God's Law and Grace Together - Part 3

Why is the law important?

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death

1 John 3:4 - Sin is the transgression of the law

Romans  3:23 - For all have sinned.

How do I escape the death penalty imposed by the law?

John 3:16 - God died for our sins and whosoever believes in him will have everlasting life.

John 3:7 - Must be born again

What part does the law play in our salvation?

Romans 3:20 - For by the law is the knowledge of sin

Psalms 19:7 - The law of God is perfect, converting the soul

Note: As a mirror reveals the dirt on someone’s face, but can't remove it, so the law of God reveals sin, but can't rid us of it. The law shows the problem and sends us to Christ for cleansing.

Can the Law save us?

Ephesians 2:8-9 - for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. If is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Note: Paul teaches us in the New Testament that the law is good for showing us our sin and our need for Christ, but alone it can't save us. We need the grace of Jesus. Those who have received forgiveness and pardon for their sins are under grace, and no longer under the death penalty that the law demanded.

What enables a person to keep the commandments?

1 Corinthians 3:16 - Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth within you?

John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commandments.

Note:  We don't keep the law to be saved, we keep it because we are saved!

Are the Ten Commandments binding for New Testament Christians?

Matthew 5:17-18 - Think not that I have come to destroy the law, but I have come to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 19:17 - If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commandments.

Note: The principles embodied in the 10 commandments are a part of God's character of love. These laws show us how to come into harmony with God's nature. When they are presented the rebellious heart says " How can I get out of keeping the 10 commandments"? The heart that loves God wants to keep them and come into unity and harmony with God. So the 10 Commandments are binding for not only New Testament Christians, but for all Christians, which in turn are really called Bible Believing Christians.

The Two Laws in the Bible

God gave us two sets of laws at Mt. Sinai. The Law of Moses and the Moral Law. The Bible supports both, but clearly shows that only God's Law is still valid and Moses's Law is not anymore since it was done away with. Take a look at the evidence I listed below comparing God’s Law and Moses’s Law. Notice how I draw from both the old and new testaments to support this. Moses's Law is sometimes called "The Ceremonial Laws."

God's Law

Isaiah 5:24 - Called The Law of the Lord

James 2:8 - Called the Royal Law

Exodus 31: 18, 32:16 - Written by God on stone

Exodus 40:20 - Placed inside the ark

Luke 16:17 - Will stand forever

Romans 7:7, 3:20 - Points out sin

1 John 5:3 - Not Grievous

James 2:10-12 - Judges all men

Romans 7:14 - Spiritual

Psalm 19: 7 – Perfect

Moses Law

Luke 2:22 - Called the law of Moses

Ephesians 2:15 - Called the law contained in ordinances

2 Chronicles 35:12 - Written by Moses in a book

Deuteronomy 31:26 - Placed in the side of the ark

Ephesians 2:15 - Moses law ended at the cross

Galatians 3:19 - Added because of sin

Colossians 2:14-16 - Contrary to us and judges no man

Hebrews 7:16 - It's Carnal

Hebrews 7:19 - Made nothing perfect

If that wasn't evidence enough for the 10 Commandments still being valid here are the 10 Commandments listed from both the Old and New Testaments found in the Bible. It's pretty cool because most people only know of the 10 Commandments in Exodus in the Old Testament. But people miss that the same 10 Commandments are clearly stated by Jesus in the New Testament.

Old Testament - 10 Commandments found in Exodus Chapter 20

First Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards God)

1. Thou shalt not have no other gods before me

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image/ idols

3. Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, nor they son, nor they daughter, nor thy manservant, or they maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor they stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Second Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards Man)

5. Honor thy father and mother

6. Thou shalt not kill

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery

8. Thou shalt not steal

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house, nor wife, nor his manservant, or maidenservant, his ox, nor anything that is thy neighbor.

New Testament - Same 10 Commandments found in the New Testament

First Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards God)

1.      Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve - Matthew 4:10

2.      Little children, keep yourselves from idols. For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device - 1 John 5:21, Acts 17:29.

3.      That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed - 1 Timothy 6:1

4.      Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his work. There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth - Matthew 24:20, Mark 2:27, 28, Hebrews 4:4,9,10, and Colossians 1:16.

Second Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards Man)

 5. Honor thy father and they mother - Matthew 19:19

6.  Thou shalt not kill - Romans 13:9

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery - Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal - Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness - Romans 13:9

10. Thou shalt not covet - Romans 7:7

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yea we establish the law. Wherefore the law is body, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. For by the law is the knowledge of sin - Romans 3:31, 7:12, and 3:20.

So as you can see if you follow the whole Bible you should be following the 10 commandments of the Bible as Jesus states we should be following, which are still valid, from both the Old and New Testaments. They are the same 10 commandments in the Old and the New, and Jesus never got rid of them or changed them. So in my mind all Christians who study there Bible should at some point become Commandment keepers which would by default make them Sabbath keepers because they love God and they finally see with there own eyes from the Bible that it's the truth right from God's very mouth. The reason people don't is because they are still fighting within themselves in trying to get around them in some way or another, mainly because it messes up there lives or there worldly schedules. We must pray for these people for God to work on there hearts in time. Everybody is at different places in there walk with Christ. It's not our job to convert people to Bible truth, it's God's.

