The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. - book of Mark.
For God so loved the world, that he gave only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - book of John.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. - book of 1 Peter.
He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. - book of Revelation.
In these words, it can be read of a love that transcends all understanding and, by implication, any definition applied by the minds of men. The creator of the cosmos speaks of a love that mortal earthly-bound men cannot comprehend and would never begin even to fathom were it not for the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, who came to do the will of the Father. His Father, and by faith, those who have attained the high calling in Christ also have the right to call him as such. But such a calling comes at a high price as Peter spoke of in his first epistle, saying that we are to follow in his footsteps and sufferings. But which man would want to suffer save only those who are fully committed to the cause of Christ and the way of love, the Father’s directed way, and not our preconceived ideals and foolish interpretations?
The way of the cross leads home, and that home is not of this earth with its dross and trinkets so dull and uninspiring when set against the grandeur of God’s majesty and power. What has this life to offer the soul weary of the burdens it casts upon sore shoulders and heavy hearts encompassed with sin other than the growing weariness and certain expectation of the cessation of life, and then what? Many conjectures have been postulated to ease the troubled mind as the body prepares for the inevitability of death, but even then, the heart is terrified, for it knows that there is something more beyond death. And what is more frightening than death than to meet the Creator in judgment? And everyone knows instinctively that there is something far more significant than themselves, hence the conjectures, denials, and vain imaginings.
And then came Jesus Christ at the appointed time, the time set by the Father, and the time fulfilled by the Son.
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. - book of Galatians.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we shall be saved by his life. - book of Romans.
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death. - book of Revelation.
Now, stop and take to heart these words printed out for your sake. These words are telling you and me that we do not need to fear death because it is not the end. We have hope in this world of something far greater than any of us can begin to comprehend. The devil has the power of death, and every man alive without faith in Christ is captive to that deadly fear of death. But we, as faithful believers in Jesus, do not have anyone or thing to fear, for the grave did not hold him, and it will not hold us either if we walk as he walked and remain faithful until the end.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. - book of Revelation.
You need to understand the enormity of what is being offered to you and the price paid for your release from sin and death if you choose to believe, accept, and live through faith in Jesus Christ as the Father has commanded all men to do. Think about who is making you this offer and who allowed himself to take your place on death row so that you could receive eternal life. This offer is the greatest that the Creator of the universe can offer you, and why? Because of a love we cannot comprehend now, we only see through a stained-glass window of our weak understanding. Nonetheless, this offer is extended to every man and woman on earth regardless of skin color, intellect, beliefs, character, or anything else the mind can bring up. No one will be accepted by their own merits, none by their education or wealth or prestige or political prowess, but only through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the cross upon which he suffered to save a race corrupted by works of sin and delivered unto death and judgment.
To make the comparison of how we define love and how God defines love is impossible to pair. We use the word in the most cavalier fashion claiming to love anything whether an object of art, a baby, animal or human, a car, a film, the wife or husband and so on. But Jesus defines it as laying down your life for a friend, and in his case, for all of humanity.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
Think about it, and I mean that you should truly take it to heart, and ponder the meaning of those words. God loved the world. God gave his only Son as an offering for the sins committed by every man and woman past, present and future to give them eternal life. And what is sin? The breaking of the law as established by the Creator. And this law we are breaking every waking minute of every day, and astonishingly as it is, the pastors who call themselves as such to lead the people to faith in Christ, are the very ones committed to breaking the law and teaching others to do the same, and this in full and open defiance of God! And this is not why Jesus Christ, the Son of God died, so that we could continue in our sins while claiming salvation. For if we continue to live in sin, we will die in our sins and there remains only the judgment for those who so carelessly trod the blood of his Son underfoot and made a mockery of the cross upon which he suffered and died.
