PLEASE NOTE: This discussion series in seven installments are currently (from May 2016 C.E. onward) undergoing a revamp to take it from being a foundation discussions towards being a full discussion. This is to keep this blog discussion consistent with the all other Christian discussion blogs of this author which began to be upgraded to a full (i.e. more detail and in depth) discussion sometime back in 2012 C.E. after the post ‘Readers' Question: Why Do Innocents Suffer If GOD Is Just’ began publishing as a life discussion back in 2012 C.E.
What this translate as is every post will increase significantly in volume (of words) and with more extensive references to Scriptural passages. But due to the severe restriction to the author's functional resources the revamping works have been not progressing accordingly and were mostly not progressing (i.e. stagnant) at all. But all limitations and restrictions notwithstanding the author is unwavering in his resolve and commitment to get all of them done (GOD willing).
But due to this author biting off more than I can chew, most of the editorial works (error checking, typo corrections, sentences restructuring to improve readability and embedding of keyword links) was not done in many posted discussion. This work originally started in Windows Live Spaces and later moved to Blogger, first started out as a foundation discussion intend to teach the author's daughter the fundamental of the family faith and worship of the CREATOR GOD.
Love Thy Neighbor
Love as it is defined by the Christian Bible, carries with it care and concern plus a desire to want the best for the object of it (its target). Perfect love as defined by the Bible is this care, concern and desire that is over and above the self (John 3:16). The Bible defined two types of love. One type for GOD another for our neighbors (Luke 10:27). I won’t go into the details of the first type here but you can read the complete discussion in my book Bible 101 from the chapters ‘GOD IS’, ‘The Elect’ and ‘Grace, Sin And The Commandments Of GOD’.
What this translate as is every post will increase significantly in volume (of words) and with more extensive references to Scriptural passages. But due to the severe restriction to the author's functional resources the revamping works have been not progressing accordingly and were mostly not progressing (i.e. stagnant) at all. But all limitations and restrictions notwithstanding the author is unwavering in his resolve and commitment to get all of them done (GOD willing).
But due to this author biting off more than I can chew, most of the editorial works (error checking, typo corrections, sentences restructuring to improve readability and embedding of keyword links) was not done in many posted discussion. This work originally started in Windows Live Spaces and later moved to Blogger, first started out as a foundation discussion intend to teach the author's daughter the fundamental of the family faith and worship of the CREATOR GOD.
Love Thy Neighbor
Love as it is defined by the Christian Bible, carries with it care and concern plus a desire to want the best for the object of it (its target). Perfect love as defined by the Bible is this care, concern and desire that is over and above the self (John 3:16). The Bible defined two types of love. One type for GOD another for our neighbors (Luke 10:27). I won’t go into the details of the first type here but you can read the complete discussion in my book Bible 101 from the chapters ‘GOD IS’, ‘The Elect’ and ‘Grace, Sin And The Commandments Of GOD’.
Here I will just discuss the second aspect of this love as is defined by the Scripture of Truth. And this being, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
In the world of today, people equate love to just the feeling of passion or desire for someone or something. They focused only on how they feel. So when people think about love they are not thinking about the same thing as what is described and commanded in the Christian Holy Scripture.
If you were to do any online search or to check out all the publications by so called Christian religious experts you will find all sort of ideas being put forward about what GOD’s love is. Most of all these are not from the clear and simple teaching of the Scripture of Truth but are the inventions and imaginations of these so called experts. And near to all of them are invariably in error. If you really and truly want to know and understand what the perfect love of GOD is as enunciated in the Holy Scriptures please read the chapter ‘GOD IS’ of Bible 101 by this author.
What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?
Most people may not realize it, but they really don’t fully understand what that means or what that involves. To love your neighbor as much as you love yourself, that is. That is why near to all professed “Christianity” do not understand what the Ten Commandments are about. That is why they changed it (the mother church of the Christmas religion does this) or taught the doing away of it (the daughters churches of the Christmas religion do this).
Why? Because they do not want to obey it. It interferes with their conscience as they pursue their self expediency in all their lust and greed.
On the one hand they want to believe that they are loving Christians. On the other hand they want to continue their self focused life of getting and acquiring, of indulging and gaining, pandering to their lusts, passions and desires. Even when it is at the expense of others. This of course violates (or go against) and break (i.e. transgress) this requirement to love the neighbor with a love equal to the love for the self.
So what do these so called “Christians” do when they read the Christian Bible and understand all these very simple things?
They conveniently misunderstand or misappropriate them so they can continue to practice they lives’orientation and self expediency. As it is with the master so it is with the servants, as it is with the leaders so also the followers (2 Timothy 3:13). Now they can continue to feel good about themselves and still continue to practice the wickedness that their professed religious text condemned.
