joy and have
inner-peace when there is trouble brewing, and other people are either upset or
afraid. We will be willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and be
prepared to wait and see what emerges out of a situation rather than jumping to
conclusions. We will find that we are more forgiving and generous than what we
had been previously. We will also find that people will begin to notice that we
are even more faithful, more focused, and more productive than before we had an
encounter with God. In time, each one of us will become more humble and be
renowned as a person who exercises self-restraint and can be trusted to keep
confidence on a social level. Other people will honor us because our lives will
bear the stamp of God’s approval (cf. Romans 14:18).
Fairy Tale or Adventure
Some might think
that this sounds like a fairy-tale or very boring. But have you ever noticed
that everybody is seeking the benefits that come with living in accord to God’s
requirements, in one way or the other? As well as this, have you ever noticed
that everyone tends to want some adventure and excitement in life?
One young woman had
an obsession for watching soap operas on television. When she was asked why she
spent most of her time watching them, she replied, “I have nothing happening in
my life, so at least I can get excited about what is happening in their lives”
Those of us who have experienced the reality of Lord Jesus Christ having risen from the dead can testify to an exciting adventurous journey of self-discovery. Instead of having to risk the dangers of climbing Mt Everest and not getting any real eternal benefit from our efforts, the more we seek God, the more we begin to understand the other features of the Universe in which we live; especially those features we may not have noticed before.
Can We Believe in Angels and Bacteria?
Oddly enough, some
people do not believe that angels exist, yet they believe bacteria exist, and
viruses exist, and other smaller molecules exist, which they cannot see with
their naked eye. As a rule of thumb, a bacterium is one thousand times smaller
than a human hair cell and a complete viral particle (a virion) is one hundred
times smaller than a bacterium. The human eye has difficulty recognizing one
single hair cell, let alone smaller cells. Yet people believe these cells exist
without having seen them. This is because people have been conditioned to
believe that what scientists say is true, and there is evidence that these
things exist even if they cannot be seen—there
is evidence that God exists just by looking around, too. But when it comes
to angels or spiritual beings or spiritual influences, this is rejected,
because there is no scientific proof. However, unless we are working in a
laboratory and have access to the technology that enables us to see bacteria,
viruses, and the elements of an atom such as protons and neutrons, or quarks,
we have no proof they exist, we are relying on the reports of other people.
There is no difference when it comes to accepting angels exist. The same kind
of belief system is required, although the subject matter is different.
The Unseen Does Exist
The human eye does
not see sound waves. When we speak, we cannot see the words we are saying; we
can only hear them. The ear is an amazing biological apparatus that enables
sound waves to be interpreted by us into meaningful representations that we
call words. We still need to learn how to distinguish various sounds and
respond to them. The means by which we do this seemly simple task of hearing is
complex.
Sounds also produce chemical responses in our body. Only, chemicals do not emit sound waves that have meaning to humans. Chemical activity takes place as a byproduct of our thinking and vocal expression, but we use sound waves when expressing our thoughts vocally. (Much happens, unseen by us, within the dimensions of the subatomic level of existence and the realm of photons and quarks.) If we are born deaf or become deaf, we are disadvantaged in much of what we are able to do. However, scientific investigations have discovered how sound waves and hearing work, and, today, as the result of the invention of the bionic ear, many people who were born deaf have been able to experience the privilege of being able to hear.
Sounds also produce chemical responses in our body. Only, chemicals do not emit sound waves that have meaning to humans. Chemical activity takes place as a byproduct of our thinking and vocal expression, but we use sound waves when expressing our thoughts vocally. (Much happens, unseen by us, within the dimensions of the subatomic level of existence and the realm of photons and quarks.) If we are born deaf or become deaf, we are disadvantaged in much of what we are able to do. However, scientific investigations have discovered how sound waves and hearing work, and, today, as the result of the invention of the bionic ear, many people who were born deaf have been able to experience the privilege of being able to hear.
It just so happens that the inventor of the
bionic ear, Professor Graeme Clark, is a Christian, who sees no difference in
being able to apply science with faith or have faith in science. For Professor
Clark, proving God requires an element of faith, the same as producing a
hypothesis requires a degree (that is, not a certificate, but a measure) of
faith in its construction.
The Concept of Faith
The concept of faith
is at the basis of everything that humans do. Faith is the conviction and
assurance of the unseen existing. We cannot see sound, but because we hear it,
we are convinced it exists. Sound produces an electrical and chemical response
in our body, of which we are unaware. Faith is more than a sound because it
requires knowledge that goes beyond electrical and chemical responses in our
body and enters the realm of consciousness.
Consciousness is the
realm of beings who have the ability to understand the reasons why they are
responding to sound, sight, touch, taste and smell. Animals may demonstrate
what appears to be an awareness of the existence of sound, smell, taste, touch
and sight through stimulation of their senses, and plants respond to chemicals,
sound, touch and light, but they are not consciously able to describe the
interaction that happens in relation to what they encounter. Humans are able to
do this, and faith appears to be at the heart of this ability—as Professor
Clarke claims, faith is needed in utilizing knowledge, and he is correct,
because faith and knowledge are intertwined.