God's Law and Grace Together - Part 2

Matthew 5:16-17 - ok with this verse some people think God came to fulfill the law which means he came to do away with it. This isn't what the verse says or teaches. Ok for example suppose that the word "fulfill" means to do away with. Would that make sense if you re-read the verse? No it wouldn't. It would make Jesus contradict himself. Ok no read Matthew 3:15 - Does fulfill mean to do away with all righteousness? No of course not....so why would it mean to do away with in Matthew 5:16-17. Remember the Bible never contradicts itself. Remember let the Bible interpret itself and you will be ok. Jesus came to magnify the law the whole time he was on earth. We can only obey the 10 commandments after he saves us, not before.

Here is another awesome example.....does Jesus say to the Israelites in Egypt keep my law and I will get you out of Egypt? Or was the first step to sacrifice a lamb? Then they began a long journey out, then they crossed the red sea, ect, ect. Then they were labeled FREE.....then after that Jesus gives them bread from heaven and water from a rock all just to show that he loves them. Then after that he brings them to mt. Sinai and gives them the 10 commandments as you will read in Exodus 20:1 and so forth. They keep the law AFTER THEY WERE SAVED…..this is key to understand and see. God brought them to the wilderness to teach them to obey. THEN he took them to the promise land the rest of the way. Now those who heard the Will of God and still refused to obey....did they make it to the promised land? No they did not. There bodies dropped in the wilderness before they got to the promise land. Re-read the story if you doubt.

You are not saved by keeping the law, but not going to heaven deliberately breaking it either. I hope you take the time to study this and more about God's law, his Grace, his love, and his character....and how they all go together to paint the true picture of what God is like and what he wants from his children so we can be the happiest people in this life and to also accept the free gift of eternal life.

Questions….So we are not saved by keeping the law, but not going to heaven deliberately breaking it either. Why? Well it's because we could not be trusted in heaven in this state. Remember did Satan break God's law? Yes he did? He started sin. If Satan was casted out for sinning we are not going into heaven that way. Jesus only wants us in heaven if we can be trusted and want to be in heaven of our own free will. Not just to get there because we don't want to die when Jesus comes back. There is no cutting corners with this. Thats why Jesus has to transform us to get us into a state to be ready to go to heaven. That’s what this whole life is about for us here on earth. To get ourselves and as many others ready for heaven as possible during our lives here and now. But we can only do that by accepting Jesus, understanding who he is, why he died for us, why his law protects us, and that we have each as individuals want to do good by him not only through faith but obeying because he is creator and knows all things. That’s why he gave us the Bible. It's an instruction book on how we should live. We need to become more and more like Christ in character. To understand that we are saved only through grace and faith in Jesus, but Jesus also states that we will be judged by our works and how we live and that if we truly love him we will obey his commandments as a joy, not a burden.

We can not be saved by keeping the law....if we could then Jesus didn't need to die. But that's the only way we can be saved, through his sacrifice. Ok you have heard this before "We are not under the law, but under Grace right? some people interrupt that to mean, not being under the law means we are free to disobey. No of course not. Did Jesus save us so we can sin? Or did he save us from sin? Ok here is a question....can the devil temp us to sin and get us to break God's law? Yes of course. Well God can free us from that sin right? Well some people believe that we can't keep God's commandments because the devil can temp us to sin, but God can't keep us from sin. Think about that? That means that those people are saying that there devil is bigger then there God!! I mean there are a lot of people who believe that and they will say well we are all human, and they will say well who's perfect? But what I'm saying is that the 10 Commandments/Law of God is a perfect standard. If we keep lowing the standard to what everybody else is doing then it just keeps going down and down and down. That’s what’s happening in the world and mostly in this country which is sad.  People today are being told that in order to reach more people for the church, the church has to lower the standard of the world to make it easier for the world to get into the church. God in his Bible is saying no, you’re supposed to bring the world up to where God is. As soon as we stop talking about the law of God then church just becomes pot lucks and social activities. It then doesn't talk about salvation from sin and victory and new life. That’s the danger from getting away from God’s law in church. Remember Hebrews 8:10….I will put my law in there minds and write them in there hearts or Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me. When God’s law is in the heart….that is the new covenant  Jeremiah 31:31. The new covenant is in the old testament. The new covenant is I will write my laws in there hearts and cause them to walk in my statures.  The old covenant is the law written on stone. Jesus says I will make a new covenant and write my laws in there minds and hearts. So the question here would be…..how does God get his law in our hearts?  Well love has a transforming power. When you fall in love with somebody you want to please them right? You would do anything you could to make them happy right? The 10 commandments are summed up in, love your God and love your neighbor. The way you demonstrate love for God is through the first 4 commandments. The way you demonstrate love for your neighbor is through the last 6 commandments. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Question…..if you had kids would you kill your child? No, and why wouldn't you kill your child….well because there is a law that says you will go to jail if you do right? Is that why you don’t kill your child? I mean some people do it in spite of the law. Most people like you and I don’t even consider the law (even though there is a law that says you can’t kill) because we would love our child so much that we don’t even think about it. My point is that when you really love Jesus, then keeping all of his commandments and laws are automatic. Didn't Jesus die so that we are no longer under the law but under grace? Doesn't grace mean that we no longer obey? No.  Under grace means that you are no longer under the penalty of the law. When you come to Jesus you are under the penalty of the law, the penalty is sin. When you accept Jesus you are no longer under the death penalty. Your now standing on the law which is your foundation….your under grace. Do we then make void the law through faith, no God forbid Romans 3:31. When somebody is under grace they are more careful then anybody to obey God’s law because they are a new creature now.

