I love you, so I'm going to tell you some hard truth, as it is written "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. (Leviticus 19:17, KJV)"
My profile was getting crowded with much of this, so I'm putting it here instead for those who are truly seeking, who are really searching for G-d's Will. I don't know everything. Far from it. But this I do know: Most professing Christians are not going to make it. Sadly.
As I'm entering this, one of the random women suggestions above, which CDfF.com has delivered, is a picture not of a woman, but of a black square instead, which contains the words "ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME". How appropriate. Indeed, this is the prevailing attitude of this wicked generation, who thinks they can live however they like without incurring His Judgment. Most of us will not hear the Truth. The sad fact is that GOD WILL JUDGE YOU if you refuse to repent of your sin. You are supposed to work out your salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING (Philippians 2:12).
Personally, I'm not looking for a Christian woman, at least not what is common among 'Christianity'. I'm looking for a follower of G-d's Messiah, whose priority is truly following Him rather than men; following Christ Jesus by the Spirit of Christ and in accordance with what is written... not a denomination, not a pastor, not the latest teaching, nor your feelings, nor your friends, and certainly not the majority of professing Christians. Christianity is plagued with traditions of men that nullify the commandment of G-d, which Christ Jesus HATES (See Mark 7:7-9). "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. (Matthew 15:13, KJV)" To have a hope, we must give Him our lives, and if you've given Him your life, it's no longer yours to do with as you please. It's His.
Most people I come across who profess to be Christians are not really following Christ Jesus. To someone who is really in Messiah, it is very obvious. When you truly step out of the world, it is shocking to see how a part of the world the overwhelming majority of professing Christians are in the world; integral. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, most professing Christians don't even realize they are not actually following Christ, but the sad truth of the matter is that most professing Christians follow man, and, sadly, are headed straight for destruction as a result. It very well could be that you are just such a person, even likely, so let this be a warning to you if you hear His voice as you read this. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).
The Master says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (ANOMIA; LAWLESSNESS!). (Matthew 7:21-23, KJV)" Not all believers are "saved," despite what man will tell you. As James says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:19-20, KJV)"
"Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all [ye] workers of ANOMIA. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you [yourselves] thrust out. (Luke 13:23-28, KJV)"
The Master says, "If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow ME. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:23-24, KJV)" If you really follow him, frankly, you will hardly fit in anywhere. As He says, "Because ANOMIA will abound, the love of many will wax cold. (Matthew 24:12)" "My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. (John 10:27, KJV)" If your goal is to fit in with most Christians and have a nice cozy life --- if your goal is to fit in at the average church --- sorry, you're not really following the Master. It's time to wake up people.
So what's the difference between the real believer and the imposter? We should be in the world, not of the world, set apart by His Spirit, WHOLLY OBEDIENT TO HIS COMMANDMENT. We do not pick and choose which commandments to obey. The soul that abides in sin shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). Unfortunately, most Christians fail to understand what, precisely, sin is. Sin is transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4), as given to Israel by G-d through His humble servant Moses. And it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before G-d, but the doers of the Law will be justified (Romans 2:13). Being Jewish doesn't matter, nor being Gentile; what matters is that you become a new creation in Messiah, who keeps the commandment of G-d (Galatians 6:15, 1 Corinthians 7:19)! The LORD changes not!
Fellowship and worship on the first day of the week if you like, but don't reject the G-d-given 7th day Sabbath, nor His feasts, and stop eating what is not food, stop celebrating pagan festivals. Wives, be reconciled to your husbands or remain alone. Stop believing the lie that G-d's grace means it's okay to sin, or that you cannot sin in Messiah even though you do! Don't be absurd. This passage in John's epistle means you are not in Messiah if you abide in sin! If you are truly in Messiah, you cannot abide sin just as HE CANNOT ABIDE SIN! He who says he abides in Messiah and lives in sin is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4)! Don't be deceived. Unless you repent, you will perish (Luke 13:3,5).
