Righteousness by Faith and Keeping God's Commandments

SPEAKER B Jesus promised his disciples in Acts One eight, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all here and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Welcome to. You shall receive power. And here are your hosts, Ettienne McClintock and Colin Hone. SPEAKER C Greetings and a warm welcome to today's program. We're delighted that you've joined us again and we hope that you've enjoyed the journey so far as we work through the book 50 Days Prayers and Devotionals to Prepare for the Latter Rain and Christ Return by Pastor Dennis Smith. Now today's lesson, we're actually going to look at day 32, so we will unpack that topic a little bit further. But just before we do and Colin starts leading the program, we're just going to ask the Holy Spirit to guide and to lead and bless us as we study together today. Father in heaven, it's always a privilege to have this special time with you where we can come as people who want to learn and sit at your feet. We want to be apprentices, Father, that is instructed by you through the Holy Spirit and through your word. And as such, we just submit ourselves to you again, afresh even now, and invite the presence of your Holy Spirit, Father, to be baptized with your Holy Spirit, to be led and instructed into all truth that Jesus can be revealed through your Spirit and that we can have Christ within our hope of glory. Bless us now, Father, and give us a fresh understanding and a deeper appreciation and love for all that Jesus has done for us. And what he means to each one of us is our prayer in his name. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C So Colin, we've got a very interesting topic here today, and I think it's one that's very important, quite often misunderstood as well. We're going to look at God's commandments and also abiding in Christ. So to look at unpacking that from day 32, it is righteousness by faith and keeping God's commandments. SPEAKER E That's right. And when one experiences righteous by faith, by abiding in Christ, we're experiencing righteous by faith, by abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us. That's how we experience righteous by faith and obedience to God's commandments and abiding in Christ. Go hand in hand, you can't have one without the other. SPEAKER C Okay? SPEAKER E I mean, Jesus said in John chapter 15, verse ten, john 15, verse ten. SPEAKER C It says, if you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in his love. SPEAKER E See, Jesus kept his father's commandments, and we're talking about the Ten Commandments here. And he abided in his love. And as we keep Christ's commandments, you also abide in his love and we abide in His Father's love as we keep the Ten Commandments as well. So when we abide in Christ and he abides in us, the Ten Commandments will become an integral part of our life. Jesus and the Law are inseparable. In fact, it was Jesus before his incarnation, who gave Moses the Ten Commandments. SPEAKER C Wow. SPEAKER E The God who gave the Commandments revealed himself as what to Moses? As Moses says, what's your name? And he says, I am. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C I Am was the one to send him. And we read that in Exodus, chapter three, verse 14. And God said to Moses, so God there's. Elohim said to Moses, I am who I am. And he said, thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I Am has sent me to you. SPEAKER E So one of his names was I Am. And Jesus, in John chapter eight, verse 58, jesus claimed to be the I Am of the Old Testament. SPEAKER C Isn't that incredible? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C Before Abraham was. I am. SPEAKER E Yeah. In John, chapter eight, verse 58, john, chapter eight, verse 58, here's where Jesus says to the Jews, he says, I am before Abraham, I Am. And comparing one Corinthians, chapter ten, verse one to four, and Nehemiah, chapter nine, verse twelve to 14, it is very clear that it was Jesus who came down in the cloud on Mount Sinai and met with Moses. And we're going to unpack a little bit, but let's go to Exodus. Sorry. John, chapter eight, verse 58. SPEAKER C John, chapter eight, verse 58. Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was I am. SPEAKER E Now, what did they want to do after he made that claim? SPEAKER C Well, I think they clearly understood what Jesus had said there. Says they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by. SPEAKER E Yeah, they wanted to stone him, because as far as they concerned, he committed blasphemy, claiming to be God. All right is blasphemy. SPEAKER C Yeah, that's right. SPEAKER E But Jesus wasn't committing blasphemy because he. SPEAKER C Was he was God manifest in the flesh. Great is the mystery of Godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. SPEAKER E He had a right to say that. And let's compare one Corinthians, chapter ten, verse one to four. One Corinthians, chapter ten, verse one to four. SPEAKER C One Corinthians, chapter ten, verse one to four. Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that our fathers were under the cloud. All passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. All ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. And that rock was Christ. SPEAKER E So who was following around and that cloud and the fire and the cloud and that rock? SPEAKER C Jesus Christ. SPEAKER E It was Jesus himself. SPEAKER C Pre Incarnate. SPEAKER E He was the I Am was in the burning bush. That was Jesus himself. And we can compare Nehemiah, chapter nine. Nehemiah, chapter nine, verse twelve to 14. SPEAKER C Moreover, you led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the road which they should travel. You came down also on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts statues and laws by the hand of Moses, your servant. SPEAKER E So when we compare those texts, it was Jesus himself who came down and gave the law, gave the Sabbath, gave the laws of Moses. It was Jesus who came and gave that law. And so it was clear that he came down in Mount Sinai and met with Moses. That was Jesus himself. We also see the Holy Spirit was also very much involved when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. We also know the Holy Spirit was there at creation. Remember, the Spirit hovered over the waters. SPEAKER C The waters, the deep. SPEAKER E The Spirit was involved in creation as well. And so when we compare Jesus statements where he equated the finger of God with the Spirit of God, and we can go to Matthew, chapter twelve, verse 28. SPEAKER C Okay, matthew 1228 says, but if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. SPEAKER E So how did he cast demons out? By the spirit of God. Spirit of God. Now, when we go to Luke, chapter eleven, verse 20, it's actually a parallel text. SPEAKER C It says, but if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. SPEAKER E So he's got the finger of God and the Spirit of God. And who wrote the Ten Commandments on the stone? God wrote them with the finger with. SPEAKER C The finger of God. That's right. SPEAKER E Hence the Hame Holy Spirit, who wrote the Ten Commandments on table stone, will today write God's law on the hearts of God's spirit filled children. SPEAKER C Wow, that is a remarkable revelation, Colin. SPEAKER E And we can read that in two Corinthians, chapter three, verse three. I remember when I was speaking to some pastors in the Philippines from various different denominations, and we were coming together to pray together to study God's word together to find out the truth. Yes, because we all want to find out the truth and follow it absolutely in God's word. And we read that two Corinthians, chapter three, verse three. And let's read that, and I want to tell you a little story what happened after we read this verse, okay? SPEAKER C So two Corinthians, chapter three and verse three. Clearly you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. So again, the Spirit of God yes, writing it. SPEAKER E Writing it on what? Tablets of stone. