The past few weeks of all this blabbering about the two most contentious rulings of the Supreme Court has encouraged me to look at the other side of, or as I am found of saying the rest of the story…those other laws. God’s law, Biblical law, the Law of Moses, The Ten Commandments and also 613 additional commandments or laws and let us not forget the Seven Laws of Noah.

What is the definition of the word law?… To me I always first ask which Law? To a Christian, or more directly…to God’s people, those who obey God’s Law, there will the always be a state of conflict of interest. It has been said that obedience is the first law of heaven. Why is that important? Well, Biblically speaking it has been established that to obey God brings blessings to those who do so and to love God one is assured everlasting life. That is scripturally correct. Obedience has always been a part of any Covenant  between God and his people. God is the controlling authority and enforcement is His exclusively. Here then lies the conflict… Secular law is made of course by Man, who even at the best of his intentions is never perfect. So the other definition would read as such, law is:

1a(1) : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed (see prescribe sense 1a) or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority. (2) : the whole body of such customs, practices, or rules The courts exist to uphold, interpret, and apply the law.Jun 13, 2022

 https://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › law

What is God’s law?… That is a question of faith, source and discussion among God’s people. A little reminder here that Christianity is not a democracy and never even in the time of Christ was it meant to be a Theocracy either. My view is that accepting Jesus Christ as your savior is the initiating factor of the Covenant between you and God. God’s word today is the same as yesterday and the days to come. Cliché, I guess it could be labeled as such…but we have had well over 2000 years to prove that its true. What makes God’s law different? A rather simplistic answer… It has only one source… There are no committees, no political parties, no social justice warriors or special interest groups and no pressure to change due to evolving cultural enlightenment. There is only one God, the Alpha and Omega, First and Last….Point made…God’s law is the final decision in any situation. 

We can’t stop just yet at this point. There is another law we should be concerned with. Biblical law refers to the legal aspects of the Bible, the holy scriptures of Judaism and Christianity and Mitzvah which is a precept or commandment. A good deed done from religious duty or a divine commandment. We also have references to the Law of Moses, The Ten Commandments also 613 additional commandments or laws that include “positive commandments”, to perform an act (mitzvot aseh), and “negative commandments”, to abstain from certain acts (mitzvot lo taaseh) and lastly the Seven Laws of Noah; laws applicable to all of humanity, including non-Jews. Those 613 we listed above, here is a link to them…every last one. When you have time have a look.

https://www.jmu.edu/dukehallgallery/exhibitions-past-2018-2019/the-613-mitzvot.shtml

I do not know many Laymen who have read each one of these, I have not, but a quick look has got my interest up to do so. In the sixth century BC the Hebrews started to put these commandments and other legal principles in writing. They were contained in the Torah and some time later they became the first five books of the Bible. The Torah (teaching) provided the Hebrew people with a basis of religious and moral laws. The Ten Commandments are often looked at as moral laws…dealing with murder, honesty, adultery and such. Pay attention to the Moral aspect of this history. We are people who are constantly looking for ways to minimize morality and justify our disobedience to God. We are always “looking for loopholes” The Mosaic laws have three areas…Moral, Civil and Ceremonial.

Let’s fast forward a bit. What did Jesus say about Old Testament Law? 

In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 

Romans 15:4-5 NIV

 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Paul)

The roads are many and sometimes confusing…Hear what Jesus said as to law and commandments when asked which of these laws are the most important?

Matthew 22:37-40

37 He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

The simplicity of scripture is often hid among the constant noise and blabbering of people who are always looking for a “loophole”. We don’t like or agree with that law, therefore we will not obey. It is not compatible with our lifestyle. 

I have so much more I could share with you and if you have been paying attention you will have noticed that I did not overburden you with scripture. All that is happening in our world… “don’t worry about it.” It is really quite simple… The gospel truth is His will be done… My hope is not of this world. 

jk

John 16: 4-5 ‘I did not tell you these things at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going away to him who sent me, and none of you asks me: “Where are you going?”

