Jackero

CHRIST’S DIVORCE Introduction To understand this topic, a few things are first necessary: 1. The controversies between the books continues on our forum A few years ago, I went into a large religious bookstore and asked the saleswoman to show me all the books she had about the end times, but on the condition that they belonged to the charismatic churches (which emphasize speaking in tongues and faith healing). The saleswoman offered me 10 books and I retired to a quiet corner to browse through them and choose some to buy. In the end, I decided to buy five of them, and I went to the saleswoman to pay for them. After the saleswoman wrapped them up, she handed me the package, and said, “YOU SHOULD KNOW, THAT THEY CONTRADICT VERY STRONGLY; STILL, THEY ARE GOOD BOOKS” (!?!?...). While, I was driving home, I was thinking: How is this possible? The books contradict each other so much, and yet, they are “good books”!! The charismatic churches claim to have the Holy Spirit… Miracles happen in their midst… Does the Bible contradict itself and that is why the books contradict themselves? I know that the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit must also explain it to us… Yes, now I'm starting to understand why there are so many contradictions on our forum (especially when it comes to biblical prophecies). Everyone defends his own book, and since the books contradict themselves so “strongly”, the forum members contradict each other equally "strongly"!... When I got home, I scanned two of those books and then studied them on the computer. Then I discovered what I couldn't have noticed without the computer… In many cases, statements were made that expressed personal opinions, as opposed to a clear “so the Bible says.” In conclusion, if the Bible does not contradict itself, can you tell me, why the books I bought contradict each other so much? And why do forum members have such different opinions when discussing Bible prophecies? 2. The Bible — A Great Collection of Jigsaw Puzzles On the road to Emmaus, Jesus showed the two disciples how the Old Testament revealed His suffering, death, and resurrection. What effective method did He use to explain these Messianic prophecies to them? He considered this subject to be a great jigsaw puzzle, and therefore He gathered together “All the pieces” of it and compared them with one another: “And beginning at Moses and ALL the Prophets, He expounded to them in ALL the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” - Luke 24:27. Notice the meaning of the word "all" in the verses 25, 27, 44). IN THIS WAY Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (v. 45). In fact, any subject in the Bible should be considered a jigsaw puzzle, and to explain it, we must put ALL its pieces together. This method is at the same time a good test that shows us whether our interpretation is correct or not. If we notice that some verses contradict our interpretation, then we must give up on it and study it more, and if all the “pieces” are in perfect harmony with our interpretation, then we have the certainty that we are on the right track. In this context, the 70 prophetic weeks of Daniel 9 form a real jigsaw puzzle, and you have to put all the pieces together, if you want to have a correct understanding of them. Likewise, the third Jewish temple is a jigsaw puzzle and you must put all the pieces together to have a correct understanding of the details related to it. The famous 7 years of tribulation? Put all the pieces together and you will know the truth about them, and so on…. 3. What we need to know about the divine prophecies and promises given to Israel God's word is sure (Isa. 40:8; 55:11; Rom. 11:29), and His plan for the salvation of man will ultimately prevail (Isa. 46:10). With Him there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). He is "the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). His word "endureth forever" (1 Peter 1:25). Eventually God's purposes will prevail and the plan of salvation will suc­ceed, irrespective of the failure of any person or group. The plan itself never changes because God never changes. But the manner in which it is carried out may change because man may change. The fickle, human will be the weak, unstable factor in CONDITIONAL PROPHECY. God may reject one nation or group of people in favor of another if those first summoned persistently refuse to cooperate with Him (see Jer. 18:6-10; comp. Dan. 5:25-28; Matt. 21:40-43; 22:3-8-10; Luke 14:24). For illustrations of the reversal of threatened judgment, see Jonah 3:3-10; comp. 2 Kings 20:1-5; and of promised blessing, see Ex. 6:2-8; comp. Num. 14:26-34. (!!!) The covenant with literal Israel proved faulty, not because God failed to carry out His part of the covenant, but rather because Israel's fair promises proved evanescent as the morning dew (Hosea 6:4; 13:3; Heb. 8:6, 7). It should be remembered that God does not force the human will, and that Israel's cooperation was essential to the success of His plan for the nation. God's promises are made conditional upon man's cooperation and obedience. "The promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional" Again and again God warned Israel that blessing goes hand in hand with obedience and that a curse accompanies dis­obedience (see Deut. 4:9; 8:19; 28:1, 2, 13, 14; Jer. 18:6-10; 26:2-6; Zech. 6:15; etc.). Continued obedience was necessary to the continuance of divine favor, whereas persistent disobedience must inevitably culminate in the rejection of the Jewish nation as God's chosen instrument for carrying out the divine plan (Deut. 28:15-68). Owing to the failure of the Jews as God's chosen people, many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, such as those affirming the worldwide mission of Israel and the ingathering of the Gentiles (see Gen. 12:3; Deut. 4:6-8; Isa. 2:2-5; 42:6; 49:6; 52:10; 56:6, 7; 60:1-3; 61:9; 62:2; Zech. 2:11; 8:22, 23; etc.), those pointing forward to the eternal rest in Canaan (Isa. 11:6-9; 35; 65:17-25; 66:20-23; Jer. 17:25; Eze. 37; 40-48; Zech. 2:6-12; 14:4-11), and those promising deliverance from her enemies (Isa. 2:10-21; 24-26; Eze. 38; 39; Joel 3; Zeph. 1; 2; Zech. 9:9-17; 10-14; etc.), have never been and can never be fulfilled to them as a nation. HAD Israel measured up to the noble ideal, all of the promises contingent upon obedience would long since have been fulfilled. Predictions of national disgrace, rejection, and woe that were to result from apostasy would never have been realized. BUT because of apostasy it was the predictions of national honor and glory that could not be fulfilled. Before we study about the divine divorce, we must first know the truth about the 70 weeks in the book of Daniel. The “70th week of Daniel” The Bible says, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Daniel 9:27. The famous “seven years of great tribulation"! Many people are talking about it today. It is rooted in two words of the above sentence - "one week."! Today, that period of "one week" is applied to a final seven-year period of great tribulation at the end of time. Right now, all over planet Earth, in books, in magazines, in videos, on the radio, in seminaries, on the Internet, and at Bible prophecy conferences, Christians are talking about events they firmly believe will occur during that final seven years of tribulation. According to the popular interpretation of Daniel 9:27, the "he" refers to a future Antichrist who will eventually make a covenant, or peace treaty, with the Jews during the final seven years of tribulation. In the "midst" of this tribulation, this Antichrist will cause "the sacrifice ... to cease." In order for the sacrifices to cease, they must have been restarted. Therefore, according to countless interpreters, there must be a rebuilt third Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. A popular Christian magazine called End time reflects this current view: "Three and one-half years after the confirming of the covenant [by the Antichrist] the Jews' Third Temple must be completed and sacrifice and oblation be in progress. We know this because Daniel 9:27 states that in the middle of the seven years the Antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to stop." [Irvin Baxter, Jr., "Have the Final 7 Years Begun?" End time Magazine, May/June 1997, p. 17.] Much of the Christian world is now locked in a fierce debate about whether Jesus will return for His church before the 7 years (the pre-tribulation view), in the midst of the 7 years (the mid-tribulation view), or at the end of the 7 years (the post-tribulation view). But really "Is an end-time 'seven-year period of great tribulation' of Daniel 9:27?" Historically, Protestant scholars have not applied Daniel 9:27 to a future period of tribulation at all! Neither have they applied the "he" to the Antichrist! Rather, they applied it to Jesus Christ. Notice what the world-famous Bible commentary written by Matthew Henry says about Daniel 9:27: "By offering himself a sacrifice once and for all he [Jesus] shall put an end to all the Levitical sacrifices." [Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. IV—Isaiah to Malachi, Complete Edition (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co.) 1712, notes on Daniel 9:27, p. 1095]. Another famous Bible commentary, written by Adam Clarke, says that during the "term of seven years," Jesus would "confirm or ratify the new covenant with mankind." [The Holy Bible with a commentary and critical notes by Adam Clarke, Vol. IV—Isaiah to Malachi (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press), notes on Daniel 9:27, p. 602]. Finally, another well-respected old commentary declares: "He shall confirm the covenant—Christ. The confirmation of the covenant is assigned to Him." [Rev. Robert Jamieson, Rev. A.R. Fausset, and Rev. David Brown, A Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Complete Edition (Hartford, Conn.: S.S. Scranton Co.), notes on Daniel 9:27, p. 641]. The truth is that the "one week" spoken of in Daniel 9:27 does not apply to any future seven-year period of tribulation at all. Rather, this great prophetic period has already been definitely fulfilled in the past! 1. The entire prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 covers a period of "seventy weeks." This period applies to one complete, sequential block of time. This prophecy would start during the Persian period and would end during the time of the Messiah. 