Law of Love in the New Testament

In the Church today, there is a common belief that we no longer need to regard the Old Testament Law.  This notion mostly comes from the epistles of Paul, which addressed the matter of circumcision among Gentiles. 

Jesus Taught about the Law
But we would do well to heed the words of Christ.  He is the only foundation of the church, and no man can build on any other foundation.  If you have not read and understood and put into practice the words of Christ, then you should not be building according to the words of the apostles.  First go back to the Words of Christ and heed them! Then you should interpret the words of the apostles based on what Jesus said, rather than interpreting what Jesus said based on the teaching of the apostles.  Jesus' words are where many of our Christian disagreements will be solved.

The Law came through Moses, not through Jesus.  But both grace and Truth came through Jesus (Jn 1:17).  His grace is that you can only be saved by His free gift of eternal life that He purchased with His blood on the cross (Rom 6:23).  And this only happens through a personal relationship with Him by faith (Eph 2:8-9).  His grace teaches us to say no to sin.  It sets us free from sin, so that we can become slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18).

Truth also came through Jesus.  He is the Truth (Jn 14:6)! And He taught us the truth about the kingdom of God.  When the Kingdom of God is in your life, the Holy Spirit is inside you.  Jesus reigns on the throne of your heart.  And then you want to live righteously.  The Law teaches righteous living (Rom 7:12), and Jesus had much to say about the Law.  Here are some of the things Jesus said about the Law, teaching us what God's heart is behind it:

• "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Mat 5:17-18)
• “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” (Luk 16:17)
• "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Mat 5:21-22).  Jesus never said it was all right to murder, to commit adultery, or break the Sabbath.  He taught us the spirit of the Law, the heart of the Father, the mind of Christ behind the Law.  He taught us that God’s standard is much higher than what we see written in the Law. 
• "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:20). The scribes and Pharisees kept the letter of the law, but Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, or we will not enter heaven!
• "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:18-19)
• "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Mat 7:12)
• He taught the royal law of love and said, "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (Mat 22:40).  The royal law of love sums up the Law and the Prophets. The whole Law and the Prophets depend on this law. This was the point of all that they said and wrote.  Jesus did not say that he cancelled anything written in the Law and Prophets.
• Jesus was a Teacher of the Law.  When asked what must be done to inherit eternal life, He referred to the Law.  And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" (Luk 10:26) When the man referred to the royal law of love for God and others, Jesus said, “Do this and you will live.” (Lk 10:28)
• "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (Mat 23:23).  Notice he told them they should have given tithes, but that they should not neglect the weightier provisions of the law!

Five Categories of Law
I like the way Robert Brownell puts it.  Among the “little lessons” (key here for Little Lessons) he teaches on his Spirit Lessons website, he states:

“The Great Apostasy that has entered the Church, is related to the belief that the LAW has been abolished.  Therefore, A Christian needs to separate the Old Testament LAWs into different categories, so it will be very clear which laws we are still to follow. Anyone that says that none of the Old Testament Laws have any consequences today, is mistaken. I've put Old Testament Laws into 5 categories:

    1. The traditions of man, laws and rules that do not have a divine origin. We are NOT to follow these. (i.e. DON'T HEAL ON THE SABBATH)

    2. Temple laws regarding ceremonies and sacrifices. Since Jesus destroyed and rebuilt the temple we no longer do these temple requirements on Earth. Their function is now in the heavenly realm. (i.e. BLOOD SACRIFICE)

    3. Laws reserved solely for the Jews, I don't consider these commandments for every other nation. (i.e. CERTAIN HOLIDAY's)

    4. Laws given by Moses, and confirmed by prophets in later years, and not specifically nullified by any New Testament scripture. I believe these laws still have consequences today. (i.e. INCEST, USERY, 10 COMMANDMENTS).

    5. Laws mentioned by Moses once, but never brought up again anywhere in scripture. (i.e. DON'T WEAR CLOTHES WOVEN FROM 2 DIFFERENT FABRICS, DON'T CUT THE SIDES OF YOUR BEARDS).

Often times when a Christian believer seeks to do the commandments, others will say he is legalistic.  Brownell states, “'Legalistic' is often defined as 'anyone who follows the commandments closer than I do.' The God of the Old testament is the same God of the new testament. Jesus didn't replace God.  He was a greater revelation of who God was.”

I agree with him, and would add to this by saying Jesus didn't replace God.  He is God and is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Jesus revealed the Father to us, just as He always has been.  He revealed to us the Father’s heart.

I would add to what Brownell states above in the 5 categories of the Law.  Regarding temple laws and sacrifices, here are my comments:

I agree that Jesus fulfills these laws and that their function is in the heavenly realm, or shall we say, in the spirit.  Jesus said he came to fulfill the law (Mt 5:17).  He also said that if they would destroy the temple (His body), that He would rebuild it in three days (Jn 2:19).  He is our high priest, who has gone through the heavenlies (He 4:14).  The blood of God’s Lamb has been shed.  God offered the perfect Lamb for us that we could never offer.  All of the furniture and rooms of the tabernacle are depictions of what was already in heaven (He 9).