This they do by purposefully misunderstanding what these texts teach, saying that one can't take the words of the Christian Bible literally. Then they go and selectively quote a hundred and one verses out of context to justify these self expediencies driven deliberated misunderstandings. But GOD is not deceived by this deceptive sincerity, this faked desire to worship GOD.
This they do by purposefully misunderstanding what these texts teach, saying that one can't take the words of the Christian Bible literally. Then they go and selectively quote a hundred and one verses out of context to justify these self expediencies driven deliberated misunderstandings. But GOD is not deceived by this deceptive sincerity, this faked desire to worship GOD.
Love Thy Neighbor As Thy Self.
We have a word for that concept in our current day lingo. It is called ‘a win-win situation.’ As you can see we do understand the requirement. We just don’t want to perform them. Because of our self expediency: to pursue and get what we want any how we can, anyway we can. And it doesn’t matter who has to suffer or die as long as we get what we are after.
Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
Very simply put, ‘to love your neighbor as yourself’ means never to cheat (i.e. exploit) or mistreat (abuse) your neighbors, never to ‘short change’ or cause harm to them in any and all your dealings with them. Always give to them the best that you want them to give to you. And always do for them what you want them to do for you.
It means in all your dealings with your fellow man (yes that includes women and children) you must never let them ‘lose out’ to you in any dealings, transactions or allocations. Perfect fairness at all times.
The reason I used ‘perfect’ to qualify the word ‘fairness’ is because if I don’t, someone will somehow justify themselves in their deceitful dealings because they are not required to be perfectly fair.
A “rocket scientist” may at this point says, 'It is totally ridiculous to put such conduct into practice in our society. You will just become the prey of everyone and be totally exploited by others.'
And that would be absolutely brilliant coming from a “rocket scientist” because that is exactly the point of the Christian Bible's message. The sons of righteousness cannot coexist with the sons of wickedness and not be destroyed by them. That is the very reason JESUS CHRIST is returning to wiped out all the wicked at this very soon coming End of the Age. We are now almost into the very last half hour of GOD's time frame for mankind - the time allotted for mankind to go about their self expedient way pursuing every evil and wicked imagination (Genesis 6:5) that is in their hearts.
Who Is The Neighbor?
And who is this neighbor you have to be perfectly fair with in all your dealings?
JESUS CHRIST in HIS ministry as a SON of man was asked that very same question. Why? Because of the self expediency of the questioner. Looking for a loop hole so he didn't have to perform the commandments and inconvenient himself. The Jews in those days considered their neighbors to be those who were their countrymen, friends and their friendly acquaintances. JESUS defined it as anyone you come across, anyone you deal with and anyone within your reach (and that includes communication too). Makes no difference if they are a spouse or a relative or a friend or a foe or a total stranger.
We all know the word neighbor refers to someone within a certain proximity of where we are at. But we just don't want to love them so we try to redefine the word.
And that is exactly what the Christmas religion does with the Scripture of Truth. They redefined it to suit their life agenda, orientation and expediency. They redefined the Gospel message that JESUS CHRIST came born as a SON of man to deliver turning it into a grace to sin instead of a repentance (Mark 1:14 - 15; Luke 13:3, 5) to avail of the grace that would free them sin and from the death penalty that comes from sinning. Sin at the conceptual level is a rebellion against GOD violating and breaking HIS commandments, laws and covenants.
How? By putting forward all sorts of reasons why they should not believe the plain messages of the Bible. Because according them you just can’t take the message of the Christian Bible literally because of a thousand and one reasons. Either that or that the message of the Holy Christian Scriptures just cannot be believed which is what the Great Harlot Church had been brainwashing her followers into believing for centuries.
Now I have shown in the ‘Keys to Unlocking The Mystery,’ that like all subjects, the message of the Bible are meant to be understood. Just because there are some figurative language and some metaphors and some hyperbole and some allegories and some rhetorical posturing and all the nuances of everyday language in the message, they do not make the Christian Bible something only a rocket scientist can understand. As I have very clearly proven if you follow all my articles published in my blogs and also in my books (yet to be published), these disciples of the Christmas religion have been deceptively twisting the plain words and simple instructions of the Holy Christian Scriptures to say something else altogether. Because the religion they have inherited is not Christian at all but a crystal clear counterfeit started by an agent of the Adversary, Satan the Devil.
Self Expediency
A man of GOD from our recent time taught that if anyone wants to obey the Sabbath commandment, he will find every reason under the Sun to do so. But if he doesn't, then he will find every reason and argument why he needn't.