2. Logic requires that the 70th week follow immediately after the 69th week. If it does not, then it cannot properly be called the 70th week! 3. It is illogical to insert a 2,000-year gap between the 69th and the 70th week. No hint of this gap is found in the prophecy itself. There is no gap between the first 7 weeks and the following 62 weeks. Why insert one between the 69th and the 70th week? 4. Daniel 9:27 says nothing about a seven-year period of tribulation, or about any Antichrist. 5. The focus of this prophecy is the Messiah, not the Antichrist. Modem interpreters have applied "the people of the prince" who would come to "destroy the city and the sanctuary" (verse 26) to the Antichrist. Yet the text does not say this. In the past, that sentence has been applied to the Romans, who under Prince Titus did "destroy the city and the sanctuary" in A.D. 70. [See notes on Daniel 9:26 in commentaries by Matthew Henry (p. 1095), Adam Clarke (p. 603), and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (p. 641)]. 6. "He shall confirm the covenant." Jesus Christ came "to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Romans 15:8. Nowhere in the Bible is Antichrist ever said to make or confirm a covenant with anyone! The word "covenant" always applies to the Messiah, never to the Antichrist! 7. "He shall confirm the covenant with many." Jesus said, "This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many." Matthew 26:28. Jesus used the same words, because He knew that He was fulfilling Daniel 9:27! 8. "In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." The 70th week was from A.D. 27 to 34. After three and a half years of ministry, Christ died in A.D. 31, "in the midst [middle] of the week." At the moment of His death, "the veil of the temple was rent [torn] in twain from the top to the bottom." Matthew 27:51. This act of God signified that all animal sacrifices had at that moment ceased to be of value. The Great Sacrifice had been offered! 9. "For the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate." Jesus plainly applied this "abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet" (Matthew 24:15) to the time when His followers were to flee from Jerusalem before the destruction of the second temple in A.D. 70. Jesus told His disciples, "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies [the Roman armies led by Prince Titus], then know that its desolation is near." Luke 21:20. Those disciples did "see" those very events. Christ's very last words to the Pharisees from inside the second temple were, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matthew 23:38. Thus Daniel's prophecy about Jerusalem becoming "desolate" was exactly fulfilled in A.D. 70! Jesus understood this perfectly. 10. The angel Gabriel said that the 70-week prophecy specifically applied to the Jewish people (Daniel 9:24). From A.D. 27 to A.D. 34, the disciples went only "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 10:6. At the end of the 70 weeks, in the year A.D. 34, Stephen was stoned by the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts chapter 7). Then the gospel began to go to the Gentiles. In Acts chapter 9, Saul became Paul, "the apostle of the Gentiles." Romans 11:13. Then in Acts chapter 10, God gave Peter a vision revealing that it was now time to preach the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-28). Read also Acts 13:46. The evidence is overwhelming! Point by point, the events of the 70th week have already been fulfilled in the past! The following eight words found in Daniel 9:27: "confirm ... covenant... many ... midst ... sacrifice... cease ... abominations ... desolate" all find a perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ and in early Christian history. One reason why the Jewish nation as a whole failed to receive its Messiah was because its leaders failed to correctly interpret the 70-week prophecy. They failed to see Jesus Christ as the Messiah who died in the midst of the 70th week. The same thing is happening today! Amazingly, sincere Christian scholars are now misinterpreting THE VERY SAME PROPHECY! The entire "seven-year period of great tribulation" theory is a grand illusion. It may go down in history as the biggest evangelical misinterpretation of the 20th century! THE FACT IS THAT NO TEXT IN THE BIBLE TEACHES ANY "SEVEN-YEAR PERIOD OF GREAT TRIBULATION." The current debate and tremendous confusion over pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or post-tribulation is really a smoke screen on the minds of many Christians…. CHRIST’S DIVORCE “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Matthew 18:21, 22. We have to know Jesus always chose His words carefully. His response to Peter contains an important lesson. "Seventy times seven" equals 490, which is a perfect reference to the 70-week prophecy of Daniel chapter 9! This is really a surprise for you, isn't it? The 70-week represented a second opportunity for the chosen nation to demonstrate faithfulness to God. Israel's first temple had been destroyed and God’s people went to Babylon because they had rejected the warnings of God’s prophets. Yet another opportunity would be granted their nation "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins." Daniel 9:24. Israel returned to her land and built a second temple. Though they had sinned at least "seven times," God's forgiveness toward the nation was extended to "seventy times seven." Near the close of this period, Someone greater than the prophets would come. Then Israel's destiny as a nation would be determined by her response to God's Son. Jesus beheld Jerusalem "and wept over it, saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." Luke 19:41-44. When Jesus spoke to Peter about forgiveness being extended "until seventy times seven," He knew that the 70-week prophecy was soon to end. He knew the significance of this prophecy to Israel as a nation, to Jerusalem, and to the second temple. Chapters 21-23 of Matthew reveal the sad and final, encounters between Jesus Christ and the leaders of His chosen people. What is the true meaning of those encounters? During the week prior to His crucifixion, Jesus "went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple…. And said unto them, ‘It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’ Matthew 21:12,13. At this point, Jesus still called the second temple "MY HOUSE." But a change would come. "In the morning as he returned into the city, he was hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever’. And presently the fig tree withered away." Verses 18, 19. Here the fig tree was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The "seventy times seven" countdown was nearing its close. "When he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him when he was teaching." Verse 23. And He told them a parable that outlined the entire history of Israel. "There was a certain householder [God], which planted a vineyard [Israel], and hedged it round about [God's love], and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower [the temple], and let it out to husbandmen [the Jewish leaders], and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants [the prophets] to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first [continued mercy]: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son [at the close of "seventy times seven"], saying, ‘They will reverence my son’. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.’ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him [their final sin]." Verses 33-39. Then Jesus asked those leaders, "When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They said unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." Verses 40,41. Did they realize what they were saying? Hardly! They had just pronounced their own doom! Looking His murderers straight in the eye, Jesus sadly declared in words of burning truth, "Therefore I say unto you, THE KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, AND GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THEREOF." Verse 43. The Master Himself said it. The kingdom of God would soon be "taken" away from an unbelieving Israel in the flesh and given to another "nation." Why? Because of their final sin of crucifying "the Son" (verses 38, 39). In His next parable, Jesus outlined the same historical sequence but added details of the destruction of Jerusalem and the call of the Gentiles. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, “Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my failings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.” But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city." Matthew 22:2-7. This literally took place when Jerusalem and the second temple were destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. Daniel's prophecy was fulfilled that said: "The people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." Daniel 9:26. Continuing the parable, Jesus said, "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage." Matthew 22:8,9. Thus Christ represented the call of the Gentiles at the end of the 70 weeks. Matthew chapter 23 contains the Saviour's final words in tears and agony over His chosen people. Eight times during His last public exchange with Israel's leaders, Jesus cried out, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" Finally, with a broken heart, the Son of the Infinite God declared: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT UNTO YOU DESOLATE." Matthew 23:37, 38. This time God was not saying: "You blew it. Let's try again." Israel's decision to crucify Christ would have permanent consequences. The result was a searing separation — A PAINFUL, DIVINE DIVORCE. Then "Jesus went out, and departed from the temple [He never returned]: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, “See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew 24:1, 2. In A.D. 70, the second temple was destroyed by the Romans, and more than one million Jews perished. Such was the terrible results of that CHRIST’S DIVORCE. Today, the Muslim Dome of the Rock stands on the Temple Mount. Will there be a third temple? According to Daniel 9:24-27 and the teachings of Jesus Christ, the prophecy of "seventy times seven" represented the limits of national forgiveness for the Jewish nation — as a nation.

