The Heaton File

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Faith Needs Some Additions

Everyone knows that faith is the essential part of a believer’s life. Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord and from faith comes the foundation of hope in eternal life. There is nothing more basic to the life of a Christian than the element of faith that fills the soul with the glory of the Father facing trials and temptations with joy. Faith cannot stand alone. Having faith does not save but adding to faith is a necessary part of the growth of the child of God. In the physical body, proper nutrients are added to the blood system to keep the body healthy. Just having blood will not guarantee long life. There is a design in the physical body requiring nutrients to strengthen what is already there. The more vitamins and proper foods are added to the body the stronger a person will be. Faith is like the blood stream of the Christian’s life. Without it there would be no life. Having faith alone will not save as Peter points out that many things need to be added to faith securing eternal life. The diligence of character sees that faith by itself will die but adding the graces of God to faith will bring about security and hope for the promises of the Lord.

Adding the graces of the Lord to faith takes energy and time. Virtue is not a common part of faith. Believing in Jesus Christ is the beginning journey toward greater faith but this will be challenged severely in the trials of life. Satan will attack faith seeking to crumble its pillars with immorality and wickedness. Adding virtue to faith will bolster faith with greater courage. What is most important is to realize that virtue must be added to faith. The other graces of the Christian must be added also. Knowledge must be added along with self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. All of these graces are not inherent in faith alone. They require the effort of adding to faith the elements found in God’s word that teach the graces of the Lord.

Virtue is not easily learned. Adding this grace to faith knows the difference between righteousness and unrighteousness. Moral courage comes from the word of God. Faith fortified with virtue will be able to overcome the temptations of life with the virtue of truth. Knowledge will not come by faith alone. It requires study, examination, discerning and the exercise of the mind to learn the will of God. Too many Christians believe that knowledge comes just by having faith. Self-control is added to faith by learning how to overcome the lusts of the flesh. It must be added to faith to have greater courage to face the temptations of life. Learning to persevere will greatly enhance the character of faith. Again, this does not come by simply believing in Jesus Christ. When trials come the courage of faith will only show itself when the heart has learned to bear patiently under hardship. Godliness is a character of molding the heart in the image of the Father. Faith will be the seed that brings this to the forefront of the Christian’s life and like the other graces; godliness must be added to faith. The word of God is the blueprint for godliness.

Love is more than an emotion that tickles the heart. The essence of love is rooted in the knowledge of what true loves does and how it shows itself. Faith alone does not have brotherly love or the deeper meanings of love because it is a learned grace. Love must be added to faith. Reading the word of God will first show the love God had for all men. It is then that true brotherly love and expressive love is found in our relationship with one another. The more we spend time in the word of God the more we love Him and the more we learn how to love others. Adding love to faith will create a greater bond with the Lord and with the body of Christ.

The Christian graces are an important part of the life of God’s children. Faith is the foundation but without building an edifice of the graces given by the Holy Spirit, faith will be weak and ineffective. The key to all the graces is the knowledge that faith needs a lot of additions. Faith alone cannot save a man. It requires adding all of these graces to the character of faith so that the Christian will not stumble. Having these graces in the blood stream of faith will give assurance that eternal life is real and Heaven is not a maybe; it is a reality. Weakened faith comes from failing to add these graces. Strong faith will come from the nutrients of God’s grace being added to faith. Add to your faith.

Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise and stand here.” And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?” And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (Luke 6:6-11)

Blinded By The Sabbath

The Law of Moses was very specific in describing the holiness of the Sabbath day. Included in the Ten Commandments, the seventh day of the week was a time set aside by the Lord commanding the Jews to observe with strict adherence. In the early days of Israel a man was put to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. The Law clearly stated the purpose of Sabbath and requirements of keeping the Sabbath as a holy day set apart for the Lord. In the time of Jesus, the Jewish leaders had taken the purpose of the Sabbath and imposed their own interpretation of the Law upon the people. The Sabbath had become so intense in their minds to observe they could not see the power of God when Jesus performed a miracle.