But there is still a very real part that the Church has in these sacrifices. The Church is His Body on earth and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:19). For example, we are to offer up our very bodies as a holy, living sacrifice to God, and this is our act of worship.  Jesus spoke of this when He said that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him daily (Mt 16:24). And there are other sacrifices we must make also, such as doing good, sharing, and giving the sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of lips that give thanks (He 13:15, 16).

Regarding Brownell’s fifth category of the law, the category of “Laws mentioned by Moses once, but never brought up again anywhere in scripture,” here are my comments:

• I think these laws are still profitable for us today in some way.  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2Ti 3:16).
• If we understand God’s thoughts behind them, we can learn what His heart is for us today.  For example, not wearing clothing make from two different kinds of fabric speaks of God’s desire for purity in our lives, so that we would be without mixture, and that even our choice of clothes would reflect that we are not like the world but different and set apart for God.  Our hairstyles should not conform to the worldly fads of the pagans, but show that we are different; we are a holy people.  Everything about us must reflect this, since we are a peculiar people (1 Pe 2:9).  The key is that all of this comes from within a heart that desires to please the Lord, not from external regulations.  "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 INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.” (He 8:10)
• We serve God in the newness of the Spirit, not according to the letter of the Law (Ro 7:6).  The Spirit of God knows the mind of Christ and will instruct us how to live, and show us the heart of God, which is consistent with these laws (1 Co 2:16).

James Taught the Law
James was the earthly brother of Christ, who did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry.  But later James became a devoted servant of the Lord.  In the epistle of James, he had much to teach us about the Law.  He said:

• “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (Jam 1:25).  So we are to look intently at the law and abide by it.  We must be doers of it!
• “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (Jam 2:8,9).  We should fulfill the royal law.  And if we don’t do so, then the law will convict us as lawbreakers!
• “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,’ also said, ‘DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (Jam 2:11)  We cannot pick our favorite parts of the law and only obey those, but disregard the others. 
• “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” (Jam 2:12)  It is a “Law of liberty,” in that you are free to obey it or not.  But even though you are free, you have a responsibility to it.  And you will be judged by it, depending on whether or not you do what it says.
• “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.” (Jam 4:11).  We must be careful that in our behavior and speech we do not speak against the law or judge it.  In that case we would not be a doer of the law as we should!

Peter Taught the Law
Just as James taught the Law, so also did the apostle Peter. When he said in his first epistle, "For it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy,'" (1 Pe 1:16, NIV), he was quoting verbatim from Leviticus 11:44-45. Other Scriptures from the Law that also say to be holy because God is holy include Lev 19:2; 20:7,26. So Peter could have been referring to any one of these or all of them.

Paul Taught the Law
You may not realize it, but even the apostle Paul taught the Law. Of course, he taught us that we are not under Law but under grace.  But he taught us to do what is right, according to the Law.  Let me give you several examples.  He said:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—  'so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'” (Eph 6:1-3)

Notice that he quoted directly from the Law (Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16), citing the commandment of God and its associated promise of long life as the reason why children should obey their parents.  This is in line with his stated view of the Law that "Keeping God’s commands is what counts." (1 Cor 7:19b).

In the same letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, "Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.' God is not concerned about oxen, is He?" (1Co 9:7-9)

For he also said to the Gentile believers in Corinth, "Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says." (1 Cor 14:34).  The reason he required this practice was that it is what the Law says.

Paul also taught that the reason why we should not take revenge is because the Law says that vengeance belongs to the Lord. He wrote: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."  (Rom 12:19).  In that verse, the apostle was quoting directly from Deuteronomy 32:35.

Paul also cited and upheld God's righteous decree against sin in his letter to the Romans. "Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Rom 1:32, NIV).

Paul taught that “it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.” (Rom 2:13)  He taught that we must be doers of the Law.

Lastly, Paul summed it up as Christ did by saying: "The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not covet,' and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 13:9-10, NIV).

Therefore, from all these examples, we can see that the Law was the basis for many of the teachings of Paul, who was inspired by God to write fourteen books of the New Testament. And through his teachings, we can see the Law of Love in the New Testament.

Obedience is Essential for Disciples
Here are just some of the other blogs I have written, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that my obedience doctrine is legalism, especially the first two in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Faith Works! The Obedience of Faith Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?

The Law is Good if Used Lawfully      Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Putting it All Together
Jesus had much to say about the Law.  He taught us the spirit of the Law, and revealed the Father’s will to us.

Our Lord gave His full approval to every jot and tittle of the law and the prophets. He quoted the writings of nearly every prophet, from Moses to Malachi, acknowledging their complete authority, as the word of God, and referring to them as the Scriptures, as unique from all other writings.  His apostles and evangelists always fully recognized the divine origin of those Scriptures and quoted and wrote and preached from them, relying upon them as authority on all matters of faith.  They declared them to be the "oracles of God," given as the Holy Spirit spoke through the mouths of His servants.

The words of Jesus must be the foundation of what we believe and practice as His disciples.  We should not begin building our lives based on the words of the apostles until we have first laid the foundation found in Christ and His words by putting them into practice in our lives.  He did not abolish the law but fulfilled it.  And He calls us to continue to fulfill it, too.  We should fulfill the royal Law.  We are to be doers of it, not only hearers.  It’s a Law of liberty, and we are free to do it or not.  But we have a responsibility to do it, and will be judged by it.

