Martin Luther (1483-1546) and Erasmus of Rottherdam (1466-1536) are referred to as humanists, because they studied the “humanities” and were well-educated thinkers; nothing like the humanists of today—who are secular (that is, “antichrist”) humanists; who have made humanism itself into a religion that worships man.
The Dutchman Erasmus was a scholar of the highest type, but his faith appears to have been cold academia of the Scriptures, not the fiery faith of the German Luther, whose scholarship and sharp mind made for a formidable opponent. However, Erasmus was more mild natured and insecure and he, unbiblically, preferred the “cover of the church” even if that church was corrupt and even if the doctrine was wrong. “Peace at all costs” seems to have been his motto, which also meant a comfortable lifestyle, popularity, in addition to the absence of strife and without life itself being threatened. Luther was neither meek or mild (in terms of defense of the faith, but he was a gentle man, tender to God and sensitive to not sinning against God through overcompensating in the other direction) and he was not of the same mind as Erasmus, but that Scripture is Supreme: Sola Scriptura. The Word of God alone is the revealed Mind and Will of God, and anything that departs from it is error—and if that error is embraced knowingly, above the Word of God, then it is antichrist. Luther’s motto, in contradistinction, would have been more like “Divine Truth and obedience to God at any cost; there is no other option”.
Luther and Erasmus were originally cordial with each other, but as the rift deepened and the gap widened, their cordiality was strained. Erasmus not only took personal insult at Luther’s dissection of his works and personal jabs, but Erasmus was between a rock and a hard place, in that the Papacy wanted to use him as a tool to counter Luther’s arguments. Erasmus’ heart was not in it, for it appears it was primarily cold toward doctrine; though a true scholar, Erasmus seemed to be more one who liked to lounge on the deck of a cruise ship and be waited on in refinement, while discussing matters of academia with other scholars. Thus, his written answers to Luther, in the form of treastises of his own, were more cold academia, heated at times with personal vendetta and a little motivation to protect himself from the papal purge of dissenters; to please Rome, more as a mercenary, than a soul-devoted crusader.
Regardless, in a very humorous and picturesque way, Ronald H. Bainton, in his classic biography of Luther, Here I Stand (1950) 441pp., Hb., 20.00 + P&H explains the difference:
“Nature cannot reveal God. Nature indeed is very wonderful, and every particle of creation reveals the handiwork of God, if one has the eyes to see. But that is precisely the difficulty. If one already believes in the beneficence of God, then one is overcome with amazement and joy at the trembling of the dawn when night is not yet day and day is not night but light imperceptibly dispels darkness. How amazing are the clouds sustained without pillars and the firmament of heaven upheld without columns! How fair are the birds of heaven and the lilies of the field! ‘If thou couldst understand a single grain of wheat, thou wouldst die for wonder.’ God is in all this. He in every creature, inwardly and outwardly, through and through, over and under, behind and before, so that nothing can be more inward and hidden in any creature of God. ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’ Without him is naught. God fills all the world , but by the world he is not contained. ‘Whither shall I fly from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou are there.’ But who sees all this? Only faith and spirit. The trouble with Erasmus is that he is not stupefied with wonder at the child in the womb. He does not contemplate marriage with reverent amazement, nor praise and thank God for the marvel of a flower or the bursting of a peach stone by the swelling of the seed. He beholds these wonders like a cow staring at a new door. The deficiency of faith is made evident by lack of wonder, for nature is a revelation only to those to whom God has already been revealed.” (pp.214,215) [Emphasis mine. :) R.A.B.]
This is true. Nature cannot reveal God any more than your looking at a painting can reveal the artist. The painting indeed displays the talent of the artist, but it tells you nothing of his character, his moral nature, nor the laws that he established for his household (or for his kingdom, if the artist is a king). Thus, while nature gives a glimpse of God’s Wonder, it does nothing for Theology / Doctrine*—without which any notion of God is vain, and without which there is no salvation. Salvation comes not by contemplating the beauty of God’s creation—but from Doctrine: from understanding harmatology (the doctrine of sin), pistology (the doctrine of faith), pneumatology (the doctrine of the soul) and soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). Doctrine cannot be observed in nature, and it cannot be deduced from logic. It comes only via Divine Revelation—which alone comes from the written Word of God.