Let us examine some of the reasons that can be put forward to argue against obeying the commandment of keeping the GOD created (Genesis 2:2 -3; Exodus 20:11; Luke 6:5) and hallowed Sabbath (Exodus 20:11).
1. The world is ‘round’ and a Saturday in one part is a Friday or a Sunday in another .So in any one week there are actually two to three days where somewhere on this planet when it is a Saturday. Don't tell me we need to rest for three days and work only four days a week.
2. Sunset is at different time in different locations and at different time of the year even in the same country. It will be such a burden to be forever worried about when the sun is setting on Friday evening.
3. What about at the North and South Pole where half the year is night? Does that mean I have to keep a six month long Sabbath every three and half years?
4. What if I am flying from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and it is almost Saturday evening in Hong Kong and when I reached Los Angeles is it still Saturday? How about if it is Friday evening where I am from and when I reach another place it is Friday morning then by evening I travel back and reach my home on Saturday night, I would have skipped observing the Sabbath for that week?
5. What is all this big deal about working and not working? Scientifically speaking even when we breathe we expand energy. As long as we are alive our bodies are working, the heart pumping, the lungs taking in air and the digestive system never stops digesting and ingesting food, our kidneys filtering the blood, etc.
6. I heard that you are not allowed to cook on the Sabbath or do any kind of work at all. That is so unrealistic. I mean how about taking a bath or freshening up? And what are we suppose to eat on the Sabbath, cold overnight food? And we are supposed to drop whatever we are in the midst of doing just because the sun is setting on Friday?
7. What if a major mishap happened, are we supposed to wait until the Sabbath is over to clean up? How about a war or if somebody met with an accident or mishap and their lives is in a critical condition?
8. What about security. If all security personnel rest on the Sabbath it would be the perfect time for all those who want to carry out illegal activities, from smuggling to rape and robberies and murders.
9. What if I work for a global business empire. When it is Saturday where I work it could be Friday or Sunday for my colleagues. I might need to discuss some business issues with them or have a telephone or video conference or an internet video call. Sabbath keeping is just not practical in our modern age.
10. What have whether we rest or don’t rest, work or don’t work on any particular day of the week anything to do with righteousness, with right and wrong? Good and evil?
Now I am not going to answer any of these questions because that is another topic. But here is where I get to the main point about the deceptiveness (Jeremiah 17:9) of the human heart or what I call the human psyche. I will quote from some of the favorite verses that have been used from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to support this grace and not works doctrines through which the Great Harlot Church and the disciples of the Christmas religion have duped the world into believing and converting to a counterfeit Christianity.
In his Epistles the Apostle Paul wrote the followings:
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
So the Christmas religion teaches, 'You do not need to keep or observe anything commanded by the Christian Bible to be saved because just as the Apostle Paul said, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.'
And every professed Christian says, ‘We don’t have to do anything to be saved but just believe and accept JESUS CHRIST as our personal savior. It is by faith we are saved not by works. If we try to keep the law we will be estranged from CHRIST, the Bible teaches this very clearly, just read all the Epistles of the Apostle Paul.’
But here are the problems.
James the brother of JESUS CHRIST wrote,
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
So the Christmas religion teaches, 'You do not need to keep or observe anything commanded by the Christian Bible to be saved because just as the Apostle Paul said, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.'
And every professed Christian says, ‘We don’t have to do anything to be saved but just believe and accept JESUS CHRIST as our personal savior. It is by faith we are saved not by works. If we try to keep the law we will be estranged from CHRIST, the Bible teaches this very clearly, just read all the Epistles of the Apostle Paul.’
But here are the problems.
James the brother of JESUS CHRIST wrote,
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;
For the clueless, and the "rocket scientists" let me translate.
James the brother of JESUS was saying that if you obey and put into effect through your lives by practicing or performing the commandments or Royal Law ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself’ you are doing well (or good).
The word ‘fulfill’ is usually used to mean ‘bring about’ or ‘to complete by performing’ or ‘be the very expression of.’ It does not mean to do away with or abolish or put an end to. Literally it means fill to the fullest, but the concept in the context of this verse is ‘to fully meet the requirement’ by performing or carrying it out, and it no where means abolishing or doing away with.
Now why didn’t any of these disciples of the Christmas religion say, ‘Hey wait a minute what was this James saying about the law? That we have to perform it? Didn’t the Apostle Paul teach that it was no longer necessary? Didn’t Paul say that if we try to keep the law we would be estranged from CHRIST?’
And why didn’t they asked, ‘Wasn’t this the same James who together with the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John, whom the Apostle Paul called ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD in his Epistle (Galatians 2:9).
