THE FARMER AND THE SOIL
Jesus tells us of a story about a farmer who sowed seed in a field. As the farmer walked through his field he scattered seed into the rows he had made. However, some of the seeds were carried by the wind and fell onto the pathway instead of into prepared soil and therefore birds came and devoured the seeds. Jesus goes on to tell us that some seeds fell on rocky soil that was not prepared enough for the seeds to grow--they lacked good soil--and as a result those plants among the hard ground sprang up quickly but withered away because the roots had no room to grow down into soft, tender soil. Jesus said that other seeds fell among weeds and thorns, and these seeds were choked out due to a lack of sunshine and nutrients. But listen to what Jesus says next, he says that the rest of the seeds fell into good soil which was prepared properly and the seeds grew and produced grain; some of the seeds produced one hundred times over, some sixty times, and some thirty.
If you were to continue reading the story (found in Matthew 13:1-23) you would discover that the different types of soil represent a variety of people who hear the message of Jesus. Notice that the soil which was prepared properly was the only type that enabled the seed to flourish and last until harvest time--it produced fruit. This is likened unto many people who hear the gospel but do not make it to heaven. They become like the seeds that fell among the paths, rocks, weeds and thorns. True, some who hear the gospel believe for a period of time, but when trials, temptations, and persecutions come they wither away like the seeds in the rocky soil--their roots aren't able to drive deep into the ground because the soil wasn't properly prepared. Same goes for the weeds and thorns--since they were not tilled up they overtook the youthful sprouts. Likewise is the one who "comes" to Jesus but they are not willing to give up their sins, which causes that person to turn his or her back on Jesus after some time of "following" him. The reason for this is that the soil of their heart was not properly prepared to receive the gospel.
This should scare you! Don't take this matter lightly. "Coming" to Jesus isn't just a one time, make a decision, say you're sorry, and then you magically have a free ticket to heaven! The Bible says that this kind of sorrow leads to death and hell, and I don't want that for you. "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). What needs to happen is that you need godly sorrow. You say, "how do I get godly sorrow?" Good question. To get godly sorrow, one must see him or her self in light of God's Holiness. This comes by meditating on who God is, what He is like, and why He must punish sinners. You see, your sin may not seem like a big deal right now, but let me help you understand a little better. Imagine a baby lamb on a green grassy hillside, and you think to yourself "that lamb is pretty white." Just then it begins to snow . . .a lot of snow . . .so that the ground is covered in a thick blanket of whiteness. Then you see the lamb again but this time the lamb doesn't look so pretty--it's dirty looking! What once appeared white and pretty against the backdrop of the grassy green pasture is dirty and yellow against the backdrop of the white snow. Many people think that they are a good person, that their deeds are acceptable and righteous; this may be true if they compared their self to Adolf Hitler or some other ferocious villain But when a person takes the time to compare him or her self to the snow white righteousness of God's Holy Law, he or she will look dirty and unclean. By meditating on God's Ten Commandments you will be able to compare yourself to a perfect standard, and if you're honest with yourself and honest before God, this meditating on the commandments in two areas: how you have broken them and how God is right in punishing you--will produce godly grief that will lead to repentance unto eternal life.
So, let's make sure the hard, rocky soil of your heart is broken up and prepared to receive the seed of the gospel. God's Law is the means to prepare your heart to receive the good news of Jesus. Understanding that God is going to judge you by a perfect standard of righteousness will till up and root out any wrongful motives of coming to God. You should not be coming to Jesus for a better life, an improved life, an easier life, nor to get wealth, health, and happiness. Your motive to come to Jesus should be that He is the one true and living God Who deserves to be worshiped You have broken His Law and deserve to be punished in hell for eternity, but He is merciful to you and has given you a way to escape the wrath to come--and that way is to repent of your sins and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I want to emphasize that the gospel isn't just some "get outta hell free card!" No, the gospel is the proclamation of God Almighty declaring to sinners that He is the glorious God of heaven and earth Who bids sinners to worship King Jesus, by repenting and putting their trust in Him.