[* —and it is theology / Doctrine that define Christianity. Nondoctrinal “Christianity” is not Christianity, but pseudo-spiritual humanism.]
Every Christian should read this biography, and at least once a year as a family / church also watch the dramatized movie on the life of Luther and the Reformation.*
[Martin Luther: Martin Luther’s Protest Changed the Course of History, 15.00 + P&H, 105 minute DVD, dramatic B&W 1952 classic; originally released in theaters worldwide/nominated for 2 Academy Awards. Special 50th Anniversary colorized Edition includes: full length film; story of making of the film; Biography of many features not available before, a documentary history with Robert E. A. Lee, retired head of Lutheran Film Associates; trip to historic Luther sites including breathtaking color views of Wittenberg, Eisenach, Worms, Wartburg, Augsburg, and more.]
To understand true Christian Doctrine—and understand, Theology centers around GOD, not man (which is humanism), every Christian should read my foundationals work, Does God Repent...? Can God Change His Mind...?*
[* [And an Utter Demolishment of the Humanistic Myth of Man’s “Free Will” and Arminianism], 484pp., 22.50 + P&H. Lively, profound, revealing, thought provoking, convincing thought, logic, Scripture. Exposes the subversion of true Christian faith in counter reformation re-introducing false theology of Origen and Pelagius and corruption of modern church by Jesuits and crypto-jews and terribly deceived humanists such as Scheiermacher, Kierkegaard, Spinoza, Barth, Schweitzer, Erasmus of Rotterdam, and many more, including undermining of Puritan church by Solomon Stoddard, and much more; also Dissects the false theology from one chapter of two different books; one by Dr. Normal Geisler and one by Brother Andrew.]
Each Christian should read NUMEROUS books on our TRUE FAITH—it’s history, biographies of those who laid their lives on the line to secure our freedom, and its true Doctrine. Without knowing it you cannot defend it and without knowing it you cannot realize why it must be preserved, and without knowing it you cannot please God. These, in addition to Luther’s biography mentioned above, are all highly recommended:
- Twelve Reformation Heroes (1960) Neilson, 96pp., pb., 12.50 + P&H (an excellent overview, brief biographies of a dozen Reformers).
- The Story of the Light That Never Went Out: A History of English Protestantism For Young Readers (1903) W.S. Martin and Augusta Cook; 586pp., 8.5x11, hundreds of illustrations, excellent; pb., 45.00 + P&H. One person who ordered this book, who is an older gentleman who has long been an avid reader, said this was one of the best and most important 5 books he has ever read. Another person saw an original at the library of Bob Jones University and was impressed with the book and ordered a copy from me, and could not believe the quality, being far better than the original; he took his new copy to BJU and showed it to them, and they ordered a copy so they could “retire” to the archives the original. It’s companion volume is, Stories From Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (1903) Foxe / W. S. Martin, 8.5x11, 440pp., paperback, well-illustrated, 30.00 + P&H.
I will soon be printing my own edition of Foxe’s Book of Martyers from the early 1900s which is a condensation of Foxe’s much-larger work from the late 1500s (inquire), which every Christian should read. The Below book is also important for my historical and theological introduction:
- History of Puritans & Pilgrim Fathers (1888) which incorporates: The Puritans in England (1849) W.H. Stowell, & The Pilgrim Fathers (1849) D. Wilson, 508pp.; with added 230pp. by R.A.B. (500 hours of research /writing) of historical and theological introduction to the Reformers, Puritans, Pilgrims, Nonconformists, Covenanters, the Westminster Assembly, the history of the Anglican Church and Presbyterian Church in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the Anglican Church and monarchs of Britain in their persecution of those Protestants who disagreed with the Anglican Church’s Catholic ritual, and an insightful look at the Great Awakening and revivals in England, Ireland, Scotland (and its Isle of Lewis) Wales, and New England; with over 800 short biographies and over 250 illustrations added; total c.740pp.; 7x8.5, 35.00 + P&H.