Didn’t the Apostle Paul together with a group of elders go to Jerusalem to consult and get a ruling from them (Acts 15:1 - 4)? Why was this James contradicting Paul? So why was Paul contradicting these who were ‘pillars’ in the Church of GOD? If Paul was indeed contradicting these ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD should we still believe him?
Is GOD divided? Were the Apostles of CHRIST divided (Matthew 12:25; 1 Corinthians 1:13)? Is the Church of GOD divided? The Christmas religion would like you to believe so!
But instead the masters of the Christmas religions said, ‘Bah, this James, his Epistle is nothing but just an Epistle of straw!’ This means of no real value or of negligible value.
But another Apostle this time the one appointed by JESUS to be the head over the others, the Apostle Peter wrote concerning the false disciples who having accepted the Gospel message then turned from it rejecting the keeping of GOD's commandments.
So now it would seem that the Apostle Peter agreed with James the brother of Jesus. And both of these were referred to by the Apostle Paul as ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD. Did these disciples of the Christmas religion then ask, ‘How come the Apostle Peter who very obviously had been singled out by JESUS CHRIST to be the leader among HIS appointed Apostles, also taught that we must keep the Holy Commandments?’
Didn’t these masters and disciples of the Christmas religion then sense that something just wasn’t right about this ‘no longer need to keep the commandments or anything’ doctrine they had received from their masters and teachers and which they themselves have been advancing.
Unfortunately none of them did. They just continued preaching and celebrating Christmas, Easter, Sunday and to believe in this three in one god of the Christmas religion.
James the brother of JESUS was saying that if you obey and put into effect through your lives by practicing or performing the commandments or Royal Law ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself’ you are doing well (or good).
The word ‘fulfill’ is usually used to mean ‘bring about’ or ‘to complete by performing’ or ‘be the very expression of.’ It does not mean to do away with or abolish or put an end to. Literally it means fill to the fullest, but the concept in the context of this verse is ‘to fully meet the requirement’ by performing or carrying it out, and it no where means abolishing or doing away with.
Now why didn’t any of these disciples of the Christmas religion say, ‘Hey wait a minute what was this James saying about the law? That we have to perform it? Didn’t the Apostle Paul teach that it was no longer necessary? Didn’t Paul say that if we try to keep the law we would be estranged from CHRIST?’
And why didn’t they asked, ‘Wasn’t this the same James who together with the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John, whom the Apostle Paul called ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD in his Epistle (Galatians 2:9).
Didn’t the Apostle Paul together with a group of elders go to Jerusalem to consult and get a ruling from them (Acts 15:1 - 4)? Why was this James contradicting Paul? So why was Paul contradicting these who were ‘pillars’ in the Church of GOD? If Paul was indeed contradicting these ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD should we still believe him?
Is GOD divided? Were the Apostles of CHRIST divided (Matthew 12:25; 1 Corinthians 1:13)? Is the Church of GOD divided? The Christmas religion would like you to believe so!
But instead the masters of the Christmas religions said, ‘Bah, this James, his Epistle is nothing but just an Epistle of straw!’ This means of no real value or of negligible value.
But another Apostle this time the one appointed by JESUS to be the head over the others, the Apostle Peter wrote concerning the false disciples who having accepted the Gospel message then turned from it rejecting the keeping of GOD's commandments.
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
So now it would seem that the Apostle Peter agreed with James the brother of Jesus. And both of these were referred to by the Apostle Paul as ‘pillars’ of the Church of GOD. Did these disciples of the Christmas religion then ask, ‘How come the Apostle Peter who very obviously had been singled out by JESUS CHRIST to be the leader among HIS appointed Apostles, also taught that we must keep the Holy Commandments?’
Didn’t these masters and disciples of the Christmas religion then sense that something just wasn’t right about this ‘no longer need to keep the commandments or anything’ doctrine they had received from their masters and teachers and which they themselves have been advancing.
Unfortunately none of them did. They just continued preaching and celebrating Christmas, Easter, Sunday and to believe in this three in one god of the Christmas religion.
If you were to thoroughly read the Gospel accounts and the whole of the New Testament records you would have appreciated the fact that JESUS CHRIST had singled out Peter to play the lead role among all HIS Apostles.
Read all the four Gospel accounts as well as the Book of Acts to verify this. For your easy reference I have listed out below some of the many verses that support this.
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matthew16:18.
And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Luke 22:31 - 32.