Some follow Rome, some follow Luther, some John Calvin... some THINK they follow Paul, but 'Is Christ divided?' as Paul so aptly said (1 Corinthians 1:10-15). Blessed are they, rather, who hear the Word of God and obey (Luke 11:28). Traditions are unacceptable if they nullify the Law of God in any way. THAT is the test. As He said: I have not come to destroy the Law. Whoever breaks one of the least of these instructions will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, and unless your righteousness in these matters exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you certainly will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:17-20)! But hey, believe what you will. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).
So let's love Him every day with all our hearts, souls, minds, resources, and love our neighbours as ourselves. Interestingly, those two instructions are not found in the Ten Commandments, but elsewhere in the Law; in Deuteronomy and in Leviticus respectively! That fact should speak volumes to you about the accuracy of the common understanding of the words of Jesus ('We must keep the Ten Commandments...'). It's true, but not the way most people mean to say. As it is written, 'The commandment is a lamp and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Prov. 6:23)' Do you have one without the other? Or have you not then turned the lamp off??!
So what did Jesus mean when he said the most important commandment of all is 'HEAR O Israel' (Mk. 12). Most professing Christians prefer to quote this occurrence as it appears in Matthew, which leaves this critical demand out. Most, I find, tend to say '...as long as I love God and love my neighbour, it's all good, even if I choose not to live entirely by the Word,' but WHAT IS LOVE? How do we know whether or not we love? The word translated in Mark 12 as HEAR (SHEMA, see Deut. 6, which means HEAR/LISTEN/OBEY) is the key to love. As John says, 'the love of God is that we keep His commandment, and his commandment are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)' And likewise, 'By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandment. (1 John 5:2)'
How do we know, then, that a husband loves his wife, and a wife her husband? What about their children? A son his parents? Parents their children? Hopefully you guessed it hopefully... So don't forget SHEMA! When we SHEMA to the best of our ability, we THEREFORE love God and love our neighbour; and you can then know, therefore, that you will love your husband or wife as yourself. If this sounds insane to you, then you haven't yet really met Jesus. Search for him. Search for him with all your heart and you will find him.
And stop following men! Follow Jesus! Meditate on the Scriptures, seeking the illumination that only the Word of G-d can provide by His Spirit, and act on it! Stop paying heed to your frivolous feelings, attributed to the Holy Spirit, that are not consistent with Scripture ('I feel like the Spirit is telling me it is okay to not obey this time...'). The heart is deceitful above all and desparately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
Feel free to message me if you have any questions. G-d willing, He will give me the wisdom to respond appropriately. But please, the above is Scripture. If you don't agree, take it up with Jesus.
P.S. To the divorced on here, I'm curious what you think:
How do you interpret the words of Jesus? ...maybe no one has brought your attention to these words before:
In Luke 16:18 and Matthew 5:32 (see also Mark 10:10), Jesus is recorded as saying he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. (ESV)
Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 7:11, Jesus says through the Apostle Paul "To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife."
Just prior to that, Paul writes the following:
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral....will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
I'm just doing the math here. It seems pretty logical to me, but maybe I'm missing something... The LORD says marrying a divorced woman is committing adultery, which is sexual immorality, and Paul warns us that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Never mind about whether or not G-d divorced Israel, the issue at hand here is sin and repentance, and the failure on the part of the many to grasp what this means. Like you for example, who says that repentance is not even about sins necessarily. You are deceiving yourself and others.
Sin and repent don't need to be in the same sentence for repentance to necessarily refer to the giving up of sin. Sin and repentance are not themes that were invented for the New Testament. These theme goes all the way back to the Law of Moses, and is also discussed in the Prophets.
Take Ezekiel 18 (KJV), for example:
4Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
5But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
7And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.
10If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things,
11And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
12Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,
13Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
14Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like,
15That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
16Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,
17That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
18As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.
19Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
21But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
31Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
You should notice carefully that in Ezekiel 18 above, as I have been saying to you, that the things the LORD is referring to as sins for which a man will be condemned are all things specifically prohibited in His Law.
The soul that sins shall die. Wherefore repent and live. You are sadly mistaken if you don't think repentance means turning from your sin. Repentance is all about turning to G-d by faith in Jesus for the forgiveness that is accessible to us him. But you have not really turned to G-d if you have attempted to do so without turning from your sin. And sin is transgression of the Law.