This is not about being born again.  That happens when we believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess Jesus as Lord.  If you turn from sin and confess out loud to someone else who Jesus is, and sincerely mean it, you will be born again (Rom 10:8-13).  You will enter into the New Covenant with Jesus.

But after that, you must not merely give lip service to God. You must do good deeds.  You must live a life of righteous acts.  This means you must live to please the Spirit, Who will lead you to obey the Law of the Spirit of Life that is now written upon your heart.  Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10). You must be careful that your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, or else you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  This is not legalism but a life of love!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted.

Author's note: I also recommend reading The New Covenant, Having the Love of God in Your Heart, Costly Grace, The Ways of Life, and Obedience by the Spirit, as well as The Flesh vs. the Spirit, in which she saw a man of God in hell for relying on His obedience to the Law to save him. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Lifting Hands in Prayer

Communion with the Lord

When you pray, lift your hands straight up to the Lord.  Brother Yong-Doo Kim says the Lord told a member of his church, “Don’t let your arms fall down even though it’s hard. The prayer with hands lifted up high has much more power.” -- Baptize by Blazing Fire.

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands
were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; (Exo 17:9-15)

In battle, there was someone in the army assigned to carry a banner on a pole.  As long as he lifted up the banner, all the soldiers knew they should continue to fight.  But when the bearer let down the banner, the soldiers knew that they were being defeated. As Moses lifted up his hands to the Lord on the hill, he put his faith and trust in the Lord for Israel's victory over the enemy.  And as long as he kept his hands lifted up high, the Lord defeated the enemy.  When it became too hard and he lowered his hands, then the enemy began to prevail in the battle.  That's why Aaron and Hur had him sit down as they supported his hands for hours until the sun set.  That day, their banner was not a piece of cloth.  The Lord Himself was the banner over them who gave the victory.  And that is why Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psa 28:2)

So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psa 63:4)

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. (Psa 119:48)

Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD. (Psa 134:2)

"Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street." (Lam 2:19)

We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; (Lam 3:41)

Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:6)

May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. (Psa 141:2)

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. (1Ti 2:8)

So as you can see, the Scripture is full of examples of people lifting their hands to God.  It's very powerful! The Lord is very pleased when we lift up our hearts and hands to Him. As Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  When you lift up your hands to Him in prayer, He will be your banner of victory over the enemy.  Let me encourage you to do that when you pray and worship.

Credit: The illustration called "Communion with the Lord" is by my daughter C.V. Lacroix.  You can find more of her fine artwork at A Brush with Life.  Photo from the "I Will Sing" album by Don Moen, recorded at the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Checklist for Revival

When I think of all the things that the Lord has given us to do, I wonder how we manage to find so much time to do other things that are not important to him.  Just think of all the things that Christians fill their weeks with, and you will see what I mean.  If you have time to sit and watch TV, news, sports, movies, play on Facebook, do video games, sit in online chat rooms, read non-Christian literature, listen to non-Christian music, talk radio, and generally waste time, then maybe you need to remind yourself of the things you should be doing.  If that's you, here is a list to get started.

As you read through the list, check off the ones that you are doing and circle the ones you are not.  Make special note of the words "every," "all," "always," "everything," and "continually," which all mean exactly what they say.

1. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…  (1 Jn 5:3; 2 Jn 6)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself  (Mt 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27; 1 Pe 4:8; 1 John 4:7, 11, 20:21; He 13:1)
3. Love your enemies (Mt 5:44)
4. Believe in the name of Jesus Christ  (1 Jn 3:23) 
5. Set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts  (1 Pet 3:15)
6. Keep yourself in God’s love  (Jude 21)
7. Receive the Holy Spirit (John 20:22; Acts 1:8; 2:38; 7:59; 8:15,19; 19:2; Mat. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33)
8. Be baptized with fire (Mat. 3:11; Lk 3:16; Mal 3:1-3).
9. Pursue love  (1 Tim 6:11)
10. Husbands love your wives  (Col 3:19)
11. Seek first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness  (Mt 6:33)
12. Enter through the narrow gate (Mat 7:13)
13. Make every effort to be holy (He 12:14; 2 Pet 3:11)
14. Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with the Lord  (2 Pet 3:18)
15. Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48)
16. Pursue righteousness  (1 Tim 6:11)
17. Pursue godliness  (1 Tim 6:11)
18. Pursue faith  (1 Tim 6:11)
19. Pursue endurance   (1 Tim 6:11)
20. Pursue gentleness   (1 Tim 6:11)
21. Make disciples as you go (Matt 28:19)
22. Respect those who work hard, who rule  (1 The 5:12)
23. Try to be kind to each other always  (1 The 5:15)
24. In everything, treat people the same way you want them to treat you (Mat 7:12)
25. Give thanks in all circumstances  (Col 3:15; 1 The 5:18; Eph 5:20)
26. Be joyful always; rejoice in the Lord  (1 The 5:16; Phil 3:1; 4:4)
27. Continually offer the sacrifice of praise (He 13:15)
28. Be subject to rulers and authorities, including spiritual authorities  (1 Pet 2:13; Tit 3:1; Heb 13:17)
29. Share all good things with the one who teaches you (Gal 6:6)
30. Obey your leaders  (He 13:17)
31. Imitate the faith of your leaders  (He 12:7)
32. Imitate what is good  (3 Jn 11)
33. Imitate Christ  (Phil 2:1; 1 Jn 2:6)
34. Do good  (1 Tim 6:18)
35. Devote yourself to doing what is good  (Tit 3:14)
36. Keep yourself from idols  (1 Jn 5:21)
37. Keep your life free from love of money  (He 13:5)
38. Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18)
39. Eagerly desire the spiritual gifts  (1 Col 14:1)
40. Excel in gifts that build up the church  (1 Col 14:12)
41. Be merciful to those who doubt  (Jude 22)
42. Repent and do the things you did at first  (Rev 2:5)
43. Grieve, mourn, and wail, turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom  (Jas 5:9)
44. Wash your hands; purify your hearts  (Js 5:8)
45. Confess your sins to each other  (Js 5:16)
46. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you (Mat 5:29)
47. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you (Mat 5:30)
48. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9)
49. Submit yourselves to God  (Js 5:7)
50. Come near to God  (Js 5:8)
51. Be baptized (Ac 2:38)
52. Do everything without complaining or arguing  (Phil 2:14)
53. When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face (Mat 6:17)
54. When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret (Mat 6:6)
55. Pray continually  (1 The 5:17)
56. Build yourselves up and pray at all times in the Spirit  (1 Cor 4:14; Jude 20; Eph 6:18)
57. Always keep on praying for all the saints (Eph 6:18)
58. Pray for those who persecute you (Mt 5:44)
59. Ask, seek, and knock (Mt 7:7)
60. Devote yourself to prayer  (Col 4:2)
61. Pray for each other (Js 5:16)
62. In everything, by prayer, present your requests to God  (Phil 4:6)
63. Cast your anxiety on the Lord  (1 Pet 5:7)
64. Think about things that are excellent, praiseworthy  (Phil 14:8)
65. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12) 
66. Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you (2 Pe 1:10)
67. Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature  (Col 3:5)
68. Rid yourselves of such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language  (Col 3:7)
69. Clothe yourself with kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness, and patience  (Col 3:12)
70. Be completely humble, show true humility toward all men  (Eph 4:2; 1 Pe 3:8; 5:5,6)
71. Bear with each other  (Col 3:13  )
72. First take the log out of your own eye (Mat 7:5)
73. Forgive whatever grievances you have against each other  (Col 3:13)
74. Teach and admonish one another  (Col 3:16)
75. Wives submit to your husbands in everything (Eph 5:24; Col 3:18)
76. Wives respect your husbands (Eph 5:33)
77. Parents bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4)
78. Children obey your parents in everything  (Col 3:20)
79. Do everything in the name of the Lord  (Col 3:17)
80. Do everything with all your heart for the Lord  (Col 3:23)
81. Pastors, preach the Word  (2 Tim 4:2)
82. Pastors, correct (2 Tim 4:2)
83. Pastors, rebuke (2 Tim 4:2)
84. Encourage one another  (Heb 3:13)
85. Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19)
86. Be peaceable  (Tit 3:2)
87. Be considerate  (Tit 3:2)
88. Remember those believers in prison as if you were their fellow inmates  (He 13:3)
89. Consider it pure joy when you face trials  (Js 1:2)
90. Be quick to listen  (Js 1:19)
91. Be slow to speak  (Js 1:19)
92. Be slow to get angry  (Js 1:19)
93. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom  (Js 2:12)
94. Let your Yes be Yes and your No, No  (Mt 5:37; Js 5:12)
95. Husbands treat your wives with respect  (1 Pet 3:7)
96. Husbands be considerate as you live with your wives  (1 Pet 3:7)
97. Live in harmony with one another  (1 Pet 3:8)
98. Be sympathetic  (1 Pet 3:8)
99. Be compassionate  (1 Pet 3:8)
100. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Mat 5:16)
101. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Pet 3:15)
102. Be clear-minded and self controlled  (1 Pet 4:7)
103. Speak as though speaking the very words of God  (1 Pet 4:11)
104. Resist the devil  (Js 5:7)  (1 Pet 5:9)
105. Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus  (2 Tim 2:3)
106. Put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11)
107. Fight the good fight of the faith  (1 Tim 6:12)
108. Be alert  (1 Pet 5:8)
109. Be watchful  (Col 4:2)
110. Be on your guard, so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men  (2 Pet 3:17)
111. Beware of the false prophets (Mat 7:15)
112. Watch your life and doctrine closely  (1 Tim 4:16)
113. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you  (2 Tim 1:14)
114. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ  (2 Pet 3:18)
115. Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need  (1 Tim 5:3)
116. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called  (1 Tim 6:12)
117. Turn away from godless chatter  (1 Tim 6:20)
118. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit (Phil 2:3
119. Regard one another as more important than yourself (Phil 2:3)
120. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way (Mat 5:25)
121. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also (Mt 5:40)
122. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. (Mat 5:42)
123. Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Mat 6:20) 
124. Test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1Jo 4:1) 

