Keep All of God’s Law

Some things are easier than others and we may not even recognize that we have committed sins in part. James addresses one that may slip past us. Partiality. Some may consider this as discrimination, and they may be right to do so.

“³and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ ⁴have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” – James 2:3-4 (ESV)

This partiality to the rich man may not be something that we are even aware we are doing. We will just advise folks based on what we believe would be expected in situations. But aren’t we sinning by not treating everyone equally under the Law of the LORD. And in doing so, we are sinning and are to be accountable to that sin just as any other.

“⁸If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. ⁹But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. ¹⁰For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” – James 2:8-10 (ESV)

I feel I know what some will say, “but if we give the good seat to the poor man, isn’t that being partial to him as well?” I agree that when we are elevating one over another it is a sin of partiality, so that would not be wrong in thinking. It is in the intent of actions where we are accountable in this instance. If we are giving the seat to the first that came, regardless of who that is, then we are not being partial except to the early arrival. For that would be partiality, it would simply be following the process and following the Law of the LORD.

We are called to obey the LORD and do His work. Where this sin of partiality may not be conscious sin, it is still sin and we are to be accountable to that sin. We are to follow the Law of the LORD in its entirety and not just when we are conscious of it. We are accountable to sin, regardless of our knowing of it. Where we fail, we are to seek forgiveness, from God and others we have transgressed against.

What laws have you gone against? Do you even think about your transgressions that may not be conscious? What if you were to seek forgiveness daily from where you fail in God’s Law, even in those you were not conscious of at the time?

No Law for the Fruit of the Spirit

Yes, that is right, there is no law as it goes to live by the fruit of the Spirit.

“²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Look a the list from God’s Word above of the fruit of the Spirit. There are no laws banning or regulating those actions. The world is free to take all of them and there is none out there telling us what we can or cannot do as relates to any of them. Those are written on our heart by God and everyone, no matter your origin, knows of them and can live them without direction.

All things under the flesh are subject to law of some kind. There are entities, whether person or other that have created rules and regulations of those things under the flesh.

“¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who doe such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)

Again, review the list above and see all the things that are identified as under the flesh and also find that there are rules, regulations, laws against them where entities control what you can and cannot do. Take drunkenness as an example. There is no law against drunkenness, except that you have to be of age, cannot drive while drunk, can be cut off from drinking in public, and I am sure there are others that escape me at this moment. All of those are restricted by some sort of law.

“¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” – Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

But as for the fruit of the Spirit, I again come back to no restrictions. You want to exhibit joy, do so. You want to be kind, go ahead. Patience, please do. No law, no restriction, no rules, as the old Nike slogan would say, “Just Do It”. There is no law for living by the fruit of the Spirit.

What is the restrictions in your actions? Do you find that there are things you cannot do based on rules and restrictions and laws against those things? What If you were to live by the fruit of the Spirit, there are no laws against those?

No Salvation Due to Works of the Law

“²⁰For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20 (ESV)

There is no excuse for us as we are fully aware of the Law of the LORD as He has written it on our hearts. Because of that, we are accountable to the Law of the LORD to follow the Law. But even as such, we are not justified by our works. No matter how much we do in the Law of the LORD or what actions we take, those works are not going to do anything for us in the line to salvation. It is not the works that bring us to salvation, but our hearts in the following of the Law that the LORD has written there.

“⁹Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV)

You see, even evil among us know how to take action that is right, but that action does not make righteous. We are judged according to our actions, but we are saved according to our heart, our acknowledgment of, our acceptance of, and our devotion to our LORD and to His works for His Glory and not our own. We take action not to gain salvation, but as an outward display of our salvation the new condition of our heart.

Where does your salvation come from? Are you striving to do the best for the world to see in hopes that you will be rewarded? What if your reward has already been given through salvation and now you do works to show the condition of your heart?

Keep the Law of the LORD in Your Heart

It is one thing to know something and something else to commit it to your very being. The second is where I find my learning this morning in God’s Word. I continue my study of the word “law” and in this study I have found that it is important to read, study, know, and understand the Law of the LORD. We have to commit it to memory to use in our daily walk with Him and in the carrying out of His plan for our lives.