And Jesus' words in Luke are clear. He's talking about "sinners" specifically, who have died, and he says, "Unless you repent, you too will PERISH." (Luke 13) Repentance necessarily means turning from your sin. Sin is missing the mark. The mark is G-d's instruction. The very word TORAH is derived from the word YARAH, which means to point to, as in the mark.
I have not missed the Gospel my confused neighbor, you have. I am not unbalanced, you make a mockery of G-d's grace. The Gospel DEMANDS you turn from your sin, but you take a position in defense of sin. I am not speaking to people who have not heard the Gospel, I am speaking to people who profess to be Christians but are still in their sins. He who says he abides in HIM and makes a practice of sinning is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4).
No my confused neighbor, I have not missed the message of the Gospel. The message of the Gospel is REPENT, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. You have missed the message of the Gospel if you would water down the critical REQUIREMENT that you turn from your sin!
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
- John 14:21, KJV
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
- Luke 6:46, KJV
The demand for your obedience is integral to the Gospel message.
Grace and mercy to you IN Christ Jesus. Grace and mercy to you as you repent and really endeavor to obey Him.
"But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood."
Mark, the issue in Acts 15 is that some believers were saying that in order to be saved, in addition to faith in Jesus and the Gospel He preached, you must convert to Judaism. See Acts 15:1: "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said], Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. (KJV)"
That word translated MANNER is the Greek word ETHOS, which means CUSTOM. This verse is not talking about the physical act of circumcision contained in the written Law of Moses. It refers to ritual conversion to Judaism. Never does Paul teach against the physical instruction of circumcision. If he did, which he did not, he would be a hypocrite, because he had Timothy circumcised! "Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:3, KJV)"
In Acts 15, James and Barnabas disagree with the idea that Gentiles must convert to Judaism, so they take the question to the elders in Jerusalem. This is what the Council at Jerusalem is all about. James, speaking for the elders, agrees with Paul and Barnabas that Gentiles do not need to convert to Judaism. They need to learn G-d's Law (the Law of Moses), which they would learn in the synagogues in every city.
The text of Acts 15:21 says that Moses has had for a long time men in every city that teach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath. The four prohibitions James provides for Gentiles who are TURNING (present, ongoing) to G-d (v.19), are straight out of Leviticus 17 and Leviticus 18, which you should read and notice carefully that those who do these things (eat blood, meat whose blood has not be drained out, meat sacrifice to idols, sexual immorality) must be "cut off from Israel".
James is saying those who are turning to G-d must cease from these things immediately so that they can join those learning Moses (that is, the Law of Moses) in the synagogues on the Sabbath every week. They will learn there what G-d demands, but they cannot join the assembly if they are eating blood, meat that is strangled, meat sacrificed to idols, and sexual immorality.
Paul NEVER says that the feasts don't matter. In fact, he says the opposite:
"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
- 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, KJV
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; [AND] the body is of Christ."
- Colossians 2:16-17, KJV
As in do them. The substance of them is Christ.
Peter warns that the unlearned and unstable in the Scriptures tend to twist Paul's words to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:14-17). Be careful with Paul. He is hard to understand.
In any case, the bottom line is G-d warned His people to begin with that if someone came teaching that His original instructions no longer need to be obeyed, though they perform miracles, that person is not from G-d. See Deuteronomy 13. But that is not a description of Paul at all, nor any of the NT writers, only of the false accusations against them.
For example, Acts 6 (KJV):
"9Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. 11Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, 13And set up FALSE WITNESSES, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the LAW: 14For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us."
And again, Acts 21 (KJV):
"18And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. 19And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21And THEY ARE INFORMED OF THEE, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. 23Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; BUT THAT THOU THYSELF ALSO WALKEST ORDERLY, AND KEEPEST THE LAW."
You have believed the false witnesses!
And of physical circumcision, speaking of the third Temple to come, the LORD says through His servant Ezekiel, as recorded in Ezekiel 44:9 (KJV):
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that [is] among the children of Israel."
If you think you can disobey more of G-d's Law depending on how strong your faith is, I'm sorry to have to tell you, but you understand nothing, and you do not know G-d. You should be HORRIFIED at the prospect of sinning. Sin is transgression of the Law.