Faith is how humans act on knowledge. We cannot exercise faith without knowledge, and knowledge is of no value, unless we have faith. However, by the time we were two years old, we would have already exercised faith in various capacities, and on many occasions, without realizing we had done so. In fact, we exercise faith every day, even though we may not be conscious of doing it. We do not need to have an understanding of the process of how to apply faith before we can actually exercise faith; the same as we do not need any understanding how to breathe, we just do it as a reflex action.
Faith works like
this: every night we go to sleep, we do so with the belief that we will wake
up. It is by faith that we allow ourselves to go to sleep, because we do so
with the knowledge that people go to sleep and wake up. If we think about when
we have gone to sleep in a strange place, we realize we would have needed to
exercise an additional degree of faith at that time. This is even more the case
when we go to sleep in the presence of strangers. We do this with the belief that
they will not harm us while we sleep. The reason for this is we know that there
are consequences for those who harm us while we sleep.
We could contend
that animals do the same. But if you have ever watched an animal, you would
swear it sleeps with one eye open. They can be asleep one minute, and in a blink
of the eyelid, they are awake and ready to go. Dogs are a good example of this;
they appear to have a sixth sense, which is what a traveling backpacker needs.
The life of a
backpacker is adventurous, but also fraught with danger. When sleeping on the
road, anything could happen. When staying in backpacker hotels where many
strangers sleep together in the same room, these travelers have to put their
faith in the law of the land being upheld, and the knowledge that people’s fear
of being punished, in accordance to the law of the land, will prevent them from
committing some criminal act that violates the personal rights of other backpackers.
Once I slept in a
backpacker hotel. I was shown a room that had six beds, and was introduced to
another person who was staying in the same room. When I woke up in the morning,
there were four more people sleeping in the room. Anything could have happened
that night and I would have been none the wiser. Had I known that there were
other travelers coming, I would have been unable to get to sleep until they
came, unless I had put my faith in God that everything would be all right. The
truth is, even as it was, I was relying on the other person to whom I had been
introduced to be a law-abiding citizen, and putting my faith in that knowledge;
otherwise, in all probability, I would have had a sleepless night.
You will be surprised how many people call themselves educated, yet do not understand the simple truth being expressed here. No wonder they are called fools in the Bible. The nonsense they speak, they will have to give an account for, when they stand before the Throne of God; for they reject the obvious truth in preference to believing and trusting in their own opinions. These people claim faith is a belief not based on proof but in an opinion or set of beliefs. After making a statement like that, these bright intellects then place faith in their opinion or someone else’s theory, which they like to claim are exemplary forms of rock solid wisdom; even though these opinions and theories are always inconclusive and can change like the wind. Consequently, they scoff at people putting their faith in the knowledge that the Creator God exists because the evidence abounds for a Designer of the Universe. To this, the Bible bears witness and explains why we are here. The Bible also explains why the need for the Ten Commandments. In fact, the Bible says that fools are always right in their own eyes. We can be sure that the opinions of those who deny the Lord God are worthless; especially, when they do not understand that faith is based upon knowledge that is as reliable as day and night—not opinions or assumptions or theories.
Without knowledge, we cannot exercise faith. By understanding the process, we will be able to exercise faith more effectively. Growing in the knowledge that enables us to exercise more faith in God is similar to growing in the knowledge that enables us to become a more skilled engineer or tradesman. There is also a significant difference, of course, between when we are talking about faith in God and when we are talking about becoming more skilled as an engineer or tradesman.
Without knowledge, we cannot exercise faith. By understanding the process, we will be able to exercise faith more effectively. Growing in the knowledge that enables us to exercise more faith in God is similar to growing in the knowledge that enables us to become a more skilled engineer or tradesman. There is also a significant difference, of course, between when we are talking about faith in God and when we are talking about becoming more skilled as an engineer or tradesman.
Faith in God requires us to venture out into
the unknown, whereas a tradesman will have performed the same task many times.
The faith element for the skilled tradesman occurs when he has to apply those
same skills in a different situation that poses a problem. A small degree of
faith is required in his ability to overcome the problem faced. In fact, as an
apprentice, each tradesman has to apply a step of faith in order to improve
each skill gained. The apprentice tradesman has to believe that he can do
better. These steps are all based on knowledge; only most people do not realize
that a degree of faith is required in the improvement process.
Faith towards God is
different from having faith based on one’s previously acquired skill. This is
because the realm of faith in God is based on things that are not readily seen.
Nonetheless, the process is still the same. We can only advance in faith
towards God by one step at a time. To go beyond the measure of faith that we
possess is to be presumptuous (cf. Rom. 12:3; Deut. 18:22).
People think that
faith is something that comes before hope. However, without hope, we have
nothing to which we can anchor our faith. This is why the Scriptures say that
hope is the anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19).
Hope comes from knowledge, which
requires faith, if the benefits of knowledge are to be realized. The following illustration demonstrates this, and even though it is not towards God, the principle is the same.
