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My other story
http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Know-God-Blesses-Us-When-We-Tithe/7658873
I agree!
"Jesus says I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but through me."
"There is No other way that you must be saved"
Only Jesus changes the heart! "You have a heart of stone God says, but I will give you a heart of flesh"
Could it be that you are so popular because you are preaching a popular message about financial blessings?
(Luke 6:26) “Woe whenever all men speak well of you, for this is what their forefathers did to the false prophets.
(1 John 4:5) They originate with the world; that is why they speak what originates with the world and the world listens to them.
(2 Timothy 4:2-4) Preach the word; be at it urgently in favorable times and difficult times; reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all patience and art of teaching. 3 For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the wholesome teaching, but according to their own desires, they will surround themselves with teachers to have their ears tickled. 4 They will turn away from listening to the truth and give attention to false stories.
You inspired a question, perhaps you can answer it scripturally:
http://answermug.com/forum/topics/are-christians-required-to-tithe-do-christians-put-tithing-above
We should love our God more than anything, more than our families. Then we can treat our families loving and God challenges us to tithe. It is the only time in the Bible that God challenges us to see what would happen. Do we have faith or not?
Not sure all that post was to me? Does your Church have a paid preacher? If so, how much does he get paid? Does your Church follow all of the Mosaic law or only the money part?
You inspired a question, perhaps you can answer it scripturally:
http://answermug.com/forum/topics/are-christians-required-to-tithe-...
Malachi 3:10
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
In Malachi's day, the Jews were under the Mosaic Law which included tithing.
When Jesus, Almighty God comes back like a "lion" we will have to account for every single sin we have done. It is the "LAW" that will judge us. It is the Bible that will find us guilty. But if you trust in Jesus then he took all your sins away because the LAW fell on his shoulders not on yours. It is the WORD that will judge us. The WORD became flesh and dwelt among us. The world did not comprehend it.
Do you ever give supporting scriptures or do you always just wing it?
Christians, Jewish descent or not are not under the Mosaic Law. Non-Jews that were not Jewish Proselytes have never been under the Mosaic Law.
(Deuteronomy 4:44) Now this is the Law that Moses set before the people of Israel.
Exodus 34:27) And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “Write down for yourself these words, because it is in accordance with these words that I do conclude a covenant with you and Israel.”
The Mosaic Law Covenant was to cease after the death of the Messiah.
(Daniel 9:27) “And he will keep the covenant in force for the many for one week; and at the half of the week, he will cause sacrifice and gift offering to cease. “And on the wing of disgusting things there will be the one causing desolation; and until an extermination, what was decided on will be poured out also on the one lying desolate.”
(Romans 9:4) who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the sacred service and the promises.
Jesus is not Almighty God. He is the Son of God.
(John 5:19) Therefore, in response Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, the Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son does also in like manner.
(John 5:30) I cannot do a single thing of my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I seek, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
(John 14:28) You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I am.
(John 20:31) But these have been written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.
No one has ever seen God but people have seen Jesus.
(John 1:14) So the Word became flesh and resided among us, and we had a view of his glory, a glory such as belongs to an only-begotten son from a father; and he was full of divine favor and truth.
John 1:18 (NASB) No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
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Did you give your $22,000.00 gift to the poor? If not, what's your point?
I gave to the same agencies I give to now; to family radio, to the church, to some other gospel preaching agencies (youth for Christ who help Syrian refugees in many countries, Christian children's fund, etc., and people on the street.) I try to make sure it is always the 10% or more before I go to the store and buy milk, bread or meat or pay my bills. God is 1:st of course. He has feelings and he gives me so much that I love him so very, very much that first check goes to him. My time as well, the first hour of the day goes to prayer, the first day of the week to rest (no work, or shopping, or laundry, or anything.) He is sad when we forget about him and I don't want to make him sad. He has feelings.
This is what ALL born again Christians do of course (I am no different than any other real Christian who reads the Bible and walks with the HOLY SPIRIT))
I am often bewildered that most mainstream 'Christian' preachers call the Hebrew scriptures the 'Old Testament' yet go there for support when they want to get fat pay checks claiming it is for God or they go there when they want to support their Nations fleshly warfare. Christians don't tithe as the Mosaic Law was fulfilled in Christ and tithing was not instituted in the Christian Covenant.