A short preface to this weeks blog. With all that is happening in the world around us we need a rock to stand on. There is no greater one than God’s word in a time of uncertainty it will comfort, teach and inspire while challenging us to stand firm in the uncertainty of the times. The disciples find themselves facing the challenge of taking the word to the world and doing so without the  physical presence of Jesus. 

Never easy to leave those we love behind even if we know it is necessary and will be better for them. It is hard for us to accept that these simple men after all this time with Jesus were still in some respects confused by the things that were happening around them. At this point in our scriptures we find these men bewildered and grief stricken. The simple truth was that Jesus was somewhat constrained in his present state. The disciples had only a snapshot you might say of what’s about to happen….They were going to lose Jesus. He told them this must happen so the Holy Spirit, the Helper could come. They had yet to see the bigger picture. The time of hello’s and goodbyes were over. He told them that in this body I cannot be everywhere. As it were now he was confined, but there will be no limitations in the Spirit, everywhere you go the Spirit is with you. I am sure they struggled to understand what he was saying. Matthew 28:20 ‘I am with you always, to the end of the age’ The Spirit would bring to men and women an uninterrupted fellowship forever. It would bring to the preached word a power that would change the people who heard it and the world they lived in. 

As with all biblical scripture we sometimes find words that can’t be fully translated and this is the case here with a word John uses to speak to the work of the Spirit…elegchein, which is translated in the Revised Standard Version as convince.  This is as good a time as any to ask this question. Why does the crucifixion of, in their minds a criminal 2000 years ago, still through all this time   weigh upon the hearts of people all over the world? It is nothing less than the work of the Holy Spirit! 

 (1) The Holy Spirit will convict people of sin. 

(2) The Holy Spirit will convince people of righteousness.

(3) The Holy Spirit convinces people of judgment.

One last point to be made here is this simple truth. When we believe with certainty that on the cross of Christ is our salvation and that with Christ we are forgiven, and saved, this too, is the work of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we are convicted of our sin and convinced that our savior will forgive us of our sins.

 Life is Good

jk

Last blog we spent some time in John chapter 14 and equated the uncertainty of the times the disciples were living in and how in some ways it mirrors  the times we as the church and nation are facing today. This week we move to chapter 16 and explore the warnings and challenges Jesus spoke of with his disciples. Jesus continues to teach the disciples after the Passover Meal about the things He wants them to be aware of and prepare for. There are some hard times coming that will test their faith and endurance and that is an appropriate thought now, in our day and time. I should make it clear that I am not of the doomsday mindset. A wise man looks to the future with a clear eye and seeks God’s guidance but there are always those that seek the comfort of the day and wear those rose-colored glasses. I don’t intend that remark to be disrespectful but let’s all admit that there is a bit of serendipity in most of us, not a bad thing, unless we let it blind us to reality.

At the time John was writing this there was a predictable falling away of many Christians as the persecution of the Church  intensified. In the first four verses Jesus makes it clear that there will be times of trouble for those of the faith. Jesus even says that many will do them harm, believing they are doing a service to God. He evens instructs them that when this happens remember ‘it was I that spoke of them to you.’  In Revelations 21:8 we get a warning of what is in store for those who fall away from the faith.

Revelation 21:8    

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.’