As we go through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 & Deuteronomy 5:7-21) you will get to know who God is, what he is like, and consequently why he must punish sinners. Pray to God that He would reveal to you your sinfulness and His holiness, and why you need the Savior Jesus!
1. God is above all else.
The first commandment is that God should be first in your life. What has been most important in your life up to this point in time? Has it been your career, education, children, hobbies, sports, or entertainment? God is not an accessory to add to your lifestyle, nor is He to be added to your shelf "alongside your other gods." You must forsake all competing passions and false gods, realizing that Jesus is above all else. Jesus takes center stage and shares his spotlight with no one or anything. He is the one and only, true and living God of all creation. He is the creator, you are the creation--don't forget that! Don't misunderstand this, I'm not saying that having a career, getting an education, enjoying your children, hobbies, sports, and entertainment are sinful things; these things are a gift from God that are to have their appropriate place in your life--these gifts are to be expressed and carried out in light of the fact that Jesus is King and He is building His kingdom. Every area of life should be in submission to King Jesus. Are you or some other thing on Jesus' throne? If so, repent and make sure that God is in His rightful place--over your life in every area! Let me also make clear; false gods of other religions have no appropriate place in your life. They are not a gift from God, and therefore are not to be tolerated in a Christian's life.
2. You are not allowed to have idols.
This commandment sounds a little odd, especially in 21st century America, but it is relevant for our time. An idol in the context of when this commandment was given is using an object to mediate between God and people. For example, making a statue and praying to it as if it is a lucky charm to bring you blessings or in thinking that you are closer to God by praying to or through a statue. Let's bring it a little closer to our day. How are you guilty of being an idolater First, do you pray to anyone or anything other than the one triune God who is revealed in the Bible as God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If so, you are not praying to God, but actually to demons who are masquerading as if they are God. Don't be deceived into worshiping demons. When you commit idolatry you are worshiping and serving demons. Another way in which you can break the second commandment is to think that you become closer to God and therefore are more spiritual because you listen to a certain type of music, you dress a certain way, you go to a certain church, or don't participate in a particular activity. If you use anything like these things to mediate between you and God, in such a way that you think you are gaining a better standing with God, you are an idolater Only God the Son (Jesus) can mediate between God the Father and you. One more way you probably have broken the second commandment is that you have made God out to be someone He is not. Imagine if someone is walking their four dogs down the sidewalk and they stop in your front yard and let their four dogs drop some bombs on your front lawn. As you see this happening, you run over to the dog owner and ask him what he thinks he's doing? And he responds with "I heard that your lawn was the community dog park." How would you feel about that? You probably wouldn't appreciate it very much if you were told these things because it is a misrepresentation of your preferences, your character, and who you are. What have you heard and believe about God that misrepresents his character? Do you believe God is all loving and will overlook your sins? If you believe this, you are misrepresenting who God is and are therefore committing idolatry. You need to read the Bible to get a correct understanding of what God is like.
3. You are not allowed to take God's name in vain.
Respect. That's what this commandment is about. Take for instance the parents of a rebellious teenager. The parents don't want a bad reputation for a wayward child, so they instruct the child in living in a right manner. Some parents may even say something like, "don't set a bad name for the family, you're carrying our last name!" In like manner, God says to his children (Christians), don't take my name in vain. You say you belong to me, so live like it! If you claim to be a Christian, live like God tells you you're suppose to act. Another way people take God's name in vain is to use His name without reverence. For example, many people carelessly say GD, OMG, or Jesus Christ out of habit when something bad or exciting happens. Why is that? It goes to show you at the core of your being you despise God's goodness, his holy character. Think about this for a second; Adolph Hitler, one of the most despicable people who has ever lived, you don't even despise him enough to use his name as a curse word, but you flippantly express yourself with God's glorious name--How can this be? Don't disrespect God's name!
4. Remember the Lord's day to keep it holy.
Have you always set aside one day in seven to come together with other Christians and worship Jesus? The idea that God wants you to understand concerning this commandment is that making time to worship Jesus should be a priority in life. Being a workaholic and working when you don't have to, when you can gather for worship with the saints is not excusable. Trying to get ahead in life by not resting from your labors will catch up with you, physically and spiritually. "Riches profit not on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Go to church, and learn about the righteousness of Jesus and how he delivers from death!