While you are at it, it would be helpful to review the following list of things you should avoid:

1. Do not worry about what you will eat, drink, wear, or about tomorrow (Mt 6:31,34)
2. Do not be surprised if the world hates you  (1 Jn 3:13)
3. Do not love the world or anything in the world  (1 Jn 2:15)
4. Do not get drunk with wine (Eph 5:18)
5. Do not be partners with immoral, impure persons, covetous men, who are idolaters, or any of the sons of disobedience  (Eph 5:5-7)
6. Do not be like Cain  (1 Jn 3:12)
7. Do not be deceived  (1Co 6:9; 1Co 15:33; Gal 6:7; Jam 1:16)
8. Do not imitate what is evil  (3 Jn 11)
9. Do not be anxious about anything  (Phil 4:6)
10. Do not lie to each other  (Phil 3:9)
11. Do not be harsh with your wife  (Col 3:19)
12. Do not embitter your children  (Col 3:21)
13. Do not find fault  (Jude 16)
14. Do not harden your heart  (Heb 3:15)
15. Do not forget to entertain strangers  (Heb 13:2)
16. Do not forget to share with others  (1Ti 6:18)
17. Do not merely listen to the Word  (Js 1:22)
18. Do not show favoritism  (Js 2:1)
19. Do not slander one another  (Js 5:11)
20. Do not swear by heaven, earth, or anything else  (Js 5:12)
21. Do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil  (1 Pet 2:16)
22. Do not rebuke an older man  (1 Tim 5:1)
23. Do not be hasty in laying on of hands  (1 Tim 5:22)
24. Do not neglect your gift  (1 Tim 4:14)
25. Do not seek your own good, but the good of others  (1 Co 10:24; Phil 2:4)
26. Do not think that Jesus came to abolish the Law or the Prophets (Mt 5:17)
27. Do not resist an evil person (Mt 5:39)
28. Do not sound a trumpet before you when you give to the poor (Mt 6:2)
29. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, when you give to the poor (Mat 6:3)
30. Do not use meaningless repetition when you are praying (Mat 6:7)
31. Do not put on a gloomy face, whenever you fast, as the hypocrites do (Mat 6:16)
32. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (Mat 6:19)
33. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. (Mat 7:1)
34. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine (Mat 7:6) 
35. Do not believe every spirit (1Jo 4:1)

It's amazing that it can all be summed up in these two commands: "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  But the Scriptural admonitions above are written to help us to put some feet to those two commands and begin to take action.

I'm sure there is much more that we could add to these lists, but this is enough to show us what is important to God, and how we should be spending our time.  I encourage you to meditate upon these lists and let them be a sort of checklist for spiritual revival in your life.  Let them be a reality check to see where you are missing the mark or falling short of what God expects. If you circled any, indicating you are not practicing them, then repent sincerely with all your heart and cry out to God for change.  Don't stop until you see the change. He will be faithful to do it and revive you once again.

Author's note: You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Salvation with Fear and Trembling

Abraham offers his son Isaac, Rembrandt

The Lord spoke to me today through these verses in the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Phi 2:5-7)

I need to empty myself as Jesus emptied Himself, because the Word tells me to have the same attitude in myself that was also in Christ Jesus.  Self needs to be crucified and put to death as Jesus commanded.

Paul went on to write: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” (Phi 2:12)

My salvation is not a foregone conclusion.  Just because I have given my life to Jesus does not mean I can sit back and relax now until I die, knowing I have a guarantee of eternity in heaven.  I must work out my salvation with fear and trembling. 

Fear
Why should I fear?  Because God is holy and He requires His people to live nothing less than holy lives.  He says, “Without holiness, no one shall see God.” I should fear God with a holy reverence, as I wrote about previously.  I fear Him who has the power to destroy both my body and soul in hell, as Jesus warned, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28).  As Luke recorded it, Jesus said, "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Luk 12:5)


Trembling
Why should I tremble?  Because few people will be saved, and many people who call Jesus Lord are going to hell.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Mat 7:21). Many Christians merely hear the Word, but do not do what it says.  At the judgment, Jesus will tell them, “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” I should tremble, because hell is a terrible place of unimaginable torment.  Because people are there right now experiencing its horrors that will never end.  It’s eternal and there is no way out.  Once I die, there will be no further opportunity to repent or ask the Lord for mercy.  It’s final.  So right now while I am still alive on the earth, I need to live my life with trembling.  I need to consider the realities of hell.  I need to repent daily with trembling for even the smallest sins I commit. As brother Yong-Doo Kim wrote in his book, Baptize by Blazing Fire, “A daily repentant life is the fastest and shortest route to God’s mercy and compassion.”

Working out My Salvation
Why should I work out my salvation? I should work it out, because I was saved to do good works that were created long ago for me to do.  These good works were created before the foundation of the world.  This is why I am on earth at this time.  It’s my purpose.  I must no longer live for myself to please myself, but for Him who died for me and was raised again (2 Cor 5:15).  I must work out my salvation, because faith without good deeds is useless and dead (Jas 2:14-26).  I must work for the Lord while it is yet day, for the night comes when no man can work (Jn 9:4).