Jesus died on the cross to wipe away our sins which gave us a second chance at life. He gave us a second chance to choose Jesus, become transformed in mind, heart, and character so we are ready for heaven and can be in heaven. This will always be true my friend. Like I stated before in my post, we can’t be saved by keeping the 10 commandments by itself. Not any of them, not keep no other God’s before me, not don’t kill, not even keeping the Sabbath day which I think is the most important commandment. There is a HUGE difference in keeping the commandments to be saved vs keeping the commandments BECAUSE WE ARE SAVED and WE LOVE JESUS ENOUGH THAT WE WANT TO OBEY HIM. You will never understand God’s principles, laws, or how he wants us to live unless you come to love Jesus and have a personal relationship with him all on your own. Nobody else can do it for you. It has to start with Jesus then the rest will come in time. So remember grace will always be enough to save us, but it doesn't give us a license to sin or to not obey God’s law and it sure doesn't erase God’s law from existence. You shouldn't be keeping God’s law out of fear either or just to not get God’s wrath in the final judgment. God doesn't want that at all. God’s law wasn't meant to make us miserable or to put fear in us that we have to keep it. God set up his law because he loves us, wants to protect us, and wants us to obey because we love him. His law keeps us safe from harm. Without God’s law we wouldn't need a savior, that’s why Satan is attacking it so hard, and has been since the beginning of time like I already stated. As far as intentional sin goes vs accidental sin…..the Bible is clear that there is no level of sin. If you kill somebody and I lie or steal my sin is just as great. No matter how big or how small the sin is….sin is sin. Ezekiel 18:4 says that the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, ect, ect. There are plenty of verses on no levels of sin.

God's Law and Grace Together - Part 1

"My Son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands, for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you". - Proverbs 3:1-2

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men to do so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:16-19

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? - James 2:14
"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only". - James 2:24

"If you love me, keep my commandments" - John 14:15

Ok time for another Bible study. This time I have done one on God's Law and Grace. Jesus intended the Law to be kept while at the same time show Love and Grace to others. Most people subtract one or the other out of there belief system in practice, that is not what the Bible or Jesus supports. The devil is attacking the law of God because the law is a reflection of God's will. It helps us be aware of our sin, then we go to Jesus to be cleansed. Satan is attacking the law of God why....because by the law is the knowledge of sin, if you don't have a knowledge of sin there is no law, where there is no law there is no transgression. Where there is no transgression there is no penalty, if there is no penalty you don't need a savior. The law doesn't take away our sin, it helps us realize that we need Jesus. So when people say we don't need the law anymore, that's just not biblical and a doctrine of devils.

Mark 10:17-22 - Jesus talks about in these verses that he wants us to keep the commandments. This is the story of the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler says he did keep all 10 since he was a boy, he says that to to Jesus, but he really didn't remember. The law of God is the foundation of God's government. Remember that sin is the knowing to do good but no doing it. Not only do you have sin's that you commit like murder, hitting your brother, lusted for the opposite sex, ectect.....but also sins of omission....for example you can kill a person by running them over with your car.....or you can kill a person by driving past them bleeding on the side of the road and not stopping to help them. Today people say that hey I don't kill, don't cheat, don't steal, ect. But they don't do what God really wants them to do. They don't listen to that voice inside calling for them, reaching out to them. I personally believe that there will be more people who don't make it to heaven because of sins of omission....raises the bar a bit doesn't it. (me included).

Romans 14:23 - Jesus talks in this verse about how everything that is not of faith is sin. So if you have doubts about something your doing maybe it's because it's wrong and your feeling guilty....and thats a good thing. The sad thing is that in todays world you have pastors on tv and all over the world in different church's teaching that the 10 commandments is the old testament and we are living in the new testament now. So we need to keep the new covenant, which is the new commandments which are in John 13:34....which is to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, strength, and love your neighbor as yourself....and these are things that we should do. But when Jesus quoted the new commandments he meant a new concept because Jesus was quoting Moses who wrote the first books of the Bible. I mean he wrote the book of Genesis, how much older can you get haha. It's the first book of the bible. Talking more about this point you will find in Deuteronomy 6:4 - Again Jesus talks about how he was saying that this is a new concept for you. God gave us the 10 commandments to protect us.