A Simple Illustration Of Faith
Say we want to cross
from one forty-storey building to another forty-storey building without going
down all the stairs, and because there is no electricity, the lifts do not
work. We see a two hundred foot (200ft) long steel girder stretching across the
road from the top of one building to the other. The girder is not swaying in
the wind, because of its weight and thickness; it is also wide enough for one
person to walk across. In fact, we see workers walking across the girder, some
pushing wheelbarrows. Naturally, we see ourselves simply skipping across the
girder, the same as we would along the footpath without giving a second thought
of falling forty floors down to the road below.—Not on your life!
All of a sudden,
what seems like an easy thing to do is fearful for us. Having never done this
before, we feel our stomach tighten. Unimaginable thoughts flood our mind. Horrific scenarios in graphic three dimensional images occupy our thoughts; such thoughts that we would never think about when walking between the same buildings on the footpath and crossing the road.
Our situation is
that we hope to walk across that girder to the other side. We know people can
do this because we have just seen workers do it. We put a foot on the girder,
and unexpectedly have an urge to go to the toilet, so we put our foot down, but
we really want to get to the other side, so we resist the urge. Then a strong
gust of wind nearly blows us over while we are contemplating getting back on
the girder.
Here is the new
situation: Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7).
On the way down the
stairs, we are quite pleased with ourselves for having come to the realization
that we were wise enough to read about the temptations of Jesus in the Bible
(Matt. 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12). However, some forty minutes later, when we have
climbed up the stairs to the fortieth floor of the building we could have
walked to in a matter of twenty seconds, we are disappointed in ourselves. We look at those workers pushing wheelbarrows across that girder which could have made life somewhat easier for us and feel they are rubbing it in our face. They have the faith, and we do not. However, the
truth is those men had to learn gradually how to walk in high places with
confidence before they were able to demonstrate their consummate faith in the
ability they now possess. The good news is we learn likewise to trust God and grow in faith as we allow Him to prove Himself in our lives.
Faith, hope and knowledge go together; they are inextricably linked. Without knowledge, we cannot have any hope of achieving anything of value for ourselves or anyone else. Without faith, we cannot do what we might hope to achieve. Therefore learning how to exercise faith is essential if we are to achieve our aspirations in life and discover the reality of our purpose as children of God. When we exercise faith, it is always because of our hope that something we can visualize occurring will happen as a result of taking the appropriate steps. As our faith grows, so does our experience, and with our experience comes deeper knowledge. This knowledge increases the extent of our hope, which enables us to extend ourselves towards greater achievements and more fulfillment in life.
True faith is not
based on presumption or false assumptions. True faith is based on the evidence
of things unseen and becomes the substance of things hoped for being accessible
(Hebrews 11:1). To have evidence of something means to have knowledge. When we
have something of substance, this means it is real, even though it may not have
yet appeared. For we do not hope for the things we have, but for the things
which are yet to appear or are yet to come to pass. This is why the Scripture
says God has created the human race in the hope everyone might feel after Him
and find Him (Acts 17:26-27). God is waiting for us to draw near to Him, for it
is our decision—we are not preprogrammed robots without freewill.
Faith in God is
based on our hope that He exists, but we need to have a basis to exercise faith
towards God in the first place. We need some knowledge; we need something to
suggest that God exists, and this is where the Ten Commandments help us. They
tell us that God exists and rewards those who seek Him. We know we fail to keep
the commandments on our own strength, and if we are honest, we will seek God
out because we know we are in need of a deliverer from our sin—expressed in the
first commandment.
The book of Hebrews gives us this pointer:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for whoever would seek God must first believe that the Eternal One exists and rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
God’s Values
While there is a
difference between accepting that God exists and that our parents exist, both
require knowledge. If we reject the knowledge that suggests there is a Creator,
then we will not be able to exercise faith towards God. In chapter four of the
book of Hebrews, we are told the reason the Israelites who came out of Egypt
did not receive the promise provided by God. The people did not receive the
promise because the word of God did not meet with faith in them:
“For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2—KJV).These people simply did not believe that the values God gave them through Moses were worthwhile keeping. The values we are talking about are those that originate from the only ten words ever written by the Finger of God. These are the Ten Commandments that speak about God and our relationships in life. But many of the people did not accept these to be valid. Like so many intellectuals today, they probably thought the Ten Commandments are just some man-made version of existing rules or regulations that had been created by some pharaoh in Egypt and transcribed from the Egyptian Book of the Dead., when in fact they were written by God Himself (Ex 31:18; Deut. 5:22).
Jesus made the point
that if people did not believe what
Moses wrote, they would not
believe in the resurrection of the dead; neither would they believe
in what He had to say. Largely, this has to do with the Ten Commandments.
Because if people do not believe that the Ten Commandments, written by God
Himself, are valid as a guide for living, those people will not believe that
the Almighty can raise the dead—basically, they do not care; except when
they do, they will find that is is too late to change their fate. They had their chance, but they preferred a rebellious dance to the tune of sin and death, played by the god of this world; excitedly being caught up in the surreptitious influence of deception and disobedience promoted by the prince of the power of the air and being in bondage to gods of which they know not (cf. Col. 2:8; Eph. 2:2; Gal. 4:8), seeming changing their morality at will and rejecting the absolute standard.