Jakero #02 Thank you, ALIVE. Your words have determined me to start completing what I have already written. Salvation from sin is a very large and a very important topic, which the Bible develops in the form of many jigsaw puzzles. I began to present God's part in His plan of salvation, and we must understand what is our part in this divine plan. So, we also have something to do, but without any merit, because we act it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit and with power from Him. Often our opinions that we present on the forum are very different, and one of the reasons is the fact that we do not know the definition of some terms well enough. That is why today I am trying to state the biblical definition of the word "salvation" – salvation from the bondage of sin. There is nothing in our life more essential and valu­able than salvation. Therefore, we need above all else to understand from the Bible what salvation is, and then en­ter into it. Unfortunately, most professed followers of Christ LIMIT SALVATION TO FORGIVE­NESS of sin. Christ wants to do much more for us than that. He wants to reclaim you from sinning. You will see from the Bible that salva­tion provides the COMPLETE answer for our sin problem. It has three parts, because the sin problem has three parts: PAST. We need to be saved from the guilt of past sins. We read, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law" and "the wages of sin is death." 1 John 3:4 (KJV); Romans 6:23. Christ provides complete forgiveness for the sins of the past. PRESENT. We need to be saved day by day from the con­tinuing control exerted by our inner disposition to do evil. Paul called this power the "sin that dwelleth in me" and "the law of sin which is in my members." Romans 7:17, 23. It is the inbuilt disposition we all have to use our tongue, eyes, ears, hands, and feet to commit acts of sin. Christ provides ongoing power so that we may be victori­ous every day. FUTURE. We need salvation for our sin-damaged bodies. Regardless how completely we may be saved from the guilt of past sins and from the continuing control of our evil disposition, we are still subject to sickness, acci­dents, old age, and death. Paul wrote: "The whole cre­ation groaneth and travaileth in pain together" and "that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." Romans 8:22; Hebrews 8:13. How well we know it! Christ has promised to give us new bodies at His coming. Therefore, His salvation is complete! We are right in speaking of three aspects of salvation because the Bible applies the words “saved” and “salvation” in these three different ways. Saved from past sins. No one need live a single hour under the condemnation of his guilt. The reason for this is simple: By faith and repentance he may receive the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. When he takes this step Christ forgives all the sins he has ever committed. See Acts 10:43; Isaiah 1:18; 43:25. Paul wrote, "By grace you HAVE BEEN SAVED through faith." Ephesians 2:8, RSV. Paul did not mean that the Ephesian Christians had been saved eternally, as when Jesus comes again. Like all sinners, these church members had been “dead in sin” (see verse 1), but when they received Christ, they were born again or "resurrected", made alive in Christ and saved from the guilt of their past sins. The Bible mentions this past aspect of salvation in sev­eral other places. In 2 Timothy 1:9 we read that God "HATH SAVED us." In Romans 8:24, NEB, the Bible states that, "We HAVE BEEN SAVED." Christ told the sinful woman who shed tears of penitence, "Thy sins are forgiven." He added, "Thy faith HATH SAVED thee." Luke 7:37-50. He did not say, "Thy faith WILL save thee" but "Thy faith HATH saved thee." She had been saved from the guilt of her past sins. In keeping with this past aspect of salvation, Jesus de­clared that the person who believes on Him "hath ever­lasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but IS PASSED [literally, "HAS PASSED"] from death unto life." John 5:24. John makes this truth very plain when he declares; "We know that we HAVE PASSED from death unto life, because we love the brethren." 1 John 3:14. Notice he does not say that the born-again believer MAY pass or WILL pass from death to life, but HAS PASSED from death unto life. If you have never accepted Christ as your Saviour, know this, that the moment you receive Him you will pass from condemnation to justification; from alienation to reconciliation; from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ; from being a slave of sin to living a life acceptable to God; from worrying under the death sentence of sin to rejoicing at the beginning of eternal life in Christ. Saved day by day. When we are born again, Christ by the Holy Spirit lives in us. He saves us from repeating our former sins and strengthens us to obey God's commandments. "Whatso­ever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4. Here are several other scripture texts that refer to be­lievers' BEING SAVED. "To us who ARE BEING SAVED." 1 Corinthians 1:18, RSV. "By means of ... [Christ's death and resurrection] you ARE BEING SAVED." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Twentieth Cen­tury New Testament. "The Lord added to their number day by day those who WERE BEING SAVED" (Acts 2:47, RSV) or "those whom he WAS SAVING" (NEB). The word SAVED in these texts does not mean that these believers were saved eternally as they will be when they are glorified at Jesus' coming. It means that they were in the process of being saved from their sins by Christ living in them. Certainly forgiveness is one of God's greatest bless­ings. As the Bible declares, "Blessed is he whose trans­gression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Psalm 32:1. But salvation is also a continuing victory over sinning. The angel told Mary to call her son “Jesus”, because He "shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21. Notice, His people are saved FROM their sins, not IN their sins. The salvation we need includes both forgiveness and victory. Those who go no further than accepting forgive­ness, do not have salvation as Christ of­fers it to them. Saved forever. There are texts in which SALVATION refers to what will happen at the second coming. Isaiah wrote that when Christ appears, the righteous will exclaim, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he WILL save us." Isaiah 25:9. Because these are “righ­teous people”, we know they were forgiven for their past sins. Day by day they were being saved from the domin­ion of sin. Now at Christ's appearing they say, "He WILL SAVE us." There must be a final phase of salvation that is to be accomplished at Christ's coming. Paul wrote, "Now is our salvation NEARER than when we believed." Romans 13:11. He immediately warned that "the day is AT HAND." Verse 12. Apparently, the salvation he spoke of is associated with the dawn of earth's new day — Christ's coming. Peter wrote about "SALVATION READY TO BE REVEALED IN THE LAST TIME." 1 Peter 1:5. A few verses later he defined this phase of salvation as "the glory that should follow." Verse 11. What a glorious morning will dawn when Christ comes! "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. The living righteous and the dead who have died in Christ will be "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52. All who love the Lord will be saved from their poor, run-down, disease-ravaged bodies and changed to glorious, healthy immortality. Then all who have loved the Lord and accepted His sal­vation since the beginning of human history will ride with Him to heaven. See Matthew 24:30, 31; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. Summary. We have seen that the Bible teaches three main aspects of salvation: 1. We are saved from the guilt of our transgressions of the law of God by receiving Christ as our personal Saviour. 