Furthermore, even as the Protestant Reformation, Christians need to study the history of the Founding of the U.S., and for the same reasons. I highly recommend Faith & Freedom: Christian Roots of American Liberty,* to begin with (inquire for a list of other titles).
[* by Benjamin Hart, 384pp. excellent; one of the best books on Christian roots of U.S.; out of print, good used pb.,/Hb. copies; inquire.]
It is also important to learn of how our people, and Christians specifically, have suffered—to learn what life will be like if we lose Christendom!
- I Was A Slave In Russia (1958) & I Found God In Soviet Russia (1959) 192pp. [intro. by Billy Graham], 192pp., John Noble; 2 incredible books, on Christian faith through persecution. When “allies” (USSR) took over after bombing of Dresden, German-born U.S. citizen & his family were arrested, their business stolen by USSR, and they were imprisoned for nearly 15 years under torture. Incredible. A must. new printing, 2-in-1, pb., 24.00 + P&H.
- Tortured For His Faith, Popov (Roumanian pastor suffered 18 years imprisonment/torture behind iron curtain) 146pp., pb., 8.00 + P&H.
- The Persecutor (1973) Sergei Kourdakov; Russian Secret Police Officer; job to beat/torture Christians; converted to Christ, Out of print, good used pb/Hb copies available. A must. [Inquire]
- The Secret Holocaust, Mullins, 34pp., 4 00 + P&H. (66 MILLION European Christians exterminated by Bolshevism)
- The Human Cost of Soviet Communism, Prepared at Request of Sen. T. Dodd for Subcom. to Investigate Administration of Internal Security Act and other Internal Security Laws of Committee on Judiciary U.S. Senate, 1971, 40pp., 5 00 + P&H. (180 million European Christians exterminated by Bolshevism).
To round this out, it would be good to learn the histories of our people, which are not taught any more (except in some polluted “politically correct” fictional “inclusionist” manner). For this reason I reprint dozens of excellent books, including The Story of the Nations series and other superb books (inquire).
As Aleksander Solzhenitsyn expressed, “To destroy a people you must first sever their roots”. Again, without understanding what freedom (ecclesiastic and political) cost—and what “life” can be like without it, and what TRUE suffering actually is—there is NO WAY that anyone can appreciate it and uncompromisingly fight to preserve it. How true it is that one does not truly appreciate what he has until he loses it (or almost loses it). Blessed is the man whom God brings to this point of appreciation, like on the edge of Niagara, but with miraculous deliverance so that all is not lost. Those who would not be changed by such a “second chance” and who would not glorify God and be possessed with a new zest and awe and vigilence for life and truth deserve to go over the edge to never rise from the depths again.
Despite his Unitarianism (apparently John Adams did not instruct his family well enough in the true faith), John Quincey Adams (1767-1848), Sixth President of the United States, was intelligent and did make valid observations and poignant declarations, such as
“Posterity — you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.”
However, Samuel Adams was much more blunt:
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
The Apostle James, under Divine inspiration, penned,
“But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.... Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 1:22; 4:17)
Luther (who is my cousin from at least one family line, if not at least 2 more) did not have good things to say about the Book of James—because Luther did not understand it! Luther, of course, had a knee-jerk reaction to anything that smacked of works-orient salvation, since he had just come out of the bondage and superstition of Catholicism. He even offered his Doktor’s cap to anyone who could explain a sound resolution and reconcile Paul and James. Luther did not deny that it belonged in the canon, but he spoke derisively about it. Well, cousin Luther, I’d like your cap if I may have it. Hopefully you have read over my shoulder as I wrote at least a dozen or two books explaining this resolution, including, Sacred Truth Expository Commentary on James 2 (522pp., pb., 25.00 + P&H) and S.T.E.C. on The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (758pp., pb., 40.00), and S.T.E.C. on the Book of Hebrews (632pp., 30.00 + P&H), and numerous other books and commentaries that show the simple, Biblical, logical reconciliation between Law and Grace (The Mystery of the Law and Grace Solved!, What’s Keeping God From Delivering America, Britain, and Europe from Destruction?, Ten Commandments for Youth, So, You Call Yourself A Christian..., and Are We Keeping God’s Law Yet?; inquire for details).
