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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 4/21/2010 Posts: 1,457 Location: Michigan
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Stand by “us”
By Richard A. Wilson (guest columnist) | Thursday, January 06, 2011
No matter who we are, no matter how or where we live, no matter our station in life, there comes a time when we all need somebody to “stand by us.” To stand by us and hold us up as we, too, need to be there to hold others up. In essence, to stand in the gap wherever the “wall” of rightful faith and living is breached.
This is a Christian dynamic that is more relevant in today’s world than ever before.
Standards of behavior, ethics of one’s personal character and the sure, defined line between right and wrong are continually being ridiculed. Christian religious beliefs and the Christian way of life are now under attack, as never before.
It takes great courage and discipline to “stand by the truth” of the omnipotent God of the universe, belief in Jesus Christ and what He taught us, as recorded in the Bible. Many scoffers abound and say: “You are fools to believe in out-of-date writings and words that bring guilt and pain to one’s self. If God, exists then where is He? Show us this God and then, maybe, we will believe.”
Where is the faith of such doubters? Jesus, said in Luke 18:8: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
It seems as each new day unfolds, we live more and more in a “turn-inward to self” society, where a doing “what we please, no matter what” mindset prevails. If it feels good, then, do it! Even if it brings hurt, destruction and, at times, death to others. Where is the compassion, the concern, the love, the Christian standards and beliefs of outgoing concern for others?
As we, in this modern age, continue to rumble down the path towards “lawless darkness,” are we not aware of the coming consequences? Matthew 24:12 says: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
Never before, in the history of man, has there been so much knowledge and understanding, and yet, so much lawlessness and darkness. This world is truly reaping what it has sown.
Christians, need to “stand by each other” as never before, and “fill the gap” spoken of in Ezekiel 22:29-30: “The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man (or woman) among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”
In the song written by Ben E. King, “Stand By Me,” the lyrics go, “When the night has come/and the land is dark/and the moon is the only light we have/no I won’t be afraid/no I won’t be afraid just as long as you stand/stand by me.”
In some ways, it can be frightening to stand by each other and live by true Christian values. But, now is the time to draw close to the word of God and to have the courage to stand up and fill the gap while the word of God can still be heard. The time is coming when that will not be possible.
Amos 8:11-12 warns us: “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord God, ‘That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of Lord, but shall not find it.’”
There is a church organization that is truly “standing up and standing by” the word of God, humbly proclaiming to the world the true and righteous way to live before God. It may be quite different from anything you’ve ever heard before, but it is the word of God plainly spoken and written.
Contact the Living Church of God through our website: www.lcg.org.
• If you appreciate these insights – click here to receive them by email.For more info:CLICK HERECOG Writer LinkIf you open your bible be led by the Holy spirit.
Let God own you.
Do not believe doctrines of men.
Prove all things for yourself.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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wrote:No matter who we are, no matter how or where we live, no matter our station in life, there comes a time when we all need somebody to “stand by us.” To stand by us and hold us up as we, too, need to be there to hold others up.
What exactly does "standing by us" mean? I see no mention of asking for prayer for the LCOG. What I see is a link to "free" e-mails for so called "insight" along with many other things FOR SALE (magazines, cd's, bibles, etc...) to support the LCOG. Is this what you consider one "standing in the gap or holding you up? A Church that is according to Christian Apologetics and many, MANY experts is, "theologically" a Cult I might add. What some have discovered who have read their bibles and know and understand the basic truths of the scriptures is the LCOG is a Church that after splintering has slowly fallen back into many of the false doctrines of the late Mr Armstrong. You can also imo thank Roderick C. Meredith for this.
wrote:Christian religious beliefs and the Christian way of life are now under attack, as never before.
Consider this.... According to the LCOG, "we" the rest of Christianity are NOT "true or real Christians" anyway. Hmm, so who's really under attack and might there be sound reason for suspicion?
wrote:In some ways, it can be frightening to stand by each other and live by true Christian values. But, now is the time to draw close to the word of God and to have the courage to stand up and fill the gap while the word of God can still be heard. The time is coming when that will not be possible.
There it is again, "true Christian values". Don't you really mean "the LCOG's Christian values"? Anything other is not really "True Christianity" according to the LCOG. Right?
wrote:
There is a church organization that is truly “standing up and standing by” the word of God, humbly proclaiming to the world the true and righteous way to live before God. It may be quite different from anything you’ve ever heard before, but it is the word of God plainly spoken and written.
Sorry Marva but the bible is clear and in my view the LCOG has taken some of the scriptures way out of context on several topics. Kinda like a direct route from LA to NY via Japan or Germany. And again, the LCOG makes it quit clear that they view themselves as "Exclusive" (I agree) and the "Remnant Church", "the ONLY True Church" with the ONLY "Real or True Christians on the planet." And as opposed to what/whom? The remainder of us, lost and misled Christianity who couldn't possibly have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us or the knowledge of the truth? Seriously?!
IMO the LCOG preys on those who are not well read and educated in the bible. They also know these same folks will not take the time to read much less really understand your lenghty explanations concerning doctrine and unfortunately some will blindly accept your false beliefs as truth. You people are banking on it and that is the start of the mind control system the LCOG has become so expert in.
I already know you are going to wholeheartedly disagree and that's fine. But, I intend to post some things myself exposing some REAL TRUTHS directly from the Holy Bible. Concerning the LCOG and their deception techniques in mind control and how y'all twist scripture to fit your agenda, I will try my best through prayer to give our readers another view again based on biblical truths and facts without twisting the intended message God has given us.
Considering all the things us "false Christians" have been labeled during your short tenure here you shouldn't mind at all if perhaps a couple or few of us so called "false Christians" do a little digging ourselves and expose the false teachings and doctrine of the LCOG. I intend to "stand BY and ON the Word of God as evidence against the false doctrine that is being spread by the LCOG. That also only seems fair to the readers of this forum. I'll start soon and try to post something everyday.
Also, Marva this isn't about friendship or you trusting me but rather PLAIN TRUTH! I do think your a very nice person but I believe the doctrine you are endorsing (LCOG) is misleading and false.
See ya on the threads,
Sarge
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 7/1/2008
Posts: 640
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Something bugging you, Arty? You wanna talk about it?
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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 3,100 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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sarge wrote:
wrote:There is a church organization that is truly “standing up and standing by” the word of God, humbly proclaiming to the world the true and righteous way to live before God. It may be quite different from anything you’ve ever heard before, but it is the word of God plainly spoken and written.
Sorry Marva but the bible is clear and in my view the LCOG has taken some of the scriptures way out of context on several topics. Kinda like a direct route from LA to NY via Japan or Germany. And again, the LCOG makes it quit clear that they view themselves as "Exclusive" (I agree) and the "Remnant Church", "the ONLY True Church" with the ONLY "Real or True Christians on the planet." And as opposed to what/whom? The remainder of us, lost and misled Christianity who couldn't possibly have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us or the knowledge of the truth? Seriously?!
See ya on the threads,
Sarge
I find it pretty amusing reading how both the LCOG and the SDA are THE true church even though they have some fundamental differences. They both claim the sign of that TRUE worship is by keeping the seventh day Sabbath. I know of at least three OTHER churches that claim THEY are the TRUE church, the remnant church of Christ and they don't keep the seventh day Sabbath. All five of them claim there is no other way to Jesus but through THEIR organization showing the way.
Personally... I will just stick with the Bible and trust in God to find the way without any "help" from the organizations of men... at least if I end up in hell I won't have anyone else to blame.Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 4/21/2010 Posts: 1,457 Location: Michigan
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Hello Sarge.
I'm sorry your so angry, wow what an angry message and way off base. The LCOG is not a cult does not teach false doctrine, although it is probably different from what your used to hearing, therefore the animosity.
The best thing you could do if your concerned about this so called false doctrine is to prove by the Bible it is false. Give me your version of true doctrine and we will see if it lines up. Don't ya think that's better than these attacks at the LCOG?
The LCOG doesn't brainwash and we definitely use the Bible to prove the doctrines. That is one of the things the leaders of the LCOG insists on is that the members prove all things for themselves whether they be true or false from the word of God.
The links I post to the literature has nothing to offer for sale. That is absolutely false and it goes to show that you have not really looked into what we believe very closely and are more than likely repeating what you've read in some web site you searched full of hate propaganda against the Church of God. The LCOG has always offered everything on it's web site for free. Freely it was given, and freely you shall receive it. The truth of God is not for sale on any of the LCOG web sites.
Mind control? Isn't this a little far-fetched? If teaching the word of God is mind control then I guess the whole of christianity is in this boat.
And if having different beliefs than the mainstream christian group puts us in the cult category than so be it. I'm not going to go along with the Jones' to be considered as part of the majority.
It's the truth that matters here. Not what is popular. Not what everyone has been taught from childhood and like you said, never really checked up in their Bible to prove it was true or not. I challenge you to click any of the video presentations of the LCOG Tomorrow World telecasts and you will most definitely hear. "Don't believe me, get out your Bible and check up on me" Believe God!
This is a real and honest challenge, not just idle words. We don't want anyone just mindlessly believing what we teach. Prove it!
How you could be offended by the commentary "Stand by Us" is a shame. Is it because we directed people to check out the LCOG and what we believe? If we are such a cult and teach false doctrine don't ya think people can figure this out for themselves?
Let people decide for themselves. Nobody's twisting anyones arm or forcing anyone to check it out. But it's available for anyone who wishes to.For more info:CLICK HERECOG Writer LinkIf you open your bible be led by the Holy spirit.
Let God own you.
Do not believe doctrines of men.
Prove all things for yourself.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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mistero wrote:Something bugging you, Arty? You wanna talk about it? Morning Ms M, sorry I missed talking with you last night. My pup got sick and I had to get off-line.
Anyhoo, yeah "bugged" is a good way of putting it I suppose (NOT really angry). The feeling I get when the LCOG makes some of their outlandish claims of being the only "true church" and uses language like "only real Christians", "remnant church", ONLY "true Christians" doe's bug me alot. That kind of thinking for any denomination to adhere too is sickening to me and unbiblical.
Hey, I hope you come back here full-time but certainly understand if you choose to set on the sidelines while the rest of us beat the crap out of each other for another year or two.
Your humor is missed Ms M.
'Sigh'......sometimes it's hard to find my own humerus bone with all the intolerance and hatred nowadays.
Arty
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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sumr0luv wrote:Hello Sarge.
I'm sorry your so angry, wow what an angry message and way off base. The LCOG is not a cult does not teach false doctrine, although it is probably different from what your used to hearing, therefore the animosity.
The best thing you could do if your concerned about this so called false doctrine is to prove by the Bible it is false. Give me your version of true doctrine and we will see if it lines up. Don't ya think that's better than these attacks at the LCOG?