Without a moral compass, it is impossible to believe in the Creator God. The moral compass is the very thing that provides us with knowledge that there has to be a Creator, who will judge people according to their deeds. Knowledge of right and wrong is the very thing that enables people to have faith in God. It is one thing to think of a Creator having created the Heavens and the Earth, but this leads into questions of who created the Creator. The truth is that these questions can go on for ad infinitum and merely become a vain exercise which amounts to a refusal to confront the reality of life on this planet: we are born and we are going to die, so where is the justice for existence.
When we start thinking about justice, we start to consider ideas of right and wrong, which leads to making judgments about actions that have been performed. The idea of judgment suggests that there has to be a Judge to provide us with some justice in life for wrongs committed against us, and for having to suffer when we did not ask to be born. More than this, it is when we begin reflecting upon our actions also from a moral perspective and begin weighing up our own inconsistencies, we begin to realize that we too might be judged. It is when we start ruminating upon how we would stand before any judgment made against ourselves, or the reasons why we should be judged in the first place, that enables us to conceive that it makes sense the Creator God exists as Judge of all the people on Earth. (One of the underlying reasons I sought God was on the basis that if God were real, I would have to answer to Him for the three murders I was contemplating how to commit without being caught.)[ii] As Abraham said, “Shall not the judge of all the Earth do right” (Genesis 18:25 KJV). If God were to judge me by Jesus Christ, I wanted to know, When? Why? And how I would fare?
When we start thinking about justice, we start to consider ideas of right and wrong, which leads to making judgments about actions that have been performed. The idea of judgment suggests that there has to be a Judge to provide us with some justice in life for wrongs committed against us, and for having to suffer when we did not ask to be born. More than this, it is when we begin reflecting upon our actions also from a moral perspective and begin weighing up our own inconsistencies, we begin to realize that we too might be judged. It is when we start ruminating upon how we would stand before any judgment made against ourselves, or the reasons why we should be judged in the first place, that enables us to conceive that it makes sense the Creator God exists as Judge of all the people on Earth. (One of the underlying reasons I sought God was on the basis that if God were real, I would have to answer to Him for the three murders I was contemplating how to commit without being caught.)[ii] As Abraham said, “Shall not the judge of all the Earth do right” (Genesis 18:25 KJV). If God were to judge me by Jesus Christ, I wanted to know, When? Why? And how I would fare?
Morality
A sense of morality
enables everyone to have faith in values that cannot be seen. Morality is the
very thing that enables us to have faith in God. We cannot see God, but we
believe the unseen exists. To believe in God is to believe in the unseen, and
to believe in things, which we are unable to see with our eyes, such as love,
hope, goodwill and trust. Everybody has a degree of morality. Even among
criminals, there are unwritten codes of what are acceptable forms of moral conduct. Whereas most people agree that murder and stealing are not acceptable conduct, and neither are they conducive towards good community relations; criminals, on the other hand, tend not have any compunction about committing those crimes, which are essentially breaking the Ten Commandments. Yet criminals might
consider breaking particular criminal codes of secrecy as a worse offense. This
just goes to show that humankind has an inherent ability to distinguish between
what is acceptable behavior and what is not. Even thieves are known not to
steal from each other, and murderers know that there are limitations as to whom
they can murder before they themselves are killed. Life has its sanctity even
among murderers and criminals; for the same sense of inner witness tells each one
good and evil exists.
False Conscience
Morality can be
distorted. People can develop what the psychoanalyst Freud termed a “superego”.
A superego is, in effect, a false conscience. This is because a superego is not
based on what we can call our natural internal recognition of right and wrong,
but on cultural mores of what is right or wrong.
For instance, a Sikh
male believed that it was a violation of his religion to remove his turban and
be seen in public with his flowing long hair. He removed his turban and let his
hair hang down in public, but afterwards, when someone suggested his parents
might find out, he felt very guilty about having done so. In fact, this
twenty-eight-year-old Sikh became so anxious about his parents discovering that
he had dishonored this religious tradition when attending a nightclub, the rest
of his holiday became an internalized torment.
What happened in the
Sikh’s case is evidence of the facility of the superego at work (overtime, in
his case) and not the inner recognition of right and wrong that naturally
originates from the spirit, which is placed by the Creator in every human.
Man-made guilt is often mistaken for the guilt that comes from having knowingly
sinned against God by breaking one of the Ten Commandments.
Morality is distorted when people put higher
values on trees and animals than human life. When people start creating
artificial values and developing a false conscience, they lose their belief in
God as their Creator, the Judge of all humankind, Who will call everyone into
account for what they have done in their lives. People might profess religious
practices, but then become caught up in false beliefs, like vainly counting
beads, or repeating certain phrases over and over again in the hope this will
bring them forgiveness for sins.
Within the history of Christendom (the so-called Christian world) there have been many atrocities committed in the name of religion or the name of Jesus Christ. These atrocities have nothing to do with Lord Jesus Christ, but plenty to do with men who possessed warped consciences. For instance, killing people because they did not agree with another group's interpretation of what the Bible states has occurred all too often. The murder of heretics has been condoned by Roman Catholics and Protestants. One such murder for the trumped-up crime of heresy was that of Michael Servetus; this was sanctioned by John Calvin and his cohorts. Even people today who defend this murder of Michael Servetus say that heresy is a grave sin. Yet these people overlook that hatred and murder keep people out of the Kingdom of God. Even if they possess brilliant intellects and can speak many languages and write volumes about what they believe is in the Bible, those that do such evil things are condemned as not possessing eternal life.
