How goes your battle?

Are you doing all that you can to keep the Ten Commandments…or maybe just using them rather as guidelines for living?  

How you doing with that?  

(By the way, can you recite all ten? Just asking.  Don’t feel bad, though, I can’t either!)  

If your answer is yes, are you aware of God’s requirements concerning keeping His commandments?

Galatians 5:3

For I testify again to every man that is circumcised [following the Law of Moses], that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

James 2:10

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend [break]  in one point, he is guilty of all.

Failing to keep the Ten Commands is bad news.  But, wait, it gets worse! There aren’t just 10 commandments! L  More like 600+ (depending on who you ask).

“NO CAN DO!” you say?  You are very right.  Nobody can keep the Law perfectly.  Nobody has and nobody will!  Nobody, except one man…the God-Man, Christ Jesus.  He is 100% Man, born as a child of a virgin, and 100% God, the Son. 

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Take heart, tho!  Not all is lost.  You see, although the character of God changes not, there have been changes in what God has said to mankind since the beginning of time as to what His instructions were for them to follow/obey—starting way back with Adam.  Do what God said and you were righteous in His eyes.  Unfortunately, Adam didn’t do the right thing (what an understatement!) and, in essence, didn’t believe God’s word to him…the rest is history. L  

Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men [mankind], for that all have sinned:

And thus, now…

Romans 3:23

…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Noah is another example.  Although not sinless, he was the only man on earth that not only believed in God, Noah believed God—you see, there is a difference! He was righteous in God’s eyes; that is, he did the right thing and though not sinless, he found grace in the eyes of LORD—which is why God told him to build an ark that would save him and his family. If only Noah’s neighbors would have only believed Noah (now God’s spokesman to mankind) when he told them of God’s coming judgment, they could have joined Noah and his family and been saved too.  But, alas, they didn’t.   (Good thing Noah obeyed God, continuing in doing the right thing in spite of how much he was mocked and ridiculed!  Hmmm…wonder where would we be if he hadn’t? L)      

God is so patient.   A couple hundred years went by and mankind increased in number, but certainly not in faithfulness.  It got to a point that there wasn’t anyone who believed in God, let alone believe Him.  But since God is true to His Word, He didn’t wipe out mankind totally there and then but, rather, His judgment on them was to confuse their language and let them go their own way, do their own thing.  (Sort of like what people wish He’d do now…leave them alone.) 

Romans 1:24

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts [desires] of their own hearts…

(History shows that’s not working out so well either.  L)  

Praise God, tho, He has a wonderful plan and purpose for His creation and He’s not going to let a little thing like mankind stop Him!

So, God singles out one man, out of all mankind to reveal Himself once again to get on track with His plan and purpose.  That brings us to…”Ah, faithful Abraham.”  There was a man that really believed God, to the point of being willing to kill his son.  “Blind faith!” some would ignorantly say.  But no, God had promised Abraham some things and Abraham believed Him.

Romans 4:20-21

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith [strong in his belief of God’s word]…And being fully persuaded that, what he [God]had promised, he [God] was able to perform.

Abraham believed God would raise up [resurrect] his beloved son, Isaac. So Abraham showed he was willing to do what God told him to do.  He trusted God because he knew God had promised and was able!  That, my dear friend, is not blind faith; that is knowing the God he served to the point of giving his all! 

Numbers 23:19

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Titus 1:2

In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

While Abraham was faithful, history shows his progeny wasn’t.  But, God, true to His word, offered the descendants of Abraham a contract to follow—which by the way, they could have rejected and reminded God that He had promised their father, Abraham some things and that He needed to be true to His word.  But, they didn’t.  L Rather they proudly said, “We will do all that you say!”  That brings us to those Ten Commandments that nobody, including them, can keep!  L

Exodus 24:3, 7

And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

So much for doing and being obedient.  (Nice thought, but no cigar!)  The Law was given to the people of the nation Israel to keep so as to show (prove) they believed God.   When He told them He would bless them if they did, but curse them if they didn’t. 

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

But the Law also showed them that they couldn’t keep it!  (So much for their pride!)  They needed help , and God, again faithful to His promise, will provide… none other than…Himself! 

Genesis 22:8

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself [as]a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Revelation 5:12; 13:8

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Unfortunately for them, because they kept on disobeying and rejecting Him, God set them aside temporarily (“for a season”). 

Acts 13:11

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee [Elymas], and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. (It’s important to note that ‘Elymas the sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus’ was a type of unbelieving Israel.)

Romans 11:11

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

Now, with God’s chosen people stumbling on the Rock, falling from God’s unmerited favor (grace given/promised to Abraham) and diminishing to equality—in God’s eyes—with the rest of the nations (gentiles), no longer were they eligible to keep the commandments and get blessed.  Now, they were no better off than the rest of the world.  L

Matthew 5:45

…for he [God Father which is in heaven] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Romans 11:32

For God hath concluded them all in unbelief…

It was at the fall of Israel, his firstborn son…

Exodus 4:22

…Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

…that God in pure grace and mercy revealed by His Son a totally different way mankind could ‘get right with Him.’  Now, instead of ‘believing and obeying’ (faith plus works) to be in fellowship, the Good News to mankind as revealed to Saul/Paul on the road to Damascus is simply believe—faith plus nothing!  

1 Corinthians 15:4-5

For I [Paul] delivered unto you first of all that which I also received [on the road to Damascus], how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Salvation is now free!  Despite what religion preaches from today’s pulpits, no longer does mankind have to keep the Law of Moses to get saved or stay saved!  In fact, even if one sincerely wanted to—and even tried to—keep them, God would NOT honor their effort. 

1 Corinthians 1:17

…lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Today, God will ONLY account a person as righteous (that is, not hold their sins against them) if that person believes in (i.e., trusts in) the sacrificial blood of the sinless Son of God on the cross of Calvary to save them from hellfire.

Hebrews 9:22

…without shedding of blood [there] is no remission [of sin].

It is through believe in His Son’s work that God is able and will justify a person, view them—account them: just as though they never sinned!

With the work of Christ accomplished at the cross, God’s justice has been served, the debt paid:  Sin is no longer separating us from God.  Now, that is GOOD NEWS!!  We are no longer destined for Hell, and ultimately the Lake of Fire!! 

What is now the issue for mankind is what will you do with this Man, Christ Jesus?  Receive Him or reject Him?  Accept what He did as payment for your sin, or work to pay off that sin debt yourself?

If we believe [trust, have faith, and rest—not work—in] that Good News from God’s Word, that Christ died FOR our sins…

Romans 4:4-5

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

…we have and can live a victorious life in Christ Jesus, for... 

Romans 6:14

…sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of [working for it] yourselves: it is the gift of God:

All glory and honor to Him!!!

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Still think you have to get involved—do something to get saved…or prove you are saved?  Consider this…

If you did something wonderful for someone and presented it to them as a gift, would it still be a gift if they paid part of the price?  If they did that, could they not boast about it? 

Romans 3:27

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Lest you didn't get that...God will have no boasting!

Therefore, let us receive that amazing gift and rest in the confidence as believers in Paul’s gospel of grace that Christ died for our sins and that His death was declared sufficient by God when He arose from the grave victorious!

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance [God will not change His mind].

Ephesians 1:12-14

That we…who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

No, my friend…Christ did it all!  God declares that…

Colossians 2:10

And ye [as a believer in the body of Christ] are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

But the question is… are you IN CHRIST!?