However, to his credit, later in life (whether he realized or not that his conclusion vindicated the Book of James), Luther himself realized the resolution of the issue (if not the book). In Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (1950) Roland H. Bainton records,
“in his preface to the [Luther translation of the] New Testament of 1522 James was stigmatized [by Luther] as ‘an epistle of straw’. .... Faith... is a living restless thing. It cannot be inoperative. We are not saved by works; but if there be no works, there must be something amiss with faith.” (p.341) [Brackets mine. R.A.B.]
I would word it more clearly and more fully:
Faith is an active energy of Divine Grace. It cannot be passive. Like God’s Word, it is sent forth for a Purpose and it will not return unto God void, but perform that which He sent it forth to do. Faith is sent (not to generate “good feelings”, but) to produce good works... not the “good works” of the world, or the Boy Scouts, or the Apostate Modern Church—but the good works commanded by God: keeping His Law, obedience, doing that which is pleasing in His Sight, reflecting His Light, bearing His Image, walking in the Spirit, bearing Christ’s fruit, being imitators of Christ, etc. (which are all synonyms).
Paul wrote,
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
What did God “before ordain” that we should walk therein? Scripture interprets Scripture—
“2... I am the LORD your God. 3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4Ye shall do My Judgments, and keep Mine Ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. 5Ye shall therefore keep My Statutes, and My Judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 18)
“3If ye walk in My Statutes, and keep My Commandments, and do them; [...I will bless you] .... 21And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.” (Leviticus 26) [also vv.23, 27.]
“Ye shall walk in all the Ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:33)
“For if ye shall diligently keep all these Commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His Ways, and to cleave unto Him; [...I will bless you].” (Deuteronomy 11:22)
“Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His Commandments, and obey His Voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)
“...ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God...?” (Nehemiah 5:9)
“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee [the conviction of the Holy Spirit], saying, ‘This is the Way, walk ye in it, when ye [are tempted to sin and] turn to the right hand, and when ye [are tempted to sin and] turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21)
“Thus saith the LORD, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the Old Paths, where is the Good Way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk therein’.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
[There are other passages, but these should be sufficient for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.]
And the words of Christ in the matter—
“17Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5)
The Law was not abolished. Not even the sacrificial system was abolished. The sacrificial system was fulfilled, replaced by Christ’s Eternal Sacrifice of Himself—which the sacrificial system itself pointed to, being the “Schoolmaster” to bring us to Christ. But the Law was not abolished. The Sacrificial System was not the Law of God. It was a “part” of the Law of God, a “Judgment” required to “clean up” the mess of sin made by violating the Law. Because a mother cleans up spilled milk does not mean the family rule about being careful and not spilling your milk is abolished.
God’s Law was not abolished and it did not change. Not one iota (jot).* The Law is God’s Moral Code (every word of it) and Morality does not change. God does not change. He is Perfect and Immutable. He declared, “Be holy as I am Holy”. His Standard of Holiness does not change for Himself (He is Immutable) and therefore, neither can it change for us or we cannot be holy as He is Holy.
[* Iota is the Greek form of the Hebrew letter jot or yod. The Greek language derived from the Hebrew, even as the ancient Greeks (not to be confused with the modern people, who are entirely different) descended from the Israelites (not to be confused with the Jews or Israelis, who are an entirely different people. Likewise, the Roman alphabet derived from the Greek, even as the original Romans (not to be confused with the modern Romans) descended from the ancient Greeks. The evidence of the Greek alphabet deriving from the Hebrew (and understand, the modern script of both alphabets is entirely different from the ancient; the ancient Hebrew and Greek alphabets looked more like the Roman alphabet (which is what English uses). A few letters of the Hebrew alphabet: alef, bet, gimel, daleth; the same letter in Greek, alpha, beta, gamma, delta.]