Putting it All Together
My friend, let me encourage you to do the same.  Have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus, and Empty yourself to the best of your ability.  Your salvation is not a foregone conclusion.  Just because you have confessed Jesus as your Savior does not mean you can go on living like the world or living life for yourself.

We need to fear the Lord, who can destroy both body and soul in hell.  Taking the words of Jesus, "I tell you, fear Him!"  He is holy.  Tremble before Him at the thought of what you really deserve.  We all deserve eternity in hell, a place of unimaginable and eternal torment. And once we are saved, we must be very careful to live the holy life He requires.  Without holiness, no one will see God.

When Abraham had obeyed God's command to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, just as he took the knife in his hand to kill the boy, God provided a ram that was caught in the thicket (see Rembrandt painting above).  And the Lord said through the angel, "Now I know that you fear God." (Gen 22:12). When the Lord looks at your life, can He say the same thing?

Work out your salvation, and do what the Lord has commanded you to do.  Whatever He requires of you, do it.  Be like Abraham, the man of faith, who worked out his faith with fear and trembling.  When the Lord told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, he obeyed, as depicted in the painting by Rembrandt above. 

If you want to experience God's compassion and mercy, then live a daily life of repentance.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy The Apostasy Parables and Should You Fear the Lord? You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Holy Living in a Perverted World

We rarely hear the word “holy” in the church any more. Very few preachers are preaching about holiness.  Most believers in Jesus Christ treat this topic as old-fashioned and obsolete.  But it is not obsolete.  In fact, the word "holy" appears 581 times in the Bible, and "holiness" appears 21 times, including the New Testament!  Let’s look at a few of the Scriptures about this.

God is Holy
All throughout Scripture, God is described as holy.  Webster’s dictionary states: “Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character.” 

When Moses stood in God’s presence, he was instructed to take off his shoes, because the place he was standing was holy ground.  Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." (Exo 3:5)

Isaiah the prophet had a glorious vision of the Lord in His holiness.  He wrote: “In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.” (Isa 6:1-4)

This is a sight that very few people have ever seen while still in their earthly bodies.  The holy angels were around the Lord, calling to each other, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!”  When Isaiah saw all of this, he was undone.  He cried, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa 6:5)

The apostle John also saw the Lord on His heavenly throne, which a graphic artist has attempted to depict in the image above.  John wrote: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.’” (Rev 4:1-8)

What an awesome sight!  The same angels Isaiah saw in his vision 700 years earlier were still around the throne saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”  They never cease to say this!!

Be Holy
The Word of God says that we are called to be holy in body and spirit, just like the Holy One, in all our behavior.  According to Webster’s dictionary, when we use the word holy to refer to a person, it means, “Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections.”

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” (1Co 7:34)

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (Eph 1:4)

“That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Eph 5:27)

"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit." (1 Thes 4:7-8)

Peter also instructed us to make every effort to be spotless and blameless:  "So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." (2Pe 3:14, NIV)

“But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.” (1Pe 1:15)

“It is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’" (1Pe 1:16)

Holiness

The way that we as disciples of Christ take is called the Highway of Holiness, and the unclean will not travel on it.  “A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.” (Isa 35:8).  Jesus said that He Himself is the Way.

We are to serve the Lord Jesus in holiness.  “To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” (Luk 1:74-75)

We are to conduct ourselves in the world in holiness. “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.” (2Co 1:12)

We are to cleanse ourselves from all defilement and perfect holiness in the fear of God. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2Co 7:1)

Our new self has been created in holiness, and we are to put it on.  “Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” (Eph 4:24)

God disciplines his children, so that we may share in His holiness.  “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” (Heb 12:10)

The writer of Hebrews goes on to exhort us to “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb 12:14).  Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord.

Be Perfect
We are to be perfect.  "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mat 5:48)

“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Jam 1:4)

We are not to be conformed to this world, but to prove what the perfect will of God is. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom 12:2)

Even Paul did not claim to be perfect already, but his passionate aim was to lay hold of that.  “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Phi 3:12)

If you don’t stumble in what you say, you are perfect, because your tongue reflects what’s in your heart and it controls everything else in your life.  “For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (Jam 3:2)

So it's clear from Scripture that the disciples of Christ are to be holy and perfect, but how does that look practically?  Does it mean we have to live in a cloistered community, standing around wearing white robes with our hands folded in prayer, chanting prayers in Latin?  Not at all!  The Lord expects us to live "in the world" without being "of the world."  Let me give you some examples of God's standards of holiness that are disregarded today.

Sexual Purity
So many in the church today are living immoral lives, and others accept it as normal.  The church today often tolerates it.  However, the Lord spoke against the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira, because they tolerated sexually immoral people in their midst (2:14, 20).  The Scriptural standard is still complete sexual purity.