Jesus was in a synagogue teaching when a remarkable thing happened. It was a Sabbath day and a man was there whose right hand was withered. The condition of the hand was shriveled or dried up and Luke makes special note it was his right hand. This could well be a birth defect or a malady that caused the hand to wither. What is clear is the man’s condition was visible to all who saw him. More astonishing is the attitudes of the scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus and whether He would heal the man on the Sabbath. The enemies of Jesus never denied His miracles. In this story, the arrogance of the religious leaders is expecting Jesus to perform a miracle to accuse Him because he profaned the Sabbath. Their hypocritical view of the Law had blinded their hearts to see what was clearly manifested before them. How can you find an accusation against a man who heals another man with a withered hand? They watched as the dried up limb became whole again and this made them angry plotting to destroy Jesus. The Sabbath had blinded their hearts to the power of God.

God never intended for His law to blind men to His power. The purpose of God’s law is to show man His will with the expectation that man would obey that law. Obedience has always been required for man to follow and without obedience man could not be saved. The tragedy of man’s interpretation of law is to become like the scribes and Pharisees viewing the law only as a system of regulations that must be kept without seeing the power of God’s grace in redeeming man. Sin is a transgression of the law of God and man will be held accountable for sin. The problem lies in the reality that sin plagues the life of the child of God because Satan is trying to destroy the spirit of the man. For the Christian, there is a war going on between the flesh and the spirit. All of God’s children struggle with sin. What must be remembered is that while sin will always challenge the life of a Christian, the grace of God is a powerful presence for the child of God to know that eternal life is assured with the confidence of hope. One of the devil’s tools against the Christian is to convince them there is little hope they will be saved because they sin. Like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, the Sabbath is more important than the miracle. The love, grace and mercy of the Father is an overwhelming acknowledgement that while we battle with sin, salvation is assured through the promise of a God who knows the frame of man is only dust.

It is easy to become like the scribes and Pharisees who viewed the law with such distinction they could not see the miracles of Jesus as testimony to who He was. We can become so intent on keeping every part of the law that we fail to see the power of God working the miracle of His grace in our lives. Full obedience is necessary and of this there is no doubt. Let us not cast out the love of the Father for His children in being keepers of the law without knowing the power of His healing and His mercy giving us a blessed assurance that we are saved. Eternal life is not a chance happening for a lucky few. It is a promise of hope that we can know we have salvation. The miracle of healing our withered lives is the evidence that God loves us without measure. What a wonderful Father we serve.

And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger; because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord. (Jeremiah 32:29-30)

The Lessons Of Youth

Jeremiah was a prophet of God who lived during the time of the darkest days for the nation of Israel. The northern ten tribes had been decimated by the Assyrians leaving only Judah and Benjamin as a remnant nation of God’s people. Now the Babylonians stood poised to carry the remaining children of Israel into a seventy-year captivity. Jerusalem would be burned to the ground and Solomon’s temple razed. Idolatry had destroyed God’s people. Prophets like Isaiah, Hosea, Amos and Jeremiah warned the people against idol worship profaning the temple of God and polluting the land with the pagan immoralities of debauchery and wickedness. The people refused to listen. Calls to repent went unheeded. They killed the prophets and ridiculed men like Jeremiah who taught the judgment of the Lord clearly. There was no spirit of holiness in the land. A greater tragedy lay in the knowledge that the corruption of the nation had begun at an early age in the families of God’s people.

The Chaldeans were going to come against Jerusalem and set it one fire because the Lord allowed them this path. Baal corrupted the hearts of the people as they poured out their drink offerings to the gods of men. God’s judgment would be swift and strong as He punished the nation for their sin. The Lord declares this wickedness was taught from youth and the children of Israel and Judah failed to teach their children the right way of the Lord. Calamity was coming upon the nation because the children were never taught the way of truth. Any nation that stands will begin at the feet of their children. Israel did not teach the children and now they were being destroyed.