Christ did not abolish the Law. He told us that He did not. What was abolished was the Curse of the Law, the Penalty (not the Law itself), the “death sentence” that was against us (“The soul that sinneth shall die”). The Curse against us was abolished or cancelled, not arbitrarily, but because Christ paid that “death sentence” Himself for His elect.
Similarly, contrary to the teaching of cross-eyed pastors, theologians, and self-assumed Bible teachers and book authors (which sadly comprise the vast majority in Christendom today—the blind leading the blind), the Law was not put to death. What was put to death was the sin nature of the regenerated elect—but only as long as we “walk in the Spirit”, for only then will we “not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”. What are the lusts of the flesh? —doing whatever God forbade and not doing whatever He commanded. When we do not walk in the Spirit, in essence, we become “grave robbers” and dig up the old man that was crucified with Christ, dead, and buried—pull him up and put on him with his grave clothes. Sin is delusion. The carnal mind is irrational; self destructive. God declared,
“19I call Heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you Life and Death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose Life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His Voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy Life, and the length of thy days.” (Deuteronomy 30)
That seems like a “no-brainer”. Doesn’t it? (—so does the very detailed list of blessings for obedience or cursings for disobedience in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28).
[Can you imagine a t.v. game show like The Price is Right or Let’s Make a Deal, in which the host Bob Barker says to the contestant, “Behind Door Number 1, awaits for you $10,000,000. Open the door, and the floor beneath you will disappear and you will land on that cushiony fortune. Behind Door Number 2 is a pit full of poisonous snakes like out of the movie Indian Jones, and we’ve thrown in a few angry, hungry crocodiles too, just for fun. Open that door and the floor beneath you will disappear and you will become intimately acquainted with those reptiles”. Can you imagine anyone who would choose Door Number 2?]
But the carnal mind thinks like this:
“Well, I don’t know... that’s a hard choice to make. ‘Life’ sounds pretty wonderful; but ‘Death’ sounds really great too! I’ve heard to many good things about it. Oh! how am I ever to choose? They both sound so fabulous!”
The problem is, again, the carnal mind is not rational. It would rather entertain the delusion of exerting its own “free will” and suffer death and Eternal Judgment, rather than submit to God and obey. For of course, the door to Life does not come without strings attached. You cannot choose life and then think that you can have “the best of both worlds” (Heaven and Hell). You cannot claim to repent and be granted Eternal Life and then continue on in your sin. There is no repentance without turning from what God forbade, confessing it as sin, asking forgiveness for it—and turning to what God commanded. Anything less is pseudo-spiritual delusion. “Bring ye forth fruits meet [demonstrating, suitable] for repentance”.
We are not saved by works; works do not contribute to salvation—but if there are no works (that is, the works that God commanded to a thousand generations*)... if there are no works, then there is no faith... only pseudo-spiritual delusion—counterfeit faith that produces counterfeit (imposter) fruit (wax fruit, sterile fruit). True faith does not originate in us, but is a gift of God to the elect whereby they believe unto salvation and whereby they live in holiness according to all that God commanded. A child doing the family chores that the father has required does not cause that child to be born. Yet that is the silly false disjunction that Christian “Bible experts” employ in their illogical attempt to justify their sinful desires. A person is his father’s child by the will of the father in procreation. Obeying the father’s law establishes the child as an honorable son whom the father will bless and cause to inherit of him. How can any sane person confuse the two? Yet 99.9% of all Christians do, and parrot the mindless blather that “the Law does not save (and therefore, the Law was abolished)” which was never anything that any true Bible scholar ever suggested—not even concerning the saints in the Old Testament; even then, they lived by faith and works were evidence of that faith. The false argument that the Law was abolished because it cannot save is a “paper tiger” (smokescreen) invented by those who don’t understand the Word of God—and who reject sound doctrine and who cannot engage in logical thought, upon which the entire Word of God is based. Faith is not anti-intellectual; faith does not transcend logic. Faith is based upon the facts of the Word of God and those facts are 100% logical, not irrational fantasy. Works are a by-product of salvation, if there was true regeneration. If an infant is born grey and does not ever breathe, move, makes sounds, etc. clearly, there is no life. However, the infant that breathes, moves, and makes sounds, does not come to life because he does those things—those things are evidence that he is alive!