2. When we are born again, Christ lives in us and through us, saving us day by day from the control of our disposition to do evil. 3. We are saved eternally from the effects of sin in our bodies by being made immortal and taken to heaven at Christ's coming. Are you saved? Are you saved? Where do you stand in respect to the first two aspects of salvation? Those who do not enter into the first cannot enter into the second. Only those who enter into the first and the second will enter into the eternal joy of the third. Some come to Christ and are converted. They make a good start. They receive enough of salvation to get their sinful past forgiven. But then they anchor in the peaceful harbor of this past salvation and never move out into the wide seas of salvation's daily victory over sin. This is why so many church members will never reach heaven. They fail to have the right growing, strengthen­ing experiences; they do not let Christ save them each day from the power of sin. Some conclude that after they receive Christ, the Ten Commandments are not binding on them. This is a mis­take. TRUE, WE CANNOT SAVE OURSELVES BY OBEYING THE LAW. BUT CHRIST SAVES PEOPLE BY HELPING THEM OBEY. WE MUST NOT REJECT THIS HELP. Transgression of the Ten Commandments is sin. - 1 John 3:4 (KJV). No one will be saved forever if he knowingly, persistently transgresses. In this case, “I cannot keep the low” is not an excuse accepted by God. Paul wrote: "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME." Philippians 4:13. In the story of Israel's exodus from Egypt there are lessons written for us, who live in the time of the end. (See 1 Cor. 10:6-11 – especially v.11). One of the lessons we need to learn from the story of Israel's exodus is mentioned in the book of Psalms (105:43-45): “And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: and gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labor of the people; THAT THEY MIGHT OBSERVE his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.” So, just as God saved His people from slavery and brought them out of Egypt with shouts of joy, “THAT THEY MIGHT KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND KEEP HIS LAWS,” so He brings us out of the slavery of sin today (saves us) with the same joy, SO THAT WE MAY “KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS and laws.” In conclusion, we must first experience salvation from the bondage of sin (or lawbreaking) and only then can we experience true obedience to divine law. Yes, you are not without hope. You will soon be able to climb to the heights of victory in your life of faith. The Bible is full of assurances that it is possible to no longer live under the reign of sin. Let us decide right now to climb together to the heights of victory won by Jesus for us!...

HAVE YOU BEEN SAVED? (I am writing this post for beginners). Have you been saved? I'm talking about being saved from sin. Have you wondered how to move from A MERE INTELLECTUAL BELIEF in Jesus to a saving relationship with Him in which you experience forgiveness for the mis­takes of your past and you receive the gift of eternal life? I'd like to share with you some steps you can take that will bring salvation within your life. 1. RECOGNIZE YOUR NEED OF HELP. The Bible describes the human condition like this: " 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worth­less; there is no one who does good, not even one.' . . . For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:10-12, 23. The sin problem is universal. No one is exempt. Every man, woman, boy, and girl is infected with the sin virus - a virus that is 100 percent lethal. "For the wages of sin is death." Rom. 6:23 (Notice here that this death is the opposite of eternal life! That is why theologians say that the "death" in this verse must also be considered "eternal"). The first step toward salvation from this desperate situation is to recognize that you are a sinner and that it is impossible for you, in your own strength, to resist the power of evil or to save yourself from its fatal results. Why? Because we are all slaves to sin. We are born with sinful tendencies. Rom. 7:14-24; Ps. 58:3; Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:1-5, etc. 2. UNDERSTAND THAT GOD LOVES YOU AND WANTS TO SAVE YOU. Many people have grown up with the idea that God is some sort of cosmic cop waiting to catch them in sin so He can condemn them to the horrors of hell. But this is not true. God is " 'compassionate and gracious…. slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wicked­ness, rebellion and sin.' " Exodus 34:6.7; Ezek. 33:11 God does not want to punish us. Instead, " 'God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.' " John 3:16.17 (Notice that “perish” is the opposite of eternal life!). It's true that God hates sin. Why wouldn't He? Sin is a killer. It separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), cutting us off from the source of life. He hates sin but loves sinners - you and me. But because He is also a God of justice, He must punish sin. It is here that the glory of the salvation plan becomes clear. 3. LOOK TO JESUS. It is true that we humans needed Someone to come and save us from a sinful life. That Sav­ior came in the person of the God-Man Jesus Christ. Jesus came to reveal the love of the Father and to be our sin-bearer. He bore the pun­ishment for our sins upon the cross. "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows…. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4.5. In other words, Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death that was ours, that we might receive the life that was His. If you want to be saved from the bondage of sin, look with faith to Jesus in the Bible. All Scripture speaks of Him. Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39. Look, for example, at the gospel in the wilderness. Numb. 21:4-9 The Israelites rebelled and thus sinned against God. As a result, God withdrew His protection from God’s people and the serpents of the wilderness killed many Israelites. They confessed their sin and asked Moses to pray for their forgiveness. Moses interceded for them, and God gave them only one way to be saved - to look in faith at the bronze serpent that was made by Moses. Notice that in this desperate situation, the Israelites (1) confessed their sin, (2) they asked Moses to intercede for them, and (3) they looked with faith at the bronze serpent made by Moses. That bronze serpent that was lifted up on a pole was a fitting symbol of Jesus' sufferings on the cross. In conclusion, they were forgiven and healed simply by looking in faith at the symbol of our Savior. Jesus clearly applied this symbol to himself when he said: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, EVEN SO MUST the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15). Regarding Moses' intercession for God's people, I must point out that he is a type of Jesus - our Intercessor at the throne of God. In this regard, the apostle Paul declared that we are saved not only by our faith in Jesus' sacrifice for us, but also by His intercession on our behalf at the throne of God: “Therefore He is also able TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST those who come to God THROUGH HIM, since He always lives TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM.” – Heb. 7:25. My dears, read with me this encouragement written by Paul: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Heb. 4:14-16 4. BELIEVE. As you look at the Savior dying on the cross and realize that He suffered that agony so you could be saved, you begin to understand the ugliness of sin and want to be forgiven, cleansed, and set free. You con­fess your wretchedness to God, and you repent - in other words, you turn away from those things that separate you from Him. As you do this, you accept God's promise to "forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." – 1 John 1:9 You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give your­self to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you. If you believe the promise - believe that you are forgiven and cleansed - God supplies the fact; you are made whole, just as Christ gave the paralytic power to walk when the man believed that he was healed. It is so if you believe it. John 5:8.9. The criterion for salvation hasn't changed. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you. will be saved." Acts 16:31. 5. RECEIVE THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE. Each of us must accept Christ as our Savior or His gracious act on the cross will not benefit us. Potentially life-saving medicine does no good while it's in the bottle. The sick per­son must receive the pills into his or her body in order to be cured. Trust Christ alone to save you. Neither good works nor being reli­gious can save you. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph. 2:8). Christ, and Christ alone, can atone for your sins, and make you clean before God. Go to Him in prayer right now and tell Him that you are ready to receive His perfect life in the place of your sinful one. Confess your sins and claim the promise that "to all who received him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God." "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life." (John 1:12; 1 John 5:11.12). And now let us return to the Gospel in the wilderness. Immediately after Moses lifted up the bronze serpent on that pole, the good news spread like lightning… It went from mouth to mouth and reached every tent: “LOOK AND YOU WILL LIVE!!... Do you see? Not “fulfill and you will live!” Not “keep and you will live!” But “LOOK, and you will live!” Yes, my friend, do not try in vain to fulfill the God’s part. Notice carefully which is His work, when you permit Him to work in your life: Ezekiel 36 (NIV): 25 I WILL SPRINKLE clean water on you, AND YOU WILL BE CLEAN; I WILL CLEANSE you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I WILL GIVE YOU a new heart and PUT A NEW SPIRIT in you; I WILL REMOVE from you your heart of stone AND GIVE YOU a heart of flesh. 27 I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT IN YOU AND MOVE YOU TO FOLLOW MY DECREES AND BE CAREFUL TO KEEP MY LAWS.” Keeping the Law? My brother, that is God's responsibility, not yours. Stop fighting with your fists in the air. Trust in God's promises and surrender to Him. Then, the Holy Spirit will write God’s Law in your heart. And then, continue to look at Jesus every morning, on the pages of the Scripture, with meditation and prayer. Decide right now to experience the true salvation from sin!