The Bible clearly states what is sin. The Bible clearly states what is required of us if we are to be guaranteed eternal life. One of the reasons people have a distorted conscience is they do not understand the Ten Commandments. They may pay lip service to what God wrote with His Own Finger, but this is not understanding what they mean. If they did, as with the many other murders that have taken place for the so-called crime of heresy, Michael Servetus, a fellow believer in Lord Jesus Christ, would not have been burnt alive on the stake outside Geneva on that fatal day of October 27, 1553. For this is what the Bible says:
In the case of the Jews, their forefathers killed the prophets who loved God because they did not like their message. Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) did the very same thing himself, even though he would have memorized the Old Testament, and he had excelled beyond his peers (Acts 22:19-20; 26:10; Gal. 1:13-14).—You see, possessing knowledge of what is written in the Bible is not enough, application is required. —Yet Jesus said that because the Jews of His day honored the people who killed those who loved God, they too are guilty of their sin for they demonstrate that they consent to it. Those that honor any who have gone before who have put their names to the murdering of believers and who have not repented for having done so, are doing exactly what Jesus said the Jews were guilty of doing: who consenting to the sins of the forefathers who developed their brand of faith. However, this is not faith, this is a distorted conscience confusing manmade religion with experiential faith in Lord Jesus Christ.
Within the history of Christendom (the so-called Christian world) there have been many atrocities committed in the name of religion or the name of Jesus Christ. These atrocities have nothing to do with Lord Jesus Christ, but plenty to do with men who possessed warped consciences. For instance, killing people because they did not agree with another group's interpretation of what the Bible states has occurred all too often. The murder of heretics has been condoned by Roman Catholics and Protestants. One such murder for the trumped-up crime of heresy was that of Michael Servetus; this was sanctioned by John Calvin and his cohorts. Even people today who defend this murder of Michael Servetus say that heresy is a grave sin. Yet these people overlook that hatred and murder keep people out of the Kingdom of God. Even if they possess brilliant intellects and can speak many languages and write volumes about what they believe is in the Bible, those that do such evil things are condemned as not possessing eternal life.
The Bible clearly states what is sin. The Bible clearly states what is required of us if we are to be guaranteed eternal life. One of the reasons people have a distorted conscience is they do not understand the Ten Commandments. They may pay lip service to what God wrote with His Own Finger, but this is not understanding what they mean. If they did, as with the many other murders that have taken place for the so-called crime of heresy, Michael Servetus, a fellow believer in Lord Jesus Christ, would not have been burnt alive on the stake outside Geneva on that fatal day of October 27, 1553. For this is what the Bible says:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:1-3)
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (1 John 3:15-16)
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. (Luke 11:47-48)
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” (Acts 7:51-53)The Jews in the days of Jesus believed they were saved before they were born—as if saved by grace alone, they went along with tradition, not realizing the need for each one to exercise faith individually for his or her own salvation (Galatians 2:15-16). They possessed the Scriptures, but they did not heed them because, even though they expounded upon them, they did not understand that they needed to apply the Ten Commandments to their own lives. When we do, we begin to develop a conscience that quickly enables us to become alert to what is going to lead us astray. That which was written on tablets of stone is now written on hearts of flesh by the Spirit of God (cf. 2 Cor. 3:3; Ez. 11:19; 36:26), providing we possess the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:4-9).
In the case of the Jews, their forefathers killed the prophets who loved God because they did not like their message. Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) did the very same thing himself, even though he would have memorized the Old Testament, and he had excelled beyond his peers (Acts 22:19-20; 26:10; Gal. 1:13-14).—You see, possessing knowledge of what is written in the Bible is not enough, application is required. —Yet Jesus said that because the Jews of His day honored the people who killed those who loved God, they too are guilty of their sin for they demonstrate that they consent to it. Those that honor any who have gone before who have put their names to the murdering of believers and who have not repented for having done so, are doing exactly what Jesus said the Jews were guilty of doing: who consenting to the sins of the forefathers who developed their brand of faith. However, this is not faith, this is a distorted conscience confusing manmade religion with experiential faith in Lord Jesus Christ.
There is only one name under which we can glorify God and there is only one name by which the Bible says that we should be called:
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name (1 Peter 416).
When we grasp the truth of the Scriptures, we start to understand how people get distorted consciences by not adhering to being a Christian alone; instead of being Christians who bear the fruit that glorifies God, they become different types of Christians. The same applied in the days of Jesus. There were not only those who believed they were children of Abraham and who readily accepted the message of Lord Jesus Christ, but there were different sects such as Zealots, Essenes, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Ebionites and others. However, if we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, we ought to be known as Christians and nothing else. The word "Christian" means "belonging to Christ". For the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and glorify the name of our Lord Jesus Christ by producing fruit of righteousness in our lives. The Holy Spirit will convict us of sin and convince us of righteousness and enable us to understand the Ten Commandments without being deceived as Saul of Tarsus had been before he had met Lord Jesus Christ and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit himself (Romans 7:7-14; 7:25-8:11).
