Hello Everyone,

Well, over the past 10 weeks we’ve taken a deeper look into the 10 Commandments given  by God to Moses at Mount Sinai a few thousand years ago. (Messages are archived on the group’s site.) And though these Commandments are ancient in one sense, they are very much relevant to our day and age now. The reason for this is because God and His moral laws are transcendent. God is eternal and outside of time, thus His word is eternal and from out of this world! (Pun intended.)

The Apostle Paul said the following regarding God’s law:

Romans 7:7b
…I would have not known sin except through the law. For I would have not known  covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”

So what have I endeavored to help you realize (if you didn’t know it already) is if you read this all this stuff and think about it, the law is a teacher to us. It teaches us that we are violators of the law. For who had kept God’s law? Answer: No one.

In fact, this is true of all mankind; we all have violated God’s law. To disobey even one law is to not keep the whole law perfectly. And to disobey God is to sin. Sin is falling short of God’s standard of thought, word and deed.

Press the “Pause” button now. If I have ever stolen something (for example)… then I have violated God’s law. I have sinned. I have disobeyed. And consequently, I owe God something in return for my transgressing of His holy and perfect standard. In fact, the very act of disobeying God means that I am putting my own will before His… I am putting myself before Him and thus I am committing idolatry, for I am worshipping myself over and above Almighty God. I am counting my own will more worthy to be followed than the Eternal God of the Universe’s will. Yeeouch!

I have incurred a debt of sorts for my lifetime of violating God’s law. I have to pay for my sins somehow. Remember, all this is a spiritual issue. It is not like I can burn $100 and the smoke goes up to God in heaven. I have to make some sort of atonement for my sins. My sins are an offense to Holy God. How do most people ultimately pay for their sins?

Romans 6:23a
…the wages of sin is death…

This is why everything eventually wears out, runs down and dies. Sin causes death. But this is the death of the physical body. There is also a second death… the death of the spirit in hell.

Revelation 21:8
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Eww Jim, you’re morbid today! Sin is morbid! Sin is serious business… and the 10 Commandments show us we are sinful. So we’ve got a problem don’t we?

Ahh… here’s the good part: God is merciful and gracious too.

2nd Peter 3:9
The Lord is…longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish (in the 2nd death) but that all should come to repentance.

And that most familiar verse…

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish (in the 2nd death) but have everlasting life.

God’s so loves that even His law speaks to love: (Paraphrasing)

1.      No other gods = Love is loyal
2.      No making idols = Love is faithful
3.      No Lord’s name in vain = Love is reverent
4.      Observe Sabbath = Love is set apart to
5.      Honor parents = Love is respectful
6.      No murder = Love is humane
7.      No adultery = Love is pure
8.      No stealing = Love is unselfish
9.      No false witnessing = Love is truthful
10.     No coveting = Love is content

God has made a way for us sinners to be reconciled to Him… to be forgiven our massive sin debt. The two key words from 2nd Peter 3:9 and John 3:16 are “repentance” and believes”. Check this out…

Mark 1:15
[Jesus said]… “Repent and believe in the gospel.”

Again, God is Holy, Righteous, and Just… but He’s equally merciful, loving, gracious and forgiving too. Wow! How great is God! (Contact me anytime to talk about this!)

And read the next message to see how we can know more about this great
God…

Peace,
Jim