GETING TO KNOW OUR BIBLES BETTER This is not a polemical approach, but a stimulation of personal study for a correct personal decision GOD’S LAW IS A MIRROR OF GOD’S CHARACTER. Here are some examples: GOD LAW Luke 18:19 GOOD Rom. 7:12 Is.5:16 HOLY Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 JUST Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 TRUTH Ps. 119:142, 151 Matt. 5:48 PERFECT Ps.19:7 Matt. 11:30 NOT BURDENSOME 1 John 5:3 1 John 1:5 LIGHT Prov. 6:23 1 John 4:8 LOVE Rom. 13:10 Ex. 9:27 RIGHTEOUS Ps. 19:9 1 John 3:3 PURE Ps. 19:8 John 4:24 SPIRITUAL Rom. 7:14 Malachi 3:6 UNCHANGEABLE Matt. 5:18 Gen. 21:33 ETERNAL Ps. 11:7-8 (1) Therefore, if God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then He nailed his own character there! Did He really do that? Has God changed His character? (2) V. 14 Blotting out the HANDWRITING of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Col. 2:14 [KJV] Were the Ten Commandments written with a human hand or with the finger of God? (The context shows us that this handwriting of ordinances was against the evangelical union between Jews and other nations. See also Eph. 2:11-22). (3) V.16 Let no man therefore judge you in MEAT, or in DRINK, or in respect of AN HOLYDAY, or of the NEW MOON, or of the SABBATH DAYS (plural!)” Does any of the details of this „handwritten” inscribed refer to the Ten Commandments? (4) V. 17 – 17” WHICH ARE a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” How do you explain that the Ten Commandments in verse 14 “are a shadow of things to come”? (5) If God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then the Bible contradicts itself because the same Paul says „31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we UPHOLD the law.” – Rom. 3:31. Is that true? Is the Bible contradicting itself? Can I still trust her? (6) The Bible says: „6 This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’ Jer. 6:16 NIV. Well, I DID THAT and what do you think I found? Westminster Confession of Faith - WestminsterStandards.org https://westminsterstandards.org/westminster-confession-of-faith/ When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted (with minor revisions) the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647), as its secondary standards (the Bible itself being the only infallible rule of faith and practice). XIX. Of the Law of God 2. This law, after his (Adam’s) fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: (James 1:25, James 2:8, 10–12, Rom. 13:8–9, Deut. 5:32, Deut. 10:4, Exod. 34:1) the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. (Matt. 22:37–40) 3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; (Heb. 9, Heb. 10:1, Gal. 4:1–3, Col. 2:17) and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. (1 Cor. 5:7, 2 Cor. 6:17, Jude 1:23) All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament. (Col. 2:14, 16, 17, Dan. 9:27, Eph. 2:15–16) THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 - Tameside Free Congregational Church (tfcchurch.co.uk) https://tfcchurch.co.uk/the-savoy-declaration-of-faith-and-order-1658-chapter-19 THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 CHAPTER 19 OF THE LAW OF GOD 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it. 2 This law, so written in the heart, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall of man; and was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the four first commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. 3 Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits, and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away. The1689.org | The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith https://the1689.org/ CHAPTER 19 Of the Law of God Paragraph 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it. Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10,12 Paragraph 2 The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man. Romans 2:14,15; Deuteronomy 10:4 Paragraph 3 Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away. Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians; 2:14,16,17; Ephesians 2:14,16 We have here three examples of what Christianity believed in the past centuries. In our days, many Christians have been taught that God's law has been annulled... Is this evidence of the derailment of modern Christianity? I'm afraid so. Why? Because when the churches altered their creeds, C. Spurgeon - the famous Baptist pastor - preached about “The perpetuity of God's law”. (No. 1660-28:277. A Sermon Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, May 21, 1882, By C. H. Spurgeon, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington). Search with Google “1660. The perpetuity of God's law” and read it. IN CONCLUSION, think seriously about the fruits of teaching about the repeal of God's law: Without the law there is no sin and no punishment for sin; no need for repentance, salvation, Savior, or gospel. And in this case the Bible is no longer good for us…

GETTING TO KNOW OUR BIBLES BETTER This is not a polemical approach, but a stimulation of personal study for a correct personal decision GOD’S LAW IS A MIRROR OF GOD’S CHARACTER. Here are some examples: GOD LAW Luke 18:19 GOOD Rom. 7:12 Is.5:16 HOLY Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 JUST Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 TRUTH Ps. 119:142, 151 Matt. 5:48 PERFECT Ps.19:7 Matt. 11:30 NOT BURDENSOME 1 John 5:3 1 John 1:5 LIGHT Prov. 6:23 1 John 4:8 LOVE Rom. 13:10 Ex. 9:27 RIGHTEOUS Ps. 19:9 1 John 3:3 PURE Ps. 19:8 John 4:24 SPIRITUAL Rom. 7:14 Malachi 3:6 UNCHANGEABLE Matt. 5:18 Gen. 21:33 ETERNAL Ps. 11:7-8 (1) Therefore, if God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then He nailed his own character there! Did He really do that? Has God changed His character? (2) V. 14 Blotting out the HANDWRITING of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Col. 2:14 [KJV] Were the Ten Commandments written with a human hand or with the finger of God? (The context shows us that this handwriting of ordinances was against the evangelical union between Jews and other nations. See also Eph. 2:11-22). (3) V.16 Let no man therefore judge you in MEAT, or in DRINK, or in respect of AN HOLYDAY, or of the NEW MOON, or of the SABBATH DAYS (plural!)” Does any of the details of this „handwritten” inscribed refer to the Ten Commandments? (4) V. 17 – 17” WHICH ARE a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” How do you explain that the Ten Commandments in verse 14 “are a shadow of things to come”? (5) If God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then the Bible contradicts itself because the same Paul says „31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we UPHOLD the law.” – Rom. 3:31. Is that true? Is the Bible contradicting itself? Can I still trust her? (6) The Bible says: „6 This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’ Jer. 6:16 NIV. Well, I DID THAT and what do you think I found? Westminster Confession of Faith - WestminsterStandards.org https://westminsterstandards.org/westminster-confession-of-faith/ When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted (with minor revisions) the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647), as its secondary standards (the Bible itself being the only infallible rule of faith and practice). XIX. Of the Law of God 2. This law, after his (Adam’s) fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: (James 1:25, James 2:8, 10–12, Rom. 13:8–9, Deut. 5:32, Deut. 10:4, Exod. 34:1) the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. (Matt. 22:37–40) 3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; (Heb. 9, Heb. 10:1, Gal. 4:1–3, Col. 2:17) and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. (1 Cor. 5:7, 2 Cor. 6:17, Jude 1:23) All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament. (Col. 2:14, 16, 17, Dan. 9:27, Eph. 2:15–16) THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 - Tameside Free Congregational Church (tfcchurch.co.uk) https://tfcchurch.co.uk/the-savoy-declaration-of-faith-and-order-1658-chapter-19 THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 CHAPTER 19 OF THE LAW OF GOD 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it. 2 This law, so written in the heart, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall of man; and was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the four first commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. 3 Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits, and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away. The1689.org | The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith https://the1689.org/ CHAPTER 19 Of the Law of God Paragraph 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it. Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10,12 Paragraph 2 The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man. Romans 2:14,15; Deuteronomy 10:4 Paragraph 3 Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away. Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians; 2:14,16,17; Ephesians 2:14,16 We have here three examples of what Christianity believed in the past centuries. In our days, many Christians have been taught that God's law has been annulled... Is this evidence of the derailment of modern Christianity? I'm afraid so. Why? Because when the churches altered their creeds, C. Spurgeon - the famous Baptist pastor - preached about “The perpetuity of God's law”. (No. 1660-28:277. A Sermon Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, May 21, 1882, By C. H. Spurgeon, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington). Search with Google “1660. The perpetuity of God's law” and read it. IN CONCLUSION, think seriously about the fruits of teaching about the repeal of God's law: Without the law there is no sin and no punishment for sin; no need for repentance, salvation, Savior, or gospel. And in this case the Bible is no longer good for us…