Sad that they are fleecing their flocks Stepper. Under the pretense of giving to God.
I don't go to church often, and I don't belong to a church any more because so many churches are not Biblical. I read my Bible and pray on a regular basis with my Christian friends, and dedicate my work and time to witness. I believe that Jesus is coming back if not this fall in the next few years. We don't have many days left. Praise God!
Who do you pay tithes to? Some scriptural truths are revealed through the congregation. You don't have organization of congregations?
(Ephesians 3:10) This was so that now, through the congregation, there might be made known to the governments and the authorities in the heavenly places the greatly diversified wisdom of God.
(Acts 14:23) Moreover, they appointed elders for them in each congregation, offering prayer with fasting, and they entrusted them to Jehovah, in whom they had become believers.
When we trust in Jesus and we are born again God gives us a new heart and we love him and all people so much that we want to give our lives to witness with our money and time. I am giving my whole life to Jesus not because it says but because I want to. I don't belong to a congregation any more. I have automatic payments going out from my account monthly to family radio, to a few churches, to some other gospel preaching agencies (youth for Christ who helps Syrian refugees, Christian children's fund, etc., and people on the street.) My time too goes to God, the first hour of the day goes to prayer, the first day of the week Sunday to Bible reading and rest (no work, or shopping, or laundry, or anything.) And I have a business I give some of the services lowfee or free. He is sad when we forget about him and I don't want to make him sad. He has feelings. I want to make him happy, and I want to help people as much as I can.
Funny that I give you scriptures that actually say what I am telling you while you SOMETIMES give scriptures but you take them out of context and say that they say something that they don't actually say and you claim that I am in a cult.
As far as all of your bragging on yourself and the money you supposedly gave to God and the money that God supposedly gave you back and your bragging about thousands of people changing their lives solely because they fished for YOU so you could witness to them, a little food for thought:
(Matthew 6:1-4) “Take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens. 2 So when you make gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your gifts of mercy may be in secret. Then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you.
No You take these verses and believe them at face value instead of testing them against the rest of what Jesus said. You take one verse and then you come up with Jehovah's Witness philosophy. These verses have to be compared to the rest of the Bible which proves that Jesus is God's Son, and he lowered himself and became man.
"Writing My Laws In Their Hearts"
"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them," Heb. 10:16.
Is this the covenant that is taught and expounded in today's accepted Christianity by today's confessing Christian leadership? Absolutely not, it is the farthest thing from it.
This Scripture in Hebrews was spoken and written from what the Lord prophesied and said in Jer. 31:33-34 - "-----After those days, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people." Verse 34, "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more." Are we in those days that this Scripture is being fulfilled in today's churches and are there any ministers, in what is accepted as Christianity, teaching and fulfilling this covenant? How does God put His law in the inward parts and write it in a person's heart? How does this covenant connect to or pertain to the covenant Christ made through His shed blood and broken body for the forgiveness of sins and where person's heart and mind can be born of Spirit?
Writing God's laws in the heart and mind of a child or believer is the highest crowning work that God is doing with His creation of man, but this can only be accomplished through a person's diligent effort in studying, learning, and growing in his obedience to God's commandments, and to overcome all temptations to break His law. All of this can be accomplished only through the indwelling working power of God's Spirit helping man in his willingness to submit to a complete obedience to God's commandments. However, there have been stumbling blocks that have been put into a believer's path, by Satan and his false ministers and such obstructions must be detected and cast aside, if a saint desires to overcome and accomplish God's great purpose in their life. Lets look at some stumbling blocks that are taught, but hinder the writing of God's law into the hearts and minds of His people.
What Laws Are To Be Written In Our Hearts?
Some church members have been confused about God's laws and ask "What are the laws, or commandments, that are to be written in our hearts?" Jesus Christ made it clear that the 10 commandments, which God gave to Moses as the basis, the foundation, and framework of the old covenant and all of His law, must be kept and obeyed, in order to enter into eternal life, Mat. 19:17-21. It is made clear that the 10 commandments are summed up as God's two great commandments, that teaches His elect how to love God, and to love one's neighbor, and one's brother, as himself. Christ gave this as the answer for what is God's great commandments. God's commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love one's neighbor as himself, and Christ said on these two commandments hang all the law and prophets, Mat. 22:37-40. Christ tells us, that all of God's law give by His prophets, that magnifies, details, expounds, defines, and directs one, how to love God and to love one's neighbor as himself, is to be kept, obeyed, and written in one's heart. "Love works no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law," Rom.13:10.