This love which is able to save the most vilest of sinners will not be able to sustain the most pious believer who remains in their sins and practices open defiance through disobedience because of the unwillingness to believe what Jesus taught and commanded. They chose rather to lean on their own understanding and interpretations. Now here is something amazing to behold. The Lord has warned all of us to not even let it enter the heart that he came to abolish the law, but lo! They did and continue to arrogantly do so at great risk to themselves and to those that follow their wicked ways!
THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY BUT TO FULFILL. FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU , TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED. - book of Matthew.
Jesus Christ came and died for you and me on the cross, and again, on the third day he arose from the grave, and now sits at the Father’s right hand interceding for us, and waiting until the Father sends him to rule over the entire earth. And would you truly think to yourselves that you can make a mockery of his blood and sacrifice by continuing in your sins? God forbid that we would act in such a manner. His blood was poured out for all mankind in order to reconcile man to God through his one time sacrifice because only his blood can take away the sins that we are soaked with. Both yours and mine. Therefore, we are to pay great attention to what we have heard and believed lest we should fall into carelessness and disbelief through the workings of the false teachers of whom we were warned about from the beginning.
God’s love as established through faith in His Son, will not be abused nor counted as a frivolous sacrifice by the Father for this love is the greatest that the universe has ever witnessed, and all of creation stands in awe and reverence at the highest price paid by the Son of the living God. And that was because he loves mankind and desires to save us from the sins that will eventually destroy us because of our lawless ways. This is the true definition of love on a cosmic scale. And what do we have to offer in comparison? Nothing that we could ever do. We are commanded by the Father to believe in His Son and to repent, that is, to turn away from our sins and be clothed in the righteousness that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. Our works without faith are as filthy rags, and all other religions are serving demons pretending to be gods of a sort, whereas Jesus Christ is the one true faith and the only way to the Father. Any other way is a dead end road resulting in your death.
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME. - book of John.
These words are difficult for many to hear and even harder to believe because of the deceitfullness of sin, and the power of sin keeps many in captivity until they are swept away into destruction. God takes no pleasure in the death of a man but wants all to repent and believe in His only Son, but the sins that keep them in captivity will also harden their hearts in disbelief so that that in dying, they will die. And we can see the love that God has for mankind is mercy and compassion for those who believe in Christ, but condemnation and wrath for those who reject this beautiful gift.
Imagine, if you will, you have lived what you consider a good life, and have accepted all men and their ways because love is the key to universal happiness, or at least that is what you have learned and come to believe. Now the hour has come and you have passed into what you believed to be a glorious afterlife, but lo! You were greatly deceived and with a sinking heart and utter despair you now take your stand before the Creator whose words and offer you discounted in lieu of your own, and must now pay the price that Jesus had already paid. You foolishly built your house on the sand and will now face the ultimate ruin of your fateful decisions.
THEREFORE WHOSOEVER HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOETH THEM, I WILL LIKEN HIM UNTO A WISE MAN, WHICH BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON A ROCK: AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, AND THE FLOODS CAME, AND THE WINDS BLEW, AND BEAT UPON THAT HOUSE; AND IT FELL NOT: FOR IT WAS FOUNDED UPON A ROCK. AND EVERYONE THAT HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOETH THEM NOT, SHALL BE LIKENED UNTO A FOOLISH MAN, WHICH BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE SAND: AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, AND THE FLOODS CAME, AND THE WINDS BLEW, AND BEAT UPON THAT HOUSE; AND IT FELL: AND GREAT WAS THE FALL OF IT. - book of Matthew.
Furthermore the Lord made it very clear that those who believed that they were his disciples but were practicing lawlessness and disobedience, and teaching others to do so, were, in fact, deceived themselves and were cast away as workers of iniquity.
NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS? AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? AND THEN I WILL PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY. book of matthew.
You need to understand fully the magnitude of what is being said here. God is not going to compromise on a single point that you may present because He set the conditions for salvation and His Son paid the full price to redeem you from your sins. But when you choose to practice sin or iniquity while calling yourselves believers, then you are deeply mistaken and will be rejected on that fateful day. And sadly this will be the case for many who say they love Jesus but refuse to obey His commands. In effect, you are denying Him before all men. Therefore He will deny you before his Father and all the Holy angels as well. This is not a fallacy but indeed a scriptural fact which you would be very wise to consider, and as needed, amend your ways while his mercy is still extended.