I see on social media a number of people that are defending their position on things and using God’s Word in their rhetoric. Yet when they are presented more context as to the verse or passage they are using, their arguments fall apart. These people may have read, studied, know, and understand the Law of the LORD, yet they have not committed the Law to their being and only use it to get what they want as opposed to what God plans.

I know, when I am doing my study I will post a single verse and to the first time visitor to my posts it may seem as though I am cherry picking verses. You are entitled to your opinion, yet I encourage you to read many of them and dig into God’s Word for yourself. I am a sinner just like you and will get it wrong.

“⁸I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

— Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

The above verse is found in a passage titled, “My Help and My Deliverer” in my ESV Bible. Yes, it is only one verse, yet again I encourage you to seek out God’s Word for yourself. I have been in the passage and studied this verse before and what I got from it I wrote in the margin of my bible, “God is in your heart.” And this morning I see more than that, God is in my heart indeed, but I have to allow Him to be there and along with Him is His Word and Law.

The Law of the LORD is more than just words on a page or in a book. It is the very culture that I am to live out in this world to carry me to heaven. Actions don’t do it, it is the condition of my heart that God is looking to. He will determine my righteousness from the condition of my heart that leads to the following of His Law, not necessarily the actions that I perform. Oh, the actions are important, as they will demonstrate to the world the condition of my heart. But those actions are not what get me anywhere as they are simply an extension of my heart and the application of God and His Law to my life and those actions. I can follow the law to avoid discipline, but when I have God’s Law in my heart, I follow His Law because of discipline.

God is indeed in my heart. It is up to me to allow Him to be there and also His Law. I live the Law of the LORD and not just read, study, know, and understand. I keep the Law of the LORD in my heart to guide me into actions that bring glory to Him and show the world that He is in my heart and my life always.

Where to you keep the law of the LORD? Are you storing it up in your mind to use to avoid discipline? What if you keep the Law of the LORD in your heart to guide you in you actions to bring glory to Him ans show the world that He is in your heart and your life?

Consequences

There are consequences for all actions, yes all actions. When you take positive action, the consequence is a positive result. When you take negative actions, the consequence is a negative result. We seem to think of consequences as only negative and when negative does not come, then we think we are in the clear.

Biblical consequences occur and we seem to find them polarizing. We seem to look at the negative consequences to our actions with God to be unjust and we think that positive consequences should be the result of not taking negative actions. See below for the view that John has as the New Heaven and New Earth are revealed to him.

“⁶And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ⁷The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” – Revelation 21:6-8 (ESV)

Verses six and seven speak to the consequences to the actions taken to glorify and honor God, whereas verse eight the consequences to the opposite. Notice that the positive consequences to be full life and communion with God, whereas the negative consequence is casting out and “the second death”. The negative consequences seem so much more dramatic, when in actual application both the positive and negative are equally spectacular.

You see, we don’t see the positive consequences really at all. We don’t think of positive results of our actions because we have come to only think of consequences as negative and when they don’t come we just pass them off as continuing on with things. But, look closely at verses six and seven above. See the result, quenched thirst and heir with Jesus and for what, turning to and accepting God for who He is and what He gives to us. We are conquerors of this world thanks to the redeeming grace of God the Father.

But, negative consequences we know all to well. We notice them at every turn. When things don’t turn out the we planned we look to place blame. We do not accept that we may have done something to be rewarded with the negative consequence. The reality is that our actions have generated a result and that result is negative and we push back at acceptance of the result. With God, the negative result/consequence is quite something, “the second death” as noted in verse eight above. See the actions and the breadth of those actions that generate the result. From lying to being faithless all generate the negative consequence of “the second death”.

We look at things so differently in our lives. We do not see consequences for our actions the same way. We barely notice the consequence to positive action and we blame negative consequences on someone else entirely. In reality, positive and negative consequences are there exclusively based on the actions, or even inaction that we take each day. For bringing glory to and leaning on the LORD the consequence is the quenching of our thirst and life in the presence of God. For thinking only of self, we are rewarded with “the second death” and will spend eternity in lake of fire. All actions have consequences.