The LCOG doesn't brainwash and we definitely use the Bible to prove the doctrines. That is one of the things the leaders of the LCOG insists on is that the members prove all things for themselves whether they be true or false from the word of God.
The links I post to the literature has nothing to offer for sale. That is absolutely false and it goes to show that you have not really looked into what we believe very closely and are more than likely repeating what you've read in some web site you searched full of hate propaganda against the Church of God. The LCOG has always offered everything on it's web site for free. Freely it was given, and freely you shall receive it. The truth of God is not for sale on any of the LCOG web sites.
Mind control? Isn't this a little far-fetched? If teaching the word of God is mind control then I guess the whole of christianity is in this boat.
And if having different beliefs than the mainstream christian group puts us in the cult category than so be it. I'm not going to go along with the Jones' to be considered as part of the majority.
It's the truth that matters here. Not what is popular. Not what everyone has been taught from childhood and like you said, never really checked up in their Bible to prove it was true or not. I challenge you to click any of the video presentations of the LCOG Tomorrow World telecasts and you will most definitely hear. "Don't believe me, get out your Bible and check up on me" Believe God!
This is a real and honest challenge, not just idle words. We don't want anyone just mindlessly believing what we teach. Prove it!
How you could be offended by the commentary "Stand by Us" is a shame. Is it because we directed people to check out the LCOG and what we believe? If we are such a cult and teach false doctrine don't ya think people can figure this out for themselves?
Let people decide for themselves. Nobody's twisting anyones arm or forcing anyone to check it out. But it's available for anyone who wishes to. Morning Marva,
Look, I'm not angry as you have suggested but rather disappointed, bugged, "seriously offended" perhaps would be accurate in light of some of the LCOG's exclusivist positions and attitudes towards the rest of the body of Christ.
I can't post now as I didn't get any sleep lastnight due to my pup getting sick. I will definitely address your thoughts though later when I get time and some rest. I do hope you understand.
K, goodnight.........zzzz...zzzz...zzzz...zzzz...
Sarge
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 7/1/2008
Posts: 640
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Life's funny, ain't it? For years here I've been told that I'm not Christian. I'm a cultist and worse.
When I complained I was told that it wasn't me they were attacking but my beliefs. If I couldn't stand the
heat I should get outta the kitchen, yadda, yadda, yadda.
If I didn't believe exactly as the rest did, I was wrong.
Weird how life works.
Hope Mate is okay. I still say you have a pssssssssst. Dunno. Maybe you should get outta the kitchen.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 1/7/2010 Posts: 4,073 Location: WI
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intangible wrote:sarge wrote:
wrote:There is a church organization that is truly “standing up and standing by” the word of God, humbly proclaiming to the world the true and righteous way to live before God. It may be quite different from anything you’ve ever heard before, but it is the word of God plainly spoken and written.
Sorry Marva but the bible is clear and in my view the LCOG has taken some of the scriptures way out of context on several topics. Kinda like a direct route from LA to NY via Japan or Germany. And again, the LCOG makes it quit clear that they view themselves as "Exclusive" (I agree) and the "Remnant Church", "the ONLY True Church" with the ONLY "Real or True Christians on the planet." And as opposed to what/whom? The remainder of us, lost and misled Christianity who couldn't possibly have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us or the knowledge of the truth? Seriously?!
See ya on the threads,
Sarge
I find it pretty amusing reading how both the LCOG and the SDA are THE true church even though they have some fundamental differences. They both claim the sign of that TRUE worship is by keeping the seventh day Sabbath. I know of at least three OTHER churches that claim THEY are the TRUE church, the remnant church of Christ and they don't keep the seventh day Sabbath. All five of them claim there is no other way to Jesus but through THEIR organization showing the way.
Personally... I will just stick with the Bible and trust in God to find the way without any "help" from the organizations of men... at least if I end up in hell I won't have anyone else to blame. I thought all the different churches (denominations for Steve)claim they are the true church. "If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music in which he hears, however measured, or far away.” Henry David Thoreau
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 3,100 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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TerryD wrote:intangible wrote:
I find it pretty amusing reading how both the LCOG and the SDA are THE true church even though they have some fundamental differences. They both claim the sign of that TRUE worship is by keeping the seventh day Sabbath. I know of at least three OTHER churches that claim THEY are the TRUE church, the remnant church of Christ and they don't keep the seventh day Sabbath. All five of them claim there is no other way to Jesus but through THEIR organization showing the way.
Personally... I will just stick with the Bible and trust in God to find the way without any "help" from the organizations of men... at least if I end up in hell I won't have anyone else to blame.
I thought all the different churches (denominations for Steve)claim they are the true church. ** Well, most denominations like Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and the like seem to allow wiggle room for each other. Despite the claim to be open, Christian and totally Bible based, the more fundamentalist the group, the less likely they are to be inclusive of others.** This is just a personal observation over the years and not based on any actual study.WOW... spell check says I actually spelled Presbyterian right!!Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 4/21/2010 Posts: 1,457 Location: Michigan
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Is eternal life an intangible asset?
By Karl Harmdierks (guest columnist) | Saturday, January 08, 2011
When I was in high school, I was in a one-act play that reached the state finals. Our last competition started at 9 pm Friday. As a Sabbath-keeper, I wasn’t able to participate. One girl from our cast asked me, “Can’t you miss church once?” She casually added, “God would understand.”
The answer to her question would come to me years later: God understands very well what we vainly strive for in this life. In reality, we are the ones who lose sight of God’s promise of eternal life. Fully understanding what that promise means should make it the supreme goal of our life.
However, do we really comprehend what eternal life is? After all, we’ve never experienced it ourselves, so it can seem ethereal and out of reach. On the other hand, this physical life seems very real – or, tangible – to us. Therefore, it can seem much more tangible than the promise of eternal life!
First, the biblical facts: we know that eternal life is the gift that God has given us through grace (Romans 6:23) and we are justified through that grace (Titus 3:7) as well as faith and works (James 2:24). Eternal life does indeed mean to live forever, because death is destroyed after God’s plan is fulfilled (1 Corinthians 15:54; Revelation 21:4).
In order to receive this promise, the Bible reveals there is something we must do now: keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16-19). Are those just the “big” commandments? James 2:10 states that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”! And Isaiah was inspired to write, “Woe to those who begin by pulling at transgression with a thread, but end by dragging sin along as if with a cart rope” (Isaiah 5:18, CJB). Some sins may seem minor, but “small” sins can lead us down the wrong path!
How can the connection between commandment keeping and eternal life be more tangible to us? Imagine someone promised you $10 million if you didn’t tell a lie for one year. Your first thought every morning would be, “I’m not going to lie today!” Why? Because $10 million is tangible. You know of people who actually have that much money. The reality of the reward would inspire you. But it would not be easy to always tell the truth, and you would likely experience trials as a result. The question then becomes, is doing what’s right worth the reward? The same question applies to the pursuit of eternal life.
But how do we know eternal life is reality? Because someone already has obtained it – our Savior, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)! And He tells us that whatever we leave behind for His sake will be rewarded a hundredfold, “and in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). Also, Paul wrote that the gift of eternal life is worth any hardship suffered in this physical life (Romans 8:18). Becoming part of God’s family as full spiritual children will literally fix everything suffered during this physical life – even death!
Is there something we can do to make eternal life more tangible in our present lives? 2 Corinthians 4:18 states we should look for the things that are not seen because they are eternal. How can you believe in things that are unseen? Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the key to making the invisible things of God real in our lives. Over time, it becomes less our fallible faith and more the faith of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20).
For more information on this important topic, please watch “The Key to Eternal Life” by Roderick C. Meredith, and the article “Why Live Forever?” by Rod McNair.
As Paul quoted the OT, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). With this promise, we know that devoting our entire lives to the goal of eternal life is worth it.
• If you appreciate these insights – click here to receive them by email.For more info:CLICK HERECOG Writer LinkIf you open your bible be led by the Holy spirit.
Let God own you.
Do not believe doctrines of men.
Prove all things for yourself.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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Marva wrote:Give me your version of true doctrine and we will see if it lines up. Don't ya think that's better than these attacks at the LCOG?
Marva,
Yes to your question above.
I have read almost ALL of your posts and the supporting links you have made since your arrival here at basic. I have also taken a special interest in researching the COG, well I should say several of the COG's to understand what exactly has changed/happened in the COG after the passing of (Herbert Armstrong) WWCOG. I admit I am not COMPLETELY familiar with ALL the changes your specific church has gone through. However, I can see by your LCOG Beliefs Statement that what I consider and many call "Armstrongism" is still present in the LCOG today, things like faith plus works being required for salvation, the law, festivals, etc........
I do NOT have the time or desire to argue doctrine with you on these threads. Others have correctly attempted to point you in the right direction concerning the false doctrine of the LCOG several times only to have you do as I expected you would. Specifically, through misinterpreted and twisting of scriptures labeled the rest of the body of Christ as false Christians.
I believe it is only fair that since I have read your links and the articles you have posted that you read one I will post. It has several follow-up articles that I believe will not only show you what I believe but also with supportive scriptures show you the error of most COG's including yours. BTW, yes! I have read my bible and compared it to the false doctrines the LCOG.
Good luck and I DO hope you will read these articles in the link written by an ex-COG member. I believe if you would only seriously consider what he has to say about COG doctrine PROVEN and SUPPORTED by scripture THEN with prayer you will receive the true spirit of God in you.
http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=661
Sincerely
Sarge
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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LCG Member Misses the Mark
WARNING: This post will be in the Christian theological mindframe. The writings are in accordance with the teachings of the religion known as evangelical christianity. This post is not an attempt to convert or influence individual religious opinions. This post is a comparison between Armstrongism and mainstream evangelical thinking. If you are offended by such a post, read at your own risk.
LCG Member Adam West issued a blog I will comment on. This blog goes to show the incredible lengths COG people go to to convert the simplicity of the Christian Gospel into the support of Herbert Armstrong’s doctrinal errors and theological mishmash. I will post his blog and I will comment internally inside his text.
Does the New Testament admonish a true Christian to keep the 10 Commandments? If so, where?
Excellent question. Let’s explore.
Even though people may say to Christ at the judgment that they did so many good things in His name, scripture tells us that He will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” The absence of obedience to the law of God in a person’s life is equated with not knowing God, and God not knowing that person, therefore it is the keeping of the commandments of God, the Law of God, which brings a person into a real knowing, personal relationship with God.