We are not to associate or even eat with any so-called brother who is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.” (1Co 5:9-11)

We are to flee immorality.  “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.” (1Co 6:18)

No immoral, impure, covetous, or idolatrous person has any inheritance in God’s kingdom.  “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Eph 5:5)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; (1Th 4:3-5)

For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. (1Th 4:7)

There must be no immoral or godless person among those who are the disciples of Christ.  The writer of Hebrews wrote: “that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.” (Heb 12:16)

The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, immoral persons, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will inherit the lake of fire, not the kingdom of Christ.  "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev 21:8)

Those outside the holy, eternal city include dogs (homosexuals), sorcerers, immoral persons, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. “Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” (Rev 22:15)

Sobriety
Another popular pastime is drunkenness. According to Matthew Henry, “Drunkenness is excess in drinking of wine or strong drink, whereby the stomach is overcharged, the mind is intoxicated, and the body enfeebled and unable to perform its office.”

Drunkenness is a work of the sinful nature (Gal 5:21).   The apostle Paul wrote, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18). 

Quietness, proper behavior, and avoidance of reveling
Another aspect of holiness is to lead a quiet life, to behave properly, and to avoid carousing. The apostle Paul wrote, “Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.” (Rom 13:13)

The word carousing comes from the Greek word komos, which means carousal, reveling, or rioting. According to Matthew Henry, “Reveling is excess in feed, nocturnal riotings in eating, drinking, dancing, singing, chambering and wantonness. The Syriac version renders it, זמרא, ‘lascivious singing’; and the Arabic version, ‘songs’ which are a part of the nightly revels: and such like which are of the same nature and kind.” To put it in modern terms, reveling is jamming to worldly music, nighttime dancing, partying, “kicking,” singing lascivious songs, “rocking,” letting loose, etc.   It means to make a racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassail, “kick” it up, or participate in orgies. 

While many believers condone reveling today, according to the Bible, it is a work of the sinful nature, and has no part in a life of holiness (Gal 5:21). That is why Paul instructed us to pray "for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." (1Ti 2:2)

Don’t love the world
We need to take care that we do not love the world.  The apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1Jo 2:15)

If we love the world, the Father’s love is not in us, and we become His enemies.  James wrote, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us?’” (Jam 4:4-5).

What kind of music do you listen to?  What kind of movies, TV programs, and videos do you watch? Are they ones about lust and sexual immorality, murder, stealing, lawlessness, and drunkenness?  Do they mock true Christianity and model a compromising, watered-down form of Christianity? Are they secular, worldly ones? If so, then you need to make some hard decisions, in order to eliminate compromise and chose that which pleases the Lord. Also see my article about The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, in which a famous bishop missed heaven due to worldliness and covetousness.

Holiness in Spirit, Soul, and Body
The Lord requires holiness in every part of our lives, including spirit, soul, and body:

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Thes 5:23-24)

"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty.' Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”  (2Co 6:16-18; 7:1, NIV).

"...The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit..." (1Co 7:34b)

Yet many Christians fail to realize that there are areas of their lives that are not holy. In summary, the following are some of the most commonly overlooked sins, some of which I have already mentioned: not keeping Sundays holy, watching secular TV, women wearing trousers, jewelry, artificial things like wigs and fake eyelashes, and/or make up, tattoos, body piercing, smoking cigarettes, addiction to drinking alcohol, worldliness, masturbation, immoral practices on the marital bed, divorce, abortion, using contraceptives, idolatry, rock, rap, and reggae music, dancing that does not glorify Jesus or the Father, embezzling money and accepting bribes, gossip, abortion, keeping boyfriends and girlfriends, failing to evangelize, as well as witchcraft, video games, movies, art that does not glorify God, and secular cartoons.  This is by no means a complete list, but it's a good place to start allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything in your life that must go. 

Putting it All Together
The Lord is holy, perfectly pure and immaculate.  He is on His heavenly throne right now with angels surrounding him that never cease to cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord!”

When we come to Christ, He makes us holy from a positional perspective.  But then He expects us to walk that out practically and to be holy, as He is holy.  That means we need to be perfect, in a moral sense.

While the topic of holiness may not be popular in the world or even the church today, it’s still God’s way for His people to live.  We’ve got to be holy in all our behavior, like the Holy One who saved us.  He’s called us to be perfect, even as He is perfect.

While we can’t say we’ve attained to this yet, we should passionately strive for it in our lives as disciples of Christ.  Our orientation must always be one that is moving forward toward this goal.  Playing church doesn’t impress God and neither does religion. 

If we want to be perfect, we need the Lord to do a deep work in our hearts.  Give Him permission to bring His discipline to bear in your life, which is the only way he can make us holy practically speaking.  Then listen to what comes out of your mouth.  Once you become perfect in what you say, then you can control your whole being. 

Today in the church, immorality has become acceptable.  So have carousing or reveling, idolatry, loving the world, drunkenness, and many other sins.  But the Word teaches us that people who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and you have come to realize you’re not living a holy life, then here is what James tells you to do: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (Jam 4:7-10).  It’s not too late to repent and change the way you’re living.