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah,[do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
How then did these masters and disciples of the Christmas religion reason? It must have been something like this, ‘But the Apostle Paul said very clearly that if we keep the law then we would be estranged from CHRIST. So let us ignore what the Apostle Peter wrote, for didn’t the Apostle Paul had to correct Peter for being a hypocrite? And since the Epistle of James was just an epistle of straw we can ignore that too. We can therefore safely ignore them both. Now the Apostle Paul obviously was the one with the true message of the Gospel since most of the New Testament text we have today were written by him. Yes the Apostle Paul is the one with the real true message and all other writings must be scrutinized against his.’
I am sure my readers are intelligent enough not to take the preceding paragraphs (above) literally because this is a parody (that is sort of an exaggerated analogy). But you know conceptually that is exactly what the Christmas religion is advancing.
Yet however there are even more complications to the ‘justify by faith so there is no need to keep the commandments or anything’ doctrine.
Yet another Apostle, the ‘disciple that JESUS CHRIST loved,’ the Apostle John said the same thing about the requirement to keep the commandments.
This same John wrote, ‘For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.’
Why did the Apostle John have to highlight the fact that the GOD’s commandments are not burdensome? Because even then, at the very Apostolic age, evil and wicked men having embraced the Gospel had been turning from it to preach lies that perverted the very Gospel to which they claimed to believe exactly as all the adherents and disciples of Christmas religion of today are doing. For proof of this read all the New Testament accounts by the Apostles and the leaders of the Church of GOD that are in the books of Acts, in the Epistles and in the Book of Revelation.
Even in the very revelations from GOD recorded by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation at the close of the Apostolic age, it was clearly revealed that the commandments of GOD is to be kept. That Satan (symbolized by a Dragon) will be so enraged with those who will keep the commandments of GOD that he will seek to destroy them. And that prophecy is of a time that is still future to now at the time of this writing.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
How about the SON of GOD, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF? What did HE teach? JESUS CHRIST whom they in their doctrines considered as GOD, one of a Trinity. Did HE say that HE came to abolish the commandments and the law? Did HE not say the exact opposite? Did not JESUS CHRIST when HE began HIS three and a half years ministry as a SON of Man, explicitly, specifically and clearly state that HE had not come to do away with (i.e. ‘destroy’) the law and commandments of GOD?
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17
Did HE teach that since HE would fulfill everything that mankind will no longer need to obey GOD and keep GOD's commandment of love? Tell me since when does the word ‘fulfill’ means ‘to abolish’ or ‘to do away with the need’? Now you tell me how do you read that verse if you can't take it literally?
Did HE not say?
If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:15
And also:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
John 14:21
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
John 21:15 - 17.
Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
Acts 15:6 - 7.
How then did these masters and disciples of the Christmas religion reason? It must have been something like this, ‘But the Apostle Paul said very clearly that if we keep the law then we would be estranged from CHRIST. So let us ignore what the Apostle Peter wrote, for didn’t the Apostle Paul had to correct Peter for being a hypocrite? And since the Epistle of James was just an epistle of straw we can ignore that too. We can therefore safely ignore them both. Now the Apostle Paul obviously was the one with the true message of the Gospel since most of the New Testament text we have today were written by him. Yes the Apostle Paul is the one with the real true message and all other writings must be scrutinized against his.’
I am sure my readers are intelligent enough not to take the preceding paragraphs (above) literally because this is a parody (that is sort of an exaggerated analogy). But you know conceptually that is exactly what the Christmas religion is advancing.
Yet however there are even more complications to the ‘justify by faith so there is no need to keep the commandments or anything’ doctrine.
Yet another Apostle, the ‘disciple that JESUS CHRIST loved,’ the Apostle John said the same thing about the requirement to keep the commandments.
This same John wrote, ‘For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.’
Why did the Apostle John have to highlight the fact that the GOD’s commandments are not burdensome? Because even then, at the very Apostolic age, evil and wicked men having embraced the Gospel had been turning from it to preach lies that perverted the very Gospel to which they claimed to believe exactly as all the adherents and disciples of Christmas religion of today are doing. For proof of this read all the New Testament accounts by the Apostles and the leaders of the Church of GOD that are in the books of Acts, in the Epistles and in the Book of Revelation.
Even in the very revelations from GOD recorded by the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation at the close of the Apostolic age, it was clearly revealed that the commandments of GOD is to be kept. That Satan (symbolized by a Dragon) will be so enraged with those who will keep the commandments of GOD that he will seek to destroy them. And that prophecy is of a time that is still future to now at the time of this writing.