5. Honor your parents.
Have you ever disobeyed your parents or someone who has been entrusted to raise you? God has placed authority figures in your life whom you are to honor and obey. You are to be obedient to whatever they require except where God's law/word says no. You are to keep the commandments and loving your parents is one of them--even when you feel that they don't deserve it. Remember, you don't deserve to be loved by God, but God demonstrates love toward you; you don't deserve God's mercy, but God gives you mercy! When your parents ask you to do something, what is your attitude like? How do you respond to them? Just because you do what they say, it doesn't mean you're keeping this commandment. To keep this commandment means that you do so with pure and right motives. You should express your obedience with joyful submission!
6. You are not allowed to murder.
Most of you can say with a clear conscience, "I've never done that!" But if you respond with such a statement you're missing the point. The point of the commandment is to show you the depravity of your heart, and how if God did not restrain you at times, you would murder because of the bitterness, hatred, and envy that harbors in your heart. Think about this for a few minutes. God calls you to love your neighbor, but when someone pulls out in front of you on the highway you get angry at them. If there were no laws and if you could get away with it without any consequences, you would run them over if you were in a monster truck! It sounds funny, but it's true! You see, murder starts in the heart. If think about murdering the president of the United States and the FBI finds out you have been conspiring to murder, you will go to prison; how much more punishment will you get at the hands of God Almighty who knows every ill intentioned thought you have had! We're not done with the sixth commandment yet. What would you think about an evil person who rounded up little children in your community and slaughtered them? Sickening isn't it? It should be to you! Whoever doesn't think so is insane and are just as guilty as the murderer. So, if murdering those little children is wicked, how much more detestable is it for a mother to go to a doctor and have her baby torn limb from limb? It's not acceptable, it's sinful! Abortion is murder.
7. You are not allowed to commit adultery.
Sadly, people take the covenant of marriage lightly. They treat it like a promise breaker who says, "I swear I'll . . ." with one hand behind their back and fingers crossed. Marriage is not a man made thing but a divine institution that God highly regards. He regards it so much that He tells us that the person who commits the sin of adultery is worthy of death! You must understand how God views marriage. One of God's attributes is faithfulness and it is a command He has set forth for all people. One man and one woman to be faithful to each other until death separates them. Listen to what God's Son Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5, "You've heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery but I say to you that if you even look with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart." Does this describe you? Be honest, have you ever looked at someone with lustful intent? If you have, it makes you an adulterer at heart, even if you are not actually married--because adultery starts in the heart as lustful desires.
8. You are not allowed to steal.
Imagine that you have just created an amazing reproduction of a classic story that has never before been made into a motion picture film. You have spent your hard earned money in transforming this great novel into a movie. You finally have produced a DVD video of the story and begin selling it. And within a months time you start to see your profits drop because you have discovered that people are making bootlegged copies of your movie! They are stealing from you! How would that make you feel? In our modern, technological age, it's pretty easy to steal from people, especially electronic forms of intellectual property. How are you stealing from other people? Is it music, software, books? Dig deep into your heart and identify the thievery that dwells there. This weedy root needs to come out! Where is your compassion for your neighbor's diligent work? If you need something, work honestly and earn the money to buy it! Don't steal it! Not too long ago someone broke into my car while it was in my driveway, they took my GPS and several other items. Taking things that don't belong to you is a sin against God and consequently your neighbor because people belong to God; He is their Creator. Love God and your neighbor, don't steal from them. How about your work ethic? Do you work to please God, who calls you to not waste your employers money or time? If you owned the business, how would you want your workers to do their jobs? Would you want them skimping on quality work for quality Facebook time? Certainly not, when you have a task to do, do it joyfully and diligently unto the Lord!