True Knowledge Liberates
Contrary to what
many people think, the Ten Commandments are about liberation and knowing how to
take responsibility for our own actions in life. If we do not know how to do
something, then we are in need of a teacher. If we learn fables and untruths
and believe in them, this will be reflected in our lifestyle. If we learn the
truth, we will be set free from ignorance and fear. This is a known historical
scientific premise, and it applies also to having a relationship with the
Creator of the Universe.
Scientists have not
yet been able to work out how the Universe is held together. They have
theories, but that is all. They have no demonstrable truth. Yet the Bible says
that the Universe is held together by the power of the Word of God. Likewise,
relationships are also held together when we understand the power of adhering
to the Ten Commandments and their prohibitions. When the Ten Commandments are
broken, relationships are fractured. Fractured relationships lead to hurting
individuals, and the science of psychology has discovered that the reason why
people do more harmful acts to others and themselves is because they are
fractured souls who are thrashing around within their inner selves as the
consequence of their internal hurts. When people are suffering, unless they
understand the reason why they are hurting, there is little they can do to
overcome their internalized pain. Knowledge liberates people because it enables
people to overcome obstacles and heartache and make sense of their environment and understand that without Lord Jesus Christ, there is no hope for us.
This is evidenced in the case of Valerie.
Valerie has been
involved in two marriages and six other live-in relationships, and a few
stand-by affairs. Her life is a mess. She wants to be loved but cannot
understand why nobody will love her. Valerie’s problem is she suffers the pain
from her childhood and takes it out on those who get close to her. Her hurts
surface every time a person gets too close. When this happens, she becomes
abusive and distrustful. She has done this with all her partners. Not realizing what she was doing, in the expectation that each one of her partners would abuse her, so not to be caught off-guard, she would get in first. Eventually, her partners would retaliate. Slowly, Valerie has been
coming to realize that she is the problem and she is beginning to deal with
these issues. She is also becoming more aware of which god is to blame for her
problems. Now that Valerie is aware of the difference between Lucifer and God
Almighty, she is beginning to let the God of Creation have an opportunity to
prove Himself in her life.
All too often people blame the God of the Universe for the problems that are inflicted upon the global population by the god of this world, who masquerades as the light that is otherwise known as twilight. The distinction between light and twilight needs to be understood and is probably best observed on a sports stadium lit up at night by floodlights. The shadows tell the story. Likewise, the twilight zone is evident in the evening during the summer months in regions that are closer to the North Pole and the South Pole than to the equator.
All too often people blame the God of the Universe for the problems that are inflicted upon the global population by the god of this world, who masquerades as the light that is otherwise known as twilight. The distinction between light and twilight needs to be understood and is probably best observed on a sports stadium lit up at night by floodlights. The shadows tell the story. Likewise, the twilight zone is evident in the evening during the summer months in regions that are closer to the North Pole and the South Pole than to the equator.
Ten Words of Value
After reading the
previous chapters, is it still possible to think that the Ten Words written by
the Finger of God[iii] given to Moses are of no value for us today?
When we consider each one of the commandments and ask ourselves whether we would like people to violate them in respect to ourselves, our answer would not be an enthusiastic, “Yes;” rather it would be an emphatic and definite, “No!”
If we were to ask people where the idea of “do not do to others what you would not have them do to you” comes from, they might not know exactly. Yet they will understand that it is some kind of unwritten code or law—the Golden Rule—that seems to emanate from within our own being. No scientist seems to know whether we are born with an inner recognition of right from wrong or how our conscience comes about really. Biologists like to think that it is genetic. Geneticists have yet to find the gene.
We could say this
inner consciousness of moral values comes from living with other people—well,
at least, our interaction with other people. Alternatively, we could
acknowledge true morality originates from the Lord God, Creator of the
Universe, and forms the basis of justice for mankind.
One thing of which
we can be sure is the Ten Commandments give us knowledge of right and wrong. On
this basis alone, everybody needs to understand them. But they go further,
because while five of the commandments have a direct reference to humans only,
and the commandments about honoring our parents and keeping the Sabbath both
have references to God and humans, the first three commandments specifically
refer to our relationship with God.
The fifth
commandment states that if we honor our parents, God will give us an
inheritance. The fourth commandment says that we are to keep, and enter into, God’s Sabbath. This Sabbath began the day the creating of the Universe and everything
on Earth was finished. Upon entering God’s Sabbath, we are to rest in
God’s provision, and as well as ourselves resting, we must not exploit nor
burden other people. The third commandment points out that God will hold us
accountable for our actions that bring contempt to His Name; nonetheless, the
second commandment expresses how God is prepared to forgive us, even though we
have been judged guilty of sin. The first commandment is really about being set
free from the effects of having been born into this world and accepting that
God is worthy of our utmost devotion.
Understanding the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments
are about understanding ourselves and understanding life. They are a succinct
mnemonic for the deeper meaning of life and our reason for existing on planet
Earth. If we memorize them and understand what they mean, then we will only be
better off because of our knowledge of what they mean for us.