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
How about the SON of GOD, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF? What did HE teach? JESUS CHRIST whom they in their doctrines considered as GOD, one of a Trinity. Did HE say that HE came to abolish the commandments and the law? Did HE not say the exact opposite? Did not JESUS CHRIST when HE began HIS three and a half years ministry as a SON of Man, explicitly, specifically and clearly state that HE had not come to do away with (i.e. ‘destroy’) the law and commandments of GOD?
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Matthew 5:17
Did HE teach that since HE would fulfill everything that mankind will no longer need to obey GOD and keep GOD's commandment of love? Tell me since when does the word ‘fulfill’ means ‘to abolish’ or ‘to do away with the need’? Now you tell me how do you read that verse if you can't take it literally?
Did HE not say?
If you love Me, keep My commandments.
John 14:15
And also:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
John 14:21
And further:
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
John 15:10
Read the whole of Matthew Chapters 5 and 6 and see how JESUS stressed the requirement to go over and beyond the written words of the commandments to obey and perform the very intent of these commandments and laws.
Maybe the masters and experts of the Christmas religion will like to tell us how they figuratively read those verses above!
So we have all of these - James the brother of JESUS, the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John, including JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF and HIS FATHER, GOD ALMIGHTY telling us very clearly and plainly that we have to keep, obey and perform the commandments, the royal law. In fact if you were to the read the Bible from cover to cover, yes including all of the Epistles of the Apostle Paul in total, there is this consistency in the Bible message that we have to the faith to obey and keep the commandments of GOD. That the point of failure of faith is in disobedience - not having the faith to believe and through that belief to obey (Hebrews 11:8, 7, 17, 28, 29, 30; Joshua 6:2 - 3, 5, 20).
But despite all these, the disciples and masters of the Christmas religions, these daughters churches of the Great Harlot of Revelation 13 still persisted and held on to their doctrines which purportedly was from the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Now if we are to believe their doctrines it must then be implicit that all the things that JESUS taught and instructed and commanded as was recorded in the four Gospel accounts were just one big farce, one big ruse and the real message was the one that was delivered to the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Paul only.
So if that is the case then according to the doctrines of these daughters churches of the Christmas religion, the Apostle Paul must the real MESSIAH, the real CHRIST whereas this JESUS CHRIST that the four Gospel accounts and all of the New Testament Scriptures testified to must be an imposter.
But then even the Apostle Paul whose very Epistles this disciples and masters of the Christmas religion selectively quoted exclusively to justify their doing away with the commandments of GOD and the basis for breaking the Everlasting Covenant, Paul too - yes the very Apostle Paul held in such over-riding high esteem, even over and above JESUS CHRIST and GOD - also testified in his Epistle that ‘keeping the commandments of GOD is what is essential.’
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
1 Corinthians 7:19
That means keeping the commandments is what that is important; it is what makes the difference between the children of obedience and those who disobeyed. The difference between those who received grace through faith and those who rebelled in disbelieved and whose end is perdition in the Day of Judgment.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1 - 3
Here Paul is referencing the fifth commandment exhorted children to obey their parents.
Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.
1 Corinthians 14:34And here Paul commanded that women be submissive, quoting that the law said so as the basis of this command. Now if the law had been done away with and there is no longer a need to keep it why would Paul need justification from it to command this? Couldn't he had, just as all the masters of the Christmas religion do, simply command it based solely on their authority as the ‘vicar’ and sole arbiter of CHRIST? If keeping the law would cause us to be estranged from CHRIST, why would Paul required the women in the Church of GOD to obey what the law says? Did Paul want the women in the Church of GOD to be estranged from JESUS CHRIST?
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
Romans 16:25 - 27
In this verse Paul testified that his message (‘my gospel’) and the ‘preaching of JESUS CHRIST’ were the same thing and that these were in accordance to what had been revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures ('by the prophetic Scriptures made known'). And that all these were according to the commandments of the everlasting GOD to effect the obedience to GOD through faith.
So contrary to the lies of the Christmas religion the Apostle Paul affirmed that the Old Testament Scriptures were valid and were according to the commandments of GOD to teach obedience effected by believing JESUS CHRIST (‘for obedience to the faith’) through having faith in GOD.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Romans 13:8 - 10
Since love is the fulfillment of the law and, according to teachings of the Christmas religion the Apostle Paul stressed that we should not keep the law otherwise we would be estranged from CHRIST does it not follow that we should not love one another otherwise we would be trying to gain salvation by works?
So why was Paul saying here in Romans 13 verse 8 that we should love one another because love fulfills the law (that is acting with and through love meets the requirement of the law)? Was Paul contradicting himself? If he was should we still believe him? Can we believe someone who one moment commanded something and then another, something totally the reverse or opposite?
