Gracias

Dios te bendiga

@ Matthew4int, you are welcome. For more contents, you can always search the Archive directly, or through the New contents page, Resources page, and the Contact page.

Such a beautiful song too

The word “Law,” from a general sense, it means to teach, or instruct. This is where we get the Old Testament word, Torah. Now, generally speaking, the one who is being taught is in a sense being prepared for a future event, or a transition into a new stage. The Law of God Dealing first with The Law of God, it served as the Christian “foundation” through the knowing of the nature of God. It was to introduce us to the plan and purpose of God in our lives. For an example, we all at one point were sent to a nursery by our parents; this was to prepare us for kindergarten. Furthermore, kindergarten served as a preparation for a higher learning and the transition to real life. We do not forget the things we learned from nursery and kindergarten. Such as, our responsibility toward God, friends (early principle of society) and responsibility to ourselves. We learned to say grace over our meals. We learned to pray upon assembling and a prayer before departure. We learned the spelling of our names, we learned to share. These things and more, served as the foundation of our learning. However, we do not dwell in nursery and kindergarten. Sadly so, most Christians as an adult are still dwelling in nursery and kindergarten. They were introduced to the Law of God, His nature. Herein we get The Ten Commandments, which was meant to introduce us to the moral of God and the expectation of His righteousness. However, God knew no one born of the flesh could keep the 10 Laws. Therefore, He introduce the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses The Law of Moses; not necessarily originated from Moses, but God is the source of the Law, given to Moses to give to His people. The Law of God and the Law of Moses are two in one. The Law of God introduces us to God and His righteousness and expectations, our moral toward God and our fellow man. However, since we cannot live up to His expectation without failing, the Law of Moses served as a substitute for our failure to live up to God’s standard. Wherein ceremonies were performed to serve as a temporal pardon to our sins and failures. That which is temporal means it will eventually be replaced, or we transitioned to the new. The “new” spoken of here is The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Before The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is addressed, the Law of Faith must be addressed first. This Law: The Law of Faith It is the pathway to all things we receive from God. We read in Hebrews 11:6 . . . Without faith it is impossible to please God. Although the word “Law,” carries the idea of teaching, it also denotes the idea of governing. Like the Law of Faith, it is a governing system set in place by God in which we receive all things. For without faith it is impossible to please God. The desire to do good, is notable. However, doing the wrong thing for the desire to do good, isn’t an excuse to keep doing the wrong thing. This Is where the Law of Righteousness becomes active. The Law of Righteousness In the past and even now in the present, there are many who desire the Law of God, to please God. So, they set up to keep the Ten Commandments and observed the Law of Moses. This we know, there has not been anyone born of the flesh who has kept the Ten Commandments perfectly, but Christ alone. There are others who practice the Law of Moses in hope to be righteous. Therefore, they engage in works with rules and regiment of which are wrong. The Holy Spirit addressed Israel of old who fell into this category. “Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” Romans 9:31. Though they followed the right thing but doing the wrong thing for a right result is still wrong. For this reason, they (at that time) did not attain the Law of Righteousness. In other words, works will not bring forth Salvation, nor the grace of God. Belonging to a certain denomination is neither the means of righteousness. Righteousness is by faith and faith alone. In conclusion to the Law of Righteousness, herein, it is not spoken off in a positive way. Rather a rebuke to those who try to be righteous by the means of self-righteousness. The next law bears some similarity to the Law of Righteousness. The Law of the Mind Like the previous law, the Law of the Mind is the individual wanting to do the right thing, but is unaware of how to bring about the right thing in the his or her life. Therefore, though the individual tries, but the harder they try to live a life pleasing to God, the more they fall deeper into failure. The Law of the Mind is the self will of the individual trying to bring about a change in doing the right thing, the wrong way of which the end result is failure. However, unlike the previous Law, but this law, The Law of the Mind; The individual at times is aware of the struggles of living right. They know what to do (the right thing), but not how to do (the right thing). This without a change, the situation will lead to one of the most powerful law. The Law of Sin and Death. The power of this law is beyond any human ability, or will power and understanding. It will fight against the individual’s ability until they are brought into captive. This we see through addictions, bondage. Man’s ill-will toward one another. Abusing, control and the breaking up of homes and the likes and more. Though the modern learned men will try to explain these things, without the spiritual, but they address the symptom. However, the source is sin, not only the acts of sin, stealing, lying, etc., but the nature of Sin, which is called the Sin Nature. Man did not evolve from nothing into something as amazing as we are. Man was created by God with a purpose, as the result, without the realization of this. The individual will not find true peace, within his or her body shall be a war raging without rest. The power of this law is beyond the control of all men, the saved (Christian) and the unsaved (nonbeliever) The apostle Paul voiced out his agony of this Law, in these words before his revelation to live right, as recorded in Romans 7:24 . . . Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? The illustration of the idea here allures to ancient Egypt, wherewith, the one guilty of a crime, had a dead body strapped to his back as a punishment for the rest of his life until the living became the dead. Imagine the horror of such ordeals. This is the condition of some Christians, illustratively speaking. Their struggle to live right is dead and their works to be righteous is nothing but dead works. However, there is a law, greater than all laws: The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This is the most powerful Law in the Universe, it was meant to govern the Christian. God in His knowledge knowing the destructive force of the Law of Sin and Death, He provides the believer with the more powerful law than all laws, The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The power of this law is the beauty of its existence. It is timeless and inexhaustible. Whatever wrong we did in the past, if we apply The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the wrong is made right. It doesn’t matter how often we fail. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is inexhaustible. Even for the future sins and failures of which we are unaware of, but The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will be there to make things right if we believe. This law is not brought about through the individual’s will power, neither is it earned through heredity nor intellect approach. Therefore, we read, the phrase the Spirit of life, meaning it is the Holy Spirit that brings about and governs this new life in the believer. The Holy Spirit will only work in fullness in the believer if the individual ceases from their works - that is to say, Lord, I cannot bring about a change in my life, so I am trusting you. This is the act of letting go of our will. Knowing what we could not do, Christ did it for us on the Cross. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2) God is a just God, meaning He is fair to all. For He made a way for all through Jesus Christ. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5) The will of God is to have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. This brings in the last law. The Law of Nature Although the name Jesus is not yet heard by every soul alive, neither is the Law of God made manifest in the heart of all individuals. However, wherever there is life, there is a conscience. Wherever there is a conscience there is a means to perceive the work of God through nature. Like the changing of the seasons, the leaves that fall, and provide a cover shelter for the tiniest of creatures. The tree mammals, collect and feed off nuts all year long, but when the harshness of the winter approaches, the source of their food is abundant as the leaves of the trees fade and falls off, these little creatures are able to easily gather their food for the long winter ahead. Their appetite increases, causing them to consume more food which will then turn into fat, to keep them warm through the winter. These things happen in order, not by a mistake that evolves, rather a precise detailed plan. Aren’t the female and the male baby in the womb virtually alike? But with time, the female body changes, her womb is made ready, causing her body formation to differ from the male body. In the signature of her beauty, wherewith her hips protrude giving her distinct look of curves. Or the very support of life found in water. Through gravity, water continually flows from high mountains, down below, giving life. The same water is used by both man and animal is then recycled by the Sun. Regardless, if it is contaminated, it is stored in a gas form far in the heavens where it is undisturbed and purified. When it is ready, through its accumulation and weight, it falls back to earth. The mountains first receive its portion, where it is stored as ice in a snow form for a later use. When the temperature is hotter, it melts away, providing fresh, cool water for drinking and vegetation below. These things are not a coincidence, but an established order, which is greater than all the ingenuity of man, combined. Through these things and more, the conscience will perceive and know there is someone greater than mankind, there is a maker and there is a God. If the heart is truly sincere, its conscience will lead the individual to God. Although this isn’t salvation, but it is the beginning of acknowledging God through His work of creation. Therefore, with the Law of Nature, no man is absolutely without the knowledge of God. Though there might be only a little understanding, but with a willing heart, the presence of God is made known to all men.