Adam takes the scripture of “you who practice lawlessness” and somehow folds this down to the context of the basic “Ten Commandments”. Adam is correct in this statement, that according to Christian theology, the absence of obedience to God’s Law is equated to not knowing God. But in the statement that follows, he has reality reversed, which is SO common in Armstrongism. Adam states that keeping the commandments of God brings person into a real knowing and personal relationship with God. The correct Christian theology states that in reverse: That coming into a real, knowing relationship with God causes one to be in obedience to the internal laws God writes in your heart. All the law-keeping in the world is not perfect enough for one to enter into God’s presence, and that is the Christian teaching! For if one breaks one jot or one tittle of the law, the truth is, the entire law is broken. It is not through law-keeping that one qualifies to enter into God’s presence. It is trough having a relationship with God that one lives in the boundaries of the spiritual laws of love. How difficult is that concept to understand for those who go by Armstrong’s teachings?
In Matthew 19:17 Christ spoke to a young man who had asked Him what he needed to do to have eternal life and He answering said, ”… Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Jesus then went on to cite a number of the Ten Commandments regarding man’s relationship to man and the summary command to love one’s neighbor as himself. The companion scripture to this account is found in Luke 18:20. Therefore, we have direct instruction from Jesus Christ Himself to keep the commandments of God.
If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. Good sentence, and instruction, and again, Adam takes this verse and narrows it into the context of the Ten commandments. Adam then references, correctly so, that Jesus then restated the Ten commandments. But what he does not indicate is what Jesus said after he recited the ten commandments.
Jesus referenced then that the ten commandments were imperfect, and incomplete! He said after the fact that “if you want to be complete”, that more is required than the observance of the letter of the law. The young man needed a change of heart. The law was a shadow and could never complete what it was intended to do. It never brought about a change of heart, it never brought about a relationship with God, it never did what it was supposed to do, it was a shadow of what was greater. Even though the young man kept all of the “ten commandments”, it simply wasn’t enough. The point is you can keep the ten commandments perfectly – as this young man claimed he had done – and still completely miss the boat. The emphasis is not on the law. The emphasis is on the spirit. The emphasis is not on the physical. The emphasis is on the spiritual.
Jesus also spoke in the Sermon on the Mount saying, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men 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” (Matt 5:19). This verse plainly shows Jesus’ approach and attitude toward the keeping of God’s commandments, something that certainly would not have changed in the final hours of His life as He suffered and died on the stake as many seem to believe when they assert that Christ did away with the law and nailed it to the cross.
Here is the correct way to view this. Jesus said whoever breaks the least of these and teaches others to do so will be what? Least in the Kingdom of Heaven. This means one thing: It’s not a salvation issue! Let that ring loud and clear. Lawkeeping is not a salvation issue – however – remember what I said earlier. In the Christian theology – it is one’s relationship with God that empowers one to avoid lawlessness, not the otherway around. So if one has a strong relationship with God, one would be extremely close to God, obedient to what the Spirit says to your heart, and then obviously would be considered “great” in the Kingdom of Heaven. If one does not have a great relationship with God, he won’t care if he is “lawless” or not and – though he would still make it to the Kingdom due to the acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, he would, indeed be considered one of the “least” – yet – still received salvation. The whole problem with Armstrong theology is that they equated lawkeeping as a salvation issue which it is not. All the lawkeeping in the world will not get you salvation because you can never do it good enough. Ever.
We read in Colossians 2:14, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” It was not the commandments that were nailed to the cross, but rather the handwriting of requirements or as it is more properly rendered the note of debt, the certificate which states the penalty of the sins that each of us have committed. The ESV renders Col 2:14 more accurately as: “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it [the record of debt] to the cross.” The legal demand was that the penalty for sin was death (Rom 6:23). The New Living Translation renders the verse, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” The record of charges, our past sins, were nailed to the cross.
Really. From Albert Barnes’ “Notes on the Bible” we read”
Colossians 2:14 and the Ceremonial Law – Blotting out the handwriting – The word rendered handwriting means something written by the hand, a manuscript; and here, probably, the writings of the Mosaic law, or the law appointing many ordinances or observances in religion. The allusion is probably to a written contract, in which we bind ourselves to do any work, or to make a payment, and which remains in force against us until the bond is cancelled. That might be done, either by blotting out the names, or by drawing lines through it, or, as appears to have been practiced in the East, by driving a nail through it. The Jewish ceremonial law is here represented as such a contract, binding those under it to its observance, until it was nailed to the cross. The meaning here is, that the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law are abolished, and that its necessity is superseded by the death of Christ. His death had the same effect, in reference to those ordinances, as if they had been blotted from the statute-book. This it did by fulfilling them, by introducing a more perfect system, and by rendering their observance no longer necessary, since all that they were designed to typify had been now accomplished in a better way; compare the notes at Eph_2:15.
So, it was not the law that was nailed to the cross, but the penalty that each person has brought upon themselves through sin. Christ paid the penalty for our sins in our stead and we, through baptism, and acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, can have His shed blood applied to our sins, thus blotting them out and bringing us into a right relationship, a justified relationship – being lined up with God and His purposes, values, and laws.
We additionally read in James 2:10-12 that “…whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, is telling us that if we break one of the commands we are guilty of breaking them all. He tells us that we will be judged by the law of liberty. God’s law is called a law of liberty. Why? Because it sets us free from sin when kept. When we don’t keep it, however, its penalty – the death penalty – enslaves us.
Common sense:
There are many “laws” on the books that are not enforced now because they are obsolete. Just go to “stupid laws” on the internet and you will see exactly what I am talking about. A law without a penalty is useless. So either the law does not exist and does not have a penalty – or the law exists and has a penalty – or maybe, just maybe, the law exists and has a penalty that has been paid for by somebody else because you could not afford to pay for it yourself.
Let’s say that it’s the third. We know that God has spiritual laws in the New Covenant that are much greater than those that are in the Old Covenant. We know that onservance of the laws in the Old Testament is all or nothing – keep them all and be guilt free – or break one of the whole set and be guilty of the whole penalty – the death penalty. We know before Christ that there was no access to God. We know that Christ paid the penalties for transgression of the law. We know that if we break the law Christ paid the penalty. This makes us free from the penalty of breaking the law. So with that said should our focus be on trying to keep the law perfectly, or should our focus be on having a relationship with the one that freed us from the penalty of the law so through Christ you do his will effortlessly? And if you have a relationship with God then won’t you automatically be an enabled “lawkeeper”? Will your focus be on the physical letter of the law or the spirit of the law?
We know the law is obsolete as the old testament law is defined. That’s perfectly clear in scripture. That law was fulfilled in Christ and magnified through the Holy Spirit whom those in the Old Testament did not have access to. Because there is access to God through the Holy Spirit which did not exist before, is exact observance of every jot and tittle of OT law needed now? Are the priests? Are the sacrifices? What about feast keeping which revolved around sacrifices and animal offerings to pay for sins? Didn’t Christ pay for sins? Does obsolete mean gone? without use? Clearly, the Old Testament laws were for infants. And attempting to keep them is infantile. You don’t take an adult and force the adult to obey laws designed for a child. In the same manner, Christ caused humanity to “grow up” and forsake the “childish laws” of do’s, don’ts, and regulations and moved on to the better and bigger spiritual laws of mature christianity – which encompass within them the essence of the “childish laws” which were fulfilled in Christ.
The only reason why you would be under the “penalty of the law” if you don’t “keep the law” is because you don’t have a relationship with God in the first place and if you do not have a relationship with God – who is Himself the embodiment of perfect law – then you succomb to absolute chaos – otherwise known as lawlessness. So the key is not in striving to be a good “lawkeeper”. The key is in having a relationship with the “lawgiver”. Then knowing the “lawgiver” observing what God wants you to do “his laws” is second nature.
Why is this so hard to understand in Armstrongism? Observance of laws is not a salvation issue. Having a relationship with God is. Keeping days and seasons and years perfectly is not a salvation issue. Sabbath keeping is not a salvation issue. Keeping all the rules and regulations of the Torah or the Beattitudes is not a salvation issue. But if you do not know God and you do not have a relationship with God then your lifestyle will be one of lawlessness as a consequence of your ignorance of God. If you do know God, you will know them by their fruits – and isn’t it the fruits of the spirit that enable lawkeeping in the spirit of the law anyway?
Adam West’s post is one attempting to promote the idea that law keeping is the entrance to salvation. The reality is, that law keeping in the spirit – far more encompassing then ten basic commandments written for spiritual infants - is a manifestation of a relationship with God – and not just ten basic commandments – but a lifestyle of love toward God and toward man.
When you point to just shadows you see just that – gray, formless shadows.
When you point to the reality, you can see the real details in what otherwise is gone and obsolete. Adam West’s theory is missing the mark and incomplete – and he misses the fulfillment of the reality of the Christian theology that is taught all around him by those who are properly educated and schooled.
OH! and this:
God’s law is called a law of liberty. Why? Because it sets us free from sin when kept. When we don’t keep it, however, its penalty – the death penalty – enslaves us.
The exact scripture reads: “For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus will set you free from the law of sin and death” – which also reads ” There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus”. Adam says we are free from sin when we keep the Law. The Bible says we are free from sin when we are IN CHRIST.
http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=392~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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The Key To Understanding Why Armstrongism is a False Gospel
PART ONE
I’ve written many times on my beliefs on why Armstrongism is indeed, one of the “false gospels” that have emerged in today’s religious potpourri of beliefs. Of recent, I wrote an article on Paul’s clear teachings regarding the necessity (or lack ) of observance of the law in regards to New Testament theology.
Through reading some responses by a few Church of God members completely bought into Armstrongist Theology, I have learned that they rely on what they call “mistranslations” on key scriptures to support their belief that “observance of the law” and it’s associated days, weeks, seasons and years to support their belief system. However, to do so, they are forced to ignore clear statements by Paul and other bible authors that clearly show the real gospel – and prove the version of Herbert Armstrong as a foolish mixture of untruth and human error.
One of which is Bob Theil’s rendition of the translation of Collosians 2:16. Bob Theil states that the scriptures actually read:
16 Therefore let NO MAN JUDGE YOU in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath; 17 for those things are a shadow of the things to come, BUT THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Bob bases this on the conclusion that one word was added and not in original translations, but is a mistranslation. Due to this one “error”, Bob teaches that what this really means is:
Or in other word, do not let those outside the body of Christ (the church, Colossians 1:18) judge you regarding holy days, but only the church itself. Colossians 2:16-17 is not saying that the holy days are done away.
To come up with this conclusion you really have to stretch and read into this one verse. And most importantly, you have to completely IGNORE the verses that precede Collosians 2:16 which state this:
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,[b] God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[d]
The first thing this states is:
You were dead in your sins, now, God made you alive in CHRIST.
He forgave our sins, and he CANCELED the written code. (The Old Testament law!)