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E What did he write on tablets of stone? SPEAKER C The Ten Commandments. SPEAKER E Now he's saying but he wants to write those same Ten Commandments on where? On our hearts. They're tablets of the flesh on our hearts. So here we have the Spirit of God wanting to write the Ten Commandments on our hearts, the same one he wrote on the stone, the same person. SPEAKER C Of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is the one that the one who wrote it. SPEAKER E Yeah, that's and Jesus came down and spoke it. Yes, he came and spoke it to Moses, actually spoke the Ten Commandments out and then the finger of God wrote on the Ten Commandments. So then we look at this God's new covenant promise to these believers in Hebrews chapter eight, verse ten. And the new covenant is basically, and let's just unpack a little bit the old covenant. In the old covenant, the basis of the covenant was what? The Ten Commandments was the law of God. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E And God said, if you do all these things that I say, I will be your God. And they said, yep, we will do everything you say. Well, could they do it? SPEAKER D No. SPEAKER C Within 40 days. They'd broken that covenant in 40 days. SPEAKER E But the covenant was based on God's law. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And the fault, when we read later on, the fault was not with the law of God or God. The fault was with the people, not the law. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And so here we have in Hebrews chapter eight, verse ten, and let's just read that out under the new covenant made possible because of Jesus death on the cross. SPEAKER C Well, the verse ten says, for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their mind and I will write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. SPEAKER E So the new covenant, where does God want to write his law on? SPEAKER C In the hearts. And he wants to put it in our minds. SPEAKER E And who wants to write them? SPEAKER C Well, as we just discovered before, it's through the Holy Spirit. But God's the one who wants to write it on there. SPEAKER E Yes. And Hebrews chapter ten, he repeats this. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E Hebrews chapter ten, where it says the Holy Spirit, that actually specifies the Holy Spirit that wants to write God's laws on our mind and our hearts. Hebrews chapter ten, so we can see it's the Holy Spirit that wants to write the Ten Commandments on our mind and heart. Now, when we think about Jesus, did Jesus magnify the law? SPEAKER C Yes, he did. He came to make it honorable and magnify the law. SPEAKER D He did. SPEAKER E That's right. And we can read this. There's a prophecy in the book of Isaiah, which the book of Isaiah is a messianic prophetic book. SPEAKER D Incredible. SPEAKER E There's so many prophecies about the Messiah and jesus fulfilled all those prophecies. In actual fact, there's hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus, and Jesus fulfilled every single one of them. Did you know that mathematicians got together and they decided to work out what was the probability of Jesus fulfilling eight prophecies in the Bible? So they just picked out eight and worked out the probability of Jesus fulfilling just eight prophecies where he was going to be born, for example. I mean, how do you work that one out? And so just various different prophecies, and they found out that the probability of Him fulfilling just eight was 32 zeros to 130 to the power of okay, 32 32 zeros to one, the probability of just filling eight of those. SPEAKER C And we know there's hundreds, 330 at least, maybe even more. SPEAKER E That's right. And he filled all of them to the T. And so again, we see in Isaiah, chapter 42, verse 21, with this prophecy about the Messiah magnifying the. SPEAKER C Law says, the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake, he will exalt the Law and make it honorable. SPEAKER E So here is a prophecy about Jesus who will exalt the Law and make it honorable. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E God doesn't change. SPEAKER C No, he's not. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so is Jesus, as we read in the book of Hebrews. SPEAKER E That's right. So Jesus lived the law of God out in his life. He clearly stated his purpose was to fill the righteous requirement or requirements of the Law, not to destroy or do away with it. And we can read that in Matthew, chapter five, verse 17. Jesus didn't come to do away with the Law. He came to keep it and fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. SPEAKER C Yeah, that's incredible. A matter of fact, I'll probably read verse 1718 and 19 because it's so pertinent. It says verse 17, do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. So that's what Jesus is saying. And then he says, most assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. And then verse 19, Jesus says, 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. SPEAKER E Well, that's a pretty clear cut passage, isn't it? Very clear cut passage that he didn't come to. He came to fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law, not to destroy or do away with it. Many people are saying that the Law has been done away with. I mean, the Law is a transcript of God's character. How can you do away with God's character? SPEAKER C Well, they're actually just condemning themselves by doing that, because Jesus is very clear. If you break the commandments and you teach men to do it, you are called least in the kingdom of heaven. However, then he contrasts that with those who teach and do them, they shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. SPEAKER E But I believe that most people are doing it out of ignorance or out of just misinformation. When we read the Bible, we read the Bible. The Bible makes it clear. And I must admit, when it was revealed to me, it was like, wow. It was like an AHA moment. Yes, Jesus came to fulfill the righteous requirements, the law. He hasn't done away with the law. No, he came to fulfill it on our behalf. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E And then, so when he gives us his righteousness, he's fulfilled the righteousness and he imparts that righteousness to us. SPEAKER C And I think it's in Acts chapter 17 where it actually says that moments of ignorance God winks at. SPEAKER E Yeah. SPEAKER C And there's some things we don't know. I mean, even in our lives column, we have to say we don't know everything about ourselves as hidden chapters. And these are not, although they might be a violation of God's commandment that we don't understand. We're not living an open rebellion because we don't understand those things yet. But God doesn't hold us accountable because our heart is wanting to serve Him and please Him and love Him. So there are people there who may not know about many aspects of the commandments or the validity or the perpetuity of God's law. SPEAKER E That's right. SPEAKER C And therefore, in their ignorance, they serving God not out of rebellion, simply following the light as they understand. SPEAKER E Like you said, we're probably ignorant about many things that we've got to learn. And just to bring you back to that story, when we were with these Christian brothers in Christ who were from different denominations, who had believed that Commandments were done away with but when we looked at the Bible and these were six pastors when we looked at the Bible and we unpacked that passage in Corinthians two. Corinthians, chapter three, verse three, and Hebrews, chapter eight, verse ten. When that God revealed that in his word to them and they realized that we are to uphold God's law. Okay, just like Paul said in Romans, chapter three, verse 20, he says, do we then make void the law of God? No, we uphold the law. When they realized that, it was like an AHA moment for them as well. SPEAKER D Right. SPEAKER E And all of them made a commitment to ask God to write his laws on their mind and hearts and give them desire to obey His Ten Commandments, including the 7th day Sabbath as well, because the Sabbath is the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments. And so here was six pastors who were worshipping on Sunday, all decided to follow God's law. They were convicted by the Holy Spirit through and so and they went back and told the churches and some of those churches decided, yes, we're going to keep and uphold God's law. SPEAKER C Praise the Lord. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER C So this is the thing. We don't follow tradition, because tradition or creeds will stop you from receiving new life. Because everything is measured by the creed. We measure everything by the Word of God. And the wonderful thing that God offers us, as good as your relationship has ever been at its best, with the Lord Jesus Christ, god offers you more. And how you grow that relationship is discovering more precious new truths that you didn't know previously in the Word. Often I'm reading things and then just a new revelation pops into my mind or a new area of commitment I need to make to the Lord to take a relationship to the next level. And I absolutely love that. That's what you call to grow in grace and in favor with God and with men. SPEAKER E Yeah. We're growing in Christ day by day, just like two Corinthians 318 says, whereby, beholding Jesus and His Word. It says that we are what transformed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord, by the Holy Spirit. So it changes us into the image of God from glory to glory. It's a process of finding out. And we also see on the Sermon of the Mount that Jesus magnified many aspects of God's law. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E He clarified the requirements of the Commandments by revealing their deeper applications. For example, he equated lustful thoughts with the commandment not to commit adultery and revengeful anger with the commandment not to kill. So he went deeper with the Ten Commandments, expanded the deepness of them of breaking God's law, that it goes deeper than just not thou shalt not commit adultery. He says, even if you look at a woman lust, you commit adultery in your heart. That's right. SPEAKER C So outwardly, you may not be doing anything that anybody could say would be committing adultery, but inwardly, in your mind, you could be thinking those thoughts which are still transgression of the law. You could transgress the law of God in thought, not only in act. SPEAKER E That's why the Bible says we need a new heart. SPEAKER D Yes. Amen. SPEAKER C New motives, new desires. SPEAKER E We need a new heart. And so God gives us a new heart and then writes his law on our new heart, gives us a desire to obey Him. SPEAKER C I thank God for that, because without that, I would be enslaved to my sin, my sinful, passions and desires. And I just thank God that he's come to set me free, just like he's come to set everybody else free as well, whatever their desires or passions would be, or things that have a hold over them where they are enslaved by it. Now, it could be any kind of addictions. We all have our own different struggles, but really all of them come down to the fact we transgress God's law either in word or deed or feelings from our heart. From the heart. It stems from the heart. That's right. SPEAKER E So also in Paul's letters, we also find many instructions concerning the attitudes and behaviors the Lord wants us to have exhibit in our life. We read in Ephesians, chapter four, verse 24 to 32, that Paul gives very implicit instruction concerning behavior. Now why is so much space given in the Bible informing us of behavior God wants us to follow? The reason is that we need to know the attitudes and behaviors he wants us to have so we can be aware of the situations when we are tempted to behave wrongly. So he's pointing them out. He points this is what sin is. He says sin is a transgression of God's law. He points it out so that when we're aware of it, okay, when we're aware of it, we can then ask God to have the victory. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E If we did not know God's will in these areas, we would not choose to let Christ manifest that aspect of his character in us. We wouldn't say, Lord, give me your purity or Give me Your patience, or give me whatever aspect that you're dealing with and circumstance you're dealing with. For example, if a believer does not know it's wrong to hold on to anger, if he doesn't know it's wrong to hold on to anger and say something critical when someone wrongs him, he would not turn his thoughts away from that anger and the critical spirit he begins to feel. SPEAKER C So what you're saying there, Colin, is that the Law is there to point out what sin is, therefore showing us that we cannot overcome sin in and of ourselves. We need a savior. SPEAKER E Yeah, the Law points out sin and then leads us to Jesus for the victory over sin. SPEAKER C So if the Law is taken out of the way, what does that do to the Gospel? SPEAKER E Well, there's no law, there's no grace. SPEAKER C And there's no sin. So if there's no sin, there's no need of a savior. SPEAKER E There's no savior, there's no church and there's no church. We might as well just pack up and go home. SPEAKER C That's right. You know, Galatians, chapter three, verse 24 says, therefore, the law was our schoolmaster or our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. So it's very clear that the Law has got to do a work in regards to the Gospel. So if we preach the Gospel, the Law's got to go hand in hand. Why would you look for a savior if you are not a sinner? We need to be saved from our sins. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E Jesus says it in Matthew, doesn't it? Jesus came to save us from our sins, not save us in our sins. That's right. So here we have yeah, you're right. Idian. The whole point of the Law is to show us what his standard is. SPEAKER C Standard of righteousness and love. SPEAKER E And then we come up and we compare ourselves to it, and it points out sin in our lives and then it leads us to the remedy of sin, which is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. So it's good news. SPEAKER C It is good news. And really, if the Law is rightly understood, these are actually the principles of self sacrificing love. They're the principles of love. The first four commandments love to God. The last six commandments love to our fellow man. And number five, of course, they love to our parents, honoring our Father and our mother. If we don't do those things, the Law is the one that shows us we're not doing those things. It shows us that we're egocentric, that we are selfish by nature. SPEAKER E We didn't know the Law, we wouldn't know what was right or wrong. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E Exactly. So we can see that it's vital that the Christian becomes knowledgeable of God's will and His Law revealed in the Bible, because without this knowledge, he will not be able to follow or he won't be able to allow Jesus to manifest Himself fully in our lives. And we'll fall short of revealing Christ and his attitude and behaviors. And we can see in the God's word that Christ lives out love. When Jesus lives in us, he will seek to live out his life in and through us. I'll say that again. When Jesus lives in us, he will seek to live out his life in and through us. This also means that he will seek out, to live out the Ten Commandments in our life, just as he did when he walked on this earth. In Psalms 40, verse eight, it says that. So if Jesus kept the Father's commandments or Jesus wants to live in us, then Jesus will seek to keep the commandments of God through us. The Ten Commandments. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C And Psalm 40, verse eight, it says, I delight to do your will, O my God, and your Law is within my heart. And that's clearly a messianic. Psalm yes. SPEAKER E So the law was in Jesus heart. And if Jesus is living in us, guess what? Jesus will seek to keep the God's commandments, the Ten Commandments, in and through us. SPEAKER C It will be a natural outflow of that connection with Christ because he kept it. SPEAKER E So if he lives in us, he'll seek to keep it in and through us. So also the Ten Commandments are inseparably connected to love. What do the first four the first four reveal to us? How we love God. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E And the last six tell us how we are to love a fellow man. Hence, Jesus abiding in us. The Ten Commandments and intimately knowing Jesus are all closely related. You cannot have one without the others. And John wrote of this close connection in his first letter in one John, chapter two, verse three to six. SPEAKER C Now, by this we know that we know Him if we keep his commandments. He who says I know Him, and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But whoever keeps His Word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him. And by this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought Himself also to walk just as he walked. SPEAKER E So how did Jesus walk? SPEAKER C Well, he was in obedience to the Father, submitted to the Father's will, never sought his own will. He said, I do not come to do my Own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. SPEAKER E And he kept his word. SPEAKER C Kept his word. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And if Jesus lives in us, it says, we'll also walk the same way as he walked. And so John here in his letter, clearly links intimately knowing Jesus the Ten Commandments, love and abiding in Him together. He's saying, if we are abiding in Christ, we will be walking or living just as he did. Why? Because Jesus will be living out his life in us. This is the secret of it all. It's Christ in us, the hope of glory. And if Christ is in us, Christ will seek to keep his commandments. And it says commandments. SPEAKER C It says there in verse five as well. But this we will know that we are in Him as well. SPEAKER E That's right. And so Paul tells us also in this letter to Ephesians, the purpose of our calling in Christ. We are saved through grace, through faith, and we're called through that faith and that grace to obey God and do good works. Read that. Let's read Ephesians two two, verse ten. SPEAKER D Okay. SPEAKER C It says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. Dear listener, we have come to the end of the first part of this program, so don't go away. We'll just be back right after these short messages. Stay tuned. SPEAKER F Has the world gone crazy? International diplomats are frantically negotiating to try and stop ISIS, immigration, and suicide bombers. But it often seems so futile. What are we missing? I'm Julian Archer, an author and international speaker, and I monitor world news trends. Things are getting crazy. My latest booklet, The History of Tomorrow, reveals the last 2600 years through the eyes of kings, prophets, popes and presidents. It unveils a pattern in the timeline of history, and it exposes an event that will soon permanently alter the face of our planet. It takes less than an hour to read, but it could change the rest of your life. To receive your free electronic copy, email, [email protected], au. To order a print copy, phone three ABN on 024-97-3456. SPEAKER C Welcome back to You Shall Receive Power, where we're looking at the book 50 Days Prayers and Devotionals to Prepare for the Lateral Reign and Christ Return, by Pastor Dennis Smith. Now, we just before the break, we were talking about how the commandments of God and how. Relationship with Jesus are intimately connected because John clearly in one John chapter two, verse three to six that we just read before the break, john clearly links intimately knowing Jesus and the Ten Commandments, love and abiding in him. He says that if we are abiding in Christ, we will be walking or living as he lived. Why? Because Jesus will be living out his life in us. Now, I think that is good news, Colin, that by faith we can experience salvation to that extent. That even in our life now. So not only in the life to come, but in the life now, we can experience the victory and the joy of Jesus Christ in us, our hope of glory. SPEAKER E And I hope we get this. We're not trying to keep the commandments for salvation by obedience to God's law, by our own efforts. The whole good news of the gospel, it's actually Christ living in us who seeks to keep the God's commandments in and through us. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E It's him doing it in and through us that takes a weight off the world, off the shoulder, doesn't it? SPEAKER C The thing is, it includes the cross. We have to take up our cross daily. And that denial of self or death to self, when self is out of the way, self is impotent, self cannot claim any merit, self cannot work. But Christ living in us can do the works. And that is only really the only righteousness can ever answer the requirements of the law, which is that perfect obedience we see in Jesus. SPEAKER E And we see that even in Revelation chapter 14, verse six to twelve, is a message to go to the world, the three angels messages. And it says the people who are giving this message, this last message to go to the world, that's last warning message to the world, are called to worship God, the true creator of the heavens, earth. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E But it says the people who are giving this message says they have what? They keep the commandments of God and they have the faith of Jesus. They keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER C So faith and commandment keeping are linked and it's linked by a bond that cannot be broken. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER E So I have the faith in Jesus who'll seek out to keep the commandments in and through me. SPEAKER C Look, these messages are becoming more and more important as we see things happening around the world, as we see things happening in society, breakdown of society, breakdown of the family unit, which is the fabric really, that's the foundation of what society is built on. You have poor homes with poor love and support for children and poor discipline. Unfortunately you have every vicent thing going on. And as this society then grows up and the next generation follows the next, there's a constant deterioration. But in the last few years we've seen that more than ever before. And of course they're not only that the world events that we see around us at the moment as well. SPEAKER E Have you seen the natural disasters seem to be coming one after another more. SPEAKER C Frequently and greater intensity? SPEAKER E I mean, look what you just saw in America. You just saw hurricane after hurricane after hurricane destroyed a whole city and then the worst know, off the Atlantic that came off and through all the Caribbean completely Puerto Rico, wiped out the mat. SPEAKER C Was that, uma, I don't know so many of them, I forgot the names one after another. SPEAKER E And then you had the worst fires in California they've ever had and you just see these frequent natural disasters coming and then not only just in the USA, but you've seen it also in many other places around the world. That's right, the worst fires, the worst floods, the worst droughts, and they just keep on increasing with frequency and intensity. And Jesus says, when you see all these signs, these are some of the signs know that it's close, that Jesus is going to return soon, and before he returns, he's going to prepare a people for his second coming of Jesus. That's what the three angels messages are about, is to prepare a people for the second coming of Jesus. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And getting back to it, if we resist Jesus seeking to live out His Ten Commandments in our life, we are not really abiding in him and failing to fulfill the purpose of our calling, which is to do good works. These works are works of faith which happen by allowing Jesus to manifest them in and through us. When we experience the law of the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, we're becoming free from the law of sin and death. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E In Romans chapter eight, verse two, we can then be free of it. Romans eight, verse two, it says, for. SPEAKER C The law of the spirit of life in Christ, Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. SPEAKER E Wow, how good news is that? SPEAKER C Wonderful news. SPEAKER E And so when we walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, the righteousness of the Law will be fulfilled in us. Because who is righteous? SPEAKER C There's only one that's been righteous as far as humanity is concerned, and that's Jesus Christ. SPEAKER E And who kept the Law perfectly? SPEAKER C Jesus did. SPEAKER E So the righteous of the law was, jesus will be fulfilled in us, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. We can read that in Romans chapter eight, verse four. SPEAKER C Okay, so I'll read verse three and verse four as well, because we just read verse two. It says, for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. So nothing wrong with the Law. But the weakness of our flesh is obviously an issue. We cannot keep it. SPEAKER E Remember what was the fault with Israel. SPEAKER C He said, finding fault with them. SPEAKER E It was with us, the flesh, not with the Law. Itself or the covenant. Yes. SPEAKER D What? SPEAKER C The law could not do that. It was weak through the flesh. God did by sending His Son, his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. So what flesh did sin need condemning in? Well, it was fallen flesh, not the sinless flesh that Adam had before he sinned. There was the flesh that Adam had after he'd sinned. He condemned them sin in that flesh. For what purpose? Well, verse four answers. It that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us. SPEAKER E So Christ fulfilled the law, and then when he dwells in lives in us, the righteous of the laws is what fulfilled in us. SPEAKER C That's right. So God did that by sending his own Son the likeness of sinful flesh, he condemns sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirements of the law may be fulfilled in us. How? Who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. SPEAKER E That's right. When God looks at us, he looks at Jesus. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And so what that means is that obedience to God's law will be revealed throughout our life in thought, word and deed. We will see that in our lives. But it's not us like Paul said, it's not I, but it's Christ that lives in me. That's what Paul's saying. It's not me doing this. It won't be you, Etienne, doing this. It won't be me doing it. It's Christ in us. SPEAKER C Doing this works before that he says, I'm crucified with Christ. So if Etienne is dead, if Colin is dead and there's any merit, it can't be ours, because we did. We died in Christ, and Christ lives in us. So the only merits, the only one that can actually get the accolades is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. SPEAKER E That's right. And obedience to God's law will be revealed throughout the life in thought word indeed. And our love for God and our fellow man will grow stronger and stronger. Because remember, love is the fulfilling of the law. SPEAKER D Right? SPEAKER E Romans 1310 yes. SPEAKER C So love does no harm to its neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. SPEAKER E And I love this beautiful quote from the book Desire of Ages, page 641 by Ellen White. Just a beautiful book on the life of Jesus Christ. If you haven't read this book, I really encourage you to get great book, The Desire of Age. It's a wonderful, beautiful book. And this is what she says love. SPEAKER C To man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. Well, that just summarize everything we've said so far, Colin. Yes, love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love to God. It was to implant this love to make us children of one family, that the King of Glory became one with us. So that was the purpose of him becoming one with us to implant his love and to make us children of one family, and when his parting words are fulfilled, love one another as I have loved you. As we read in John, chapter 15, verse twelve, when we love the world as he loved it, then for us his mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven, for we have heaven in our hearts. SPEAKER E What an incredible promise. Yeah. SPEAKER C This is really that harvest principle that the Bible talks about, that God continuously changes us into his image, from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. And when we have the fullness of his love in our hearts, love to God, and as it's manifested to our fellow man, we love the world as he loved it, then his mission is accomplished and we are fitted for heaven. SPEAKER E In talking about the harvest, we're talking about agriculture, aren't we? SPEAKER C We are, yes. SPEAKER E We're talking about and the Bible uses agriculture in many ways to explain spiritual principles, because God explains things in ways that we can understand. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E It's like when we teach a child, we're going to teach them in symbols, in ways that they can understand. And Jesus spoke in parables, and one of the illustrations he used according to the harvest principle is that he talked about the early reign and the latter reign. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And he equated the early reign of being the Holy Spirit, which was poured out on the day of Pentecost. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And he talks about that you would plant a seed. All right. And the seed in the Bible represents the Word of God. And so when the Word of God who is the Word of God? SPEAKER C Well, Jesus is the word of God. SPEAKER E When the Word of God and Jesus is planted in good soil, and the good soil in the Bible represents our heart, when it's planted on a stony ground, what happens? The birds come and peck it away. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E Or when it's put in, it gets caught up in thorns. It gets caught up in the world, and all the pleasures in the world, it can't grow, but it has to be planted in good soil, which is in our hearts. So when it takes root deep in our hearts, the seed, the early rain would come and cause the seed to germinate or to be born again, right? SPEAKER D Yes. Love it. SPEAKER E And then does it take time for a seed to grow into a plant? SPEAKER C Does take time. SPEAKER E The seed germinates and the plant grows. So the early rain, which represents the Holy Spirit that's been available since Pentecost, is transforming that plant to grow into maturity. And so the idea is, as you grow more and more into Jesus okay, now, does it take time for a plant to grow and produce fruit? Absolutely. SPEAKER C You can't plant it today and speak fruit tomorrow. SPEAKER E That's right. So it takes time to grow. And Jesus is saying in that through Paul in two Corinthians 318, he says, as we behold jesus. As the words implanted in our heart, we are transformed into his image, from glory to glory, from character to character. We grow into the likeness of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. And so as we grow into likeness of Jesus daily through the Holy Spirit, as Christ abides in us and we abide in Him, we grow more into the likeness of Jesus. And then we look at John, chapter one, verse three two, where it says, those who are ready to meet Jesus when he comes will be just like Jesus. And the reason that they're just like Jesus, because it is Jesus living out his life. SPEAKER C Yeah, of course. SPEAKER E In and through them 100%. Now, what happens back to the agriculture is when the plant, just before the harvest, and you read in Revelation chapter 14, verse six to twelve, straight after the three angels messages is given, it says the harvest comes. Okay, that's it. SPEAKER D Right. SPEAKER E The harvest comes. Now, just before the harvest in ancient Israel, there would be what's called the latter reign of the Holy Spirit. Now, the latter reign of the Holy Spirit brings the plant to maturity. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E So that would be bringing the plant to Christ's likeness. And that's what John's talking about. In one John three two, those who admit Jesus will be just like Jesus. SPEAKER C And they couldn't harvest the fruit until the lateral rain had been poured out and the plant had been matured. SPEAKER E Well, if you take the plant too early, what happens? SPEAKER C Well, there's no fruit. It's green, you can't use it. SPEAKER E No good. So you got to wait till it's ripe. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E And that's what talks about in Revelation 14. It's ripe. SPEAKER C Well, let me just read a few verses, only four verses from a parable of Jesus found in Mark chapter four. And it's from verse 26. And he said that's Jesus, the kingdom of God, is as if a man should scatter seed in the ground and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow. He himself does not know how, for the earth yields crops by itself. First the blade, then the head, and after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately, he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. SPEAKER E See, there's another principle. Jesus, using a parable to saying the harvest is ready puts the sickle in it's ready. Now, the latter rain seals the deal. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E It's the latter reign of the Holy Spirit, which is so really, when you think about it, you need to grow in the early reign since Pentecost be transformed the image of Jesus. The latter rain comes and seals the deal, or prepares for the harvest, which is the second coming of Jesus, because who does Jesus send out in Revelations 14, in the harvest sends out his angels. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E All right. And so we need to grow in the early reign to receive the latter rain and be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. SPEAKER C So when we're talking about maturity, we can link it back to what we read there in Desire of Ages, page 641. It's to love one another. And that's Jesus desire for us. And it says there when we love the world as he loved it, then for us his mission is accomplished and we are fitted for heaven. For we have heaven in our hearts. So that fitting. For heaven is the maturity we're talking about. And the maturity is simply referring to not legalism, but love. It is the love of God which is one of the first fruit mentioned of the Spirit. Love in the heart loved the world. He gave what gave his only begotten son. SPEAKER E So love sacrifices gave himself. And when we have Jesus in our heart, we will sacrifice ourselves for the world to bring souls into the kingdom. SPEAKER C That's a high standard, but we know but by the grace of God and by full surrender to him, god can live out that perfect love through in and through us. SPEAKER E And we can see them. First John, chapter four, verse eight. In one John chapter four, verse eight, the Bible tells us that God is love. SPEAKER C Yeah, that's right. One John chapter four, verse eight says he who does not love, does not know God. For God is love. SPEAKER E Yeah, so who does not love, does