If no road rules are obeyed, then people will
have difficulty negotiating intersections in heavy traffic. The laws of the
road were brought into being so people would not endanger themselves and be
able to drive safely by keeping to the laws that have been legislated for each
one’s benefit. We might think that they are unnecessary at times. If they did
not exist, then people would not only be having accidents, road rage would
prevail, and everybody would be at war with one another, and nobody would be
able to drive to work or deliver food and goods without an army. Civilization
would self-destruct, and democratic societies, which have people living
peaceably within communities, would become like the desolate zones that are
seen in countries where dictators take over and pillage the population for
personal profit.
God could act like a dictator too, but he has
given everyone a choice to do what each one of us would like to do. Tragically,
not everyone wants to understand the reasons why we are here on Earth, people
too often only think of themselves, without considering their brother or sister
or relatives or friends, and goodwill turns into evil intent. Understanding the
Ten Commandments changes this and helps us turn from evil and look to our Creator. Moreover, understanding
the Ten Commandments also reveals how sin penetrates the thinking and actions
of blameless babies.
Schools Need to Teach the Ten Commandments
Children need to be
taught in schools the Ten Commandments and what they mean for social
interaction; instead, these guides to life are discarded because they are
classified as unscientific and irrational. The consequence is that children
grow older with false perceptions such as: “God does not exist, so I can do
what I like, as long as I do not get caught, for even when I die, I have no
need to give an account of my actions here on Earth.”
Some people, who do
not believe in God, do not want to accept death as a natural phenomenon and are
hoping that scientists might get a breakthrough and discover the formula for eternal
life. Those who have the money, and who believe humanistic ideals, trust
scientific discoveries will provide the answer to life; consequently, they put
their faith in the science of cryonics (the freezing of bodies to keep the
tissues from decomposing). If ancient mammoths can be deep frozen in glaciers
for thousands of years and perfectly preserved, then why not humans? All
scientists have to do is learn how to be GOD and place a spirit in the
human body and attach it to a soul—which they also have to create.
A Ladder to Heaven
There is no hope for
humans, if there is no infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent Creator.
The irony is the
formula that equates to eternal life for human beings is to be found in the
very Ten Words that God gave a man called Moses, some fifteen hundred years
before the appearing of Lord Jesus Christ in human form, and not in some scientific discovery yet to
materialize. Not only do these ten words
provide protection and hope; they are also the ladder, which we as children
have to climb as a part of our natural development towards maturity. Each
commandment represents a rung of the ladder to Heaven. We need to climb these
ten rungs successfully without breaking one, if we are to be righteous
before God on our own merits.
The first rung of the
ladder begins with coveting. The difficulty here is we learn to covet as
babies, when we start longing for things we become aware exist around us. The
second rung is bearing false witness; unfortunately, we transgress by blaming
others for doing things we did. The third rung is stealing, which is taking
things without permission. The fourth rung began at puberty when sexuality
started to produce relationship issues that sowed the seeds of adultery. The
fifth rung is where jealousy over relationships may have lead to hatred (if not
murder)—N.B. Everyone who hates another person is a murderer (1 John 3:15). The
sixth rung is where we, as pubescent children, did not always honor our
parents.
In the case of the unbelieving Jews, Jesus said they honored their father the Devil, who was a murderer from
the beginning. Whereas the child who honors the Heavenly Father inherits the
land, which God has promised to all who honor their parents—in the Lord!
Jesus, at the age of
twelve, demonstrated how we should acknowledge our Heavenly Father when He was at the temple in Jerusalem and stated that He was in
His Father’s house (Luke 2:49).
Jesus evidently grew
up in an environment where He did not covet, and because of this, He had no
cause to bear false witness and blame others for things He should not have
done. Instead of taking things without asking, Jesus was creative (as His
mother knew—cf. John 2:2-9). We know Jesus sought only to do the Father’s will;
therefore, teenage sexual issues and jealousy and envy were not problems He
encountered. In which case, Jesus, the Son of God, rested in the knowledge of
Who His Father was and demonstrated a maturity at which we can only marvel (Luke
2:46-47).
As children grow
older, issues of true morality need to be discussed and understood within the
context of each child’s biological and psychological maturity. That the Ten
Words of the Decalogue are like a ladder to Heaven and life for those who keep
them is also another reason why the Ten Commandments are superior to any other
rule or regulation that has been drafted by a human. They are a staff to help
us climb the mountain of maturation and a rod for warding off any prowling lion
seeking to devour us, such as the Evil One. While, on the one hand, the Apostle Paul says that it is impossible to be saved by works of the Law, on the other hand, the reality is that the Law is to be upheld. For the whole world will be held accountable to the Law (Romans 3:19-20, 31).
The Advantage Of The Law Of God
In the Australian
state of Victoria, in the late 1990's, the government decided that the education
department would publish, by school ranking, the academic performances of the
students sitting university entrance exams. To the amazement of the general
population, the top seven performing schools consisted of five Jewish schools, of
which four took out the first four rankings. What was more incredible is the
Jewish schools’ curriculum consisted of thirty per cent religious studies (i.e.
the Law). It was noted, at the time, that many within the Jewish community
thought that the concentration on the Law of God was overdone, but have since
conceded that there is great value in studying the sacred text—Psalm One tells
us why! Blessed are those who meditate the Law of God for they shall prosper.