We do not want to put aside or forget the heroism of the early church but must take note that there were many who whose faith was not great enough and thus unable to resist the constant persecution and their endurance was not strong enough to keep them from falling away. Jesus wanted all of His followers from the very start of the ministry to never be able to say they didn’t know the cost. There was a certain glory in following the way but there was also a cross as well. We as the church today would do well to remember and understand that. Jesus said there were two ways his followers would be persecuted. Being excommunicated from the synagogue was one way. This was particularly painful for a Jew. To the Jew the synagogue was life and the Rabbis were always saying that unless prayer was offered in the synagogue it was not effective. One point to remember and often misunderstood is that the synagogue was the center of Jewish life and fellowship. Jews tended to stay together and did much of their business among themselves. To be excommunicated  was a big deal. There are some people that feel they do not need human company but these disciples were simple men and they needed the fellowship, they needed the synagogue and its worship. Joan of Arc said, ‘It is better to be alone with God.’ Sometimes, loneliness in society is the price of fellowship with God. (DBD) It does not exactly jump out at you but there is a plea, subdued as it may be…for unity of spirit, a coming together. We see it today if we look closely at the Christian Community.  Many things are done in the church community in the name of God but in actuality it is their own idea of religion. In their minds they believe they have sole possession of God’s truth and grace. This lack of unity in the faith leaves us with a barrier of unity between believers and churches. While today it does not always lead to exclusion from God’s house, we still are faced with those who believe there is only one way to Him. To put these first four verses in simple laymen’s terms…Jesus is saying to the disciples….I am offering you the hardest task in the world… Are you big enough to accept it?

From across the centuries  there comes that question again but phrased differently… Are We? The way of the cross is not one of ease but it is the way to glory. Jesus wants men and women who with eyes wide open are ready to venture forth in His name. Next week we will move on to verses 5-11…Hope you will join us then, in The Pew. 

Life is Good

jk

As a nation we are uncertain about our future. The cultural and societal changes being driven by the social justice warriors and generational culture changes have brought this uncertainty on us. The uncertainty has found its way into our churches as well.

For the disciples this was a time of great uncertainty. Taking some literary liberty I get the impression that they were confused and uncertain about what Jesus is saying to them in this chapter. Consider this…there are many things happening in our world today that impact our life and not always in a good way. I try hard to keep the blogs from “The Pew” out of the politics of the day. If you are a Christian and have done your homework you know that from the Garden to this very day sin and the cost of it have always been with us. As an example…Leviticus is a book of the OT that is mostly about laws that kept the Hebrew people safe, healthy and peaceful. The laws found here were applied from 1445 bc until shortly after the death of Christ and the Temple being destroyed in 70AD. It is an important book because of the many laws contained in it are for the Jewish People and are seldom studied by Christians because Jesus freed us from the letter of the law. Scripture is always easily applied to situations of the current day. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

I believe we all would welcome some good works right now. I find it hard to believe that most Americans are satisfied with the “State of The Union” at this point in time. Let’s go back aways to the conversation Jesus was having with his disciples in Chapter 14. The ministry had never been an easy one and as time went by and His following increased, the pressure from both the Roman Government and Jewish influencers was I am sure felt by Jesus, the disciples and followers. Allow me to make another point…These 12 ordinary men were walking, talking, being instructed by no less than God incarnate …. How awesome is that! Jesus is slowly bringing them along on His journey to the cross and they fail to see not just a promise but a revelation! 

John 5:6-7

5 Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ 6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

In verses 15-17 of chapter 14 Jesus promises to send a helper to the disciples…

John 14:15–17  ‘If you love me, keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, I mean the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot receive him, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he remains among you and will be within you.’ 

Notice, Jesus equates their love for Him by keeping His commandments. One test of love is obedience. Jesus showed his love for God by His obedience to him.A bit of trivia here. Jesus knew we were weak and he prepared us for that weakness he knew would lay heavy on us after he was gone. The authorized version gives it as the comforter. The Greek word is really untranslatable…one early theologian translates it as helper. If that does anything for it, it certainly adds a richness to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit…it simply means someone who is called in. Works for me. How often in the turmoil of this world do we have to call in the spirit to strengthen and lift us up in times of uncertainty? 

John 14:18-24

18 ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ 23 Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

Here is yet another promise to not forget. We wrap this blog up with verses 25-27 chapter 14, another promise.

John 14:25-27

25 ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 

There is much in this world to cause us to fear the day or hesitate to give thanks for all we have…just remember the Promises. 

Life is Good

jk