You cannot tread upon the blood of His Son and not expect the wrath of a righteous God to come down upon your souls in righteous fury, for indeed His wrath will be poured out upon all workers of unrighteousness, upon those who practice and teach others to walk in sin and disobedience. All workers of evil shall suffer the consequences of their actions for they know full well what they are doing, but do it anyway. You would be considered astute in knowledge if you applied his words to heart and changed your ways. May I suggest the opening lines in Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome as a good place to begin, for it is there where you may witness the degrading fall into disbelief.
The love of God is shown through Jesus Christ for it is only through that name that we have the hope of our salvation through faith in His redemptive work and sacrifice. And this sacrifice has allowed us to come unto the Father through the Holy Spirit of grace. The closer we draw to God in Christ, the more we desire to be like His Son in all things. We are to become his servants and serve Him in truth and love. But this love is of a different kind that what we are used to, for this godly love trancends beyond our natural abilitiy to understand and embrace. It requires the intervening power of His Holy Spirit which is poured out into the hearts of those who in faith have believed and have chosen to walk faithfully in Christ.
BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. book of 1 Corinthians.
Without the Holy Spirit, we are as blind men tripping over ourselves as we search the scriptures as did the prophets of old in trying to understand in what manner the Spirit was speaking of when they had the visions. But we do have the Holy Spirit because it has been poured out upon those predestined for salvation. Being predestinated does not mean that we know who is and who is not to be saved for that is only a matter reserved for God through His Christ and the power of the Spirit. We are to believe, recieve and become partakers in the common faith offered to all men, and not to become judges of any. For we ourselves will be judged before Christ at His coming so that what is not found to be built upon Him will be burned off so that we may be pure and undefiled in His presence.
But as the Lord had promised through the prophet Joel came to fullfillment on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit of Holiness was poured out upon those who waited patiently, and shortly thereafter upon the multitude of those who had gathered to hear and were convicted, that same Spirit of God works among men today to save as many as will respond to the call. For the Holy Spirit, contrary to perverse teachings from perverse minds, is still here, still calling, still leading and still teaching those who are to become inheritors of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. But there are those who deny the Holy Spirit, and by so doing are quenching the faith among the doubting, and making them an easy prey for the evil one. They will recieve their just rewards in due time for the Lord is not slack in punishing those who would cause his people to stumble and fall. Take heed to what you hear and choose to believe in for the salvation which you seek depends very much on your choices. Whether you choose the words of Christ or the words of men, it is ultimately your decision that will grant you entrance into the Holy City or denied passage.
The Holy Spirit is given to us as a teacher, the teacher of righteousness, of obedience, humility, kindness, love, peace, patience, of keeping the commandments, of withholding judgment, not repaying evil with evil, being forgiving, and all of these are called the fruits of the Spirit, the which we are commanded to practice daily in our walk. We are also called to suffer persecutions as called upon for a witness to this world. We are not to walk in fear or trepidation or doubt, but through the Holy Spirit we are called to become overcomers in all things. In our trials and temptations, in tests and patience, and to love the brethren, and just as important, to love those that hate and persecute us, for we do not know who God has called to salvation; we are to be his witnesses. And the Holy Spirit is given unto us for that very purpose. To reveal to the world the love and power of God through Jesus Christ through us, his servants, and His servants we are if we walk in truth and obedience. But when we call ourselves his disciples but do not walk as he walked and do not do as commanded, then we are called out as liars and the truth is not in us.
AND HEREBY WE DO KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. HE THAT SAITH, I KNOW HIM, AND KEEPETH NOT HIS COMMANDMENTS, IS A LIAR, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN HIM. BUT WHOSO KEEPETH HIS WORD, IN HIM VERILY IS THE LOVE OF GOD PERFECTED: HEREBY KNOW WE THAT WE ARE IN HIM.