[* Note: since Adam to now has been only about 184 generations; we have a little ways to go—and even then the Law shall not pass away. “Unto” does not refer to a terminal point, but a direction. It is a figure of speech for “forever”—for in other places God says that He commanded His Law “throughout all your generations forever”. Similarly, when Christ said, “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be fulfilled.” It is a false inference for people to think that after all has been fulfilled, and after heaven (the atmosphere around our planet, our solar system, outer space) and earth pass away that the Law will pass away too. But that is NOT what Christ said. There shall be a new heavens and a new earth and it shall be govered by the very same Law because morality never changes. God never changes. What will change is God’s Holy Spirit dynamic within us to enable us to forever keep the Law of God without ever once sinning. Why didn’t God do that the first time? —because part of God’s Nature, other of His Attributes are Justice / Judgment, Wrath, Hatred (of that which is evil), and Mercy and in order to display the full panoply of His Attributes, He devised a Drama to so display them. Any viewer of a movie can, claim, “the author should not have done this... he should have done that...” But the spectator is not the author. If he wants to be an author he can write his own book and try to have a movie made from it (good luck with that). You can “exert your free will” and try to become God and create your own universe (and then have your haughty, ignorant creatures judge you, thinking that they know better)—good luck with that. You will have to “get rid of” the only true God first: for He said that there is no other God and that He will not share His Glory with another. “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!” (Isaiah 45:9) But you could never become the God that Yahweh is anyway—since you are a created being (which He made) and He is uncreated and Eternal.]
God commanded about 613 laws that fit in the palm of your hand and can be read in a sitting, which are easy to understand, many of which are common sense, which were given for our good.
On the other hand, corrupt, treasonsous politicians in the U.S. since the New Deal (1935) have passed over 300,000 Federal Laws alone, which fill over 35 large hardback volumes with six-point or seven-point print,* which occupy over 17 feet of shelf space. The violation of most of these laws could land you in prison; and the majority of people in the U.S. probably violate several of them every single day, without even realizing it. These [unconstitutional] laws were mostly passed to enslave, oppress, and rob us, and enrich the politicians. They constitute a virtual legal “mine field” that you must hire a lawyer (whose loyalty is to the court first and secondly to the client) to navigate, and which even the “experts” don’t understand and cannot agree upon.
[* Both of these are actually only 8-point font (Book Antiqua), as this web format does not allow any point-size smaller. The rest of the text on this page is set at 18-point size.]
Yet the polluted minds of “Christians” whine that God’s Law is “too much” and “too difficult” to understand. They deserve Judgment even as Israel of old who refused to walk in His Ways.
Paul said the Commandment is Holy and Just and Good. Paul said, “Do we then make void the Law through faith? God forbid: Yea, we establish the Law” (Romans 3:31). King David said the Law of the Lord is Perfect. Hebrews 8:8 tells us that the problem was not the Law, but sinful man. Getting rid of the Law will solve nothing. Getting rid of sinful man will—which is why our old nature was crucified with Christ, when you claim those promises and reckon yourself, by faith, to be dead to sin and alive to God. Those “Christians” who do not do so operate in the flesh. Paul also said The carnal mind is not in submission to the Law of God, neither can it be; those who are in the flesh cannot please God and the carnal mind is enmity against God. Those “Christians” who violate the Law of God are not being “spiritual”; they are flaunting their carnality—or their utter reprobation. John wrote that those who do not keep God’s Commandments don’t even know God and the Truth is not in them. Christ said that His sheep know His Voice and follow (obey) Him and the voice of a stranger they will not follow. Christ said that He did not come to destroy the Law and not one jot or tittle of it would pass. Why then do the vast majority of Christians believe the voice of strangers...? as Eve believed Satan that she did not need to obey God—how well did THAT work for us...? Clearly, they are not Christ’s sheep or, according to something else Christ told us, they shall be the least in the Kingdom. However, whether they are not His sheep, but the lowest of the dishonorable, sickly, ignorant, and sinful sheep, only God knows. We also know that Christ said that on the Day of Judgment MANY who thought they were Christians, doing “wonderful works” in His Name, will hear, “I never knew you, depart from Me ye that work iniquity [lawlessness]”... to these goats He shall declare, “depart from Me ye cursed into Everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his angels”. What are goats? They are not swine, dogs, or serpents. They are “wild” (that is, lawless) sheep (the chaff of the wheat, the dead, useless, woody outer hull of the wheat kernel).