9. You are not allowed to bear false witness.
You need to see the depth of your transgressions against God's Law. Your sins are not trivial but treason against King Jesus who requires you to love and obey His law. Think back to a time in your past when someone talked about you behind your back; how did that make you feel? Angry, upset? Now, think for a minute, how many times have you talked about other people behind their back? You make your snobby, prideful comments-- bearing false witness about your neighbor. Love people, give them grace, and don't gossip about them because God says that you are not allowed to bear false witness. Bearing false witness includes small little white lies as well, which most people tend to think are irrelevant. Those small white lies are big black lies to God. The Bible reveals that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.
10. You are not allowed to covet.
More money, a better car, a bigger house--your thoughts should not be consumed with possessions There's nothing sinful in these things themselves, but your heart is the problem. Even if you did get more money, a better car, and a bigger house, you wouldn't be satisfied very long. The reason for this is because you have a heart that does not delight in Jesus like it ought to; you are covetous by your very nature. As a result of your covetous mind, you seek to be satisfied by fulfilling your own desires rather than being satisfied in Jesus. God commands that you be content and do not seek to have your neighbors possessions Don't be jealous when your neighbor is blessed with various possessions but instead pray that God will give you contentment in Jesus. And do not think bad thoughts about prosperous people, but love them and serve them as Jesus would. For surely if you do not put to death your consuming sins, you will be consumed by the fires of God's judgment in an eternal hell.
Don't be so quick to think that you have kept these commandments, because you really haven't. God has spared your life up to this point, because He is patient and merciful. God's goodness to you is meant to bring you to repentance. God has been abundantly kind to you and hopefully you have come to your senses by the fact that God has not already sent you to hell--the place you deserve to go! Do you see your guilt before God, do you tremble before His holiness, do you have godly sorrow, do you want to turn from your sins, do you desire to keep God's commandments (John 14:21)? Remember the Bible verse I mentioned earlier, 2 Corinthians 7:10, which says that godly sorrow leads to repentance unto life? The life this verse is talking about is eternal life with God. If you do not obtain this eternal life you will die in your sins and absorb the wrath of God in hell for eternity (eternal death). What needs to happen in order for you to escape God's displeasure is that you must be born again! Being born again is the obtaining of eternal life, and this life is in God's Son Jesus (1 john 1)!
If you were to continue reading the story (found in Matthew 13:1-23) you would discover that the different types of soil represent a variety of people who hear the message of Jesus. Notice that the soil which was prepared properly was the only type that enabled the seed to flourish and last until harvest time--it produced fruit. This is likened unto many people who hear the gospel but do not make it to heaven. They become like the seeds that fell among the paths, rocks, weeds and thorns. True, some who hear the gospel believe for a period of time, but when trials, temptations, and persecutions come they wither away like the seeds in the rocky soil--their roots aren't able to drive deep into the ground because the soil wasn't properly prepared. Same goes for the weeds and thorns--since they were not tilled up they overtook the youthful sprouts. Likewise is the one who "comes" to Jesus but they are not willing to give up their sins, which causes that person to turn his or her back on Jesus after some time of "following" him. The reason for this is that the soil of their heart was not properly prepared to receive the gospel.
This should scare you! Don't take this matter lightly. "Coming" to Jesus isn't just a one time, make a decision, say you're sorry, and then you magically have a free ticket to heaven! The Bible says that this kind of sorrow leads to death and hell, and I don't want that for you. "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10). What needs to happen is that you need godly sorrow. You say, "how do I get godly sorrow?" Good question. To get godly sorrow, one must see him or her self in light of God's Holiness. This comes by meditating on who God is, what He is like, and why He must punish sinners. You see, your sin may not seem like a big deal right now, but let me help you understand a little better. Imagine a baby lamb on a green grassy hillside, and you think to yourself "that lamb is pretty white." Just then it begins to snow . . .a lot of snow . . .so that the ground is covered in a thick blanket of whiteness. Then you see the lamb again but this time the lamb doesn't look so pretty--it's dirty looking! What once appeared white and pretty against the backdrop of the grassy green pasture is dirty and yellow against the backdrop of the white snow. Many people think that they are a good person, that their deeds are acceptable and righteous; this may be true if they compared their self to Adolf Hitler or some other ferocious villain But when a person takes the time to compare him or her self to the snow white righteousness of God's Holy Law, he or she will look dirty and unclean. By meditating on God's Ten Commandments you will be able to compare yourself to a perfect standard, and if you're honest with yourself and honest before God, this meditating on the commandments in two areas: how you have broken them and how God is right in punishing you--will produce godly grief that will lead to repentance unto eternal life.