They are different. A living sacrifice is walking by faith through the denial of self. This is where the confusion of assuming asceticism is the same as the denial of self, or the same as a living sacrifice. Now, here is the difference, those who practice asceticism; their focus is on the prevention of the temptation, (keep that in mind). For an example, in early New Testament times, there were those called the bleeding Pharisee. These individuals will blind themselves by the covering of their eyes when they went out in public. Their reason was, not to lust after a woman. Therefore, their focus was the “lust” and their solution was to deny themselves from seeing. Consequently, they will walk into an object, and crash their faces, causing them to bleed. So, asceticism focuses on the temptation, thereby formulating measures in order to cover the problem. However, “the denial of self” is completely different, if it is understood the right way. Let us look at the origination of the phrase, but first let’s go to Luke 9:23. This is Jesus speaking, and He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Now, one might argue saying, the acts of deny of self, it is the same act as asceticism. However, when we read the original Greek text, the passages in this case come alive. This is how it reads in the Greek. And He (Jesus) was saying to all, Assuming that anyone desires to come after me as a follower of mine, let him disregard his own interests . . . Now, pause right there. Here is the difference. To “deny self” the right way is to disregard your own interests. Whereas, asceticism focuses on the interest that is causing the problem or temptation and try to cover it up. Jesus is saying, disregard it. So then, how do we disregard an interest that is causing temptation? This is where the phrase, “a living sacrifice” becomes functional. Christ was crucified on the Cross. By faith we were crucified too, so we become a sacrifice. Christ was buried, by faith we were buried with Him. However, Christ didn’t stay in the tomb, he was risen from the tomb. By faith we were risen with him! You realize when Christ was risen from the dead, the grave clothes were left in the tomb in the same position as it was, when his body was wrapped in it? This was as if his physical body became a light and it shone through the grave cloths leaving it behind without unraveling anything. The grave clothes represent us, our flesh. Our problems, and whatever it might be, lust, anger, fear, anxiety, hate, jealousy, and the likes. They were all left in the tomb, left behind and buried. Like Christ was risen, we too are risen with him, in Newness of life. As recorded in Romans 6:4. Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. The phrase Newness of life means a new life imparted to order our behavior. This is how we disregard our own interests. We have received a new life by faith. Our old-self and all the many problems were left in the tomb like the grave clothes. Now, our focus is not to go back in the tomb and try to wear the grave clothes or try to hide it somewhere. Instead, we “disregard it” and focus on our new life by following Christ. Trusting Him, praying about everything, reading more of the Bible, than motivational books. We wake up in the morning, and we give God thanks. Give praises to Him for taking us through the night, knowing this day He will take us through. Christ went on to say in the remaining of Luke 9:23, according to the Greek text. Let him (the believer) at once, and once for all pick up and carry his cross day after day (disregard his own interests) and let him take the same road with me that I take as a habit of life. Like in the lyric of Elizabeth Goodine and Wayne Goodine. Lead me Lord, I will follow It’s hard to take the first step When I don’t know the way Each turn is so uncertain I have learned to walk by faith But You give me a promise That you will never leave You will lead and guide me Lord, I do believe. Lead me Lord, I will follow. Lead me Lord, I will go. You have called me I will answer Lead me Lord, I will go Your plans for me are perfect, I never need to fear. For though at times I feel alone I know that you are near My heart just wants to follow I am willing to obey Take my hand and lead me I’ll follow all the way Lead me Lord, I will follow

Concerning the third paragraph above, check the art gallery for the 85th painting called "To covert a temptation is not a deliverance from the problem."

Wow Words sure can make a difference when used right. Thank you. Beautiful abstract too.