[Who do you think understands the Word of God better? Christ Jesus, David, and Paul, or the educated fools with “degrees” who consider themselves “Bible experts” who contradict what Christ, David, and Paul said? Who do you think understands the U.S. Constitution and what is “Constitutional” and “Unconstitutional” better? —George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Maidson or antichrist communist subversive treasonous politicians (like Anti-president Barak boomshakalaka Obama, “Constitutional Scholar”—HA!) 225 years after the fact calling what the Founders believed and established to be “Unconstitutional”...? Neither the Word of God nor the U.S. Constitution are “living breathing documents that change with the time”—which notion is BLASPHEMY AND TREASON. The are SET IN STONE!]
The Law was never intended for salvation any more than an anvil was meant to help propel you up over the bar in a pole vault competition! The Law was and is God’s “House Rules” that He commended His children to follow. The blood sacrifices provided temporary atonement—a temporary stay of execution—until Christ was executed for the elect of His people, bearing their Judgment for them. Christ, being Eternal, provides the Eternal Sacrifice. Normally, only 1 sinless human [which does not exist] could substitute for the life of 1 sinful human (because a sinner would be unholy and could not be a suitable replacement; what is needed is a truly innocent, sinless human). However, Christ’s Death substituted for the billions of the elect of His people, because He was not merely flesh and blood, fully human as He walked the earth—but also fully God.
[Christ temporarily laid aside the use of the greater part of His Godhood, while a man, so that it would be a “fair” competition—like a survivalist going off into the wilderness with just the barest of necessities, to brave the wild. Thus, while we cannot comprehend it, Christ was tempted even as we are tempted, and it was a “fair test” because God is TRUE and HOLY and would not have Christ be tested as we are and set the example for us to show us how to live, if He used His “super-powers” to overcome every temptation.]
Christ’s death did not free us from obeying the Law, but from the execution that we deserve! How could anyone ever confuse the two? How do such people function in the real world if their minds are so constipated? It truly is amazing. The only answer: God has sent Strong Delusion that the majority believe a lie.
After Christ forgave a woman “caught in adultery”* of her sin, He did not say to her, “Go and live however you please—jump right back into bed with whomever you please. The Law is going to be abolished, so you might as well get a head start. It really doesn’t matter any more”. NO. He said, “Go and sin no more!”
[* As I explain in other Ruminations (such as “Explanation of the Woman Caught in Adultery) and books of mine, this woman was “set up” by the corrupt Pharisees. She indeed was guilty, or she would have declared her innocence. I also explain why Christ did not condemn her, what Christ may have written in the sand, and why her accusers left.]