God says "if you love me, keep my commandments," John 14:15, 21. "By this we know that we love the children (brethren) of God, when we love God and keep His commandments," I John 5:2. "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous," I John 5:3. "And this is love, that we walk after His commandments," II John 6. "If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us," I John 4:12. "God is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world, " I John 4:16-17. "He that keeps His commandments dwells in Him and He in him." "And hereby we know that He abides in us by the Spirit which He has given us," I John 3:24.
There is a stumbling block of confusion, that is cast in a saint's path by certain pastors, who go about teaching, there are more things to a Christian's life that teaches him about love, than just teaching and keeping the 10 commandments of God. In plain words God's 10 commandments and laws to these pastors are not enough or complete in teaching love, and pointing out what is sin, implying that God must have left out something more. They teach that there are more things, more principles, and implied to be more laws, but they somehow can never name any of them, other things that a Christian needs to do than just the keeping of the 10 commandments. These pastors never follow up of just what those things are, or what additional laws that a saint needs to be doing, nor will they ever state what is that particular law or principle it is, that God teaches to be more to love in His Word than keeping the 10 commandments.
However, in some of their messages, they will teach that loving your enemy, or feeding the hungry, or all the things Christ taught in Mat. 25:34-46 is a love that is needed, and is a greater love and righteousness, that is over and above the love pertaining to righteousness, and the keeping of God's ten commandments. These pastors, by teaching this false doctrine are creating confusion among their members by their undermining, and minimizing God's 10 commandments in their all importance in love and salvation by implying that keeping the commandments in their letter and spirit does not show love to your enemy, nor does it feed him. However, if one truly keeps God's 10 commandments in their spirit as well as the letter you will do these exercises of love in all of their fullness..
God says His law is PERFECT and it is TOTAL and COMPLETE and is all that is needed to develop and grow to perfection in his love under the direction and guidance of God's indwelling Spirit. God says in Ps. 19:7 - "The law of the Lord is PERFECT, converting the soul ----." In James 1:25 James tells us - "Whoso looks into the PERFECT LAW of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work (work of growing in love) , this man shall be blessed in his work." John says in I John 2:5 - "But whoso keeps His Word, in Him verily is the love of God PERFECTED: hereby know we that we are in him." Paul says in Rom. 13:10 - "Love is the fulfilling of the law." So, who is one to believe, the Apostles of the Christ's Word, or the word of the pastors of today's Churches of God? Some of those pastors seem to minimize these verses that teach the brethren, that love is the fulfilling of the law, and that love is the keeping of the law, and that love is perfected through the keeping of God's commandments.
Christ did plainly teach that keeping His 10 commandments teaches us to love our neighbor, and if our neighbor is our enemy, we are still to love him and do good to him, and if he has a serious human need, we do need to help him, if it is in our power to do so. Consider what God's says in his 10 commandments! The 6th commandment says, that we are not to (kill) murder, and not to even get angry with our neighbor without good cause. The 7th commandment says, that we are not to commit adultery, not even to lust after our neighbor's wife, or another woman. The 8th commandment says, that we are not to steal, or lust for our neighbor's goods. The 9th commandment says, that we are not to speak evil, lie, or falsely accuse our neighbor. The 10th commandment says, that we are not to lust after anything that is our neighbor's, or after anything that God commands as being unlawful.
When a saint does not commit any of these commandment transgressions against his neighbor, and is convinced in his heart that this is pleasing and showing love to God, then by this example of keeping God's commandments, he is exercising and and bearing the fruit of love to his neighbor. He will help his neighbor in any way he can, and through his loving obedience, will desire the best for his neighbor in his marriage, and would not do anything, that would in any way damage, or destroy, or cause hurt and pain, to that marriage and family. He desires that his neighbor will become prosperous, and has a good life, and would never think of taking anything away from his prosperity, or be jealous, or envious of him, or his life, but would encourage him in his life, and will do, what he can do, to have a good relationship with his neighbor.
The loving heart that obeys the "do nots" of God's commandments, creates in the heart the love which is committed to do the "to dos" of God's law. This is the love that God desires in each of His Sons preparing for His Kingdom. So all the "to dos" of Christ's teaching in Mat. 25:34-46 pertaining to people needing help and encouragement, are really extensions God's law, and fulfills God's commandments that are to be written in His people's hearts.