What was the reason for the fall of Israel? The cause of this national disaster began in the home where parents taught their children to love the things of the world. Anything their children wanted they were given. Discipline was never exercised because the little boys and girls needed to be shown the world owed them everything. Children were disobedient to parents, unruly, unloving, unthankful and spoiled with everything they wanted. Parents would not correct their children. The fads of the day were showered upon the children because that made them happy. Excess was the norm for the day. Respect for adults was nonexistent. Disorderly conduct was accepted. Children were taught at an early age to dress immodestly so they would not be laughed at by other children. Parents of Israel dressed their youthful daughters as if they were grown women in the sexually suggestive attire of the harlot. Young men were taught to conquer their passions with the freedom of fleshly pleasures. The home was not a place where the Lord was worshipped. It was a place where young men and women learned the world owed them everything. Jeremiah tells the children of Israel and Judah they were corrupt from their youth because their parents lead them in that path.

There is little difference from the days of Jeremiah and the homes of many today. The church is being filled with those who follow after the carnal desires of the world. It begins in the home with the children. Young men and women are being taught at an early age the world owes them everything and they are being raised to be spoiled upon the carnal pleasures of the world. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between the young woman of God and the young woman of the world. They dress the same, act the same and are empowered to believe they are entitled to what they want. Sadly, the writings of the prophets mirror the same problems the church faces today. The people of God are being destroyed by parents who want their children to be accepted in a world of Baal and somehow pretend they are teaching them righteousness. Like the days of Jeremiah a day of reckoning will come and the influence of truth will be lost in the dredges of a carnal world. Too many parents believe they can raise their children under the influence of the world and expect them to grow up and love the Lord. Jesus reminds us of the impossibility to serve two masters.

The children of Israel and the children of Judah filled the land with evil because that is what they were taught in their youth. Parents who fail to teach their children early to love the Lord are setting their family up for eternal failure. Israel was destroyed because the home was destroyed. Children must be taught to know righteousness so they will learn the truth when they get older. When families allow their children to live like the sensual world, they will grow up to be carnal and pleasure seeking adults who care only for themselves and their fleshly happiness. The lessons of youth. Which way are you going?

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

And We Beheld His Glory

Looking into the face of Jesus must have been a vision the apostle John never forgot. When the Lord first called the Galilean fisherman to follow him, he could never have imagined how his life would change and how his writings would be preserved for all time guiding millions of souls to the story of God’s Son. John learned early the hard work of fishing the waters of Galilee. Following the man from Nazareth would prove to be the most difficult work he would ever know. Unlike many of his fellow disciples, John would not experience the pain of martyrdom but live to be a very old man. Throughout his life, he would often reflect upon the brief years he shared with a man whom he loved more dearly than life itself. Jesus had a profound impact on John’s life because he saw the glory of God in Jesus. This man of flesh was full of the grace and truth of the Heavenly Father and John knew he was the only begotten Son of God.

John remembered the first calling of Jesus to his brother James and himself. Joining other fishermen like Andrew and Peter, the  son of Zebedee would be a companion to a tax collector, zealot and seven other men comprising an inner circle of apostles sent forth to spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. John would remember the special times when he, his brother James and Peter would witness the transfiguration or be taken aside from the other apostles while Jesus prayed. Nothing could take away the image of Jesus hanging on the cross as John held Mary close to him. How could he forget those painful words of Jesus asking him to care for His mother? The image of Jesus dying was something John would never forget.

The first day of the week following the death of Jesus was a time John would always look back on with feelings of glory. There stood his Lord alive and well. He could see the nail prints in his hands. Those forty days with Jesus seemed like an eternity. How would he ever forget watching Jesus ascend into the clouds and the message of the angels that He would return in the same manner? John would never witness that return but he looked every day as if Jesus would return. Then came Pentecost and John realized what all the time with Jesus meant. The gospel of the resurrected Savior would change the world.

John wrote the story of Jesus the man who was God. He witnessed the fleshly image of the Son of God and beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father. This story was given from personal experience. John wrote about what he saw and heard from his own life. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the apostle opened up the glorious story of the man from Nazareth who was the Word that existed before time itself. John declares in his gospel that Jesus is God showing His power through His miracles. Concluding his message, the apostle recognizes the world itself could not contain everything that made the story of Jesus Christ. What John inscribed upon the parchment of eternity was the image and glory of the Son of God.

