How I was Raised

I was raised to believe that God the Father is vengeful, and would immediately punish for any infraction of His law. I was raised to be scared of the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I was told that if I did not attend church and Sunday school and then died that same week that I would go to hell.

It was not until my 20s that I was convinced God meant me no harm; that God would help and encourage me in my walk to Him. That God actually loved me and that His Son Jesus would return to take His faithful people to Heaven. That was so mind-blowing!

In Holy Scripture it says to fear God. This simply means to greatly respect and reverence Him.

Don't be afraid of God, He is not like a pagan god. God Himself loves you!

Standard of Truth

The Bible gives us a way by which we can evaluate the validity of a message or messenger:

"To the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no Light in them!" Isaiah 8:20.

In a world filled with religious confusion, the standard of truth is the Word of God.

 Bible study Lesson 2, Seeing the Signs, by It Is Written, 2014

Statesmen

The Holy Spirit "still controls to some extent the laws of the Land. Were it not for these laws, the condition of the world would be much worse than it now is.

"While many of our rulers are active agents of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men of the nation.

"  The enemy (Satan ) moves upon his servants to propose measures that would greatly impede the work of God; but statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose such propositions with unanswerable arguments.

"Thus a few men (women) will hold in check a powerful current of evil."

        The Great Controversy, 610-611, e g white

Political Corruption

Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance.
Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected.

The Great Controversy 592, E G White

Why Worship God?

Why worship God when the ungodly are rich and happy?

 "Such words are spoken against Me!” says God.

 But you reply, "What did we say against God?" 

 You have said, "it is useless to serve God for what difference does it make if we keep His Laws and live a moral life?  The conceited are happy and the immoral have honor and prominence.  It seems that even those who provoke God are exalted!'"

 But the Lord hears those who love Him and witness about Him to others. The names of those who love and serve Him, and pray to Him are written in His Book of Remembrance.

"They will be My people", says God, "in the day when I return to claim My own.  I will save those who love Me, as a man saves his own son that serves him.  Then the difference between the righteous and the wicked will be discerned, between those who serve God and those who do not."

 The above quotes are from these Bible texts: Malachi 3:13-18

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

OLD TESTAMENT - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. You will have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

2. You will not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth, or that is in the water under the earth. You will not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands that love Me and keep My Commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

3. You will not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Exodus 20:7

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you may work, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, daughter, manservant, maidservant, thy animals, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

5. Honor your father and mother, that your days be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives to you. Exodus 20:12

6. You will not murder. Exodus 20:13

7. You will not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

8. You will not steal. Exodus 20:15

9. You will not lie about a neighbor. Exodus 20:16

10. You will not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is your neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17


NEW TESTAMENT - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. You will worship the Lord your God. and Him only will you serve. Matthew 4:10

2. Little children, keep yourselves from idols 1 John 5:21
...abstain from idols... Acts 15:20
Do not be idolaters... 1 Cor. 10:7

3. That the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:1

4. For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. There remains a rest [‘keeping of a Sabbath’ margin] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:4, 9, 10

5. Honor thy father and thy mother. Matthew 19:19

6. Thou shalt not murder. Matthew 19:18

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal. Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Romans 13:9

10. Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:7

Surrendered

As you cast yourself on Christ, you are fulfilling His purpose for you. You are no longer a law to yourself. But no violence is done to your will and your freedom of action. The mind is brought under the authority of a new law. But it is the royal law of liberty. The whole being is surrendered to God. The heart is transformed by the Spirit's power.

Battle Creek Letters, November 11, 1902
from Ellen G White to John Harvey Kellogg MD

Destroy the Law...?

God's law and His character are inseparable. He did not and will not change either. Calvary is God's final and unanswerable argument in favor of His eternal law. Destroy the law and Calvary becomes a meaningless tragedy.

God Speaks to Modern Man, p 372, by Arthur E. Lickey

Neglect of Truth

IN THE TRUTH OF HIS WORD, God has given to humanity a revelation of Himself; and to all who accept them they are a shield against the deceptions of Satan.

 It is a neglect of these truths that has opened the door to the evils which are now becoming so widespread in the religious world.

 The nature and the importance of the law of God have been, to a great extent, lost sight of.

 A wrong conception...of the divine law...has resulted in lowering the standard of piety in the church.

  The Great Controversy p 465 E G White

God's Ten Commandments

God's Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of Holy Scripture

1. You will have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

2. You will not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth, or that is in the water under the earth. You will not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands that love Me and keep My Commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

3. You will not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:7

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you may work, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, daughter, manservant, maidservant, thy animals, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

5. Honor your father and mother, that your days be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives to you. Exodus 20:12

6. You will not murder. Exodus 20:13

7. You will not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

8. You will not steal. Exodus 20:15

9. You will not lie about a neighbor. Exodus 20:16

10. You will not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is your neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17


God's Ten Commandments in the New Testament of Holy Scripture

1. You will worship the Lord your God. and Him only will you serve. Matthew 4:10

2. Little children, keep yourselves from idols... 1 John 5:21
...abstain from idols... Acts 15:20
Do not be idolaters... 1 Cor. 10:7

3. That the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:1

4. For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. There remains therefore a rest [‘keeping of a Sabbath’ margin] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:4, 9, 10

5. Honor thy father and thy mother. Matthew 19:19

6. Thou shalt not murder. Matt 19:18

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal. Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Romans 13:9

10.Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:7

Our Own Lawyer

The Biblical judicial system was not like ours. The one bringing the charges served as prosecutor. The judge served as defense attorney. If the judge realized the charges were serious, he could call for the accused's eldest male relative to sit at his right side to help him with the defense.

Jesus speaks with the Father, because they are both on the same side defending us against Satan's accusations!! This is why the Bible speaks of looking forward to God's Judgment. It means vindication to those who love and obey the Lord!!


"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 5:10. "The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son." John 5:22.


"Who is to judge us? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, for He is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us!" Romans 8:34. "And to testify that it is He [Jesus] who was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and dead." Acts 10:42.


"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments, for this is the whole duty of humanity. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.