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:4, KJV)"
Good to hear you keep the 7th day holy. Hopefully you do so at least according to what is written in G-d's Law about its proper observance. And I should point out that the commandment to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy refers to all of the Sabbaths that G-d prescribed, not only the 7th day. Notice, for example, that this instruction does not refer specifically to the 7th day.
For more on the Sabbath(s), it is worthwhile to go through the occurrences of the word SHABBAT in Scripture: http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7676&t=KJV (scroll down to find the usage of the word in the Hebrew Scriptures)
Repent or perish is not "my message", and it is not only the message of John the Baptist, it is the message of G-d's Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of G-d, the Word of G-d that gave the very instructions in the Law of Moses that you are disputing. He says plainly in Luke 13 that unless you repent, turning from your sin, you will perish.
Luke 13 (King James Version)
1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
So bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Forsake sin and live unto righteousness. I am praying for you.
"We can only hope and pray that just as Saul became Paul you may transform from LawabidingCitizen to GracesufficientCitizen."
May it never be. I will never transform into what you understand GraceSufficientCitizen means, rejecting G-d's instruction. You think because the grace of G-d was on the Apostle Paul that he converted away from G-d's original instructions, and you are DEAD wrong, as in headed straight for destruction.
As Peter warns in 2 Peter 3:14-17, KJV,
14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and BLAMELESS.
15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable WREST, as they do also the other scriptures, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION.
17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the WICKED, fall from your own stedfastness.
The word translated wrest above means to twist, and the word translated wicked above means to break through the restraint of Law. You were warned. Be careful with Paul's words. Even he says that you shouldn't now sin because you're under Grace. And sin is transgression of the Law. You have missed something critical here.
Also, the name Shaul sounds like the word for prostitute in Greek. This is why he was called Paul among Greek speakers instead. Paul was still Shaul. Paul never rejected G-d's instructions as you have. The same lies about him, however, did persist in his day, as well as other followers of Jesus Christ (Acts 6, Acts 21). Sadly you have believed the false witnesses.
Believe instead what Shaul says about himself:
"But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:"
- Acts 24:14, KJV
And you can be sure, he means that he obeyed everything that is written in the law and the prophets, and guess what, not only that...
"While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all."
- Acts 25:8, KJV
You better believe if Paul had taught what you are teaching he was lying here in Acts 25:8. But as he plainly says, not even against the Temple, nor even the law of the Jews (which by the way is not a reference to the written Law of G-d), had he offended anything at all. And furthermore,
"And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans."
- Acts 28:17, KJV
You are not teaching what Paul taught. Stop following man's traditions that say ANY of G-d's instruction no longer applies. Read your Bible instead.
"Only God is the Judge, as in the Father. he will be kinder than you."
Dennis, G-d is a consuming fire, and He cannot abide sin. If you will not turn from your sin, he will not be kinder to you than I am being. Heed Paul's warning in Romans 2 (KJV):
5But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11For there is no respect of persons with God.
12For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
If you read what I have written with a open mind or being Spirit led you would see, yes you would see..That I never once deny that repentance is essential, but make the point that what is paramount is what we turn "to" not what we turn "from" in repenting. In the context of the Gospel, it is more important to turn to Jesus than to turn from sin. If one truly turns to Jesus he will deal with their sin. If one only turns from sin they are a better person, but still dead.
Anyone can copy and paste scriptures, but it takes the Holy Spirit and study to open them up.
My point was to rebuke you if you reject the commandment of G-d for your own tradition. That is precisely what I set out to do. And the only reason my comments are likewise rebukes --- and if we are honest, all my comments are not rebukes my not so accurate neighbor --- is because you have taken up a position in defense of sin. I could hate and let you believe by my silence that you are right about sin, or I can tell you frankly in love that your willful disobedience of G-d's instruction is leading you straight for destruction. And this is what I have been instructed to do, and not for my sake.
As it is, most of the people who have commented here are headed straight for destruction:
"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination."
- Proverbs 28:9, KJV
You say you have the love of Christ, but you defend lawlessness. The love of G-d is that we keep his commandments (1 John 5:3)! Your emotion is not love. Your actions speak louder than words.