Remember 1 Timothy 6: 18-19 – It says Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.


We are not saved by keeping the 10 commandments that are still valid today, we are saved by grace through faith. But are we judged by our works....oh yes we are. The Bible is very clear that we will be judged and rewarded by our works in this life. Matthew 7:15-20 - Jesus sayd by your fruits / works you will know them. For example if somebody say's they are a Christian, but is a serial killer as a side job....I'm sorry but I don't care what they say there works and the way they live tell me and show me that they are a lier and the truth is not in them - 1 John 2:4. A ton of people take the name of Jesus in vain. Jesus did not die to give us a license to sin. He died to prove that when he is inside of us he can change us and can empower us to be different!! God's law can never be changed. Matthew 7:24 - He who hears these words and does them is like the one who builds his house on a rock. He is a question I need to ask now.....did Jesus write the 10 commandments in stone? Yes he did. Stone means what....forever right?? Did he write it with his own finger? Yes he did!!

Psalms 40:8 - It says the will of God is a delight, written in my heart. Meaning that we should obey God because we love him and want to do things that please him, not hurt him. Matthew 7:21 - It says not all who say Lord Lord will go to the kingdom of heaven. Those who do the will of God will go to heaven....meaning once you love Jesus, have a personal relationship with him, then obeying and doing HIS WILL in your life will become a joy and as easier as it is to breath!! But you MUST HAVE JESUS and LOVE HIM FIRST....if not then you will never want to keep his 10 commandments, you will look at them as burdens instead of joys!! I mean you like to do good by your parents right? People do that all the time....well try doing it with God as well. I mean why not with God. He is your father, savior, and creator.

To me it's just silly for Christians to say that the law is not as important as grace or that it has no place. I mean just look at some of the verses I have been providing in this study....the Bible speaks for itself. I mean as you talk to people about the law you will make people become aware of there sin and they will feel bad. Nobody wants to feel bad, but before you come to Jesus for cleansing you gota feel bad. Jesus doesn't want you to feel bad forever, but he wants you to realize you got a problem (myself included) so you come to the foot of the cross for cleansing. The law shows us that we have sin and are dirty, but grace saves us.

We are in an age now where we are told that having or feeling guilt is bad, don't feel guilty. For example if your kid steals and he comes up to you and says....don't put guilt on me mom and dad, I'm human, I'm not perfect. I'm only human. Wouldn't you be upset if your kid had that attitude? You would start to worry right....like big time worry? We are being taught today that we aren't suppose to feel bad about doing bad. The law is supposed to make us realize that we have dirt on our face so we come to Jesus to be cleansed by the blood of the lamb. Amen right? We need the law. The Devil takes away the law which takes away our need for Christ. The most sad thing is that pastors are teaching people these kind of things. It's giving people the wrong and false idea of who Jesus is and what his Bible says.

The Devil's Workers Meeting

As the people of God approach the perils of the last days, Satan holds earnest consultation with his angels as to the most successful plan of overthrowing their faith. He sees that the popular churches are already lulled to sleep by his deceptive power. By pleasing sophistry and lying wonders he can continue to hold them under his control. Therefore he directs his angels to lay their snares especially for those who are looking for the second advent of Christ and endeavoring to keep all the commandments of God.

Read the account of Satan's meeting with his evil angels:

Says the great deceiver: "We must watch those who are calling the attention of the people to the Sabbath of Jehovah; they will lead many to see the claims of the law of God; and the same light which reveals the true Sabbath reveals also the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, and shows that the last work for man’s salvation is now going forward. Hold the minds of the people in darkness till that work is ended, and we shall secure the world and the church also.

The Sabbath is the great question which is to decide the destiny of souls. We must exalt the Sabbath of our creating. We have caused it to be accepted by both world-lings and church members; now the church must be led to unite with the world in its support. We must work by signs and wonders to blind their eyes to the truth, and lead them to lay aside reason and the fear of God and follow custom and tradition.

I will influence popular ministers to turn the attention of their hearers from the commandments of God. That which the Scriptures declare to be a perfect law of liberty shall be represented as a yoke of bondage. The people accept their ministers' explanations of Scripture and do not investigate for themselves. Therefore, by working through the ministers, I can control the people according to my will.

But our principal concern is to silence this sect of Sabbath keepers. We must excite popular indignation against them. We will enlist great men and worldly-wise men upon our side, and induce those in authority to carry out our purposes. Then the Sabbath which I have set up shall be enforced by laws the most severe and exacting. Those who disregard them shall, be driven out from the cities and villages, and made to suffer hunger and privation. When once we have the power, we will show what we can do with those who will not swerve from their allegiance to God. We led the Romish church to inflict imprisonment, torture, and death upon those who refused to yield to her decree, and now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm of our strength, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who will not submit to our authority. When death shall be made the penalty of violating our Sabbath, then many who are now ranked with commandment keepers will come over to our side.