This INCLUDED the regulations!
The law was against us and opposed to us, Christ took it away, and nailed it to the cross.
He DISARMED the “powers and authorities”
he triumphed over them and made a spectacle of them.
Immediately afterPaul states all of these extremely incredible and jaw-dropping statements about Jesus and the Law, he states the verse that Bob Theil CLAIMS still supports observance to the law immediately after Paul states exactly the opposite. Ridiculous!
Bob does not address this perfectly valid question: Why would Paul state this in this manner then, as Bob seems to assert(paraphrased):
God made you alive in Christ. Now your sins are forgiven By Christ, and that written code has been canceled. He even canceled the regulations as well! That law, that was opposed to us, well, Christ took it away, and he nailed it to the cross. He triumphed over all those powers and all those authorities and he triumphed over them. Therefore, let only the body of Christ judge you over the observance of a sabbath day, festival, or new moon and nobody else.
This makes absolutely no sense. Why would Paul go through all the trouble of stating that their sins are forgiven, the written code is canceled, the regulations are canceled, that which was opposed to us is gone and nailed to the cross, Christ was triumphant over the former powers and authorities – OH! and guess what – you better still be keeping the Sabbath and Festivals and Holy Days and New Moons and such because the body of Christ is still going to judge you on these matters. Absolute nonsense, this theology and understanding is ridiculous when you look at the entire writings of Collosians and Galatians and the intent and meaning of the Pauline scriptures. The translators added “is” because they correctly understood what Paul was saying – as trained biblical scholars – and COG people unfortunately are completely brainwashed into twisting it to affirm the exact thing that Paul was teaching against.
What Paul was actually saying was this: That because Christ forgave us of all our sins, and cancelled the written code, which INCLUDED the regulations and triumphed over them and nailed the code and the regulations to the cross making a mockery out of the former powers and authorities, that there is no reason to allow ANY man to tell you what you should be doing in regards to days, months, seasons, and years – what is important is the body remain connected to the living Christ. This is the ONLY explanation that really makes any sense at all. The translation that said “these are a shadow of what was to come and the reality is in Christ” makes sense to those who truly know Christ. Those who do not understand that know the law and not Christ.
With that stated in its proper perspective, we come to the main scriptures that Paul wrote that show why Armstrongism is a False gospel. One thing Armstrongism does (just like Bob did here) is focus on one scripture to prove a massive doctrinal point when the entire book tells a different story. With that, let’s look at the scriptures Armstrongism minimizes and Christianity emphasizes.
The first is Galatians 5:6.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
What is this exactly saying? This could perhaps be one of the most powerful scriptures in the entire Bible. Let’s look at this! For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision (those who keep the law) nor uncircumcision (those who do not) is no longer of any value! How plain can one get? Is this twisting scripture? Not at all! This is exactly what Paul wrote and this is exactly what he meant. Whether one keeps the “law” or does not “keep the law” is not of value any longer. And this is the one thing that those who subscribe to Herbert’s False Gospel do not understand. Paul says clearly that the ONLY thing – yes, the only thing that COUNTS (counts to who? Counts to God, of course) is five words: Faith (which was not revealed before, this was new to them) expressing itself through lawkeeping? WRONG! Faith expressing itself through LOVE.
Look again. The ONLY thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love. The entire book of Galatians speaks on the importance of understanding the importance of what Christ did on the Cross. It speaks of the ultimate victory that Christ had on that day over many, many aspects. The victory over sin and death. The victory over the Law. The victory over powers and principalities. The victory over sin and death. Paul truly understood that it clearly WAS finished at the last breath of Christ.
The grave, horrible, awful, repugnant error that Armstrongism makes – and what makes Armstrongism a false gospel over anything and everything else – is that Armstrongism completely minimizes and even negates what Christ did on the Cross and pushes everything further in time to the second coming.
Armstrongism does not believe Christ had the victory over sin and death at his death on the cross. Armstrongism does not believe Christ made a fool of powers and principalities at his death on the Cross. They make a fool of Christ and make his death on the cross almost meaningless and totally without power.
Armstrongism does not believe Christ gave all access to God when he died on the Cross and forgave man of their sins. To his dying day, the false prophet and false teacher Herbert Armstrong taught that man does not have access to God except those in the Worldwide Church of God. This was a lie and the farthest thing from the truth. Armstrong made a mockery of Christ and made his death meaningless.
Armstrongism does not teach the law was nailed to the cross and replaced with the reality of Christ in full substance. Armstrongism holds people under the bondage of the law, under a yoke of slavery to the law and to obedience to the law – and the effects and fruits of the holding to the yoke of slavery are clearly documented.
Armstrong does not hold any weight to Christ’s words “It is Finished”, minimizing it to simply his work on earth and not the entirety of his victory over the physical world of death and the door opened wide to access to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Armstrongism does not teach “It is Finished” means “All is Fulfilled” – a huge error they use to support keeping people burdened in a yoke of slavery and to an obsolete law. In short, Armstrongism does not know God – Armstrongism only knows the shadows and has no idea what the Gospel of Christ really and truly is. By focusing on a “message” of Christ and not on “Christ” they look to a shadow and not to the reality and completely miss the kingdom of heaven.
Again, Paul teaches, correctly, that whether one keeps or does not keeps the law, keeps a festival or not, keeps a sabbath or not, a new moon, whatever it is, there is no longer any value in this way of thinking. The only thing – note – the ONLY thing that matters under a New Testament thinking is one’s faith expressing itself in love.
And the only way that one can have faith is if he is an entirely new creation. The only way one can be an entirely new creation is if they have access to the spirit of God. And the only way one can have access to the spirit of God is by faith, walking by faith, living by faith, a concept the law does NOT TEACH because in the law there is no faith. Faith without the expression of itself in works of love is dead. The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through works of love. How can anything be clearer? How can anything be plainer?
The law does not teach faith because it focuses on works of the physical, not the works of love. The law does not teach faith because it focuses on the increase of sin and the need for a saviour – when through FAITH, one has access to the savior and can then through the Holy Spirit show love to God and to Man. The law does not teach faith as a way of life – the law teaches rules and regulations and legalism as a way of life. The law focused on shadows of Christ because faith had not yet come.
If indeed, the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love – or one’s faith in a living God expressing itself through actions of love to God and to Man – then what is the value of doing anything else to attempt to please God? God is only pleased by those who keep his commandments. The problem is, Armstrongism believes these are the commandments of the law – and not the direct commandments that come from God on a personal conduit from God to Believer through prayer and through a direct and living relationship with God. Armstrongism believes “keep my commandments” has to do with lawkeeping. WRONG! It has to do with what one does when one has a direct communication with God through life by having a relationship with that same deity!
Armstrongism forces people backwards into a time when there was no access to God. Armstrongism forces people backwards into slavery. Armstrongism forces people into a rigid, legalistic system – in many ways, a loveless system – a system that produces shadows and no substance. Armstrongism forces people into justification by works and not by faith – believing that by being “of the circumcision” they can win favor with God – missing God entirely in the process. Armstrongism takes a covenant that is long old, obsolete, and useless and attempts to resurrect it – replacing the reality of access to God under the New Testament – a spirit led life of faith and substance – into a less glorious and imperfect system that enhances sin and guilt. Don’t believe me? Read the reports of those who have bought into the shadows and not the reality. There’s enough proof to fill a hard drive.
The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love. 1 Corinthians 13 affirms this totally. This book of scripture states that if one speaks any language, physical or spiritual, but does not express love, it’s useless. if one is given the ability to know the future and be a prophet or speak for God and doesn’t love, worthless. If one gives everything they have to the poor and surrender their own self to the fire, but it is not an expression of love, forget it, it’s worthless! There are no brownie points to God for doing ANYTHING if it is not an expression of love – and that includes day keeping, sabbath keeping, festival keeping, law keeping, or whatever your hands and mind find to do.
This same book – 1 Corinthians 13 – shows what faith expressing itself in love is all about. It’s about being patient with one another. It’s about being kind to one another. It’s about focusing on others and not yourself. It’s about not being easily angered. It’s about not keeping any record of wrong-doing. It’s about always protecting , always trusting, always, hoping, always persevering. Putting it another way, it’s the evidence of what is not seen expressing itself in exactly this: kindness, gentleness, of stable mind, forgiving, protecting, trusting, hoping, persevering. These are the fruits of the expression of faith through love of God and man and the attributes of God expressed through man to others and to God through faith, through hope, and through love.
When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (1 Cor 13:10). The law was imperfect. Christ is perfect and is perfection. Therefore, the law disappears and christians focus on what – or – who – is perfect. Armstrongism focuses on what is imperfect and what is a relic of ancient history – the rituals, commands, seasons, times, and regulations of a world that did not have access to God. As such you would expect them to be as a people that show the fruits of those that reject access to God. And this is exactly what has happened with those who subscribe to Armstrongism.
The fruits of Armstrongism are clear. The fruits of Armstrongism are imperfection, greed, envy, ego, haughtiness, arrogance, flamboyance, and an emphasis of the physical over the spiritual – which is exactly what one would expect when they focus on the law over the reality. Armstrongism is clearly and definitively another gospel – taught by a false teacher and a false prophet who has utterly deceived many tens of thousands into a yoke of slavery and an institution of fear and chaos. Armstrongism is a false gospel – and the pharisees that serve Armstrongism will continue to believe the lies and abandon the truth – forsaking Christ for the obsolete laws of a world that not only had no idea of the spirit, of faith, and of hope and love – but never knew Christ at all.
Armstrongism is clearly a false gospel. Next time we will look more into scriptures and new testament theology that Armstrongism de-emphasises and has no concept or understanding of, as the veil covers their eyes darkly and they are blind to the truth.
http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=661
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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The Biggest Error the Churches of God Ever Made.
DISCLAIMER: In the spirit of non-offense, I feel it fair to warn that the subject matter of this post is against the COG doctrines.
I am adding this to this article and is not part of the authors original post. This is a direct quote from the "Statement of Beliefs of the LCOG."
THE HOLY SPIRIT
"God is Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the very essence, the mind, life and power of God. It is not a Being. The Spirit is inherent in the Father and the Son, and emanates from Them throughout the entire universe (1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:24). It was through the Spirit that God created all things (Genesis 1:1-2; Revelation 4:11). It is the power by which Christ maintains the universe (Hebrews 1:2-3). It is given to all who repent of their sins and are baptized (Acts 2:38-39) and is the power (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:6-7) by which all believers may be "overcomers" (Romans 8:37, KJV; Revelation 2:26-27) and will be led to eternal life."
A post on the biggest error the Worldwide Church of God ever made – the nature of the Holy Spirit. I will use scriptures to prove my point.