And again,
BUT THE ANNOINTING WHICH YE HAVE RECIEVED OF HIM ABIDETH IN YOU, AND YE NEED NOT THAT ANY MAN TEACH YOU: BUT AS THE SAME ANNOINTING TEACHETH YOU OF ALL THINGS, AND IS TRUTH, AND IS NO LIE, AND EVEN AS IT HATH TAUGHT YOU, YE SHALL ABIDE IN HIM.
And once more,
BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER: FOR LOVE IS OF GOD; AND EVERY ONE THAT LOVETH IS BORN OF GOD, AND KNOWETH GOD. HE THAT LOVETH NOT KNOWETH NOT GOD; FOR GOD IS LOVE. IN THIS WAS MANIFESTED THE LOVE OF GOD TOWARD US, BECAUSE THAT GOD SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON INTO THE WORLD, THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM. HEREIN IS LOVE, NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US, AND SENT HIS SON TO BE THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS. BELOVED, IF GOD SO LOVED US, WE OUGHT ALSO TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. - 1 Epistle John.
So, we read of God's love and are to walk in that very same love because the Spirit of Holiness has been poured out upon us to do the will of the Father in Christ. Without the Spirit, we can do nothing to effect either a change in us or to those we desire to minister to for all things are bound up in faith to the Christ of God. That faith is given to those called by God to come to His Son, and the Son reveals the Father to the believer who in turn receives the Holy Spirit to produce the fruits of righteousness that will give evidence of salvation acquired through faith in Jesus Christ.
That is why you should begin to take your faith in Christ very seriously and stop the opinionated tirades and personal interpretations, and place everything that you posess in knowing and living for the Christ of God, Jesus, the Lord. You cannot compromise his blood and sacrifice on your altar of expediency and views, for in the light of God’s word they are completely moot and will not assist you in any form or fahion whatsoever. Jesus has already warned us that many of those who call upon His name will not be accepted by Him because they practiced lawlessness against Him by not keeping the commandments and denying His words. Are you willing to go against Him? If so, then it would have been better for you to have never been born then to have recieved the knowledge and practiced iniquity while claiming salvation.
These words may seem harsh, but I can assure you that I speak the truth in love for as the word states, God takes no pleasure in the death of a man, but desires that all will repent and trust in the words and works of His only begotten Son. When you recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit, you begin a walk that will last your entire life because you were symbolically baptized into his death and resurrection, and that is just the first steps as you begin to grow into the faith. Your mind becomes renewed, and your desires begin also to change. But along with the newness of the faith will also come trials and tests and disciplines to follow for which father does not reward and discipline his child? And so it is the same with us because we need correction, admonishments, guidance, and fellowship with other believers. We need to study with all attention His Holy Word and learn to pray as the Spirit leads us. We need to believe what we are reading and learn to keep the commandments as taught and to live our lives as though the master will return at any moment. To be caught practicing sin while calling yourself a believer will turn out to be a very bad day if He should return while you play with sin.
BUT AND IF THAT SERVANT SAY IN HIS HEART, MY LORD DELAYETH HIS COMING; AND SHALL BEGIN TO BEAT THE MENSERVANTS AND MAIDENS, AND TO EAT AND DRINK, AND TO BE DRUNKEN; THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT WILL COME IN A DAY WHEN HE LOOKETH NOT FOR HIM, AND AT AN HOUR WHEN HE IS NOT AWARE, AND WILL CUT HIM IN SUNDER, AND WILL APPOINT HIM HIS PORTION WITH THE UNBELIEVERS.
The word about the plow should be kept before your eyes as a clear visual warning to those who desire to play with sin while working in the fields.
NO MAN, HAVING PUT HIS HAND TO THE PLOUGH, AND LOOKING BACK, IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. - book of Luke.