GETTING TO KNOW OUR BIBLES BETTER This is not a polemical approach, but a stimulation of personal study for a correct personal decision GOD’S LAW IS A MIRROR OF GOD’S CHARACTER. Here are some examples: GOD LAW Luke 18:19 GOOD Rom. 7:12 Is.5:16 HOLY Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 JUST Rom. 7:12 Deut. 32:4 TRUTH Ps. 119:142, 151 Matt. 5:48 PERFECT Ps.19:7 Matt. 11:30 NOT BURDENSOME 1 John 5:3 1 John 1:5 LIGHT Prov. 6:23 1 John 4:8 LOVE Rom. 13:10 Ex. 9:27 RIGHTEOUS Ps. 19:9 1 John 3:3 PURE Ps. 19:8 John 4:24 SPIRITUAL Rom. 7:14 Malachi 3:6 UNCHANGEABLE Matt. 5:18 Gen. 21:33 ETERNAL Ps. 11:7-8 (1) Therefore, if God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then He nailed his own character there! Did He really do that? Has God changed His character? (2) V. 14 Blotting out the HANDWRITING of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Col. 2:14 [KJV] Were the Ten Commandments written with a human hand or with the finger of God? (The context shows us that this handwriting of ordinances was against the evangelical union between Jews and other nations. See also Eph. 2:11-22). (3) V.16 Let no man therefore judge you in MEAT, or in DRINK, or in respect of AN HOLYDAY, or of the NEW MOON, or of the SABBATH DAYS (plural!)” Does any of the details of this „handwritten” inscribed refer to the Ten Commandments? (4) V. 17 – 17” WHICH ARE a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” How do you explain that the Ten Commandments in verse 14 “are a shadow of things to come”? (5) If God nailed His own law to the cross (Col. 2:14), then the Bible contradicts itself because the same Paul says „31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we UPHOLD the law.” – Rom. 3:31. Is that true? Is the Bible contradicting itself? Can I still trust her? (6) The Bible says: „6 This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’’ Jer. 6:16 NIV. Well, I DID THAT and what do you think I found? Westminster Confession of Faith - WestminsterStandards.org https://westminsterstandards.org/westminster-confession-of-faith/ When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted (with minor revisions) the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647), as its secondary standards (the Bible itself being the only infallible rule of faith and practice). XIX. Of the Law of God 2. This law, after his (Adam’s) fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables: (James 1:25, James 2:8, 10–12, Rom. 13:8–9, Deut. 5:32, Deut. 10:4, Exod. 34:1) the first four commandments containing our duty towards God; and the other six, our duty to man. (Matt. 22:37–40) 3. Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, His graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; (Heb. 9, Heb. 10:1, Gal. 4:1–3, Col. 2:17) and partly, holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. (1 Cor. 5:7, 2 Cor. 6:17, Jude 1:23) All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated, under the New Testament. (Col. 2:14, 16, 17, Dan. 9:27, Eph. 2:15–16) THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 - Tameside Free Congregational Church (tfcchurch.co.uk) https://tfcchurch.co.uk/the-savoy-declaration-of-faith-and-order-1658-chapter-19 THE SAVOY DECLARATION OF FAITH AND ORDER 1658 Chapter 19 CHAPTER 19 OF THE LAW OF GOD 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it. 2 This law, so written in the heart, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall of man; and was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the four first commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. 3 Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings and benefits, and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only lawgiver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end, abrogated and taken away. The1689.org | The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith https://the1689.org/ CHAPTER 19 Of the Law of God Paragraph 1 God gave to Adam a law of universal obedience written in his heart, and a particular precept of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it, and endued him with power and ability to keep it. Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:10,12 Paragraph 2 The same law that was first written in the heart of man continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness after the fall, and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai, in ten commandments, and written in two tables, the four first containing our duty towards God, and the other six, our duty to man. Romans 2:14,15; Deuteronomy 10:4 Paragraph 3 Besides this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties, all which ceremonial laws being appointed only to the time of reformation, are, by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only law-giver, who was furnished with power from the Father for that end abrogated and taken away. Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Colossians; 2:14,16,17; Ephesians 2:14,16 We have here three examples of what Christianity believed in the past centuries. In our days, many Christians have been taught that God's law has been annulled... Is this evidence of the derailment of modern Christianity? I'm afraid so. Why? Because when the churches altered their creeds, C. Spurgeon - the famous Baptist pastor - preached about “The perpetuity of God's law”. (No. 1660-28:277. A Sermon Delivered on Lord’s Day Morning, May 21, 1882, By C. H. Spurgeon, At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington). Search with Google “1660. The perpetuity of God's law” and read it. IN CONCLUSION, think seriously about the fruits of teaching about the repeal of God's law: Without the law there is no sin and no punishment for sin; no need for repentance, salvation, Savior, or gospel. And in this case the Bible is no longer good for us…

Message #2 AdHoc, thank you for the message you sent me. I am glad if you will unite with me to deepen some vital topics that she presents to us regarding the plan of salvation. Here are some brief comments on your answer: 1. I agree with you that starting with Adam, all parents hereditarily convey their character traits and their sinful tendencies. Ex. 20:5, etc. 2. I agree with you that we must first accept our death with Christ and then experience a spiritual resurrection with Him. 3. I was pleasantly impressed by the illustration of AdHoc's judgment. Indeed, we will all be judged at a time determined by God, then our eternal fate will be decided. Jesus' work as our Advocate or Mediator/High Priest is generally little known among Christians today. But the truth is that Jesus' intercession on our behalf is important not only in the judgment but also in the process of salvation. We are reconciled to God through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and are saved from the bondage of sin through the transforming power that our Mediator gives us. Rom. 5:9.10; Heb. 7:25 4. Jesus explained a prophetic subject from Old Testament writings, using the "jigsaw puzzle" method (Luke 24:27). In other words, He explained that subject by putting together all the inspired passages related to the subject and compared them to each other. In this way He made it possible for Scripture to explain itself. In the comments that I am presenting here use the same method. (The two messages that I wrote are only one topic). In conclusion, if you put together the Bible verses, which refer to the "judgment", you will discover that Jesus is not only the Sacrifice and the Advocate, but even the Judge Himself. God the Father only presides over the process of judgment. The truth is that Jesus is our Judge! This is