So, let's make sure the hard, rocky soil of your heart is broken up and prepared to receive the seed of the gospel. God's Law is the means to prepare your heart to receive the good news of Jesus. Understanding that God is going to judge you by a perfect standard of righteousness will till up and root out any wrongful motives of coming to God. You should not be coming to Jesus for a better life, an improved life, an easier life, nor to get wealth, health, and happiness. Your motive to come to Jesus should be that He is the one true and living God Who deserves to be worshiped You have broken His Law and deserve to be punished in hell for eternity, but He is merciful to you and has given you a way to escape the wrath to come--and that way is to repent of your sins and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I want to emphasize that the gospel isn't just some "get outta hell free card!" No, the gospel is the proclamation of God Almighty declaring to sinners that He is the glorious God of heaven and earth Who bids sinners to worship King Jesus, by repenting and putting their trust in Him.
As we go through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17 & Deuteronomy 5:7-21) you will get to know who God is, what he is like, and consequently why he must punish sinners. Pray to God that He would reveal to you your sinfulness and His holiness, and why you need the Savior Jesus!
1. God is above all else.
The first commandment is that God should be first in your life. What has been most important in your life up to this point in time? Has it been your career, education, children, hobbies, sports, or entertainment? God is not an accessory to add to your lifestyle, nor is He to be added to your shelf "alongside your other gods." You must forsake all competing passions and false gods, realizing that Jesus is above all else. Jesus takes center stage and shares his spotlight with no one or anything. He is the one and only, true and living God of all creation. He is the creator, you are the creation--don't forget that! Don't misunderstand this, I'm not saying that having a career, getting an education, enjoying your children, hobbies, sports, and entertainment are sinful things; these things are a gift from God that are to have their appropriate place in your life--these gifts are to be expressed and carried out in light of the fact that Jesus is King and He is building His kingdom. Every area of life should be in submission to King Jesus. Are you or some other thing on Jesus' throne? If so, repent and make sure that God is in His rightful place--over your life in every area! Let me also make clear; false gods of other religions have no appropriate place in your life. They are not a gift from God, and therefore are not to be tolerated in a Christian's life.
2. You are not allowed to have idols.
This commandment sounds a little odd, especially in 21st century America, but it is relevant for our time. An idol in the context of when this commandment was given is using an object to mediate between God and people. For example, making a statue and praying to it as if it is a lucky charm to bring you blessings or in thinking that you are closer to God by praying to or through a statue. Let's bring it a little closer to our day. How are you guilty of being an idolater First, do you pray to anyone or anything other than the one triune God who is revealed in the Bible as God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If so, you are not praying to God, but actually to demons who are masquerading as if they are God. Don't be deceived into worshiping demons. When you commit idolatry you are worshiping and serving demons. Another way in which you can break the second commandment is to think that you become closer to God and therefore are more spiritual because you listen to a certain type of music, you dress a certain way, you go to a certain church, or don't participate in a particular activity. If you use anything like these things to mediate between you and God, in such a way that you think you are gaining a better standing with God, you are an idolater Only God the Son (Jesus) can mediate between God the Father and you. One more way you probably have broken the second commandment is that you have made God out to be someone He is not. Imagine if someone is walking their four dogs down the sidewalk and they stop in your front yard and let their four dogs drop some bombs on your front lawn. As you see this happening, you run over to the dog owner and ask him what he thinks he's doing? And he responds with "I heard that your lawn was the community dog park." How would you feel about that? You probably wouldn't appreciate it very much if you were told these things because it is a misrepresentation of your preferences, your character, and who you are. What have you heard and believe about God that misrepresents his character? Do you believe God is all loving and will overlook your sins? If you believe this, you are misrepresenting who God is and are therefore committing idolatry. You need to read the Bible to get a correct understanding of what God is like.