But before proceeding to these extreme measures, we must exert all our wisdom and subtlety to deceive and ensnare those who honor the true Sabbath. We can separate many from Christ by worldliness, lust, and pride. They may think themselves safe because they believe the truth, but indulgence of appetite or the lower passions, which will confuse judgment and destroy discrimination, will cause their fall.

Go, make the possessors of lands and money drunk with the cares of this life. Present the world before them in its most attractive light, that they may lay up their treasure here and fix their affections upon earthly things. We must do our utmost to prevent those who labor in God's cause from obtaining means to use against us. Keep the money in our own ranks. The more means they obtain, the more they will injure our kingdom by taking from us our subjects. Make them care more for money than for the up building of Christ's kingdom and the spread of the truths we hate, and we need not fear their influence; for we know that every selfish, covetous person will fall under our power, and will finally be separated from God's people.

Through those that have a form of godliness but know not the power, we can gain many who would otherwise do us harm. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God will be our most effective helpers. Those of this class who are apt and intelligent will serve as decoys to draw others into our snares. Many will not fear their influence, because they profess the same faith. We will thus lead them to conclude that the requirements of Christ are less strict than they once believed, and that by conformity to the world they would exert a greater influence with world lings. Thus they will separate from Christ; then they will have no strength to resist our power, and erelong they will be ready to ridicule their former zeal and devotion.

Until the great decisive blow shall be struck, our efforts against commandment keepers must be untiring. We must be present at all their gatherings. In their large meetings, especially, our cause will suffer much, and we must exercise great vigilance, and employ all our seductive arts to prevent souls from hearing the truth and becoming impressed by it.

I will have upon the ground, as my agents, men holding false doctrines mingled with just enough truth to deceive souls. I will also have unbelieving ones present who will express doubt in regard to the Lord's messages of warning to His church. Should the people read and believe these admonitions, we could have little hope of overcoming them. But if we can divert their attention from these warnings, they will remain ignorant of our power and cunning, and we shall secure them in our ranks at last. God will not permit His words to be slighted with impunity. If we can keep souls deceived for a time, God's mercy will be withdrawn, and He will give them up to our full control.

We must cause distraction and division. We must destroy their anxiety for their own souls, and lead them to criticize, to judge, and to accuse and condemn one another, and to cherish selfishness and enmity. For these sins, God banished us from His presence; and all who follow our example will meet a similar fate."

I posted this after reading it from a book called The Great Controversy, 1884 edition, pages 337-340. Even if you don't agree with everything from this book you can't deny that after reading this, the devil has completed or is currently completing everything mentioned in this post. It's eye opening and makes you aware and think doesn't it?

The State of Hell and What It Is - Part 3

Death, Not Eternal Torment
The Bible tells us that "the wages of sin is" not eternal life in hellfire, but "death" (Romans 6:23). The same penalty God assured Adam and Eve would be theirs if they ate the forbidden fruit. Ezekiel states clearly that "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). The prophet Malachi wrote that sinners would burn up as "stubble" and would become "ashes under the soles" of the feet of the redeemed (Malachi 4:1, 3).  Even the final fate of Satan is explicitly pronounced in Ezekiel 28:18, where the Bible says that the enemy of souls will be reduced to ashes upon the "earth". Compare that with Psalm 37:10 ("For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be") and also Psalm 68:2 ("as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God"). You will soon get a clear picture that the purpose of the fires of hell is to eradicate sin and to expunge the universe of its awful presence. Interestingly enough and no surprise (come on should it be lol) that it was the devil who was first to suggest that sinners would not die (read Genesis 3:4).  A hell where sinners never perish would prove the devil right and would make God, who told Eve she would "surely die" as a result of transgression (Genesis 2:17), a liar.

Their Worm Dieth Not ...

The Bible says that hell-fire will not be quenched and that “their worm dieth not.” (See Mark 9:43-48 and Isaiah 66:24).  Doesn’t this prove the immortality of the soul?

Ok so even if we should agree that unquenched means endlessly burning, we would not find it necessary to accept the doctrine that at death an immortal soul is freed from man and lives apart from the body. These texts do not speak of disembodied souls, or spirits, burning.  The Bible paints a very clear picture of literal, wicked men at the judgment day being “cast into the lake of fire”  (read Revelation 20). Christ speaks of the “whole body” being “cast into hell.” (read Matthew 5:29-30.)  If somebody says to you that the body will be destroyed by the flames, and therefore only the spirit would be left, I say ask for the Bible proof that spirits, or souls, are impervious to fire.  Christ declared we should “fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (read Matthew 10:28).  If  “destroy” means consume as regards the “body”, we need to demand very very clear proof if we are expected to believe that “destroy” means to leave unconsumed as regards the “soul.”  A failure to produce such proof really takes the whole point out of the objection based on Mark 9 and Isaiah 66. In Mark 9:43-48 Christ quite evidently refers to the same judgment fires as those described in Isaiah 66:24, where we read:  “They (the righteous) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses (“dead bodies,”) of the men that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched.”  We are also told in so many words that the agencies of “work” and “fire” are working, not upon disembodied spirits, but upon bodies, dead bodies.