good news, isn't it? Look for this in the electronic Bible. CALLED TO BE SAINTS I believe that the special grace to which I have alluded in my first message here, is in reality the general grace that must have all those who want to have part of eternal life. Unfortunately, many do not know the importance of this vital topic, or do not know how to experience it in their lives. I am convinced that we need a few more biblical examples first, and then we are better prepared to draw some correct conclusions. That is why I invite you to remind us together about a tragic episode in the life of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Undoubtedly, Aaron had many good points. Although Moses definitely overshadowed him, Aaron was a very important person­age. Moses and Aaron were men of great natural ability, and all their pow­ers had been developed, exalted, and dignified by communion with the Infinite One. Their lives had been spent in unselfish labor for God and their fellow men. Moses himself was so hesitant to respond to God's call for him to lead Israel out of Egypt, that Exodus 4:14 records, "So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He [God] said: 'Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well'. Aaron spoke fluent Egyptian. Evidently, Moses didn't have to speak much Egyptian to his sheep, in the wilderness. We must not forget that Aaron was just as much an agent of the miracle-working power of God as was Moses. Exodus 7:10 declares, "Aaron cast down his rod [apparently the rod of Moses] before Pha­raoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent." And verse 19 suggests that it was Aaron who took the rod and stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt when they became blood. We should also note that God called Aaron just as He called Moses. God asked Aaron to come up into His presence on Mount Sinai. God Himself conferred the priesthood on the family of Aaron and chose Aaron to be the high priest, the very first person to hold that exalted position. But there was another side in the life of Aaron - a dark one. The weak side. And it wasn't pretty. He did some very sinful things…. THERE WAS THREE MAJOR OR KNOWING SINS IN THE LIFE OF ARON: First, there was Aaron's part in the golden-calf episode. At that time, Moses was in God's presence. He'd been in a meeting with the King of kings and Lord of lords on Mount Sinai for more than a month. And the Israelites - the exceedingly impatient, untrusting, spiritually immature believers - wanted a visible leader, not one up in the clouds. They wanted to see some kind of representation in the place of the marvelous glory of God on Mount Sinai. The Israelites couldn't see God, and they couldn't see Moses. So, they looked to Aaron. Exodus 32:1 says: "Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, 'Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt [I thought it was God who brought them out of the land of Egypt], we do not know what has become of him.' " And this is where the un-saintly Aaron appeared. Now it wasn't God first, and courage, firm­ness, and decision first, and spiritual leadership first. It was weak, wa­vering, fearing-for-his-own-skin, first. This is where the golden calf marvelously, mysteriously appeared. At least, that's what Aaron's embarrassing, lame explanation to Moses implied. " 'I said to them, "Whoever has any gold, let them break it off." So, they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out' " (Exodus 32:24). Think of all that Aaron had to do before the golden calf "came out.": He had to col­lect the gold, design, and make the mold, melt the gold, he crafted that golden calf. He made it all happen. God certainly knew it. Moses knew it. And Aaron knew it too. So, this "I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out" was a knowing, tragic falsification. Not only this, but Scripture says that after the golden calf was made, "when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proc­lamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord' " (Exodus 32:5). Disastrous results followed, as happens with the worship of any gods of our own making. Because of their flagrant worship of their visible god, three thousand people lost their lives and their souls under the judgment of God - and all because of the weak, pliant nature of Aaron, the "saint of the Lord." But do the saints do such sinful things? 2. We haven't yet mentioned two other well-known sins of this SAINT. Aaron and Miriam committed one when they became jealous of Moses and said, " 'Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?' " (Numbers 12:2). 3. The other occurred when Moses and Aaron became angry at the Israelites and took the glory to themselves instead of giving it to God. This kept both of them from seeing the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:9-11). And now here's the fantastic news that comes directly from God! You might not believe it, if I told you, so I'll quote the text. Psalm 106 repeats how Israel rebelled against God and sinned openly. Then, in verses 16 and 17, it says, "When they envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron, THE SAINT OF THE LORD, the earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, and covered the faction of Abiram" (emphasis added). These verses seem incredible. The designation of Aaron as a SAINT immediately follows the mention of Moses, so why doesn't the Bible say "Moses, the saint of the Lord"? If you had to make a list of people who would qualify for being called "saints," would Aaron have even come to your mind? What's going on here? Let's be serious, Aaron’s deeds disqualified him, and he does not deserve to be called "THE HOLY OF THE LORD"! Do you agree with me? However, isn't this just the "undeserved grace of God"? This conclusion seems to be quite fantastic!... In fact, we are all called to be HOLY, and it means ”to be Christ's”, because it is written ”you also are the CALLED OF JESUS Christ; To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, CALLED TO BE SAINTS: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – Rom. 1:6.7. The truth is that though we are all sinners, yet we all have the divine call to become holy. Therefore, my question is this: How is it possible for me to enter into the great group of those called "the saints of the Lord"? I think this is an important topic for you as well. IN FACT, WHAT IS A SAINT? A saint is not a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization. A saint is not a finally and fully perfected person whom no one can stand to be around. A saint is not a graduate from the school of Christ; rather, a saint is more like a lifetime, "professional" student who sits in class every day. A saint is not the perfected one, not the sinless one, not the no-fault one. When the apostle Paul used the term saints of the people he wrote to in Corinth, and in Ephesus, and in Philippi, and in Colossae, he didn't mean that they had attained moral perfection. When Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthian saints, I'm sure he was very much aware of the unsaintly practices and attitudes of the people whom he was ad­dressing. He knew that those "saints" were a work in progress. Saints are sinners who come to God and keep coming and never stop coming. Saints are failing believers who hate their fail­ings, repent of them, confess them, ask God for His empowering to keep them from fumbling and failing again, . . . and find the power. Saints are sinners under construction. In fact, Christ is sitting for His portrait in every disciple. Saints are people who have to have many retakes. Saints are sinners whom God is saving. However, I believe that in the three episodes of the Old Testament that I have referred to in my messages here, we have to deal more with the sinner's repentance and divine forgiveness: Jesus forgives, cleanses, and considers the sinner righteous or holy regarding his confessed sins. In this case, repentance and confession of sins are vital topics for the Christian; they must be done in perfect accordance with biblical requirement. Why? Because the Bible clearly shows that many Christians will be rejected at the final judgment because they had not confessed all their sins or had not overcome them by the grace of Christ. See as examples Matt. 7:21-23; 25:1-13. Notice in Matt. 7 that miracles performed in the Name of Jesus do not provide a guarantee for salvation from a sinful life or for eternal life. I also believe that the subject being discussed here has a close connection with the New Covenant. I am afraid, however, that many Christians today, who often emphasize the fact that we are now in the New Covenant, do not know what it means for them, nor can prove that they really entered into this covenant with Jesus. May God bless you!