Can be grieved. (Is. 63:10) (Eph. 4:30)
Question: Can an impersonal force or power be grieved? Grieved means to “cause to be sorrowful”. A force or power does not have emotion. For one to be made “sorrowful” one has to be capable of emotion – and a force or power is not. Therefore, the Holy Spirit can only be concluded to be a literal emotional being – and not just a power or force likened unto electricity. Electricity cannot be caused to be made sorrowful.
Can be spoken against. (Matt. 12:32)
Along the same lines, you cannot speak against something that does not exist as a person. You do not speak against electricity. Speaking against electricity is not a sin, obviously. However, speaking against the Holy Spirit in the form of blasphemy is not just a sin, it’s the biggest one in the book – so again, how can that be the case for something as impersonal as a force or power?
Can speak. (Mark 13:11)[/B] (Hebrews 3:7)
Here is extremely compelling evidence of the Personhood of the Holy Spirit. Simply, He (yes, I said He, and so does the Bible, as we shall see), can speak. Electricity or a simple power cannot speak. But the Holy Spirit is able to speak.
Can fill. (Luke 1:41-42),
The Holy Spirit can indwell a person just as other entities in the Spirit can indwell a person.
Can reveal. (Luke 2:26)
The Holy Spirit has to have knowledge in order to reveal. He is not able to reveal if He does not have the knowledge. The ability for the Holy Spirit to give revelation is a testimony to His omniscience.
Can descend in bodily form. (Luke 3:22)
The Holy Spirit descended ON Jesus Christ in Bodily form – like a dove. An electrical force or an impersonal force cannot by it’s own will do anything. The Holy Spirit was able to do so.
Can teach. (Luke 12:12)
The Holy Spirit has to have knowledge to be able to teach. If only God and Jesus were God then God or Jesus could come and teach just as easy – but the Holy Spirit is a gift to us with the special ability to teach us.
Is the Advocate (with a Capital A) John 14:26
The Holy Spirit is an advocate – “one that pleads the cause of another”. An impersonal force cannot do this. This is common sense and the very basics of theology.
Gives power. (Acts 1:8)
This is absolutely the truth. The Holy Spirit gives power. An impersonal force cannot “give power” if that impersonal force “is power”. How can power GIVE power if power is power? There has to be a source to give the power, and the source is the Holy Spirit that gives power. HE gives power, he is not just power or some ethereal force. Don’t believe me, believe your Bible!
Can be lied to. (Acts 5:3)
You cannot lie to a power or an etheral force. You lie to a person. So the Holy Spirit can be lied to. You don’t lie to electricity or a force. You lie to a real entity. If the Holy Spirit can be lied to , the Holy Spirit as a real Person.
Can be resisted. (Acts 7:51)
The Holy Spirit will not force Himself on anyone. He can be resisted. This is another proof of His Personhood – and of his acknowledgement of human free will as ordained by God’s Plan.
Performs miracles. (Acts 8:39)
Miracles are purposeful, intelligent acts of God. Electricity never performs a miracle. Power never performs a miracle. Power is the act in which a miracle happens by intelligent reason from an INTELLIGENT Holy Spirit. This is the Bible that says this.
Can encourage. (Acts 9:31)
An impersonal force con NOT encourage.
Can forbid. (Acts 16:6)
The Holy Spirit has the ability to forbid.
Can warn. (Acts 20:23)
The Holy Spirit can warn you of impending danger! Can an impersonal force do this? Absolutely not! You have to have intellect to warn of danger!
Selects overseers. (Acts 20:28)
Well here’s an interesting one.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.
So if the Holy Spirit is who ordains you as an overseer – and you reject the Holy Spirit is a person capable of ordaining you as an overseer – then who has ordained you as an overseer if you are a Church of God overseer? And if you deny the Personhood of the Holy Spirit as is plainly evident in this post – how can you call yourself an overseer if you deny He can even make you an overseer?
Talks. (acts 21:11)
Simple. Enough said.
11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
The Holy Spirit said. Even the KJV affirms this. If the Holy Spirit SAYS – the Holy Spirit IS. He’s a Person, and He’s real.
Sanctifies. (Romans 15:16)
Amazing. And you didn’t believe He could do all this because you denied His Personhood.
Lives in a Christian. (1 Cor. 6:19)
Christ lives in You. The Holy Spirit lives in You. If you’ve seen the Father, you’ve seen Christ. If you’ve seen Christ, you’ve seen the Father. This is biblical, it’s all in the Bible. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Am I right or wrong?
Fellowships. (2 Cor 13:14)
Again. An impersonal force cannot fellowship or have a relationship, which is what this is referring to. The Holy Spirit can, and does.
Is a WHO. (2 Tim 1:14)
14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Who. Who. WHO. not IT, WHO. I’m not sorry to say it. Do you believe your Bible or Herbert Armstrong? Electricity is never called a WHO. The Holy Spirit is called a WHO. HE is a person!!!
Shows (Hebrews 9:8)
Testifies. (Hebrews 10:15)
The Holy Spirit is biblically listed as a NOUN – specifically – HE.
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. (John 15:26)
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:14)
So what conclusion will you make?
The biggest, BIGGEST error of the Worldwide Church of God and it’s daughters is to deny the Personhood of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures speak for themselves. God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit – the biblical, tri-une God. How could they have made this error? Simple. They built their idea on a Pre-conceived notion and built scripture around that idea, not the idea around scripture.
[B]The Bible is absolutely and irrefutably clear.
The Holy Spirit is referred to as a WHO in Scripture repeatedly, and can be grieved, spoken against, fill, reveal, descend in bodily form, teach, GIVE power, be lied to, perform miracles, encourage, forbid, sanctify, live in you, fellowship WITH you, and is again, repeatedly called in all translations – WHO.
If you believe otherwise, the Bible – not me – is clear in the knowledge that you have been deceived and are not only missing out on the greatest Gift that could be given to you – you are minimizing a very real Person – God – Spirit – and reducing him as a comparison to something physical such as electricity.
For crying out loud, read your scriptures!- and do me a favor – don’t take the scriptures and twist them, and distort them – to say something that it is not saying. Read it for what it actually says – not what a MAN says that it says or some person’s interpretation of what it says. Does the Bible say that the Spirit is an “it” or a “who”? what is the answer? and can an “it” do the things that are listed here? Prove it without twisting, distorting, or referencing writings by a man – prove it from the Word of God. With scripture.
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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The Key To Understanding Why Armstrongism is a False Gospel: PART TWO
In Part Two of my series “The Key to Understanding Why Armstongism is a False Gospel”, we will go into much needed detail on key scriptures that are explained away by Armstrongism, and we will examine the Armstrongism assumption that the only thing Christ did is pay for the penalty of the law – believing, falsely, that the Law is still in force for new testament Christianity. We will look at KEY scriptures, we will examine them, and you can come to your conclusions.
First, there is a reason why I call Armstrongism what it is – Armstrongism. It is, indeed, the unique breed of doctrine that is held to adherants of Herbert Armstrong. Nothing more and nothing less. To claim that the teachings of Herbert Armstrong cannot be called Armstrongism is incorrect and in error is false – as the teachings of Herbert Armstrong are not the teachings of New Testament Christianity. Period.
Second, this blog has been called a blog of “distortions”. This blog does not distort. It bases all writings on actual reported feelings of individuals, stories that are documented, and scriptures that are real. The only real distortions are those that are done by those who subscribe to Herbert Armstrong’s weird and wacky potpourri of biblical illiteracy. I don’t care if you didn’t graduate High School or if you have a doctorate from an institution. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. Truth is truth, no matter who teaches what.
With that said, let us first look at some very important scriptures concerning the Law and analyze them shall we? And I challenge you to tell me who is twisting any scriptures. Am I? Prove it? Is Paul? Prove it. Are the COG’s? Prove it. Let the evidence speak for itself.
The first scripture I am going to examine is found in Galatians 3:10 which states:
Galatians 3:10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse.
Let’s look at this word by word: ALL – notice this is everyone – who rely on observing the law. Rely means to be dependent – or rely on for support. ALL who rely – or are dependent or put emphasis – on the law – are under a curse. This is a hard hitting scripture. Answer this – why would Paul state that all who rely on the law – those who depend on the law – are under a curse if the Law was still in effect? And how is this statement even possible when you compare the writings of Paul (which state you are under a curse) with the writings of Dueteronomy (which states you are under a curse of you do not keep the law).Emphasis mine is in red of an article I will quote from here. The whole article is here which you can read at your discretion, it is in the public domain.
VERSE 10. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.Paul goes on to prove from this quotation out of the Book of Deuteronomy that all men who are under the Law are under the sentence of sin, of the wrath of God, and of everlasting death. Paul produces his proof in a roundabout way. He turns the negative statement, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them,” into a positive statement, “As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” These two statements, one by Paul and the other by Moses, appear to conflict. Paul declares, “Whosoever shall do the works of the Law, is accursed.” Moses declares, “Whosoever shall not do the works of the Law, is accursed.” How can these two contradictory statements be reconciled? How can the one statement prove the other? No person can hope to understand Paul unless he understands the article of justification. These two statements are not at all inconsistent.
We must bear in mind that to do the works of the Law does not mean only to live up to the superficial requirements of the Law, but to obey the spirit of the Law to perfection. But where will you find the person who can do that? Let him step forward and we will praise him.
Our opponents have their answer ready-made. They quote Paul’s own statement in Romans 2:13, “The doers of the law shall be justified.” Very well. But let us first find out who the doers of the law are. They call a “doer” of the Law one who performs the Law in its literal sense. This is not to “do” the Law. This is to sin. When our opponents go about to perform the Law they sin against the first, the second, and the third commandments, in fact they sin against the whole Law. For God requires above all that we worship Him in spirit and in faith. In observing the Law for the purpose of obtaining righteousness without faith in Christ these law-workers go smack against the Law and against God. They deny the righteousness of God, His mercy, and His promises. They deny Christ and all His benefits.
In their ignorance of the true purpose of the Law the exponents of the Law abuse the Law, as Paul says, Romans 10:3, “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
In their folly our opponents rush into the Scriptures, pick out a sentence here and a sentence there about the Law and imagine they know all about it. Their work-righteousness is plain idolatry and blasphemy against God. No wonder they abide under the curse of God.