Some will ask, "what about other Old Covenant laws, are they to be kept?" All laws or commandments, or statutes that express love to God, one's neighbor, brother, or to oneself ,are to be kept, and are laws God desires to be written in our hearts. Yes, even the law concerning a sacrifice for our sins, is to be kept. All the laws concerning animals sacrifices, and the laws pertaining to the priests doing the work in the temple, pertaining to those sacrifices, have all been fulfilled in Jesus Christ's life, and His suffering and blood sacrifice. So, those laws have been fulfilled and brought to their fulfillment, in His life and death. However, every one desiring forgiveness for his sins for having broken God's law, still needs a blood sacrifice, and the only blood sacrifice that will cover one's sins, is the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So, every one still needs to obey the law of sacrifice, by accepting Jesus Christ's one time sacrifice to justify one's sins, and which is remembered and renewed each Passover, and His people are never to forget that awesome sacrifice that forgives, and has justified one's sins.
What about the other laws given to Moses pertaining to cleanliness, clean and unclean meats, eating of blood, and the eating of the fat of animals? Are these laws are to be kept? All of these laws show and express love to God by a person showing love to one's self, and others, and must be obeyed. God desires His people to be clean and to observe His laws regarding cleanliness, and good health, in order to be free from disease and illness. Whenever there are unsanitary conditions pertaining to a person and his surroundings, this is providing conditions to invite disease and illness upon his body and can effect others. God has plainly commanded His people not to eat unclean animals, fish, or fowl, because they are unclean to one's body, and will eventually bring illness. The same is true with eating blood or taking blood into the body, as in transfusions and eating of animal fat. These things are unclean, and will cause disease and trouble in the body at some time, and will shorten one's life. The body of a saint, is the temple of God's Holy Spirit and it is love to God and to one's self to keep it clean, healthy and alert. These are commands, or laws that express love to self and to others. If they are not kept, then this transgresses God's 10th commandment, by lusting, or desiring unlawful things, that are plainly against God's law.
What about God's Holy Days, are these commands to be kept? God's Holy Days observance pertains to REMEMBERING GOD'S SABBATH DAY, and are to be kept. They are annual Sabbaths, and are like the weekly Sabbath, that have great meaning in a Christian's life. They teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and His time plan of judgment on all people, that gives great meaning of understanding in a dark world that lives without hope and understanding. God's Holy Days are to be kept because they express love, hope, peace, and give purpose to life, to God's people and to all mankind.
What about laws pertaining to circumcision and the wearing of blue ribbons on one's clothing? Are these laws to be kept and written in His people's heart? These are laws that pertains to physical Israel that showed they were set aside as His fleshly nation, and a law that reminded them of God's commandments, as in the case of the blue ribbons sewed into their clothing. When God began working with His New Testament Church, God made available and gave His Spirit to Israel and gentiles alike. God's Spirit was and is made available by the ones meeting the conditions of God's new covenant, through this covenant they both became spiritual Israel, through God's Holy Spirit, and God's Spirit, becomes a part of their life by dwelling in them.
God's Spirit was and is so much greater, as a better covenant, in setting people apart as God's people, than the law of circumcision. Having God's Spirit dwelling in the heart of God's chosen one, is also much greater in reminding His people of God's commandments, and inspiring them to keep God's commandments, and convicting them, when they are being tempted to break them, than having blue ribbons sewed into one's clothing. The giving, and the work of God's Spirit, now took the place in a spiritual way, of what those earlier laws were doing, only in a fleshly way. Fleshly Israel today is lost and scattered, and it is only spiritual Israel, who God is working with today, and are recognized by His Spirit ,and not by circumcision. So for spiritual Israel, His Church to recognize those earlier particular laws would be denying Jesus Christ, and His giving the POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT, and would not be recognizing one's calling, as being chosen by Christ.
What about other Old Covenant laws regarding punishment for sin by death, and other such judgments for punishment of sin? These laws should only be kept and recognized, when a nation recognizes and governs its people by all of God's law, contained in the Old Covenant, which are God's constitution for a nation. No nation on earth today recognizes God's constitution as the laws for governing that nation, and in fact they have constitutions including the U.S. with laws that permit, and uphold the breaking of God's 10 commandments. So today God's Church is not a fleshly nation, but a spiritual church.