My friends, I propose a new variant of interpretation… GOD SPEAKS TO THE ENEMY 1. After God asked Adam and Eve to render Him an account of their actions, He confronted the serpent with the following words: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis3:15) Like the seed of the mighty Sequoia contains the code of a huge tree within it, this verse contains the code of the whole Bible enclosed within it. In fact, the Bible in its entirety is merely an outgrowth and unfolding of this one verse. The end-time enmity spoken of in the book of Revelation 12:17 must be understood in the light of this verse. At this point in time, Adam and Eve had become enemies of God. The enmity in this verse runs three ways: 1) Serpent-Woman, 2) seed-Seed, and 3) Serpent-Seed. Though there is enmity between the woman and the serpent and between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, the primary enmity is between the serpent and the woman’s Seed. 2. Who is this serpent of Genesis 3:15? “So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9) God was telling Satan: “You turned the human race against Me and have made them my enemies. But I am going to send a Seed to the world who will do battle with you. In the process of this battle, you will be successful in striking His heel, but He is going to crush your head! These words, heard by Adam and Eve, must have brought them much comfort and hope! 3. Who is represented by the seed of the serpent? “Cain, who killed his brother Abel, is spoken of as being “OF THE WICKED ONE.” (1 John 3:12). Jesus said to his enemies: “You are of your FATHER the devil.” (John 8:44) And in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the tares are “the SONS of the wicked one” (Matthew 13:38) 4. Who is represented by the woman? God spoke about His church in the Old Testament in the following terms: “I have likened the daughter of ZION to a lovely and delicate woman.” (Jeremiah 6:2) 5. Who is the Seed of the woman? “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” WHO IS CHRIST.” (Galatians 3:16) 6. From where did this Seed come from and when? “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). And, speaking of the birth of Jesus, we are told in Revelation 12:5. “She (the woman) bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” (Revelation 12:5) 7. In John 1:1-3 Jesus is presented as the Creator. In verse 14 we are told that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Thus, the Creator became one with us in order to redeem us. THE CREATOR REDEEMS THE FAILURE OF HIS CREATURES 1. In Genesis 2:17 God promised Adam and Eve that if they sinned, they would certainly die. After Adam and Eve sinned, God was put between a rock and a hard place. God’s justice required the death of sinners, but God’s mercy wanted to save them. How could God resolve this seeming conflict between His justice and His mercy? The answer is found in Jesus. The Creator of humanity chose to take upon Himself the punishment which they deserved. In this way, God’s justice was satisfied, and His mercy was also revealed. 2. Genesis 3:21 describes how God chose to cover man’s spiritual nakedness: “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” In order to get the skins of animals, it was necessary for them to be sacrificed. The sacrifice of animals in the Old Testament represented the death of Jesus on the cross (1 Peter 1:18-20; Isaiah 53:3-8). By His death, Jesus crushed the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), He took away our condemnation (Romans 8:1), He reconciled us to God (Romans 5:10), He recovered the lost dominion (John 12:31-33), He paid our death penalty (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13), He gave us peace with God (Romans 5:1) and He eliminated any reason for fear (Romans 8:15). SATAN’S INCESSANT WARFARE 1. The story of Cain and Abel reveals that early on, Satan suspected that Abel might be the promised Seed. For this reason, Satan influenced Cain to murder his brother (1 John 3:12). But God’s plans were not to be thwarted because He gave Adam and Eve “another seed” from whose line the Messiah would eventually come (Genesis 4:25). 2. From the moment that God spoke the words of Genesis 3:15, Satan made up his mind that he would do all in his power to keep the promised Seed from coming to the world; after all, his very existence was at stake! Satan was determined to kill and/or corrupt the lineage from which the Seed was to come. The Old Testament, in its entirety contains the story of how God prepared the way for the Messiah to come into the world and how Satan worked to prevent this from happening. (For example, think about these passages: Gen. 16; 2 Kings 11). 3. When Jesus was born into the world, the dragon tried to devour Him as soon as He was born (Revelation 12:3-4). 4. When Jesus was born, King Herod had all the male children two years and under slaughtered (Matthew 2:16). Who do you think was behind this? The life of Jesus reveals that the events we see around us are really visible manifestations of an invisible warfare between Christ and Satan. In other words, we must read the news behind the news. We must read history with enlightened eyes! 5. When the male child ascended to God and to his throne, whom did the serpent persecute? The woman. (Revelation 12:6) 6. At the very end of human history, Satan will be enraged with the woman and will go away to make war against the rest/remnant of her offspring who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17). This verse is only the introduction to this spiritual war which is described in the following chapters… But I must say that the theme of Rev. 12 is that Jesus always wins the battle and Satan always loses. That is why this chapter is especially encouraging for us because we can experience a full victory under the flag of Jesus.

My friends, may God bless you with His grace and peace! I have here an important question: HOW CAN I EXPERIENCE THIS SPECIAL GRACE? Have you noticed that the Bible records only isolated instan­ces during most of the years that Israel spent in the wilder­ness and that nearly all of these deal with backsliding and disobedience? Already, before they ever reach Canaan, the Israelites have begun that up-and-down pattern — faith followed by apostasy — that will characterize their history until they are again taken into captivity centuries later, this time by the Babylonians. They complain when they don't have food, and they com­plain when they have nothing but manna from heaven. They can go from seeing God's majestic holiness displayed on Mount Sinai to worshiping the metallic image of a cow! They refuse to believe that they can enter Canaan, and then they refuse to believe that they can't. For the most part, the story of the Exodus is really a story of disobedience, discourage­ment, and lack of faith. How, then, can we make sense of what God inspired Balaam to say about Israel in Numbers 23:21? “He [God] has not observed iniquity in Jacob, Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, And the shout of a King is among them.” NKJV Is God not seeing well? Has He been asleep these past forty years? [No! “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”] However, something doesn't ring true here. God makes the same ”mistake” later on. In 1 Kings 14:8 He reproves King Jeroboam by saying, "You have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes." Is God getting forgetful? How can He say this about a man who committed adultery with another man's wife and then had her husband killed to cover up his sin? That kind of be­havior would bring David before a grand jury today! Yet after David's death, God recalls that he followed Him with all his heart and did only what was right! I am a sinner! Can I receive the same special grace from God? How is this possible?