The word “hell” used in Mark 9:43-48 is from the Greek word Gehenna if you look it up or have a Bible concordance.  This term is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Hinnom, the name of a valley near Jerusalem, “which was used as a place to cast carcasses of animals and malefactors, which were consumed by fire and constantly kept up.” (See Liddell and Scott’s Greek Lexicon which I googled). Christ here uses this valley of Hinnom to teach His hearers the fate that awaits the wicked.  Certainly the Jews who heard His words could not possibly have obtained any idea of wicked, disembodied souls endlessly suffering.  They saw in Hinnom dead bodies being devoured by flames, or if the flames did not reach them, then devoured by worms, those ever-present agents of destruction and disintegration.  The fact that the fires of Gehenna were ever kept burning, were “not quenched,” was the surest proof that whatever was cast into them would be entirely consumed.  To declare that if a fire keeps ever burning, then whatever is cast into it keeps ever living, is to go contrary both to the evidence of our senses and to the testimony of Scripture. The question may now be asked:  If whatever is cast into this fire is completely consumed, why will the fire always be kept burning?  The answer is, it will not. For example  a city-wide fire once enveloped Chicago.  If we should describe that fire by saying that the flames could not be quenched, would you conclude that Chicago was still burning?  No, you would simply understand that the fire raged until it had devoured everything within reach.  Common knowledge makes unnecessary the additional statement that the fire itself then died down. It is this natural sense of the word “quench” that we find used in the Bible.  The Lord through Jeremiah declared to the ancient Jews, “If you will not hearken unto me, …then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof (of Jerusalem), and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”  Jeremiah 17:27.  (In the Septuagint the very same Greek root is here used for “quenched” as in Mark 9.)  In 2 Chronicles 36:19-21 we read of the literal fulfillment of this prophecy when the Babylonians put the torch to the city.  Is that fire still burning? No it’s not!!  Are those Jewish “palaces” ever consuming, but never quite consumed?  How preposterous, you say? Well then think about this….why then should anyone wish to take Christ’s statement in Mark 9 and force from it the conclusion that the judgment fire will never end, and then build upon this conclusion that the wicked will ever be consuming, but never quite consumed…and then finally rear upon all this the conclusion that therefore the wicked have immortal souls? Each and every one of these conclusions is unwarranted by logic and contrary to Scripture.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that souls are immortal, but declares that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4. So that’s pretty clear to me. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the wicked will ever be consuming. Instead it declares that they will become  “ashes.”  Malachi 4:3.  The Bible does not say that the judgment fires will burn endlessly, for we read that these fires are due to God’s setting ablaze this wicked earth, and that follows with Him creating “a new earth.”  (See 2 Peter 3:7-13 and Revelation 20 and 21.).  There must therefore be an end to the fire, else this earth could not be re-created.  In other words, the very promise of God to give us a new earth where in dwelleth righteousness is contingent upon there being an end to the judgment fires.

The State of Hell and What It Is - Part 2

The Rich Man & Lazarus

Doesn't the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 teach an eternal hell of torment?

No!! It is simply a parable used to emphasize a point.  Many facts make it clear that this is a parable.....such as.....
Abraham's bosom is not heaven (Hebrews 11:8-10, 16). People in hell can't talk to those in heaven (Isaiah 65: 17). The dead are in their graves (Job 17:13; John 5:28, 29).  The rich man was in bodily form with eyes, a tongue, etc., yet we know that the body does not go to hell at death.  It is very obvious that the body remains in the grave, as the Bible says. Men are rewarded at Christ's second coming, not at death (Revelation 22:11, 12). The lost are punished in hell at the end of the world, not when they die (Matthew 13:40-42). 

 

The point of the story is found in verse 31 of Luke 16.  Parables cannot be taken literally.  If we took parables literally, then we must believe that trees talk!  (See this parable in Judges 9:8-15). By representing the beggar as being in heaven and the rich man as lost, Jesus taught His hearers that, contrary to the prevailing view, wealth was not necessarily an indicator of divine favor, just as poverty was not a sign of God's judgment upon a person. Jesus was also seeking to educate the Jews that salvation would not be theirs by birthright.  The rich man in torments calls out to "father Abraham," just as the Jews of Jesus' day were mistakenly pointing to heritage as proof of their assurance of salvation. Furthermore, Jesus was seeking to lead His hearers to understand that only faithfulness to God's Word would prepare them to enter into eternal life.  He told them, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:31).To use the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in order to promote the false doctrine of an eternally burning hell is to misuse God's Word and to misrepresent His character.