Here again Paul was stressing of the need to fulfill (meet the full requirement of) the law, not do away with it. Exactly as JESUS CHRIST said that HE came born as a man to do (Matthew 5:17). Only the Christmas religion had twisted the word ‘fulfill’ to mean ‘to abolish’ or ‘to do away with’. Is that what they mean when they said you cannot take the Word of GOD literally - that you must twist it to say what you want it to say? Now how many of you have swallowed that lie?
Yes, today it is mainly the daughters of the Great Harlot Church who are advancing this ‘grace and not work’ doctrine.
Why?
The Mother Church of the Babylonian Mystery Religion had been teaching for centuries that the Christian Bible just should not be believed. That we should believe her in her catechism doctrines instead. Doctrines such as Christmas, Easter, Sunday as a day of rest and worship and that the Christian GOD is a trinity. These are completely in contradiction with everything written in the Scripture of Truth.
That stand was fine and good when they had a monopoly on the records of the Holy Christian Scriptures especially the New Testament records, and had been able to prevent their disciples from accessing these. Also with the true Church of GOD hidden (Revelation 12:6) from the world’s main view through the vicious and relentless persecution of this Great Harlot and her partners in crime, the Beast power in her various revivals throughout the hidden centuries, there is no one to expose her lies.
But as the one thousand two hundred and sixty years began to lapse and the Church of GOD would surface to be noticed by the world, Satan knew that once this happened this blanket denial of the Words of these New Testament Scriptures was just not going to deceive the rest of mankind who would not be under the fold of the Great Harlot Church. So Satan engineered the Great Coming Out, yes the Protestant Reformation.
The Great Harlot Church began to spawn daughters (Revelation 17:5) who would offer up a profusion and confusion of “Christian” doctrines to drown out the true message that the Church of GOD had held on to through those dark years when Satan through his agents, the Great Harlot Church and the Beast power, tried to destroy her.
Don't monopolistic entities employ this same strategy to stifle competitions from others? Should it be strange that this powerful and manipulative Adversary, Satan the Devil be knowledgeable to do so more than just very expertly?
Diligently Studying The Word Of GOD.
As I have stated repeatedly, the Christian Bible is a very consistent and ordered book. There is no inconsistency and deviation in the doctrines of the Holy Christian Scriptures. If you will not be seduced by the fornication of the Great Harlot and her daughters, reading the Bible on your own without the preconceived notions and ideas from them, you should be able to discern this clearly.
Earlier in this chapter and also elsewhere, I had mentioned and also shown from the Scripture of Truth that JESUS CHRIST had specifically chosen the Apostle Peter to be the leader among HIS twelve hand picked Apostles, so it shouldn't be strange that HE would chose the Apostle Peter to reveal that untaught and unstable false disciples (which is in my definition - “rocket scientist”) have been twisting the writings of the Apostle Paul.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
2 Peter 3:14 - 17
2 Peter 3:14 - 17
Here the Apostle Peter highlighted to the disciples of those days that self proclaimed self taught “rocket scientist” experts had been going round twisting the writings of the Apostle Paul which expounded the Gospel message covering subjects that were ‘slightly’ more complicated.
And the Apostle Paul confirmed exactly what the Apostle Peter wrote only in different words and phrasing.
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully
1 Timothy 1:5 - 8
What was Paul saying here? That some desiring to be teachers of the law having no understanding of even what they were saying and attesting to, they had strayed from the commandment which intent is love from a pure heart. Read that verse again if you don't understand it.
So here we have the Apostle Paul testifying that clueless self proclaimed teachers and experts (those desiring to be teachers of the law but really having no credentials from GOD) were going around preaching lies that do away (' have strayed from the commandment ') with the commandment of love - the very Ten Commandments of GOD (John 14:15, 21, 31; John 15:10, 12; Matthew 22:37 - 40; 1 John 5:2 - 3; 2 John 1:6) which intent is love ('purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart') that is pure (as oppose to filthy lust masquerading as love) and true (as oppose to a false love).
A “rocket scientist” might then ask, ‘But what about in Romans 7 where Paul explicitly stated that we have been delivered from the law and he quoted the tenth commandment as an example of the law he was referencing?’
First tell me what ‘delivered’ means in the context of that passage, then let us examine the whole of Roman Chapter 7:
Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.Romans 7:1 - 25
Maybe the brilliant “rocket scientist” will like to explain the whole of Romans chapter 7 to me instead of focusing on just one sentence of the whole chapter.
