03_04 Gospel Supplement

Document #03_04, Gospel Supplement, will help you to “obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!” See 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 8. Yes, obedience of the Law of God is central to the gospel, the good news of salvation! Jesus came to save us from our sins, not in our sins! Be careful to understand our role in the plan of salvation.

Supplement to “The Everlasting Gospel”

He who has the love of God in his heart has no enmity against the Law of God, but renders willing obedience to all His Commandments, by personal Covenant
(agreement) with God: and this constitutes Christianity. As our example, Jesus Himself kept His Father’s Commandments. John 15:10.

The first four Commandments refer to our love for God, our Creator. Is He our only God? Do we worship any kind of idol? Do we call ourselves Christian in vain, because we cling to sin and therefore will be lost? Do we honor Him by keeping His Sabbath, not that of His arch-enemy in the world?

The rest of the 10 Commandments refer to our choice to love our fellow man. Do we love our parents enough to honor and obey them? Do we refuse temptation to murder because of God, or because of the consequences in this world? How about stealing from anyone? How do you feel when someone steals from you? Do you consider that, when tempted to steal, and choose rather to not do such a thing to your fellow human being, because God wants you to love them as you love yourself? Adultery destroys the family life of another. Do you refuse to even contemplate that sin? Do you lie, or think to accuse anyone falsely? Do you covet the possessions, or even the spouse, servants, or home of someone else? He who has supreme love to God will reveal that he chooses to love his fellow man, who belongs to God, both by Creation and redemption.
Love is the fulfilling of the Law: (Romans 13:9, 10) and it is the duty of every child of God to render obedience to His Commandments. See Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 and James 2:8, 10-12.

The bottom line of Christianity is willing obedience to God and His Law. We say that the Sabbath will be the issue at the end, according to Revelation 14:6-12. It is true that that is the main focus, but the real issue is the validity and perpetuity of God’s Law, of which the Sabbath is a part.

We have reason for ceaseless gratitude to God; that Jesus, by His perfect obedience, has won back the dominion of the earth that Adam lost through disobedience.

Adam sinned (“transgressed” or broke a Commandment – the 1st) and all of the
children of Adam share its consequences – rebelliousness and death; but Jesus bore the guilt of Adam, and, overcame where he had sinned. All of the children of Adam that will come to Christ, the second Adam, may escape the penalty of transgression if they repent, and choose to refuse to sin, any sin, anymore. They can overcome as Jesus overcame! (by the indwelling of the Spirit of Jesus)! “Christ in you, the hope of glory!” (See Rev. 3:20, 21; Colossians 1:27)

How do you feel about Jesus? Do you want to love Jesus, who so loved you that He risked, yes, even felt eternal death for you? Try putting your underdeveloped love for Jesus into action, and you will find that your love for Him will grow! Make your personal Covenant with God in baptism, and you will receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). In your baptism, put Jesus on the throne in your mind (see John 14:15-18). Put self to death, and you will find that you can be obedient to the 10 Commandments, not by your will power, but by applying love for Him, you will receive His Holy Spirit power. John, chapter 1, v.12 proclaims, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name!”

This concept is important in the extreme. It is God’s amazing solution to our perceived inability to obey the Commandments like Jesus did!

I’m going to tell you a tale about my dear wife to illustrate. She’s not here, so I can tell it without her being embarassed by it.
When we first met, she was a chain-smoker: 2 and 1/2 decks a day, on the average! Could you imagine the cost of that today? Sonjia wanted to meet me, and got my reluctant best friend to finally introduce us. She was, and still is, quite a girl!

Well, we roller-skated together, hand in hand, for one piece of music. She managed to somehow tell me she wanted to date me! During just one piece of music! Like I said, she was quite a girl!

But I was always honest, to the point of being blunt. Here was my answer. “I don’t date girls who smoke.”

What do you think happened? It took her a year to fully overcome her cigarette habit, but she did it! There were no Five Day Plan to Stop Smoking groups then. There weren’t any nicotine patches either! How could she overcome such a terribly addictive habit? By LOVE! By her growing love, put into action!

Thus God showed me the plan of salvation! Can you overcome sin? all sin? Only by love according to Jesus. “If you love me, keep My Commandments: and I will pray the Father…” What will He pray that the Father do? Give you the gift of Holy Spirit, the One who, as His part in our Triune God’s plan of salvation, can give us the power to overcome, as Jesus Himself overcame.

Jesus loved His Father in heaven. He overcame by love in action – obedience through doing Holy Spirit’s will [the Father’s representative in us] not His own. He did not overcome by His own will power, but because of His love for His Father, He overcame by doing Holy Spirit’s will, instead of His own. He proclaimed, “The Father has not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” (John 8:29)

Jesus was born of a woman: thus He was given our fallen human nature, after 4000 years of devolution! But she conceived by Holy Spirit. He was born, simultaneously if you will, of the Holy Spirit. Jesus refused to sin, by love for His Father, and overcame by the power of Holy Spirit in Him!
You can overcome sin, as He overcame! By love put into action! Look to the cross every day and you will learn to love Jesus more than sin!   Jesus regained eternal life (and heaven) for man by bearing the very tests that Adam failed to endure (see Luke 4:1-13); for He obeyed the Law perfectly throughout His earthly life; and all who have a right conception of the plan of redemption will see that they cannot be saved while in
transgression of God’s holy precepts. They must cease to transgress the Law (“Sin is the transgression of the Law.” 1 John 3, verse 4) and must lay hold of the promises of God that are available for us through the gift of the Spirit of Christ.

The standard is high, and the reason is justified. God aims to eradicate the world of sin. He wants to fit us to live in the company of holy beings who have never sinned. He intends that sin will not rise up the second time. He wants us to have a hatred for sin – to have enmity against evil. And so, He has made provision to give us His Spirit, that we may become like Him, if we are willing to renounce sin, and keep all ten of His Commandments. (See Rev. 12:17; Rev. 14:12).

A MOMENT OF MEDITATION
Father in heaven, we are gathered here in prayer today, knowing your promise that where even two or three are gathered together in prayer, Jesus is in our midst. We lift up our hearts and voices in prayer for our personal salvation from sin and Satan. We pray to You, Jesus, our High Priest in the Sanctuary in heaven, where you are ever before the mercy seat. Please cleanse each of us from all iniquity, by helping us to apply our growing love for You, to our own sin problems! Amen.

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