We were not there when Jesus walked among men. The Father has preserved this message from His humble servant John to give us a glimpse of the glory of His Son. There is no greater story we can come to know than the story of the Word that became flesh and dwelt among men. Many beheld His glory and their lives were changed. When we spend time in the life of Jesus seeing His glory full of grace and truth, our lives will be changed also. Many do not see Jesus for who He is because they have never taken the time to come to know Him. Read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Come to know Jesus. Let His life change your life. Behold His glory.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons — because they rebelled against the words of God, and despised the counsel of the Most High, therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains in pieces.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, and cut the bars of iron in two. Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. HE CALMS THE STORM, SO THAT ITS WAVES ARE STILL. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, and praise Him in the company of the elders. He turns rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; a fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings. There He makes the hungry dwell, that they may establish a city for a dwelling place, and sow fields and plant vineyards, that they may yield a fruitful harvest. He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; and He does not let their cattle decrease. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction and sorrow, He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way; yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, and makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, and all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

(Psalm 107)

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. (1 Corinthians 16:19)

They Did What They Could Do

The First Century church was very different than the modern version of the Lord’s church in one particular way: it is not likely they had large and lavish building filled with soft pews, lighting and temperature control. As the first disciples began to learn to structure, organization and worship in the body of Christ, they had to find ways to carry out the work of the church. Assembling on the first day of the week was a command that had to be carried out but the means of bringing that about was left to the discretion of the brethren. Paul commends Aquila and Priscilla because of their diligent work for the Lord but also for allowing the church to assemble in their home. The apostle first met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth after the Roman Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. As fellow tent makers, Paul had a close relationship with the couple often encouraged by their faithful work in the kingdom.

It is not known the financial status of Aquila and Priscilla but they had a home they were willing to open allowing the church to assemble there. Probably not everyone could do this but this couple did what they were able to do so the work of the church could continue. There is a lot of work and effort to have the church in the home. For the Christian it is a joyous time to serve others. Going the extra mile to open the home to fellow brethren on a constant basis shows the love Aquila and Priscilla had for the Lord. They were blessed with a home where people could meet and they used that opportunity to help the church. Everyone could do what they could do to help one another and that is the great lesson. People like Dorcas whom Peter raised from the dead showed her faith by the many tunics and garments she made for others. The individual can do something for the Lord like Aquila and Priscilla and Dorcas.

Jesus taught His disciples the heart of a servant is what makes him stand out from others. The world is only interested in self but the child of God thinks of others and what he or she can do for the work of the kingdom. There may be some like Aquila and Priscilla that can open their homes to the work of the church while others may only be able to call and exhorting others to be strong in the Lord. Every Christian has something they can bring to the table. There is a lot of work to be done in the church like sending cards, visiting the sick and shut-in, calling those who need encouragement, having Bible studies in the home, inviting others to services, providing transportation, sharing food and clothing with the needy and a whole list of things that will build up the church. What we learn from Aquila and Priscilla is there is something for everyone to do. The value of the gift is not measured by the proportion of the effort but the intent of the heart. Little things are important as well as larger.

The best kind of work to be done is that which is done without being asked. It is not hard to find something to do when we look for it. There is a lot of work to be done in the church and with a servant’s heart, we will find things to do that will benefit the work of the church and let the light of Christ shine in the community. If you have an eldership, go and ask what you can do. Look for ways and means to build the work of the church up in doing what you can do. The body of Christ is made up of many members and every member is important. No one is unimportant. When everyone is doing all they can do (like Aquila and Priscilla) the church will grow in love and number and spirit. What a blessing the local church will experience when its borders are filled with those who have a heart to share their lives for others. Jesus reminds us this is how the world will know we are His disciples. Let’s get to work.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

The Need Of Diligence

Before Peter discusses the characters of grace that will help the child of God live with the assurance of salvation, he reminds his readers there must be a heart dedicated to the life changing message of truth. Having knowledge of the will of God and exercising that knowledge is what makes the difference in the attitude of how to carry out the word of God. The Christian graces given in this text cannot be viewed with an indifferent mind that does not realize the vital part each grace serves in the building character of the disciple of Christ. Adding these exhortations must be done with a diligent and careful heart determined to continually develop the image of the Lord into the life of the Christian.