Because God saw that we could not fulfill the Law, He provided a way of salvation long before the Law was ever given, a salvation that He promised to Abraham, saying, “In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
Galatians 3:19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
Are we talking about the Law or are we talking about the PENALTY of the law? We are talking about the LAW – NOT just the Penalty of the law, but the whole Law. The Law of Moses. This law was added because of a magnitude of sin that was horrendous – by a multitude of people – to be in effect UNTIL. Look! UNTIL something was to happen. That something was until the SEED – Jesus Christ – to whom the Abrahamic promise referred to – came to Earth to fulfill all things. This is emphatically NOT a reference to just the penalty of the law being abolished – the whole law was abolished. This scripture clearly states (am I twisting this?) that there was a time limit to the law. It states why the law was in effect, and it states when the law was to be ended. The timeframe for the law to be ended was the first coming of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:23 – 24 23Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ[h] that we might be justified by faith. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
Notice in this scripture – it states that before this faith came. Before faith! I have to state it again, and again, and again. There is no faith in lawkeeping. The world – the nation under the law – it states here, was held PRISONER by the law – locked up! There was no release! It was burdensome! It was intense! It was rigid, and it was obviously supremely legalistic. What is the key word here? WERE. They “WERE” held prisoner by the Law – imprisoned by the law until faith revealed itself. Does this state held prisoner by the penalty of the law? Or does this state held prisoner by the law? What does your Bible say? Clearly. It states THE LAW. Held prisoner by the law – UNTIL (there’s that timeframe again, a definitive ending point) the coming of Christ.
Now also in this scripture, Paul is emphatically clear as to why the Law even existed in the first place. Notice this: The Law was put into charge – or into authority – to do one thing. TO LEAD US TO CHRIST. To lead to the time of Jesus Christ so that when Jesus Christ arrives we might do what? Be justified by the law still? Be subject to keep the law even though the penalty is gone? No, no, no, no no! To lead us to Christ so then we are NOT JUSTIFIED BY LAW but now can be justified by faith in Jesus Christ. This is a complete 180 from what used to be justification under the Old Testament! In the days of the law you were not justified by faith. You were justified by law – and only then if you kept the law perfectly which no one was able to do – but one – Jesus Christ. End of story. We can see here conclusively then that there was a purpose for the law, and there was a timeframe for the law – and there was also a dramatic paradigm shift in what justifies an individual before the law and after the law. Justification by the law was transformed into justification by faith. CLEARLY, the law was put into effect as an authority to lead people to Christ who would then bring the revelation of faith to the people of God.
TRUTH 1: The Law was added because of transgressions.
TRUTH 2: The Law was put into effect to lead us to Christ.
TRUTH 3: The Law was in effect until Christ came.
Galatians 4:21 21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?
This is a very critical and important verse. Again, I will ask you. Is this referring to the PENALTY of the law, or is this referring to the Law? It is clearly referring to the law as is abundantly and obviously clear through the reading of the scriptures. Paul is talking, again, obviously, that there were many who WANTED to be under the authority of the Law and who felt it was correct and obedient to God to do so. He was referring to the classic example of the “slave woman” and the “free woman” – referring to the “Old” covenant born on Mt. Sinai (a clear reference to the law of Moses – not just the PENALTY) as the “slave” and referring to the “New Covenant” given to the children of promise. He then states that we are NOT children of the slave woman (the law) but of the free woman (the promise). This again, is an emphatically clear teaching that was intended to show those who wanted to be under the law that they are no longer children of the law but children of grace. This is a foundational teaching of Christianity!
Galatians 5:6 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Paul’s teaching is clear. Being under the circumcision or not under the circumcision under the new testament Christianity does not have ANY value any longer. How can being under an obsolete covenant (and yes, it IS an obsolete covenant) have any value? It simply does not. It is much like a coupon with an expiration date. The coupon “Under Law” had an expiration date of Christ’s Death on the Cross. Trying to present lawkeeping under an expired law as a means of justification is worthless and without value. What is important now is faith. Faith! Honest, spiritual faith. That is the transformation between the covenants. But not just faith – faith revealing itself in love. It really, really, really is just this simple. Armstrongism complicates the simple into the burdensome by fault of biblical illiteracy under the hand of a high school dropout salesman who thought he had a calling of God.
Let’s now look at another Galatians scripture.
Galatians 5:11 11Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Let’s look at this in paraphrase. Allow me to paraphrase this:
“Brothers, if I am still preaching the law of Moses, then tell me why I am still being persecuted? If that’s the case, the entire reason why Christ died on the cross is for nothing.”
Look at this closely! Paul was persecuted! Heavily! Abused, even! Why! Because of what he did and how he changed! He was the lawkeeper of lawkeepers who taught the Law of Moses to a fault. When he taught that the Law is done, he was ridiculed, rejected, abused, and persecuted. Immediately after Paul states that those who are throwing people into confusion are going to pay a huge penalty for their actions, he states, clearly, that the brethren of Christ were called to be free. free from what? The “Circumcision” – a clear reference to the law. THIS IS NOT TWISTING THE SCRIPTURES – these are the clear teachings of Paul. He was clear to mention though – that being free from the law of moses does not give license to sin and gratify sinfulness. He states that the entire law was summed up in five words – love thy neighbor as yourself. Which, by the way, fits hand into hand of Paul’s teaching “The only thing that matters is faith revealing itself in love”. What is the common denominator? Love and Faith. BINGO!
So, quick trivia question. If faith and love is what is important, and faith did not exist in the law but was revealed after the law, how can a law without faith be relevant? And if God is then love and has revealed love to us, and God is now in us through the Holy Spirit, what does God now expect? Results without faith by law or faith expressing itself in love through the Spirit? Come on now. This is an easy question to answer. A law without faith is obsolete if faith is revealed by Christ as a means of justification. This is the first key to why Armstrongism is a False Gospel.
Galatians 5:14 14The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We need to focus on this one clearly: You can take the entire law of the old testament, the entire law of moses, and put it all in five words: Love. Your. Neighbor. As. Yourself. Against love, there is no law. (Galatians 5:23) Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. This is the truth of the spirit.
Galatians 5:18 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
This does NOT say if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Penalty of the law. It clearly states you are not under law.Why? Because if you are Led by the Spirit, you will exhibit the fruits of the Spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self Control. This is the mark of a new covenant Christian and the sign of a believer in Christ, NOT Sabbath-keeping, NOT law-keeping, NOT Festival-Keeping. These are matters of spirit and not matters of a law that was meant to LEAD to Christ. Once you have Christ, you have Christ and you become a new creation of love. A new creation of joy. A creation of peace, a patient soul, a kind heart, a good person full of faith and gentleness.
TRUTH: A new covenant Christian understands that the sign of a disciple of Christ is if you love one another.
Galatians 6:12 12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[b] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.
Let’s look closely at this: THOSE who want to show themselves as so righteous in the sight of God are the ones that were trying to compel others to be lawkeepers. The reason? to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Let’s look at the Contemporary English translation:
12Those people who are telling you to get circumcised are only trying to show how important they are. And they don’t want to get into trouble for preaching about the cross of Christ. 13They are circumcised, but they don’t obey the Law of Moses. All they want is to brag about having you circumcised. 14But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.
15It doesn’t matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person.
Again, here we are with ANOTHER comparison. It does not matter if you keep the law or do not keep the law. You can’t keep the law. What matters is you are a new creation in Christ. THIS is another key to understanding why Armstrongism is a False Gospel.
Ephesians 2:4 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
When were you dead in your transgressions? When you were under the law – before the revealing of faith. This is when you were dead in your transgressions. It is only by God’s Grace that you HAVE been saved. Get that? HAVE. Not will be – HAVE.
Ephesians 2:14-15 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
The Contemporary Engish Version says it best:
14Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body 15to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace.
This is NOT a mistranslation! This is what Paul meant. This is the truth of scripture. Look at the Amplified Bible:
14For He is [Himself] our peace (our bond of unity and harmony). He has made us both [Jew and Gentile] one [body], and has broken down (destroyed, abolished) the hostile dividing wall between us,
15By abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the enmity [caused by] the Law with its decrees and ordinances [which He annulled]; that He from the two might create in Himself one new man [one new quality of humanity out of the two], so making peace.
And, the God’s Word Translation:
4So he is our peace. In his body he has made Jewish and non-Jewish people one by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart. 15He brought an end to the commandments and demands found in Moses’ Teachings so that he could take Jewish and non-Jewish people and create one new humanity in himself. So he made peace.
Clearly, we can see what the intent of this scripture is. In CHRIST – in HIS body, he made the Jewish and the Gentile as ONE by breaking down what divided the two. Was it the PENALTY he broke down? No! He broke down the law – he brought an end to what divided – all the commands – all the demands – the whole law – so that he could take these people and make a NEW Creation of both Jew and Gentile by faith – one body and one spirit who walk by faith and by love in Jesus Christ. This is another key as to why Armstrongism is a False Gospel – because Armstrongism took what brought Christianity together – faith and love in Christ – and brought the law right back in as a divider and agent of judgement and division. Do you now see how grave the sin of Herbert Armstrong’s doctrines are?
Ephesians 4:13 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Paul here speaks of a process – that it would take time for people to “get it” – there would still be dividers – those who preach law against those who preach faith in God – that it would take time to become mature and attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Until that happened, there would be weird teachings, tossing of waves, and cunningness and craftiness of men. Herbert Armstrong taught against faith and said over and over again that righteousness is obedience to the law. And looking, by the way, to the practices of the early church is looking to the church in its spiritual infancy as Paul was talking about here. The church has matured, and it is a horrible mistake to look to the practices of the early church in it’s spiritual infancy as a support for lawkeeping which Paul tried so hard to teach was obsolete. Look to Christ. That’s the only way, that’s the only truth, that’s the only life.
Phillipians 3:8 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I
The comparison here? Again, not the PENALTY of the law – but a comparison against law and faith. Righteousness from God is only by faith – everything Paul knew and taught before Jesus Christ? Paul called it rubbish in comparison. It simply does not compare. The only thing that matters is gaining and being found in Christ and having faith in Him. PERIOD!!!
Collosians 1:21 21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[f] your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Truth: The law alienates you from God.
Truth: You are reconciled to God by Christ’s death and you can now be presented Holy and free from accusation and without blemish.
Truth: This is not by lawkeeping. This is only if you continue in faith and hold to the gospel that Paul has become a servant of (which he was not before under the Law.)
Collosians 2:13 13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,[b] God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[d] 16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
I’ve expounded on this before, and I do not need to go over it again. What it says, it means. The COG explanation is a twisted and sick distortion of the truth.
1 Thessalonians 3:6 6But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love.
Good news about how well you kept the Sabbath? Attendance? How you dressed at church? NO! Good news about what really matters. Your FAITH and your LOVE. These are the criteria paul was looking at. This is what is important. PERIOD!!!
1 Timothy 1:3
3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that law[a] is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
In Part THREE, we will look deeply at where the false teaching that only the PENALTY of the law was abolished in great detail along with other gems and nuggets. This is to come.