What is your view of consequences? Do you really only think of negative consequences or results? What if you were to look to the positive consequences of your actions as you bring glory to and lean on God?

Husband, be Worthy of Respect

“³³However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)

There are a few things in the above verse to point out. First, husbands are to love their wives. Second, wives are to respect their husbands. Third, and not really stated, husbands are to be worthy of respect. I know, it may not say that third one in the verse itself, but it is certainly implied. If not in the verse itself, throughout the passage of Ephesians 5:22-33 titled in my ESV Bible, “Wives and Husbands”.

God has a plan and role for each of us. And in marriage, the role of the wife and the husband is defined. And where those roles are defined, those roles do not give edicts of demand. The role of husband and wife are to be in the spirit and example of Christ. I am the head of my wife and house, but as the example of Christ who loves and protects her as Christ does the church. My wife is to submit to me, but as the example of the church to Christ and look for love and protection from me as it does from Christ.

Here is where I see the third one from above. I am to love and cherish and protect my wife even to death if that be the case. I am to demonstrate my love for her and she should know if it all at all times. I am to provide for her and our home. In return, my wife should submit to my authority in her life and the life of our house and home. She is to respect me, yes because it is said and defined in the role, but also because she sees that I have done my part in my role and am worthy of her respect. She sees that I provide for her. She sees that I protect her. She sees that I love her. She sees that I love her and in return she submits and respects me knowing that she needs only to love God and seek his provision and that she will receive that from me as her husband.

Husbands, be the man of God you were meant to be and be worthy of respect from your wife.

What is your view of respect from your wife? Have you or do you earn it? What if it is not about earning it but more about being worthy of it through your actions of love, provision, and protection for your wife?

Present your Discipleship

We are to be the example of Christ in this world today. That means, not just living out what He commands of us, but also presenting ourselves as He presented Himself to those around Him and the world.

“³⁴A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35 (ESV)

I have studied this passage a few times before. This morning the LORD provided a similar lesson as in the other times. Here is one of the notes I have written in my Bible; “Presentation of God’s Love through your action is our declaration of who we follow.” This is such a true statement of the lesson God has presented for me this morning. I have been blessed to have the LORD in my life and I am doing what I can to emulate Him to those around me and the world. I have to remember that my actions are those of love and not just of action.

Jesus loved through His actions each and every day of His time on earth as man. We tend, I believe, to forget that Jesus spent 33 years in this world and yet only really look at the last 3 years as He was active in His ministry and teaching. We forget that at about the age of 12 He was teaching in the temple. We forget that He had friends He ran with as a child and youth. We forget that He demonstrated love to everyone every day of His life as the example for us to follow in our lives.

Jesus presented the Love of God through His actions declaring His following of the Father. We are to take that example and present the Love of God through our actions to declare that we are disciples of Christ. This is not just a one time thing or something for the short period of life. As Jesus did we are to present God’s Love every step of the way for our entire existence in this world.

How do others know who you follow? Are you reliant on telling them and hoping that they remember? What if you were to present your discipleship through your actions of loving as Jesus loved in His time in this world?

God’s Word Discerns the Heart

“¹²For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Yes, we lead our lives from the heart and yes, the Holy Spirit is guiding our lives from our heart. And how is it that we understand our heart and that which God has for us, we utilize His Word.

I have been doing my daily bible study and writing for almost 10 years. And over that time I know that I have grown and have found more direction. I know that today I have a better idea of my role with the LORD and the spreading of His Word, but even still I know that I am not done.

I take direction from the Holy Spirit in when and where I am to go. I may not be making impacts in the world that the world recognizes, but I am making impacts that the LORD recognizes. This is the direction that I know I am to go, and I can say without question this is due to my study of God’s Word each day.