So for God's Church to follow, or to submit to laws as is in God's constitution, or His Old Covenant regarding punishments and judgment for sin, as was given to Israel, in regard to judgments and punishments for committed sins, would find themselves at great odds with their nation that they live in, and could end up in prison. So those laws about judgments of capitol punishment, and other judgments for punishments, were to be kept, when Israel was a nation, and ruled by all of God's laws, contained in His covenant. However, there is a punishment and judgment coming on all sin, the breaking of His 10 commandments that every person is committing today, including many Church of God members, that will be judged at Christ's coming, and His Day of Judgment, unless they repent of their sins. The only disciplinary action or punishment for sin, that God's church can administer today, is to disfellowship a sinning member, or disassemble himself from the church, that is leavened, and will not change from their group sinning or their teaching of false doctrine.
The Pharisees and Commandment Keeping
The true members of God's church and body of Jesus Christ who desires to have a total and complete obedience to God and His laws, to have His laws written in their hearts has been undermined for many years by many pastors and church members. How? Because, any one really seeking out perfection in God's righteousness by keeping God's commandments is called a pharisee, a legalist, and as being strict, self-righteous, and unloving. This is just another stumbling block that has been thrown in the path of Church members that can hinder member's spiritual growth and stop the writing of God's laws in their hearts, if permitted to do so. This is persecution against the righteous of the church and speaking evil against a brother. Why has this obstruction been placed in the path of God righteous members?
This is all because there is a very erroneous and corrupt concept and mis-understanding in teaching that has been accepted, taught, and passed down, about the Pharisees of the Scriptures. The false teaching is believing, and accepting the teaching, that the Pharisees were strict commandment keepers, which is a lie, and because of all Christ's condemnation, He leveled against the Pharisees, pastors believe it is justified, to call any strict, complete righteous commandment keeper of the body of Jesus Christ, a Pharisee, and a legalist and unloving. Many pastors continually preach that the Pharisees were strict commandment keepers of God's law. This is another plain lie. This is an erroneous belief and false understanding and accepting as truth that the Pharisees were very precise, exact, complete and strict keepers of God's commandments. This is a false teaching and cannot be found anywhere in the Bible!
The Plain Truth is, the Pharisees were not strict keepers of God's law and commandments, but were gross transgressors and violators of God's laws! Christ taught that these religious leaders actively expressed hostility against God's laws and did not keep God's commandments, even though they professed to be otherwise! One cannot find the word "strict" in all of Scripture! If one looks in their dictionary, one will find that strict means; complete, precise, absolute, and exact and the only word in Scripture that fulfills those meanings is the word, perfect. But Jesus Christ commands for His followers to be perfect, and that perfection should be the goal of every saint. In plain words Christ commands His elect to be strict or perfect. In Mat.5:48 Christ commands His people, "be you perfect." So once again certain pastors, evangelists, and ministers have twisted and misrepresented God's living Word and have cast a stumbling block before God's elect.
Jesus Christ nowhere in His teachings, describes the Pharisees as strict keepers of God's law and commandments. The truth is, they were breakers, violators, transgressors of God's laws, and Christ stated this truth on different occasions of His ministry, in addition to what He said about them in Mat.23. Examples of their sins of law breaking can be found in Mat. 9:11-13, their sin of self-righteousness, the 1st commandment transgression. Mat. 12:1-13, tells of their sins of Sabbath transgression by teaching their own laws, and rejected Christ's teaching of true, spiritual work and understanding that made the Sabbath holy time. Mat. 15: 1-9, tells of their breaking of the 5th commandment of dishonoring their father and mother. John 8: 3-10, tells of their sin of adultery, and in verses 44-55 Christ said they lied, and committed lusts of their father the devil. In John 7:19, Christ said they did not keep the law. The Pharisees were complete law breakers, not strict commandment keepers. Yet church members have accepted what many pastors teach, that the Pharisees were strict law keepers. These pastors needs to go back into their Bible, and study it, but first drop what they have been taught and accepted all their life from the teaching of their "great shepherds," and "great evangelists."