not know God. So here we learn that love is central to everything in the Christian life. Why? Because if God is truly abiding in the biding in Christian love, we'll be present. If Jesus living in us, jesus says in John 1412 we'll do the same works as Jesus. SPEAKER D Yeah, that's right. SPEAKER E That's what he said in John 1412. And he says how? Because I'll come and dwell in you, the Father and I will dwell in you through the comforter. And so love will permeate every aspect of our lives, our thoughts, our words and our deeds. And this only happens as the believer is daily filled with the Holy Spirit. We can read that in Ephesians, chapter five, verse 18 and Romans five, verse five. Ephesians, chapter five, verse 18. And Romans five. Verse five. SPEAKER C Ephesians five, verse 18 says and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. Now Colin, I remember you previously expounding on this verse that be filled with the Spirit in the original language. It's an active verb and a continuous active verb from what you were telling us, which then means to be continuously filled with the Spirit of God. SPEAKER E That's right. So we got to keep on being filled the Spirit, just in the morning, during the day, in the evening, as the Spirit keep praying for it. And in Romans chapter five, verse five, it says and hope makes not a shame because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given to us. So God pours out his love on our hearts through the Holy Spirit, because what is the fruit of the Spirit? SPEAKER C Well, first one is love. SPEAKER E That's right. When the Holy Spirit is present, the fruit of the Spirit will be present. And we can read what those fruits are in Galatians 522 to 23. Galatians, chapter five, verse 22 and 23, and Ephesians, chapter five, verse nine, we can see what the fruit of Spirit is. SPEAKER C Okay, Galatians five, verse 22 and 23 says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love. So that's the first agape love that's mentioned there joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law. SPEAKER E Yeah, so they're the fruit of the Spirit that comes from love, all those things. And again in Ephesians chapter five, verse nine, paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. SPEAKER D Beautiful. SPEAKER E So here we have that one of the fruit of the Spirit is righteousness. Because Christ was righteousness. Even Christ imparts his righteousness to us. And so his righteousness will be seen in us because of the fruit of the Spirit. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And so, knowing this truth becomes clear how futile it is to try to be lovingly obey God by our own efforts, we can't do it. It's only as Jesus is literally living in us and manifesting his love in and through us will we truly loving obedience take place in our life. So obeying the Ten Commandments is central to God's love being manifested in and through us. You see, when Jesus walked this earth, he obeyed God's ten commandments perfectly. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E When he lives in the Christian, he will seek to manifest obedience to God's commandments in the believer's life. That's why Jesus said in John 1510, if you keep My commandments, you shall abide in my love. So the Ten Commandments are actually the outworking of love in the human's life on planet Earth. Remember, the first four commandments reveal how we are to show our love to God? SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E And the last six tell us how we are to manifest love to others. That is why when Jesus was asked, what is the greatest commandment in the Law? He replied with these words, and he is quoting the Old Testament, by the way. This is not a new thing that Jesus was quoting the Old Testament when he says what in Matthew chapter 22, verse 37 to 40. Can you read that for us? Yeah, sure. SPEAKER C Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. So that's the heart, the soul and the mind that we are to put into this, this is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. SPEAKER E So here is Jesus summarizing the Ten Commandments and saying the purpose and focus is love. You're doing it out of love. So God's law could actually be expressed in one word, couldn't it? Love. Yes, love. Therefore, since God is love, remember we looked in the Bible that God is love? SPEAKER D Yeah, we did. SPEAKER E The Ten Commandments are then a transcript of his character. And when obedience to the Ten Commandments is manifested in and through the Christian's life, he's manifesting the very character of God, which is the character of Jesus Christ. And I just love what Ellen White says in Christ's Object Lessons, page 69. She says, Christ is waiting with longing, desire for the manifestation of Himself in his church. So he's waiting. He's waiting for the manifestation of himself in his church. When the character of Jesus shall be perfectly reproduced in his people, then he'll come to claim them as his own. It's not us trying to reproduce his character. Yes, it's his character being reproduced in and through us. And how does that happen? It's Christ in us, the hope of glory. SPEAKER D Amen. Look. SPEAKER C That's a beautiful one. That christ. Object lesson 69. To connect with what you said in Desire of Ages, page 641, that we just read before. And interestingly enough, Christ's Object Lesson unpacks all the lessons that Christ gave through his parable. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER C And the parable referred to here is the one we just read before, the four verses they're found in Mark, chapter four, verse 26 to 29, which was that harvest principle that when the harvest is ripe, immediately the sickle was put into it. SPEAKER E That's right. And so what she's saying, Ellen White here is saying actually that when Jesus comes, he will be manifesting in and through His Church perfect obedience to God's commandments. Since they define the character of Jesus or Christ, just like Revelations 14 says here are they that keep the what? The commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. How do we have it? Through the faith of Jesus. Does this mean that they'll have learned how to work hard at keeping God's commandments? No, that doesn't work, does it? No, they'll have learned how to allow Jesus Christ to allow his perfect commandment, keeping in and through them. This is also why John described God's last remnant people in Revelations Twelve, verse 17, as keeping the commandments of God. SPEAKER C And it says there in that text, because it talks about the dragon, it says the dragon was enraged with the woman, the woman representing the church, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring or the remnant of his seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. So why is the devil angry with the church? SPEAKER E Well, he's angry and it says a remnant. So what's a remnant first? SPEAKER C Okay, well, that's what's left over. Now, if you have a box of cloth and you use that to make. SPEAKER E Which is the original, is it? SPEAKER C Yeah, the original. And then what happens is, when you get to the end, what remains, the last bit of material that remains, they call that the remnant of the bolt of cloth. SPEAKER E How would you