There must be a diligence in adding these graces to the faith established in the heart. This shows how that developing the character of holiness does not come passively but by an active pursuing of the graces to be added and built up every day. Adding virtue to faith must be done with diligence. Every effort must be made to learn how to add knowledge to the mind of the child of God. Self-control requires a great deal of work as the battle between the flesh and spirit rages on. Learning to persevere under hardships and trials will require all the strength of the Christian. Godliness is a developed characteristic that takes years to fashion in the image of the Father. Showing brotherly kindness and love is often more difficult in the face of disappointments and without diligence will lag. Putting every effort into each one of these graces will transform the heart of the Christian.

Giving diligence to add to faith the graces of righteousness teaches the need for an active life of growing. Children of God must daily grow in the graces the Father has left as examples so that we can face the world with courage and live with the hope of eternal life through death. The Christian graces of 2 Peter are the definitive measure of a whole life built upon the promises that make eternal life a certainty. Faith does not come on its own. It comes from hearing the word and implanting the word in the daily living of the child of God. Adding the graces to the faith of the Christian will embolden the spirit to be more focused on eternal goals. Lacking in any areas will weaken the resolve. Giving all diligence is the engine that drives the character of the Christian.

Diligence is required in making sure the calling and election of the child of God. The graces listed in this passage will not make the individual barren but filled with the power of the spirit of the Lord. Through the working of these graces sin will have less sway on the heart of God’s people. The Holy Spirit has given a perfect list of graces that when examined will show what is lacking in the heart. If there is an area of life that a person struggles with having difficulty overcoming, one or more of these graces is the antidote. Giving all diligence to increase in one of these graces (or more) will help to overcome the pattern of sin that plagues the heart. Applying all of these graces with a diligent heart will give the child of God the assurance that eternal life is sure. Stumbling over sin will happen less often because faith has added these characteristics to a life of righteousness. Our weaknesses are defined by what is lacking in these graces. The strength we need to overcome is putting forth every effort to add to our faith the virtues of the Christian graces. It will transform our life making us to be stronger than ever before to fight against the wiles of the devil. The greatest blessing of this diligence is the knowledge that an entrance will be given abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. Thank you God for Your grace that allows us to live in the knowledge that heaven is our home.

And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. (Deuteronomy 5:1-4)

Six Facts About The Law Of Moses

The Bible is a book of books containing sixty-six different books written over a span of 1500 years. There is harmony and unity in all its pages as the Holy Spirit directed men through the generations preserving the word of God. Only through the power of God is the message of redemption preserved in these sixty-six books so that man can read and understand the truth that will save him. One of the most important lessons about the Bible is to read it with the proper perspective. This is especially true when reading about the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments. There is no difference between the Law and the Commandments as they are all contained in the same body of law given to the nation of Israel. Many in the religious world today do not see how the Law of Moses is no longer a binding source of authority as they still cling to various precepts including the Ten Commandments. There are six points about the Law of Moses that must be understood.

1 – The Law of Moses did not come into being until the Hebrews became a nation as recorded in the book of Exodus. Genesis is the book of “beginnings” describing the beginning of the world, the home and the nations of the world. It is difficult to determine how many thousands of years are contained in Genesis but there were many, many generations before the story of the Law of Moses comes into focus. When Cain killed Abel he did not break one of the Ten Commandments. Murder was a sin long before the Law of Moses was given. Noah witnessed the entire world destroyed because the people were so wicked the Lord brought the great flood. No one in the days of Noah broke the Ten Commandments because it was not written at the time. Abraham was never accountable to the Law of Moses and was found justified before God.

2 – The Law of Moses was only given to the Hebrews when they came out of Egypt under Moses. This law did not apply to the nation of Egypt or the nations they were to conquer in their quest of the Promised Land. Moses reminded the people the Lord made a covenant with them in Horeb and this was a law for the Israelites. At Mt. Sinai the people were told they would be a special people above all of the earth if they would keep the covenant between them and God. The Hebrews agreed and entered into a covenant with the Lord as a nation. Israel was the only nation given the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments.