Other points are that the Bible says plainly that the righteous dead will receive new bodies at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:51,52) and the risen wicked a thousand years later (Revelation 20:5). So this story contradicts the plain words of the Bible by giving new bodies before the second coming. In light of all this, it seems clear that the story again cannot be literal and must be a parable. Why would Jesus not plainly state that the story is a parable? Ok so let’s identify the audience. According to verse 14, Christ is speaking to the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed and taught many things that were not according to the Scriptures. Among them was that the Jews, upon their death, would go to Abraham’s bosom to live in paradise. This version of the belief in an immortal soul had its roots in the kingdom of Babylon, not in the Scriptures, and was not universally accepted by the Jewish people. (The Sadducees, another leading religious group, disbelieved in any resurrection at all.) Therefore, because Christ was speaking specifically to the Pharisees, He used their own language to emphasize His point. The Pharisees also viewed earthly wealth as a sign of God’s favor. Thus, when Christ told the story about the rich man going to hell while the beggar found comfort in heaven, He was directly attacking this idea. In combination with the language of Abraham’s bosom, the Pharisees knew exactly what Christ meant, which was that the Pharisees were incorrect in their traditions, understandings, and teachings. Christ repeatedly drew His listeners back to the Old Testament Scriptures such as (John 5:39, Matthew 22:29, Luke 24:27). So we should look at the abundance of Scriptural evidence that supports the sleep of death while awaiting the resurrection to draw our conclusions about death, rather than a single story that is illogical unless understood as a parable. Additionally, Christ Himself taught that the dead sleep in their graves until they hear His voice (John 5:25). So in my mind I think it’s clear, that the parable of the rich man and Lazarus does not support the idea of immediate life in heaven or hell after death.

Unquenchable Fire

Why does the Bible say that the wicked will be destroyed with unquenchable fire?

Unquenchable fire is fire that cannot be put out, but which goes out when it has turned everything to ashes.  Remember that Jeremiah 17:27 says Jerusalem was to be destroyed with unquenchable fire, and in 2 Chronicles 36:19-21 the Bible says this fire burned the city "to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah" and left it desolate.  Yet we know this fire went out, because Jerusalem is not burning today haha.

The word to quench means to extinguish or put out.  No one will be able to put out the fire of hell.  That is the strange fire of God.  No one will be able to escape from it by extinguishing it.  Isaiah talks about that fire, "Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it" (Isaiah 47:14).  After it has accomplished its work of destruction, that fire will go out.  No one can deliver themselves from its flame by putting it out, but finally not a coal will be left says the Scriptures.

Forever and Ever

But the Bible speaks of the wicked being tormented "forever," doesn't it?
The term "for ever," as used in the Bible, means simply a period of time, limited or unlimited.  It is used 56 times in the Bible in connection with things that have already ended.  It is like the word "tall," which means something different in describing men, trees, or mountains.  In Jonah 2:6, "for ever" means "three days and nights." (See also Jonah 1:17.) In Deuteronomy 23:3, this means "10 generations."  In the case of man, this means "as long as he lives" or "until death."  (See 1 Samuel 1:22, 28; Exodus 21:6; Psalm 48:14.). So the wicked will burn in the fire as long as they live, or until death. This fiery punishment for sin will vary according to the degree of sins for each individual, but after the punishment, the fire will go out.  The teaching of eternal torment has done more to drive people to atheism and insanity than any other invention of the devil.  It is slander upon the loving character of a tender, gracious heavenly Father and has done untold harm to the Christian cause and name itself.

The State of Hell and What It Is - Part 1

Is Hell Eternal

There are two principle views among Christians. The Bible is very clear that the wicked are punished, that there is a lake of fire. On one side you can stack quite a few Scriptures that talk about the wicked being mortal, not immortal, that they perish, they die, they’re consumed, they are no more.  Then there are some Scriptures where it talks about Satan being tormented day and night forever and ever in the lake of fire. And that of course is Revelation 20.  When you put all these Scriptures side by side, it seems like the bulk of evidence is on the side that the wicked are not immortalized in hell, so that 50 billion years from now they’re still burning. The history of that doctrine can be traced to the Dark Ages, and the church during the Dark Ages found it was very lucrative to scare people. They were told that they could pray even after someone died and to get them out of purgatory, or they could make offerings and the priest could pray that they would not go to hell. If you look up this information you will find that this doctrine grew big time out of Greek Mythology where the Jewish belief was that people are going to be punished according to what they deserved and then they would perish. Bottom line is that there are two choices for the Christian:  life and death.  Remember Satan said to Eve, ‘you will not really die.’  God said, ‘you will die.’  How many Christians, even Preachers, have taken the devil’s side?  They say you don’t really die – you live forever in heaven or you live forever in hell.  Eternal life does not go to those who are thrown in the lake of fire.

Why people are scared of hell?

The Bible does teach that there is a lake of fire.  That’s in Revelation 20 again.  The Bible says in Malachi 4 that “All that do wickedly shall be burned up. It will leave them neither root nor branch.”  In Revelation 20 it says that “The wicked are cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.”  So there’s no question that the wicked are punished, every man according to his deeds.  Some preachers, in an effort to try to get people to come to church using fear as a motive, have expanded the teaching of hell beyond what the Bible says.  And they tell people that hell is burning right now.  Well, the Bible is very clear that people don’t burn in hell until after the judgment day and the resurrection.  So nobody’s burning in hell right now because it says they’re reserved for judgment—again in  2 Peter. So there are a lot of pastors who've tried to motivate people by fear, but that’s the wrong reason.  Jesus said ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments.’  He doesn't want us to follow Him because of fear of hell, but rather from a desire to be with Him because we love Him, because we know Him.