explain that in spiritual terms to the church? You have the early church. SPEAKER D Yes. SPEAKER E All right. And then what happens is it says in the Bible that the early church would apostatize. SPEAKER C That's right. Calling you away would come second. Thessalonians chapter two. SPEAKER E Yeah, Paul talks about this, but then he talks about a restoration at the end, a remnant, and it gives the identifying marks of this remnant people or church or woman. And what is the characteristics they keep? What? SPEAKER C They keep the commandments of God and they have the testimony of Jesus. SPEAKER E Now, what is the testimony of Jesus? Well, you go to Revelations, chapter 19, verse ten. And what is the testimony of Jesus? SPEAKER C The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. SPEAKER E So here we have a people right at the end, a remnant people who will be keeping the commandments of God and having the spirit of prophecy. SPEAKER C In other words, the gifts of the spirit will be in the church. SPEAKER E Yeah. Especially the gift of prophecy, in particular being there. The spirit of prophecy will be in that church. Interestingly. Also, this church will be giving the three angels messages to the world. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E Because they keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. SPEAKER C Now, it's interesting that the word remnant there doesn't refer to the beginning of the cloth, the bolt of cloth. It refers to the last part of the cloth, what remains. So when it says the remnant of her seed, it is the last church on earth. SPEAKER E Just before the last day church. SPEAKER C The last day church. SPEAKER E So there's some identifying marks. Satan is all the dragons making war on. A church that keeps the commandments of God has the spirit of prophecy. And you read in Revelations 14, they give the three angels messages to the world and the people who are giving the three angels messages will keep the commandments of God. SPEAKER C That's right. SPEAKER E And have the faith of Jesus. They have Christ living in them that seeks out to keep the commandments of God and they're giving a warning message to the world and a call back to worship God, the true God. SPEAKER C Absolutely. I mean, this last church, the last remaining church of God on earth, the message they'll be bringing is with a loud voice that goes to the whole world, every nation, tongue, tribe and people saying, fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of his judgment has come. And then a call to worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. Now, we've only got a few minutes left, Colin, but hopefully in the next program we can unpack what that means to worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. A little bit further as well. SPEAKER E Yeah, this call back to true worship. True worship. And basically we can see that at the end those who are ready met to Jesus when he comes will love just as he loves. They will love the Lord with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves how they have allowed Jesus to manifest his love in and through them to the world. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER E And God's ten commandments are foundational to revealing that love in their lives. So their relationship with Jesus will be so close and intimate they would rather die than resist him living out his life. And in them the close meaningful relation they have with their Lord means everything to them. They would never do anything to damage that relationship. This is why, even under the penalty of death, because we read in Revelations 13 that it says this dragon power or this beast power in Revelations 13 combined with a beast coming out of the earth and one coming out of the water will combined to give a penalty death. SPEAKER C A death penalty for those who do not want to receive the mark of the beast. SPEAKER E Yeah, which involves disobeying God's commandments. They will remain faithful to God and the bond of love between them and the Lord is unbreakable. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER C Well, thank you Colin. We'll just stop there, take a break so we can share our contact details with our listener out there and we'll be right back after this short message. Stay tuned. Thank you for joining us on You Shall Receive Power. If you would like more information about today's program or if you have any questions, please contact 3ABN Australia Radio by Phoning 024-973-3456. Or you can send an email to [email protected]. You can also contact us on our 3ABN Australia radio Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you SPEAKER B Thank you for joining us on You Shall Receive Power. If you would like more information about today's program or if you have any questions, please contact Three ABN Australia Radio by Phoning 024-973-3456 or you can send an email to radio at threeABN australia.org au. You can also contact us on our three ABN Australia radio Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you. SPEAKER C Dear listener, welcome back to You Shall Receive Power. Just before the break we were talking about the awesome joy we can experience by having Christ live in us. And not only that, Christ manifesting his righteousness in our lives because self has been taken out of the way. Now Colin, is there something that can actually destroy our peace if we walk with the Lord? Can we get distracted? SPEAKER E Well, we can when Jesus abides in the Christian God's, love is at the heart of God's, law is deeply embedded there. And when God's love and law are in the heart, self, pride, jealousy, et cetera are all subdued and nothing shall offend. No word or action or other will be taken personally. And we can see in Psalms 119 verse 165 it says great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them. SPEAKER C Wow, that's a great psalm to answer that question. SPEAKER D Yeah. SPEAKER E Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them. And what is one of the fruits of the Spirit? SPEAKER C Well, peace is number three is. Love, joy, then peace. SPEAKER E Yeah. When we love thy law and we have God's law written on our hearts and Christ dwelling and living in us, we have the peace that Christ promised us. And I just love what Ellen White says in the Mount of Blessings, page 16. She says it is the love of self that destroys our peace. While self is alive, all alive, we stand ready continually to guard it from mortification and insult. But when we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God, we shall not take neglects or slights to heart. We shall be deaf to reproach and blind to scorn and insult. And there's the fulfilling of psalms 119, verses 165 great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. SPEAKER C Dear listener, we prayed you were blessed by today's study. And we pray that the love, the joy and the peace of God will be with you and in your hearts until our next program. May God bless you. SPEAKER D Amen. SPEAKER A Shall declare the glory of his name. All creation by at the coming of the King, every eye shall see. Every heart will know every niche I every dung faith me. Holy. Holy. See the coming of the King. Holy the duplicately to a production of. SPEAKER E Three ABN Australia radio.