3 – The Gentiles were not required to keep the Law of Moses. It is necessary to see the Law of Moses was not a universal law that all men were obligated to obey. The Chinese nation had been in existence for thousands of years but the Law of Moses did not apply to them. Paul’s argument in Romans 4 explains how that Abraham was not accountable to the Law of Moses and yet he was found righteous and justified before the Lord. How could that be if he was not under the Law of Moses? Abraham was saved because of his faith and obedience to God and not through the Law of Moses. Jonah preached to the Gentile city of Nineveh. He did not require them to become followers of the Law of Moses but (like Abraham) the Ninevites were told to repent. And they did. Gentiles could proselyte into the law if they desired to live under the Law of Moses. Salvation for the Jew came through the Law and salvation for the Gentile came from ‘Abrahamic faith.’

4 – God promised a new covenant during the days of the prophets. Jeremiah taught the people as the nation of Israel was being carried away to Babylonian captivity. The pre-exilic prophets spoke of the word of the Lord going to the Gentiles. This promise was first seen in the Garden of Eden when the promise of a Seed was given and then confirmed through Abraham. The Seed is Jesus Christ as the message of salvation was brought to all men – Jew and Gentile. Jeremiah spoke of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31) and the Hebrew writer confirmed this new covenant with better promises, a better priesthood and a better sacrifice. If there had been nothing wrong with the Law of Moses there would have been no need to seek another law. The Law of Christ proved the Gentile could not save himself by himself and the Jew could not save himself by keeping the Law.

5 – Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law of Moses. One of the clear teachings of Jesus during His ministry was to show how that He would take away the Law; not by destroying it but by living the Law of Moses with perfection. It was within the power of Jesus to simply remove the Law because He was the author of the Law. This would not show the purpose of the Law or the eternal plan of God to save all men – Jew and Gentile. Jesus lived under the Law of Moses and never broke one single law. He fulfilled the law by breaking the curse of the Law (Galatians 3).

6 – The New Testament shows the abolishment of the Law of Moses and the union of the Gentile to the redemptive plan of God. On the day of Pentecost, the Jews were ushered into the kingdom of God. When Peter taught Cornelius (a Gentile) the gospel, he opened up the doors of the kingdom to Gentiles. Under Christ all men (Jew and Gentile) could find salvation. The Law of Moses was abolished (Ephesians 2:15), and taken out of the way (Colossians 2:14). Paul reminds the Romans that all men had been delivered from the Law (Romans 7:6-7). The Hebrew writer describes a new priesthood annulling the priesthood of the Law of Moses (Hebrews 7:11-19). With a change in the priesthood the Law changed. One of the great problems in the First Century were Jews trying to bind the Law of Moses as a part of salvation; circumcision. In numerous passages, the apostle Paul refutes the importance of circumcision (Galatians 6:11-15). Taking circumcision away removes the Law of Moses and the Ten Commandments.

The sacrifice of Jesus brings all men to Him for the cleansing power of His blood. There was a purpose and design for the Law of Moses (Galatians 3) but the Law (with the Ten Commandments) has no authority today. If a man steals he does not break the Ten Commandments because that law has been abolished. Sin is a transgression of the law of God. Salvation will only come through Jesus Christ who is the only way, the only truth and the only life. His law is what saves man (Galatians 3:26-29). Not the Law of Moses.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Perilous Homes

The Holy Spirit warned through the writings of the first century church there would come days of peril when the hearts of men would be turned away from the Lord. Perilous times were coming that would transform the world into a place of spiritual darkness. The warning of the Lord against the onslaught of Satan’s devices is not something that speaks of a specific time in history as if it were a single event. Paul is showing how the home will be the foundation for the corruption that is in the world. Every nation is built upon the character of the home and as the home goes, so goes the nation. Society blows in the direction of the training (or lack of) found in the relationship of the husband and wife and parents toward children. When the home is filled with unrighteousness, the community will follow suit. Blame cannot be laid at the feet of some generic cause for the crumbling of the nation. The home is reason the world has changed. When the home changes, everything else changes.