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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Holding the Testimony of Jesus- and Keeping HIS Commandments
A few posts ago I posted about the truths concerning the reality of the covenants and the fulfillment of the Law. Today, I wanted to post more on what “Keeping the Commandments” mean. Let’s first look at John 15:10-12.
John 15:10-12
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
Jesus was saying that if a Christian does what he is told to do by Jesus Christ, then he will abide in the love of Jesus Christ – just as Jesus Christ always did what was told of him to do by His Father (remember how he was always retreating to be in prayer?) and always abode in the love of His Father. Jesus said he was saying these things so that a Christian may be full of the joy of the Lord. And then Jesus gives what He calls “His Commandment“. In other words, this is the specific and complete Commandment of Jesus Christ. And this commandment is simple. Jesus Christ commands us to love each other – just as much as Christ has loved us, we are to love each other. This is His Great Commandment.
In John 13:34, We read again a commandment of Jesus Christ. His commandment is again exactly on the same order as “His Commandment“. He states:
“34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
So we have a GREAT commandment – also called a NEW commandment. Again, it is very simple – but a very hard commandment. LOVE one another.
You see, it’s easy to not steal from someone and yet hate the living daylights out of them. It’s easy to not kill someone but still hate them. It’s easy to not covet someone’s television and despise the person who owns the television. You can honor your mother and your father – but REALLY loving them? Now that’s an altogether different story. You can avoid taking God’s name in vain – but still not love God. You can avoid making graven images – and still not know or love the Lord Himself. You can have no other Gods before the one true God but still not know or have a relationship with the one true God. And you want to know something – you can remember the Sabbath Day and attempt to keep it holy and completely miss out on the Sabbath Rest and knowing Christ himself.
If you will notice, in the Ten Commandments given to Moses, there are a lot of thou shalt nots concerning relationships with God and with Man. But there is no Thou Shalt Love. There is nothing there whatsoever about the Great Commandment of Love.
So, you might ask why. The world was separate from God. And God is LOVE. Therefore, in the old Covenant days, they were taught in the handwriting of ordinances basic principles of worship and basic principles of getting along with each other. But yet – do you see the teachings of love? No, you do not. This is why Jesus issued “NEW” commandments when Love Came Down – the commandments of Love.
This is the sticking point of those who read the Law. Let me be clear. When you read the Law – you are an enemy of Love, and you are an enemy of Mercy. When you read the Law, you begin condemning – because that is what the Law is made to do – condemn. “Oh, he’s not keeping the Sabbath Properly. Therefore, he is NOT a Christian”. Here is a classic example of reading the Law – judging – and condemning. But when the New Testament comes, Jesus issues NEW Commandments. His NEW Commandments involve the one thing the Ten Commandments could never touch. LOVE.
Jesus Said Love one Another. HE made this even clearer. Look at Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Against such things there is no law. What does this mean exactly? It’s very clear. The Book of Galatians was directed at those who were upholding the Law of Moses because they did not understand how Christ fulfilled that Law through the fulfillment of the scriptures in the Law, Prophets, and the Psalms. Paul – through revelation of Christ – was clear. Against the fruits of the spirit there is no law.
This goes right back to Jesus’ NEW and GREAT command: Love one another – Love God. Just plain LOVE. These are commands of Jesus Christ that are specific and direct.
Let me make this even clearer. If you love one another – you will not steal, kill, lie, covet, dishonor – these things cannot happen if you really are one who is full of the love of God. It’s against the nature of God! That is why the Ten Commandments don’t even begin to TOUCH on the aspect of Loving one another. they just skim the surface.
Jesus Christ’s commandments are to LOVE. The Law – and the Prophets – as Jesus Christ said – “hung” on the Great Commandments of Love to God and Love to man.
And here is where we come to the big problem of the COG’s.
The Churches of God hang the great commandments that are timeless and eternal on the Law of Moses which was according to scripture made for a certain people, at a certain time, at a certain place. The people of Israel, during the time from the fall of Adam to the time of Christ – in the nation of Israel – God’s Chosen Nation during the time of separation from God due to sin. They put these commandments FIRST – and then put the commandments of LOVE secondary. They say FIRST you have to keep the Sabbath, and the Holy Days, and the Ceremonies – and by doing this, you love God. This is a REVERSAL of the truth. The truth is that the timeless command revealed by Jesus Christ is to LOVE God and LOVE One Another – and for the time of the fall of Adam to the time of Christ, the ten commandments “Hung” on these commandments.
When the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost – then the full revelation of Love was revealed. Now, the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit could completely and totally transform a Christian into a NEW CREATION – where the old nature has gone, and the new nature – a nature of love – has come. Now there is the entrance into the promised Sabbath Rest which God promised long ago as foreshadowed by the Sabbath Day. Christ has come and has paid the debt of our sins – yes, in full – and now we can know and experience the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit – loving God with all our heart, mind and soul – and loving man in the same manner as Christ loved us.
When you exalt the Sabbath Day over Love – When you exalt Holy Days over Love – when you judge people instead of loving people – when you condemn people over showing mercy – when you emphasize law over love – when you are against a real relationship with God and in favor over rules, law, and legalism – you have missed the boat completely.
The reality is this – Keeping the Testimony of Jesus Christ is acknowledging He is raised from the dead, that he died on the Cross, and that He rose again, took our sins, and lives in us so we can Have Eternal Life and “get to know His Dad”. Keeping His Commandments is walking the walk, not just talking the talk. Loving, Caring, Sharing – Loving our brothers with as much love as he showed us. Caring for people, showing in our actions the Lord Jesus and not just our Words. It is being a servant to all we come in contact with – and showing in every step our our lives the love of God that is in Christ Jesus – who is in Us – daily. He is our daily bread. It is keeping the great commandments of Love that against such there is no law.
You can keep the Sabbath, the Holy Days, all the rituals and all the days to the letter. You can fast on Atonement, travel to the Feast, give an opening and closing prayer, give sermons, set up chairs – but if you do not have love in your heart – and do not love others – or put these commandments ahead of the commandments of love – guess what.
Your lawkeeping doesn’t mean a cotton-picking thing.
And THAT, in a nutshell, is where the Churches of God have gone wrong and why they are in the mess they are in today.
SOURCE:http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=1155
~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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The Fulfillment of All Things - In Its Proper Perspective.
The next article has a few important links to better assist understanding the complete meaning and points the author is trying to get across. This is a really great article imo and if carefully read answers several critical questions and eliminates much confusion concerning this specific topic I have seen posted on the threads.
I hope everybody enjoys this one, I did!
Sarge 
http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=1134~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 4/21/2010 Posts: 1,457 Location: Michigan
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sarge wrote:LCG Member Misses the Mark
WARNING: This post will be in the Christian theological mindframe. The writings are in accordance with the teachings of the religion known as evangelical christianity. This post is not an attempt to convert or influence individual religious opinions. This post is a comparison between Armstrongism and mainstream evangelical thinking. If you are offended by such a post, read at your own risk.
LCG Member Adam West issued a blog I will comment on. This blog goes to show the incredible lengths COG people go to to convert the simplicity of the Christian Gospel into the support of Herbert Armstrong’s doctrinal errors and theological mishmash. I will post his blog and I will comment internally inside his text.
Does the New Testament admonish a true Christian to keep the 10 Commandments? If so, where?
Excellent question. Let’s explore.
Even though people may say to Christ at the judgment that they did so many good things in His name, scripture tells us that He will say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” The absence of obedience to the law of God in a person’s life is equated with not knowing God, and God not knowing that person, therefore it is the keeping of the commandments of God, the Law of God, which brings a person into a real knowing, personal relationship with God.
Adam takes the scripture of “you who practice lawlessness” and somehow folds this down to the context of the basic “Ten Commandments”. Adam is correct in this statement, that according to Christian theology, the absence of obedience to God’s Law is equated to not knowing God. But in the statement that follows, he has reality reversed, which is SO common in Armstrongism. Adam states that keeping the commandments of God brings person into a real knowing and personal relationship with God. The correct Christian theology states that in reverse: That coming into a real, knowing relationship with God causes one to be in obedience to the internal laws God writes in your heart. All the law-keeping in the world is not perfect enough for one to enter into God’s presence, and that is the Christian teaching! For if one breaks one jot or one tittle of the law, the truth is, the entire law is broken. It is not through law-keeping that one qualifies to enter into God’s presence. It is trough having a relationship with God that one lives in the boundaries of the spiritual laws of love. How difficult is that concept to understand for those who go by Armstrong’s teachings? You first have to ask the questions: who is the supreme lawgiver? Christ gave the laws to govern all of mankind knowing as our Creator what was in our best interest. How do we define love? Do we just come up with our own ideas of what is perfect love? No! The Ten Commandments are what define love toward God and love toward our neighbor. Without this definition of Godly love, it is open for anyone's interpretation.
The Commandments given to Israel were to a physical people who had not been given the uderstanding of the spiritual intent of the law. This is what makes the covenant in the New Testament new, Christ said, Mat 5:27 NKJV - "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'
Mat 5:28 NKJV - "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This is the Spiritual intent of the law and what Christ came to write in men's hearts. This added demension of the law expounded and made the law more binding! Law keeping alone doesn't earn salvation as is it not possible to keep the law perfectly, but Christ in us through constant striving and repentence of sin(the transgression of the law- 1Jo 3:4 NKJV - Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.we can overcome daily the flesh and this is what produces good fruit-the fruits of the spirit. I believe it was James who said," faith without works is dead." What works? The works Christ does through us,when we surrender ourselves to complete obedience to the laws of God in daily repentance in prayer. The works of dying daily to the flesh and becoming a new spirit in Christ. How do we manifest our love toward Christ?- Jhn 14:15 NKJV - "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Jhn 15:10 NKJV - "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
In Matthew 19:17 Christ spoke to a young man who had asked Him what he needed to do to have eternal life and He answering said, ”… Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Jesus then went on to cite a number of the Ten Commandments regarding man’s relationship to man and the summary command to love one’s neighbor as himself. The companion scripture to this account is found in Luke 18:20. Therefore, we have direct instruction from Jesus Christ Himself to keep the commandments of God.
If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. Good sentence, and instruction, and again, Adam takes this verse and narrows it into the context of the Ten commandments. Adam then references, correctly so, that Jesus then restated the Ten commandments. But what he does not indicate is what Jesus said after he recited the ten commandments.