Without God’s Word, I am not sure that I would understand the Holy Spirit’s direction means to me. I would be headed blindly ahead and just doing as I am told. Where that is, to some degree, a good thing to be that obedient, it is a bit short sighted in not understanding the why and impacts of the work being done.

Take my Bible study and writing. I am diligent and dedicated to the actions, and therefor am fulfilling that which the LORD has for me. Even still, I do not know those who are impacted. I post here and yet receive little feedback as to who and how the work I am doing is fulfilling God’s plan. Yet, I know that the LORD is using me in the way He would have me to reach even one, and that one may be the reason I am here. So, I carry on understanding that God’s Word is my why and that the LORD is using His Word to direct my heart.

How are you discerning that which is in your heart? Are you using end results to impact your next move? What if you were to lean on the LORD and His Word to provide the direction of your heart and know that direction is making the impact that He would have for you?

Inward to Outward

We are to live a life with Christ beginning inward at the heart and stream outward in our actions.

“²⁹But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” “¹³For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.” – Romans 2:29 & 13-14 (ESV)

Paul speaks here of Jews and Gentiles. He shows that it is not just the actions or the heart that make one a follower of Christ. It is the combination of the two. Starting with the heart, we internalize the Spirit to give us the guide to our movements in the world. As a result of that guidance, we take action that demonstrates our following of the LORD.

Too often, I believe there is too much put on the actions of individuals as the demonstration of their Christianity. The Christian is to be compassionate and giving and loving. But I also see the world looking only at those actions as the indicator of the Christian, and when the Christian stands up in opposition of anything, they are seen as combative and unforgiving and frankly as mean awful people, when in truth, they are acting from the heart and guidance of the Spirit.

“⁷You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

‘⁸This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

⁹in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

— Matthew 15:7-9 (ESV)

Jesus says and I believe that this world view of Christians is shaping the heart and actions of new Christians, and this is not new. Where yes, we are to be compassionate and giving and loving, we are also to oppose those things that are not of Christ. That is the true heart of Christ. We are to live for Christ in all topics and not just on those that make us look good.

So here it is, we are to embrace the LORD in our heart and then, by the guidance provided by the Holy Spirit, we are demonstrate the LORD in our actions to the world. Those actions are to be in love, compassion, and giving, but also in full concert with the LORD and His will.

What is your view of your actions? Are you doing things for the world to see to make you look a certain way? What if you were to take action based on the guidance of the Holy Spirit on your heart to bring glory to God?

We Speak From the Heart

It is true, when we truly speak we speak from the heart. We have to remember that we are emotional creatures and as such, we speak with emotion. Even in calculated speaking, we end up speaking from the heart.

“³⁴You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” – Matthew 12:34-35 (ESV)

Jesus is speaking in the synagogue here and is being constantly challenged by the Pharisees and scribes. He points out that where there seems to be speaking from a place of reverence, the hypocrisy in the Pharisees and scribes it known. He is pointing out that where there is speech to the law and the good, the actions speak a different story. The true self is displayed whether good or evil, as that is what is found in the heart.

What does this mean for you and me? Well, I see this as the chance for us to get right in the heart that what comes from us will be that of good and not evil. We are to be speaking good and the way for that to manifest is for us to be filled with good to that good flows from us.

“³⁷for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” – Matthew 12:37 (ESV)

When it comes down to our judgment at the feet of Jesus, we will be judged as to the words we speak and the actions we take. We have to remember that people are listening and watching. When they hear, they take note and then the see if/when the actions match or not and from there they take things on for themselves based on that they witness. The Pharisees and scribes were known for saying one thing and doing another, and therefor were not as trustworthy as one might think. Would we be the same as them?

We are to fill our hearts with the good of the LORD and then allow that good to flow from us. We are to say and then do to ensure that those around us are witnessing the same goodness from both ends. When we do, we will be doing the work of the LORD and bringing about His glory to the world. We will be judged by that which flows from us, I am working to choose good from the heart, both in deeds and in speech.

What is coming from your heart? Are you saying one thing and then doing another? What if you were to fill your heart with the LORD and allow Him to flow from you, the goodness that He is?