Where do people go when they die

Well, there’s all kinds of wacky theories out there, everything from reincarnation to limbo to Abraham’s bosom to purgatory.  The Bible tells us that when a person dies they sleep until the resurrection.  If they’re lost it’s called the resurrection of the damned.  Jesus says, Behold the hour is coming (in the Gospel of John) in which all that are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. So you've got two resurrections.  Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4 that the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Well then you go to Revelation 20 and by the way, if the dead in Christ rise first, then who would be second?  That would be the lost!....the ones that are not in Christ.  Remember Revelation 20 says that “Blessed are those that have part in the first resurrection”.  The rest of the dead come forth in the second resurrection in Revelation 20.  So it’s very clear that there is a resurrection of the damned that Jesus refers to, so until that resurrection when they are judged, at the great white throne judgment, the wicked are in their graves.  It says they are reserved. Peter says in the New Testament—they are reserved until the day of judgment. The Bible is very clear.  You and I live in a dimension of time.  You know, we look at clocks and watches all day long.  God is not restricted to that.  When someone dies, whether they’re saved or lost, they don’t know about the time that they’re asleep as far as we’re concerned.  Their next conscious thought is the resurrection of the just, or, if they’re lost, the resurrection of judgment and punishment. They’re not floating around in limbo.  They’re not burning in purgatory.  But as far as they’re concerned there’s no time.  So when our loved ones die, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord; that means their next conscious thought is the resurrection.  There’s no time for them.  But as far as we’re concerned, they haven’t gone yet because the resurrection hasn't happened yet.

Is there a biblical purgatory?

There is no scripture that mentions purgatory, and there is no scripture or any chain of scriptures that really teaches that once a person dies that they can be saved after death by virtue of what people in this life are doing. The teaching of purgatory, that the priests can pray or someone can make a donation to the church and get someone out of hell really developed about a thousand years after Christ and it became a scheme for the church to basically capitalize on controlling salvation, or trying to capitalize on the idea that they control salvation. 

It comes from the word ‘purge’ and supposedly, you’re not quite good enough for heaven yet, but you’re going to go through a little bit of burning to get any little sin that might be left burned out, or boiled out, and how long you boil might not only depend on how bad you were but how people are praying for you. This is so contrary to the teachings of the Bible which is once you die you take your record with you.  People are not rewarded based on how others are praying for them once they die.  People take their record with them to their grave that they’ll meet in the resurrection and the judgment, and purgatory is just not found in Scripture.  It is really a teaching that came from pagan tradition. 

Everlasting Fire

Matthew 25:41 speaks of "everlasting fire" for the wicked.  Does it go out?

Yes, according to the Bible, it does.  We must let the Bible explain itself.  Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with everlasting, or eternal, fire (Jude 7), and that fire turned them "into ashes" as a warning to "those that after should live ungodly," 2 Peter 2:6.  These cities are not burning today.  The fire went out after everything was burned out.  Likewise, everlasting fire will go out after it has turned the wicked to ashes (Malachi 4:3).  The effects of the fire are everlasting, but not the burning itself.

Doesn't Matthew 25:46 say the wicked will receive "everlasting punishment"?
Notice the word is punishment, not punishing.  Punishing would be continuous, while punishment is one act.  The punishment of the wicked is death, and this death is everlasting.

The Bible’s 10 Tests of a Prophet

The Bible’s 10 tests of a Prophet

The Bible provides 10 key indicators that determine whether a person is truly receiving visions from God.
They are listed below.

1.  A true prophet’s predictions will “come to pass”                              (Jeremiah 28:9)

2.  He will glorify God rather than himself                                             (John 16:13)

3.  He does not give his own private interpretation                               ( 2 Peter 1:20, 21)

4.  He points out sin                                                                           (Micah 3:5-8)

5.  He warns of coming judgment                                                       (Isaiah 24:20, 21)

6.  He edifies the church                                                                     (1 Corinthians 14:3, 4)

7.  His message harmonizes with the Bible                                          (Isaiah 8:20)

8.  He teaches that Jesus came in the flesh                                         (1 John 4:1-3)

9.  He has a Christian character                                                         (Matthew 7:16-20).

10.  He is obedient to the will of God                                                 (Deuteronomy 18:18)

Modern psychics simply don’t measure up! Their predictions fail often. They seem more interested in acquiring fame than in glorifying God. They rarely point out sin or warn of judgment. They often espouse astrology, palm reading, reincarnation, and spirit communication — all of which are condemned in the Word of God. What’s worse is that they don’t adhere to biblical teaching, nor do they teach the Christian doctrine of Christ. Also the fruits of their teachings, as well as their lives, are often out of harmony with the Bible. Jesus says of them, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).