Jesus referenced then that the ten commandments were imperfect, and incomplete! He said after the fact that “if you want to be complete”, that more is required than the observance of the letter of the law. The young man needed a change of heart. The law was a shadow and could never complete what it was intended to do. It never brought about a change of heart, it never brought about a relationship with God, it never did what it was supposed to do, it was a shadow of what was greater. Even though the young man kept all of the “ten commandments”, it simply wasn’t enough. The point is you can keep the ten commandments perfectly – as this young man claimed he had done – and still completely miss the boat. The emphasis is not on the law. The emphasis is on the spirit. The emphasis is not on the physical. The emphasis is on the spiritual. The point is that without Christ's shed blood, the shadow of things to come, we as a physical people had only the letter of the law, and we can never keep it perfectly. Christ's sacrifice took away the penalty of breaking the law which is death to those who overcome and repent of transgressing the law. Christ Spirit in us completed the gap between us and the Father. Through Christ we have access to eternal life and this was the missing dimension of the law given to Israel
Jesus also spoke in the Sermon on the Mount saying, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men 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” (Matt 5:19). This verse plainly shows Jesus’ approach and attitude toward the keeping of God’s commandments, something that certainly would not have changed in the final hours of His life as He suffered and died on the stake as many seem to believe when they assert that Christ did away with the law and nailed it to the cross.
Here is the correct way to view this. Jesus said whoever breaks the least of these and teaches others to do so will be what? Least in the Kingdom of Heaven. This means one thing: It’s not a salvation issue! Let that ring loud and clear. Lawkeeping is not a salvation issue – however – remember what I said earlier. In the Christian theology – it is one’s relationship with God that empowers one to avoid lawlessness, not the otherway around. So if one has a strong relationship with God, one would be extremely close to God, obedient to what the Spirit says to your heart, and then obviously would be considered “great” in the Kingdom of Heaven. If one does not have a great relationship with God, he won’t care if he is “lawless” or not and – though he would still make it to the Kingdom due to the acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, he would, indeed be considered one of the “least” – yet – still received salvation. The whole problem with Armstrong theology is that they equated lawkeeping as a salvation issue which it is not. All the lawkeeping in the world will not get you salvation because you can never do it good enough. Ever.
it is one’s relationship with God that empowers one to avoid lawlessness, not the otherway around. So if one has a strong relationship with God, one would be extremely close to God, obedient to what the Spirit says to your heart, Ones relationship with God, which is? obedience, repentence, Christ said to repent! What do we repent of? Sin. What is sin? The Bible says sin is LAWLESSNESS. Who is the supreme lawgiver? Christ, therefore sin is the transgression of the law and to have a relationship with Him we have to be getting rid of sin. Sin is what puts us at a distance from God. Did you notice the last part of that sermon on the mount? but whoever DOES and TEACHES them shall be called great in the kingdom of God. So their is some works involved in following God. It isn't all pooh pooh, wishy washy, just give your heart to Jesus and that's all you have to do. No wonder so many Christians have embraced this belief! It's the easy way, Christ said, "pick up your cross and follow me" that His way was the narrow way and that few would find it. Not the broad easy road, the popular way that most would follow,but the way that few would find.
We read in Colossians 2:14, “having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” It was not the commandments that were nailed to the cross, but rather the handwriting of requirements or as it is more properly rendered the note of debt, the certificate which states the penalty of the sins that each of us have committed. The ESV renders Col 2:14 more accurately as: “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it [the record of debt] to the cross.” The legal demand was that the penalty for sin was death (Rom 6:23). The New Living Translation renders the verse, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” The record of charges, our past sins, were nailed to the cross.
Really. From Albert Barnes’ “Notes on the Bible” we read”
Colossians 2:14 and the Ceremonial Law – Blotting out the handwriting – The word rendered handwriting means something written by the hand, a manuscript; and here, probably, the writings of the Mosaic law, or the law appointing many ordinances or observances in religion. The allusion is probably to a written contract, in which we bind ourselves to do any work, or to make a payment, and which remains in force against us until the bond is cancelled. That might be done, either by blotting out the names, or by drawing lines through it, or, as appears to have been practiced in the East, by driving a nail through it. The Jewish ceremonial law is here represented as such a contract, binding those under it to its observance, until it was nailed to the cross. The meaning here is, that the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law are abolished, and that its necessity is superseded by the death of Christ. His death had the same effect, in reference to those ordinances, as if they had been blotted from the statute-book. This it did by fulfilling them, by introducing a more perfect system, and by rendering their observance no longer necessary, since all that they were designed to typify had been now accomplished in a better way; compare the notes at Eph_2:15. First off the ceremonial laws had to do with the sacrificing of animals the washing of pitchers,the hand washing ceremonies, circumsion etc... Christ became the lamb and therefore was our perfect sacrifice, something the blood of animals could never be. These are what were nailed to the cross. The wages of past sins,which was death was wiped clean. A new slate. This didn't release us from future sin,on the contrary. Christ's sacrifice gave us the means by which sins could be forgiven to those who recieved the Holy Spirit and repented!And we are to continue to repent of sins(the transgression of God's law)We must endure to the end!Mat 10:22 NKJV - "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Mat 24:13 NKJV - "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Mat 28:20 NKJV - "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Mar 13:13 NKJV - [b]"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.Who is hated more than the Church of God? It certainly isn't the majority of christianity. Christ's law was never a burden, in keeping the laws of God, we are saved from the consequences of being a murderer, lier, thief, adulterer.Etc... I think you get my point. The opposite of keeping God's law is a life full of sin, which brings on misery and heartache.
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So, it was not the law that was nailed to the cross, but the penalty that each person has brought upon themselves through sin. Christ paid the penalty for our sins in our stead and we, through baptism, and acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice, can have His shed blood applied to our sins, thus blotting them out and bringing us into a right relationship, a justified relationship – being lined up with God and His purposes, values, and laws.
We additionally read in James 2:10-12 that “…whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, is telling us that if we break one of the commands we are guilty of breaking them all. He tells us that we will be judged by the law of liberty. God’s law is called a law of liberty. Why? Because it sets us free from sin when kept. When we don’t keep it, however, its penalty – the death penalty – enslaves us.
Common sense:
There are many “laws” on the books that are not enforced now because they are obsolete. Just go to “stupid laws” on the internet and you will see exactly what I am talking about. A law without a penalty is useless. So either the law does not exist and does not have a penalty – or the law exists and has a penalty – or maybe, just maybe, the law exists and has a penalty that has been paid for by somebody else because you could not afford to pay for it yourself.
Let’s say that it’s the third. We know that God has spiritual laws in the New Covenant that are much greater than those that are in the Old Covenant. We know that onservance of the laws in the Old Testament is all or nothing – keep them all and be guilt free – or break one of the whole set and be guilty of the whole penalty – the death penalty. We know before Christ that there was no access to God. We know that Christ paid the penalties for transgression of the law. We know that if we break the law Christ paid the penalty. This makes us free from the penalty of breaking the law. So with that said should our focus be on trying to keep the law perfectly, or should our focus be on having a relationship with the one that freed us from the penalty of the law so through Christ you do his will effortlessly? And if you have a relationship with God then won’t you automatically be an enabled “lawkeeper”? Will your focus be on the physical letter of the law or the spirit of the law?
We know the law is obsolete as the old testament law is defined. That’s perfectly clear in scripture. That law was fulfilled in Christ and magnified through the Holy Spirit whom those in the Old Testament did not have access to. Because there is access to God through the Holy Spirit which did not exist before, is exact observance of every jot and tittle of OT law needed now? Are the priests? Are the sacrifices? What about feast keeping which revolved around sacrifices and animal offerings to pay for sins? Didn’t Christ pay for sins? Does obsolete mean gone? without use? Clearly, the Old Testament laws were for infants. And attempting to keep them is infantile. You don’t take an adult and force the adult to obey laws designed for a child. In the same manner, Christ caused humanity to “grow up” and forsake the “childish laws” of do’s, don’ts, and regulations and moved on to the better and bigger spiritual laws of mature christianity – which encompass within them the essence of the “childish laws” which were fulfilled in Christ.
The only reason why you would be under the “penalty of the law” if you don’t “keep the law” is because you don’t have a relationship with God in the first place and if you do not have a relationship with God – who is Himself the embodiment of perfect law – then you succomb to absolute chaos – otherwise known as lawlessness. So the key is not in striving to be a good “lawkeeper”. The key is in having a relationship with the “lawgiver”. Then knowing the “lawgiver” observing what God wants you to do “his laws” is second nature.
Why is this so hard to understand in Armstrongism? Observance of laws is not a salvation issue. Having a relationship with God is. Keeping days and seasons and years perfectly is not a salvation issue. Sabbath keeping is not a salvation issue. Keeping all the rules and regulations of the Torah or the Beattitudes is not a salvation issue. But if you do not know God and you do not have a relationship with God then your lifestyle will be one of lawlessness as a consequence of your ignorance of God. If you do know God, you will know them by their fruits – and isn’t it the fruits of the spirit that enable lawkeeping in the spirit of the law anyway?It is the obedience to God, the keeping of the law which puts away sin that produces the good fruits in us. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the result of obedience to God.You cannot have a relationship with God when lawlessness abounds. It is impossible to be in harmony with our creator when we are at enmity against Him. Sin seperates us from God. The law shows us what sin is and how to overcome sin. We will not do it perfectly, this is what Christ's blood does for us, the blood atones for our sins if repented of.
Adam West’s post is one attempting to promote the idea that law keeping is the entrance to salvation. The reality is, that law keeping in the spirit – far more encompassing then ten basic commandments written for spiritual infants - is a manifestation of a relationship with God – and not just ten basic commandments – but a lifestyle of love toward God and toward man.
When you point to just shadows you see just that – gray, formless shadows.
When you point to the reality, you can see the real details in what otherwise is gone and obsolete. Adam West’s theory is missing the mark and incomplete – and he misses the fulfillment of the reality of the Christian theology that is taught all around him by those who are properly educated and schooled. The wise and educated of this world seem to to be blinded to the simplicity which is in Christ. -1Cr 1:27 NKJV - [b]But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
OH! and this:
God’s law is called a law of liberty. Why? Because it sets us free from sin when kept. When we don’t keep it, however, its penalty – the death penalty – enslaves us.
The exact scripture reads: “For the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus will set you free from the law of sin and death” – which also reads ” There is therefore now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus”. Adam says we are free from sin when we keep the Law. The Bible says we are free from sin when we are IN CHRIST.[color=red]Being in Christ requires doing what He says.Christ said, "If you love me keep my commandments" Do not put to naught the sacrifice of Christ, by your disobedience.http://shadowsofwcg.com/?p=392 [color=red]My comments in Red.For more info:CLICK HERECOG Writer LinkIf you open your bible be led by the Holy spirit.
Let God own you.
Do not believe doctrines of men.
Prove all things for yourself.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 9/9/2008 Posts: 2,980
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Message was deleted by User. ~ Insults Should Be Written In Sand ~ Compliments Should Be Carved In Stone ~
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