If government authorities, politicians and
rulers really want to make a difference and bring about a positive change
within society, understanding the Ten Commandments would become their priority.
Then all who understand the truths of these Ten Words from God, and apply them
in their lives, will be able to enjoy life in all its richness, which
ultimately is found in Lord Jesus Christ.
Since many people claim that the Sermon on
the Mount has superseded the words of Moses, it is best to quote our Lord
and Savior Jesus from that very sermon: “Do not think that I
have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is
accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of
heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of
the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew
5:17-20)
Actually, the Beatitudes are based on the Ten Words From God. Nine of the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount directly correlate to nine of the Ten Words written by the Finger of God. The First Commandment of the Decalogue is explained by using the metaphors of being the salt of the Earth and the lights of the world—an impossibility without having been healed from the effects of sin and set free from the bondage of darkness. After Jesus had finished with His revised version of the Decalogue, He stated that He had not come to abolish the Law. Yet the unenlightened, in their great wisdom, claim that the Beatitudes are superior to the Decalogue and supersede them. The truth is Jesus has merely interpreted the Ten Commandments and explained them in another way—they have not been superseded at all.
“Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord”
[i] If you are wondering
which commandment John the Baptist broke, it was the first one—God spoke these
words saying (through John himself at Jesus’ baptism) “behold the Lamb of the
World, who takes away the sin of the world”. John then doubted the Word of God.
Doubting God is an act of breaking faith.
And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him (Mark
11:22-25). To doubt means to have insufficient faith, and this means falling
short, as Paul said, “All…fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:20).
John declared Jesus to be the Savior of the
world and then he is not sure that what God had told him was true. Apart from
this, John presents as virtually sinless and as Jesus said, “Truly I tell you,
among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the
Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). Even if John did not really put any other god before
God Himself, because He had a created spirit and had a human father, his blood
was that of Adam and therefore subject to death. The blood of Jesus was the
blood of God Himself, pure, sinless and everlasting.
[ii] The testimony
presented in the preface of this book is only part of my life story.
[iii] Each commandment is
an idea, just as a word is an idea. The Jews refer to the Ten Commandments as
the Ten Words from God. The Ten Words are like any word of God, it does not come
back void but accomplishes that for which it was spoken. Shalom!
If you found that this book was a blessing to you and provided you with a clearer perspective about life, PLEASE RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO OTHERS AND SHARE IT. The reason this book is on the internet is so as many people as possible might turn to the Lord God and not accept the Mark of the Beast. Jesus is coming soon and the Internet will be monitored and controls will be placed upon it. We need to get the message of repentance and faith towards God out for it is essential if people are to be saved.
PRINTED COPIES ARE AVAILABLE.
LORD JESUS CHRIST is RETURNING SOON. It is important that as many people as possible are saved and COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH having their FACULTIES TRAINED by PRACTICE to distinguish GOOD FROM EVIL in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Happy Riches knows what it means to behold the face of the
Lord Jesus Christ. From the day Jesus came into Happy’s life, the joy of salvation
has never departed, even when times have been difficult on the outside, the joy
of Jesus has always remained within.
Happy has been a pastor, owned and operated a number of
businesses, employing both men and women. From various public and private, secular
and religious, universities and institutions, Happy holds degrees, diplomas and
certificates relating to different fields of endeavor ranging through journalism,
real estate, insurance, investment, business, psychology, nutrition, theology
and ministry.
Happy Riches has also worked with his hands on the farm
milking cows, on the building site, on the factory floor, at the cattle sale
yards, in industrial freezers, unloading trucks, in the fruit and vegetable shop,
in the restaurant and as a professional driver.
Happy believes that time is short and people need to
understand what God requires of Christians if they are to be included in the
resurrection at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to meet Him in the air.
This book ‘The Only Words Written By The Finger Of God” reveals those requirements
(of which most professing Christians are ignorant) and also challenges those
who love the world to achieve what Jesus has already accomplished or
acknowledge their need to know the Savior.
Contact: happyriches@gmail.com
Recommended Further Reading:
Prayers That Heal The
Heart by Patti and Mark Virkler
How To Hear God’s Voice
by Mark Virkler
Obtainable at www.CWGministries.org
Other books by Happy Riches:
These books will be made available free
but if hard copies are desired they can be purchased.
Lord Jesus says, "Freely Freely you have received, freely freely give."
Saved By Grace Through Faith In Lord Jesus Christ
but if hard copies are desired they can be purchased.
Lord Jesus says, "Freely Freely you have received, freely freely give."
Saved By Grace Through Faith In Lord Jesus Christ
Economic Freedom In The Kingdom Of God
How To Have An Effective Bible Study
You Will Know Them By Their Fruits
Lord Jesus: Son Of Man, Son Of God
Return To The Lord Of Blessings
Return To The Lord Of Blessings
How To Overcome The Devil
The Milk Of The Word
Seeking God’s Voice
7 Virtues of Liberty
Shine Like A Star
Shine Like A Star
The Prodigal Son
Jacobs Trouble
Jacobs Trouble
Human Capital
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