An examination of the modern home opens up the source of societal disease. Children are taught to love themselves above all things. Money is the focus in a materialistically driven world where name brand and new gadgets are the craze boasting of position and prestige. Respect for parents and older adults are lost with children that are unthankful, unholy, unloving and unforgiving. It is a ‘me, me, me’ world and instead of hearing an ‘amen’ in the home it is only a ‘who cares.’ Religion is maligned as something for outdated old people. There is no control in the passions and desires of young people who despise goodness as old fashioned and outdated. Headstrong lovers of pleasure, the home is on a roller coaster of non-stop pursuits of the pleasures of the flesh rather than lovers of God. As a result, the home is led away by the lusts of the flesh and eye filling the heart with the pride of life.

Perilous times are here. What is more frightening is to realize Paul is not talking about the homes of unbelievers but homes of the children of God. The danger of the perilous home is when this happens to the homes of those in the church. As the home goes so goes the church and when the church is filled with souls that are unloving, unforgiving, unthankful, etc.; it will not survive. All of the churches mentioned in the New Testament have disappeared. One of the reasons is because the perilous times came upon them and when the home was destroyed, they ceased to exist. The church today must reinforce the teachings of the home as built upon the promises of God. Husbands and wives must reestablish the home with the word of God as the center of influence with parents guiding their children by the sacred word. No home will survive without the teachings of the will of the Lord. Be warned. Perilous times are coming.

For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:43-45)

Jesus The Arborist

The teaching of Jesus was simple. His illustrations were powerful because of their simplicity. Eager students of truth would not miss the clarity of the lessons Jesus presented whether He was speaking in parables or using common things of life to drive a point home. The sermon on the mount shows the simplicity of how the character of the disciple of Christ is formed. Learning to be humble and loving an enemy would take a tremendous change of heart requiring the mercy and grace of the Father. Hypocrisy could not be a part of the disciple’s life and the proof was in the character of the person. It was one thing to hear Jesus exhort His followers to be humble, love their enemies and not judge one another with a hypocritical heart. The real evidence of a change in heart was the change of action. This would be illustrated with a fruit bearing tree.

Good trees bear good fruit and diseased trees bear bad fruit. A simple law of nature convicts the listener to see the truth of Jesus’ teaching. Every person is known by their actions. Figs do not come from thorns or grapes from bramble bush (thistles). In the same way, people of good hearts will bear fruits showing their good hearts where bad attitudes come from hearts diseased by sin. This is an absolute pattern in nature and in the hearts of men. What comes out of the mouth first had residence in the heart. Often we may say, “I did not mean to say that.” In fact, we said it because it was in our heart. We may regret saying what we thought but an evil word does not come from a good heart. The tongue cannot be tamed but the heart can. Jesus implores His listeners to examine the heart and see what needs to be corrected.

An arborist is someone who cultivates, manages and studies trees, shrubs and vines. Jesus set forth a curriculum for all those who would be His disciple to look within their hearts and cultivate from good ground a tree that bears good fruit. This takes a lot of work and diligence. Arborists spend a lot of time examining, pruning and nurturing the tree to bring its full potential to bear. We must do the same thing with our hearts so that evil thoughts and words do not come out in a moment of recklessness. Controlling the heart is bearing good fruit both in words and in action. Hearts that are nurtured by the love of God will be more patient, kind, understanding and forgiving. The word of God must be carefully studied to learn how to cultivate the heart to think the right things, say the right things and act in the right way.

The most important lesson is to realize that what we are comes from our heart. If the heart does not change we will not change. Those who wish they could have a better attitude must change the heart first. When words come out of the mouth that embarrasses us and offend others we must see the problem lies within our hearts. We are what we have made ourselves to be in our hearts. Good hearts bring forth good things and bad hearts bring bad things. This is true in the natural world of fruit trees and this is true in the real world of men’s hearts. A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Hearts that are filled with the world cannot (and will not) bring forth righteousness. The treasure of the heart defines our character. For out of the abundance of the heart our mouths speak. The only cure is to spend time with the arborist from God – Jesus Christ.