So for anyone to label God's righteous, diligent, commandment keepers, who are trying to complete the covenant of God in their life, as Pharisees, or legalists, is a terrible injustice, accusation, and sin against the true saints of God. Every pastor or member that is committing, or has committed such sin, had better repent of such sin, or perish. Because this is an unjust condemnation of the saints! Can such commandment breaking pastor, as Christ told the Pharisees (Mat. 23:33), expect to be saved, and escape the damnation of hell?
The Letter and the Spirit of the Law
There is another teaching of the pastors of today's Christianity, and of the Churches of God, that misleads brethren, and keeps church members confused about law keeping, and hinders their having God's law written in their hearts and minds. It is taught by pastors that keeping the law in the letter and keeping the law in the spirit, are two different aspects of law keeping. They teach that keeping the law in the letter, is keeping the law as a physical command, and that the spirit of the law, is keeping the law in the spirit, or mind, as a spiritual command. It has been taught that one can break the letter of the law as being physical, but that keeping the spirit of God's law, is what is the most important! Is this truth, and where is this found in the Scriptures? ? ? ?
The letter of the law is simply what the law commands, states, or sets forth in words. There is no law, command, or spirit of law without the letter, or wording of the law, Rom. 7:7, Paul said, "I had not known lust, except the law has said (in its letters and words) thou shall not covet." The spirit of the law is the understanding and knowledge of the meaning of the letter and words of God's law. It is also knowing, that the law is first obeyed, or disobeyed beginning in the heart, or spirit, or mind of man. In Mat. 5:21, Christ said of the law that is written in letters and words of the law, that states "you shall not murder," and Christ said, if you are even angry, or filled with hatred against a brother, you have committed murder in your heart. Christ said if this is in your heart then you are guilty, and are in danger of hell fire--gehenna fire--the ever lasting or completely burning up fire!!!! Christ said this is the judgment for breaking the law, that states by its letters and words "you shall not murder," and that the law given in letters, and its breaking of this commandment letters, or words takes place first, in the spirit of the mind, and heart of a person or church member.
In the same chapter, verse 27, Jesus Christ gave another example of the 7th commandment that is written in the words and letter of the law, that says "You shall not commit adultery." Christ said, if you look upon a woman with lust for her, then you have committed adultery with her already in your heart. You have already broken the letter, and meaning of the words of this law in the spirit of your mind and heart, and will reap the penalty of death. Christ makes it clear, that the letter and the spirit, (meaning of the law), is broken first in the heart and mind before the actual act, or the physical act of the sin, takes place. There is no way the spirit, or meaning of God's law, is broken without the breaking of the letter, or wording of God's law. This is just another lie and false teaching that pastors teach to divide or separate the letter of God's law from the Spirit of the law. This is just another stumbling block of confusion cast before the brethren of all the Churches of God and churches of today's professing Christianity..
Some try to use Rom. 7:5 to teach the separation of the letter and spirit of the law. Pastors teach that this verse proves there is a physical keeping and spiritual keeping of God's law. Paul is saying in this verse to the brethren, that we are to "serve (God and His law) in the newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Paul is teaching here, that the oldness of the letter is serving the law through the flesh with the guidance of God's Spirit, and to serve in the newness of spirit, is serving the law by the spirit of God and obeying it in the the heart and mind.
Another Scripture that is used to teach a difference between the letter and spirit of God's law is in II Cor. 3:6 which says - "Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life." What is Paul teaching here in this verse? Do the 10 commandments kill or destroy, of course not, then what is Paul referring to in this verse? He is referring to the judgment part of the law, that demand death for breaking God's 10 commandments. The letter and words of that law commands death to the transgressors of God's commandments. Then what do the words - "the spirit gives life" mean? The Holy Spirit that God gives to a repentant believer, seals one for eternal life, and helps one to write God's law in their heart and mind, and is the result of God's grace. So this verse and its following verses, is not about the letter of God's 10 commandments as being physical keeping and the spirit of the law as being a spiritual keeping, but about "the letter that kills" of God's law that gives His commands of judgments for sin and its administration of death, and the "Spirit that gives life" about the administration of the God's Spirit in the heart and mind granted by God's grace that gives life to a saint.