If you are not a disciple of Christ, then let me explain something to you.  You can never earn God’s love.  You can only accept it.  You can never obtain His acceptance by trying to be holy.  Rather, you need to admit you are a sinner in need of Christ’s salvation.  You need to repent of your sin, which is a total change of mind, and ask Him to forgive you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The artist's rendition of God's throne as the apostle John saw it in his Revelation is taken from Lighthouse Missions.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Garments of Godliness, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy,  Faith Works!, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Two Divine Revelations, Tattoos and Body Piercing, and One Thing. I highly recommend reading, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies and Holy Fire Baptism. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."   Purity painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

One thing

Have you ever felt like life is too complicated?  If so, that’s not unusual.  There are probably millions of other who feel the same way.

But actually life is not complicated. We make it that way.   When you are in Christ, life is actually simple.  But it requires faith.  That means trusting the Lord.

There’s only one thing we need to focus on, and when you do so, it’ll greatly simplify your life.  I’d like to share with you what it is.

David desired one thing
The Lord called King David a man after His own heart.  And David desired only one thing.  He said:

"One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." (Psa 27:4)

David’s one desire was to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of his life, so that he could behold the Lord’s beauty.  The other reason he wanted to dwell there was so that he could inquire of the Lord. 

During David’s lifetime, the temple was not yet built.  They simply had a tent of meeting, called a tabernacle, where they met with the Lord.  This was the place where the Lord manifested his presence.  That’s where David wanted to remain.

In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is the temple.  He plainly said so.  When the religious leaders asked him for a sign to prove His authority, “Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.” (Joh 2:19-22)

So for those under the New Covenant, our one desire should be to remain in Jesus Christ all the days of our life.  It should be to seek the Lord and behold His beauty. 

All who are led by the spirit are sons of God.  We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  The apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1Co 3:16). 

Christ’s body is the temple.  We are the Body of Christ and He is the Head of the Body.  It could not be any clearer that He and those of us who are His disciples are the temple.  So if we desire the one thing David desired, it’s to abide in Christ moment-by-moment and day-to-day.

Mary desired one thing
Another person who had this singular focus was Mary, the sister of Lazarus.  When Jesus came to visit the home, where she and her family lived, she was interested in just one thing.

“Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’" (Luk 10:38-42)

Many people are like Martha.  They feel like life is complicated. Martha was stressed out.  In the presence of the Lord, she felt the pressure of all the tasks she thought she needed to do.  If that’s how you are, then you are probably distracted like Martha was.  She found it hard to settle down and focus on the Lord.

In fact, this kind of mindset led Martha to want to control people.  She needed to recruit her sister to help her fulfill all that she thought needed to be done for the Lord.  And when she could not control Mary, she tried to get Jesus to force her to help. 

I think this is all too common among believers.  It can happen in a household, as well as the church.  Many times a leader has his own, great “vision” of what needs to be done for the Lord.  And to fulfill his vision, he needs to recruit others into service.  When they do not volunteer to serve, and do not align with his vision, he uses other means to control them like manipulation and coercion.  I’ve seen leaders like this become so distracted by many things.  Yet they don’t seem interested in abiding in Christ.  They don’t seem to enjoy just abiding in Christ, worshipping Him and enjoying His presence.  Instead, they are always thinking about the next thing they are going to say or the next task that needs to be completed.

But look at what Jesus said to Martha.  The Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  (Lk 10:42) According to Jesus, only one thing is necessary, and Mary had chosen it.  She was sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to His Word.

That’s the one thing that is still needed today.  We need to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to His Word.  In that place, we commune with Him and adore Him.  We put distractions aside, and focus on Jesus.  We meditate upon His Word.  We listen to His voice.  Our desire is simply to be with Him.  It’s all about Jesus.

Love the Lord your God
When Luke wrote about the story of Martha and Mary, it was in the context of a conversation Jesus had with someone about the one thing needed to inherit eternal life. 

“And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; Do this and you will live.’" (Luk 10:25-28)

The message is the same.  Jesus taught this lawyer that one thing is necessary, and that is to love.  Our love for God must be with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.  We should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  And Jesus illustrated this love with the story of the Good Samaritan to show what He meant.

Seek first His kingdom and righteousness
The temptation is to worry about what we will eat or drink or what we will wear.  There will never be a lack of things to worry about, which will vie for our attention.  But Jesus taught us to “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." (Mt 6:33)

Focus on Jesus
The writer to the Hebrews also taught that we must have a singular focus.  He wrote: “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” (Heb 3:1). 

Again he wrote, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2). 

When you fix your thoughts on someone, they are the center of your attention.  When you focus your eyes on someone, everything else fades out of focus.  Our focus should be on Jesus.

Putting it All Together
What’s your focus? Food, clothing, money, success, possessions, fame, popularity, making a place for yourself in history, numbers, buildings, man-made traditions, external appearances, titles, collecting people?

David desired one thing, and that was to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to gaze upon His beauty and inquire in His temple.  Mary chose that one thing also. She sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His Word. 

We need to love the Lord with our entire being. We should fix our thoughts on Jesus, focusing our eyes on Him.

Let me encourage you today to focus on Jesus, dwelling in His house all the days of your life.  There you can gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and seek Him in His temple.  That’s the one thing that’s needed.

When you live like this, life will be simple. But it requires your complete trust in the Lord.  It requires faith, without which it is impossible to please God.  Will you commit yourself to do this?



Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially "Inquiring of the Lord." You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.