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Read verse 6 again and tell me what it means when the Apostle Paul wrote that ‘we should serve in the newness of the Spirit’? Does to ‘serve in the newness of the Spirit’ mean to ‘spirit’ away the Royal Laws and Commandments of GOD, just as Antichrists have perversely twisted the word ‘fulfill’ (Matthew 5:7) to mean ‘abolish and destroy’ or ‘do away with’? Read in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 how JESUS required HIS disciples to obey the Royal Laws and Holy Commandments of GOD ‘in the newness of the Spirit’ as the new requirement under the New Everlasting Covenant of which HE was the MEDIATOR (Hebrew 8:6, 9:15, 12:24; Malachi 3:1).
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.
Romans 7:6
Read verse 6 again and tell me what it means when the Apostle Paul wrote that ‘we should serve in the newness of the Spirit’? Does to ‘serve in the newness of the Spirit’ mean to ‘spirit’ away the Royal Laws and Commandments of GOD, just as Antichrists have perversely twisted the word ‘fulfill’ (Matthew 5:7) to mean ‘abolish and destroy’ or ‘do away with’? Read in Matthew chapters 5 to 7 how JESUS required HIS disciples to obey the Royal Laws and Holy Commandments of GOD ‘in the newness of the Spirit’ as the new requirement under the New Everlasting Covenant of which HE was the MEDIATOR (Hebrew 8:6, 9:15, 12:24; Malachi 3:1).
Truly as the Apostle Peter testified, the writings of the Apostle Paul did cover some ‘slightly’ more complex issue pertaining to the relationship or interconnection between faith, grace and the law. To fully understand these please read completely the chapter, ‘Grace, Sin And The Commandments Of GOD’ in the book Bible 101 by this author.
Here Is A Revelation.
Despite the fact that the Apostle Paul was perhaps the most ‘educated’ among all of the twelve Apostles, plus also that he had been given some very stunning revelations by JESUS CHRIST, there was a glaring missing dimension in his Spiritual maturity. Find out all about this missing dimension in the Apostle Paul's Spirituality from the chapter ‘The Elect’ of Bible 101 under the subtitle ‘The Apostle Paul’.
So as I have presented above, you can clearly see that despite all the other Scriptures testifying to the contrary, the masters and disciples of the Christmas religion still insist that their chosen verses from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul is the one that set the main and presiding doctrine for the “Christian” religion. Even if these were to contradict everything else and what anyone else wrote in all of the Holy Christian Scriptures. Yes even if it is JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. And even if it is the very Apostle Paul himself, if he taught otherwise in any other passages and verses of his Epistles, those automatically become invalid and are to be discarded.
Pure And Unadulterated Self Expediency.
So their rule of thumb is that whenever anything at all in the whole Christian Bible contradicts their held doctrines which they justified because of those few passages from the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, those few passages of their choice takes precedence in terms of authoritativeness.
And that is exactly what I meant by self expediency. They chose to believe only what they want to, because it justify what they want to do, how they want to conduct their lives. Anything and everything else that doesn’t tie in with what they chose to believe, must somehow through any and all means be twisted or be invalidated and discarded. This they do by saying, ‘You just can’t take the records of the Christian Bible literally’ meaning only they can if it suits their agenda.
Next In Bad Faith Part IV: The Love That Fulfills The Royal Law.IN BAD FAITH 1 2 3 4
Comments and questions on issues of doctrines and facts raised here can be directed to chquah@gmail.com. Only sincere non malicious comments and questions seeking clarification and understanding will be entertained.
Note:
1. Words in italic referenced titles or proper names where this applies, otherwise these are personal notes to selected people who are familiar with them.
2. I have intentionally left out many scriptural references as anyone who wants to prove or disprove what is written here should read the Christian Bible thoroughly and extensively (from cover to cover at least three or more times).
3. The various chapters and articles discussed here are by no means exhaustive of the doctrines, prophesies, subjects and answers to questions on the Christian Holy Scriptures.
4. Scriptures quoted are from New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
5. Please bear in mind that this stuff here is for foundation understanding and some 'deeper' verses and advanced doctrines are skipped.
6. The word or term 'man' is used throughout as a reference to man specifically as well as to all mankind (male and female) according to the context in the same way as the Bible used the term.
7. For the complete listing of titles and discussions of this author on the Christian faith (or religion) please refer to the Start or Home page of 'The Holy Bible Expounded'. Also listed in this post page are the latest published posts of all the Christian topic blogs of this author.
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All reference to GOD (in caps or uppercase) in this site refers to the CREATOR GOD whose original inspired Words are the basis of the Christian Bible unless otherwise denoted.
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All views, statements and discussions are the personal religious belief and conviction of this author and directed at persons of same faith, religious belief and conviction.
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Last Updated: 2013 11 09 (updating in progress)
First Posted: 2010 09 15