This is the reason God commands through His covenant, that His laws be written in our hearts and minds. It is in the heart where the purpose, understanding, meaning and obeying of God's commandments must first take place, and that the love for God and one's brother must begin there. This can only come about through the power and enabling help and the guidance of God's Spirit working in us, and bearing the fruit of that love. It is also said, taught and believed by some pastors, that law keeping is not the objective or goal of the brethren's faith! They teach this, because His Word says, that love, instead of law keeping, is the objective of a saint. This is confusion and casting another stumbling block before the brethren! Christ says that love can only be achieved through the keeping of God's commandments, and unless we are keeping God's commandments, no one can achieve God's love or enter eternal life, Mat. 19:17-19.
If brethren are truly following and believing Christ's Scripture, instead of the ministry's word, they should be able to understand, why God says his covenant is to have His laws written in our hearts, because if His laws are written there, His love is put there and made an internal part of a saint. This is why God says "this is is His covenant that He will make with His people, that His laws will be written in their hearts and their minds, and will be their God and they will be His people," Jer. 31:33-34, Heb. 8:10, and Heb. 10:16.
God's covenant demands that His laws be written in man's heart and mind. God's commandments and keeping of those commandments, is the expression and the fulfilling of God's love. The Lord God tells His people that without His love, which is the fruit of obeying God's commandments, through the enabling power of God's Holy Spirit, that we are absolutely nothing, profitable in nothing, and will come to nothing, I Cor. 13:1-3. Every person that does not have God's laws written their hearts, cannot bear the fruit of love, and cannot have the love of God in them. Look at one example about love given in I Cor. 13:4. God teaches love is long suffering, that love is patient with your own self, with your brethren, and your neighbor. The lack of patience, or long suffering, begets anger leading to rage and hatred to a brother or neighbor. Christ teaches in Mat. 5:21-23, that to be angry with your brother without good cause, is putting oneself in danger of the judgment, which is the judgment of death for breaking the 6th commandment, which says, "you shall not murder." All of these evil deeds that "love is not" in I Cor. 13:4-6, are infractions, infringements as violations of God's commandments. When a begotten son of God does not have love, this church member is still breaking one or more of God's commandments.
Any person, pastor, evangelist, or teacher that separates the keeping of God's commandments from love, is casting a stumbling block before God's people, and is an enemy to God! Any pastor or teacher who is partial in the teaching of God's commandments, favoring certain commandments, and eliminates the keeping of other laws that show love to God and neighbor is causing God's people to stumble at the law, Mal. 2:8-9. Any pastor that undermines, falsely accuses or teaches against a righteous saint's being complete, being total, and becoming perfect in keeping God's law is a stumbling block and enemy of God. Any minister that separates the commandments into the physical and the spiritual, is teaching error. No one can have God's laws written in their heart with these stumbling blocks in their path. Pastors teaching and placing these obstructions in your path, will keep God's laws from being written in your heart and mind, and those ministers need to be avoided and exposed.
When God's covenant of having His laws written in your heart and this has been accomplished in your life then "no one will have to teach you to know the Lord, (or deceive you any more) because God says all (that have accomplished this feat and miracle of God) shall know me from the least (the lowest of all church members) to the greatest (the ones in high offices, but have been abased)." This will be the sealing of His saints, if they have met the conditions and terms of God's covenant and fulfilled that covenant. Are you completing and fulfilling His covenant, or have you been turned back, lost heart, been discouraged, been disillusioned, been led to once again be engulfed in sin by permitting the ministry to cast stumbling blocks in your path, to keep you from really knowing God, and keep him from really knowing you, and writing His laws in your heart?
Christ says in Mat. 7:22-23, "Many, (not a few), will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not prophesied (preached many sermons) in your name? And in your name have cast out demons? And in your name done many wonderful works (supported and prayed and preached what we were led to believe was your Gospel and sacrificed much)?" Verse 23 - "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." Iniquity means lawlessness, no law keeping necessary in salvation, undermining God's law, minimizing God's commandments and preaching law and Sabbath keeping is not necessary in salvation, and to fulfill God's covenant of having His laws written in your heart, but instead have had church government commandments and policies written in your minds and in your hearts.
Is God's covenant, His laws being written in your heart and mind through His Holy Spirit. Or has it been the agreements, policies, the false teachings and laws of men, which is nothing less than living by the commandments of men that has been written in people's hearts and minds. Jesus Christ said "in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," Mat. 15:9?
So you get all of your doctrines straight from God with no outside influence because you are born again yet you constantly copy and paste. Wierd.