Service to the great king is the highest aspiration that the believer can attain to in this life, and that requires firm dedication and a committed heart with an unwavering spirit. But does that mean that you will never be shaken or tossed about and every day is a good day because you trust in the Lord while the sun is bright with few clouds? You will indeed be tested and the evil one will be allowed to bruise you for how else can you grow into maturity and steadfastness in the Lord? A spoiled child has an unruly character and a bad disposition, and such pitiful weaknesses we must shun if we are to reach the prize of eternal life in Christ.
You must realize that everything is bound up in three chords which cannot be broken; love, faith and obedience, and we must hold firm to all three without fail. Keep the commandments, hold firm to the faith, and walk in love. It is not an easy road to travel though many act as though it is with acts of piety and seemingly spiritual revelations. But you will know a tree by its fruits. Also know this; the Spirit of Christ will never lead anyone into disobedience to the word of God or rebellion or sin, but will lead the true believer into righteousness and purity of lifestyle, blameless and acceptable in the sight of God through Christ. There are many false teachers and doctrines which hold many in captivity, but the one who loves the Lord will avoid them and their enticing words. And this is why you must trust in the words of the Holy Bible and keep them faithfully, withstanding the many false teachers and how they cleverly manipulate the scriptures and have led many already into perdition with many more to follow.
I use the King James Bible for it has done its work faithfully four-hundred years and is still going strong despite the many assaults against it. New revisions are being constantly revised and as time passes, the words become adulterated and change their meanings so that confusion reigns as the competiton continues among those seeking to promulgate their translations to the eager members of the itching ears club. Remain with the tried, tested and faithful version which has served man so well and will continue to do so in the forseeable future. And if you feel the need to keep up with the Jones and such, then be sure that sooner or later it will affect your understanding and take you into the maze of new teachings and theological meanderings.
To put all things into perspective here as I bring this article to a close is the love of God, which trancends our natural undersanding, is that very love which is able to save mankind from their sins in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. This love is able to save the worst sinner and the most pious hypocrite and all in between up until they take that final breath. And if they chose to remain in their sins then they have only the wrath and fury of God awaiting them.
IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD. - book of Hebrews.
So friends, it is high time to work more diligently than ever before to contend for the faith which was once preached to you, but many of have grown slack concerning, and the love you once espoused has become embers in the fire because you left your first love which was Jesus Christ. But now the hour has come to renew your vows of love and allegiance to the rightful king of glory, and stand up once again and cast aside the fear and doubts and compromises to serve the Great Shepherd of your souls. We are called to follow Him, and Him alone, His teachings and not those of a hireling as many do to this very hour and to their shame. That we are still here is a testimony to the love and grace of God who desires that all men should be saved, and we are called to be among those saved if we hold firm unto Him and His teachings and commandments until the end.
Many believe, erroneously, that Jesus did away with the commandments, but you are not called to disobedience, were you? Therefore, regardless of whatever teachings are popularized and accepted, you must hold firm without wavering to the words he taught as well as those of His disciples. Do not turn aside to follow them for they are on the broad way to destruction whereas you have been told to stay on the narrow way which few can be found traveling. We do not know who or how many nor do we need to. What we do need to do is to be faithful in all things pertaining to the Christ, the faith and fellowship with the believers. Love the Lord and keep His commandments. Endure all things without complaining, and be ready to assist strangers in need for you do not know if you are serving a messenger of the Lord.
Love covers a multitude of sins, so practice walking in love and leave judging up to the Lord God. Be ready to preach the word in and out of season, and preach without expectation of worldly compensation. For it is better to give than to recieve, and you cannot serve God and the world, you cannot love God and riches, and you cannot drink both sweet and salt water from a spring. Serve Jesus Christ with pure intentions and an undivided heart and keep vigilant for your adversry the devil is as a roaring lion seeking those whom to devour, and you must resist him in the faith of Christ.
May the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus, and the sincere teachings of the Holy Spirit be upon and among the faithful in Christ Jesus.
I remain a brother to those in Christ.
Edward L Ordway