The Epistles of John were the last books of the Bible to be written (even after Revelation). John says, “sin is transgression of the Law”. If the Law was abolished then it is impossible to sin, so there is nothing that anyone needs to repent of, be forgiven for, or be saved from! Paul wrote: “but sin is not imputed when there is no law” (Romans 5:13). Where there is no law, no sin is imputed—and therefore there is no penalty! The Antinomian* position is an anti-intellectual, unbiblical position and Satan has deceived God’s simple-minded, faithless people into believing that God’s Law need not be obeyed (even as he deceived Eve) because it keepd God’s people in sin. When God’s people are in a state of unconfessed, unrepentant sin God will not hear their prayers! Why do you think Christendom is about to fall...? [Hint: It is NOT because God is “so happy” with us!] If a father tells his son, “No playing in the mud”, when the child disobeys the father disciplines him, cleans him up, puts new clothes on him—and when the child repents and asks for forgiveness, the father can then demonstrate his love once more to his beloved son. But understand clearly, simply because the child has been forgiven does not mean that the law against playing in the mud changed one bit! Yet 99% of “Christians” can’t see this simple logic, even when so clearly explained. It is not a matter of intelligence. It is a matter of the will—which God has turned so that they will reap the Judgment that they deserve. “It is God that worketh in you both to WILL and to DO of HIS GOOD PLEASURE” (Philippians 2:13). Rather than resist, think evil thoughts of God, and cry that it is not “fair”, why don’t you just repent and obey? If you don’t it is because God has not put it in your heart / mind to do so.
[* —“those against the Law”, that is, in this case, those who believe that God abolished His Law, which comprises about 99% of all who imagine themselves to be “Christians”.]
Good works / walking in obedience to God’s Commandments / bearing the fruit that He ordained that we bear, etc. does not save our soul, does not regenerate us, does not secure forgiveness, does not redeem us—it is all by-product of salvation, regeneration (new life): It is the natural result of the actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Where no fruit is evident the Holy Spirit is not Resident—not the world’s rotten, polluted, perverse fruit, but God’s Fruit. The world’s counterfeit, Antichrist fruit is the opposite of God’s Fruit; and counterfeit fruit is poison and ends in death.
If the world is pleased with your Theology / Doctrine / Standard of Morality, guess what...? —you are following a false christ, worshipping a false god, and are part of the Apostate Church. John also wrote, “He who says I know Him [God] and keepeth not His Commandments is a liar and the Truth is not in him” (I John 2:4). Tell me, can someone be converted / regenerated / saved / truly be a Christian if he does not know God...? if the Truth [Christ said, “I am ... the Truth...” and called the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of Truth”] is not in him...? This is why on Judgment Day there shall be the mother-of-all rude awakenings, for Christ declared that MANY on that day [who will have thought that they were “Good Christians”] who think that they did “wonderful works” in His Name [but they were the world’s, the Apostate Church’s, antichrist’s notion of “wonderful works”] will hear Christ declare, “Depart from Me ye that work iniquity [anomia “no law”, more correctly means, “lawlessness”] I never knew you!” That seems about right. They did not know God and followed a false christ, so Christ does not know them either. Christ said that His sheep know His Voice and follow [obey] Him and that the voice of a stranger they will not follow. Christ said He did not abolish the Law and not one single jot or tittle (not the smallest letter, not the slightest flourishing hook at the top of a letter in the mechanical words in the written record of the Law) would pass. Christians believe "Jesus abolished the Law". Why? —according to Scripture, because they are not His sheep, because they are following the voice of a stranger.
Note also: A person can have the correct theology—but the WRONG attitude and the WRONG method and the WRONG presentation. That is a sin. We are God’s ambassadors and we are to represent Him the way HE wants to be represented and He does not want to be represented by foul-mouthed, indiscreet, vile-minded, carnal attituded hot heads who think that they are theologians, but are as unholy, sinful, and vile as a pig in a septic tank.
Again, an individual does not “become” his father’s child by obedience. An individual is his father’s child as a result of his father’s procreative will. A child establishes himself as an honorable son who will inherit of the father, through his obedience to what the father commanded. A tree does not become an apple tree by bearing apples; a tree bears apples because that is what its Creator ordained for it to bear. Trees that do not bear the right fruit, Scripture says, will be hewn down and cast into the fire.
“But if ye [sin without repentance and] be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:8)
Good works do not save, they are an evidence of salvation. An animal does not become a sheep by going, “ba-a-a-a-a!”; a sheep bleats because that is the nature and activity that God ordained for the sheep to have.
[For more detail on God’s Law see my Ten Commandments for Youth, 440pp., 6.25 x 9.25, pb., 25.00 + P&H.]
“1My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
8It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (Proverbs 3)