3. You are not allowed to take God's name in vain.
Respect. That's what this commandment is about. Take for instance the parents of a rebellious teenager. The parents don't want a bad reputation for a wayward child, so they instruct the child in living in a right manner. Some parents may even say something like, "don't set a bad name for the family, you're carrying our last name!" In like manner, God says to his children (Christians), don't take my name in vain. You say you belong to me, so live like it! If you claim to be a Christian, live like God tells you you're suppose to act. Another way people take God's name in vain is to use His name without reverence. For example, many people carelessly say GD, OMG, or Jesus Christ out of habit when something bad or exciting happens. Why is that? It goes to show you at the core of your being you despise God's goodness, his holy character. Think about this for a second; Adolph Hitler, one of the most despicable people who has ever lived, you don't even despise him enough to use his name as a curse word, but you flippantly express yourself with God's glorious name--How can this be? Don't disrespect God's name!
4. Remember the Lord's day to keep it holy.
Have you always set aside one day in seven to come together with other Christians and worship Jesus? The idea that God wants you to understand concerning this commandment is that making time to worship Jesus should be a priority in life. Being a workaholic and working when you don't have to, when you can gather for worship with the saints is not excusable. Trying to get ahead in life by not resting from your labors will catch up with you, physically and spiritually. "Riches profit not on the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Go to church, and learn about the righteousness of Jesus and how he delivers from death!
5. Honor your parents.
Have you ever disobeyed your parents or someone who has been entrusted to raise you? God has placed authority figures in your life whom you are to honor and obey. You are to be obedient to whatever they require except where God's law/word says no. You are to keep the commandments and loving your parents is one of them--even when you feel that they don't deserve it. Remember, you don't deserve to be loved by God, but God demonstrates love toward you; you don't deserve God's mercy, but God gives you mercy! When your parents ask you to do something, what is your attitude like? How do you respond to them? Just because you do what they say, it doesn't mean you're keeping this commandment. To keep this commandment means that you do so with pure and right motives. You should express your obedience with joyful submission!
6. You are not allowed to murder.
Most of you can say with a clear conscience, "I've never done that!" But if you respond with such a statement you're missing the point. The point of the commandment is to show you the depravity of your heart, and how if God did not restrain you at times, you would murder because of the bitterness, hatred, and envy that harbors in your heart. Think about this for a few minutes. God calls you to love your neighbor, but when someone pulls out in front of you on the highway you get angry at them. If there were no laws and if you could get away with it without any consequences, you would run them over if you were in a monster truck! It sounds funny, but it's true! You see, murder starts in the heart. If think about murdering the president of the United States and the FBI finds out you have been conspiring to murder, you will go to prison; how much more punishment will you get at the hands of God Almighty who knows every ill intentioned thought you have had! We're not done with the sixth commandment yet. What would you think about an evil person who rounded up little children in your community and slaughtered them? Sickening isn't it? It should be to you! Whoever doesn't think so is insane and are just as guilty as the murderer. So, if murdering those little children is wicked, how much more detestable is it for a mother to go to a doctor and have her baby torn limb from limb? It's not acceptable, it's sinful! Abortion is murder.
7. You are not allowed to commit adultery.
Sadly, people take the covenant of marriage lightly. They treat it like a promise breaker who says, "I swear I'll . . ." with one hand behind their back and fingers crossed. Marriage is not a man made thing but a divine institution that God highly regards. He regards it so much that He tells us that the person who commits the sin of adultery is worthy of death! You must understand how God views marriage. One of God's attributes is faithfulness and it is a command He has set forth for all people. One man and one woman to be faithful to each other until death separates them. Listen to what God's Son Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5, "You've heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery but I say to you that if you even look with lust, you have committed adultery in your heart." Does this describe you? Be honest, have you ever looked at someone with lustful intent? If you have, it makes you an adulterer at heart, even if you are not actually married--because adultery starts in the heart as lustful desires.
8. You are not allowed to steal.
Imagine that you have just created an amazing reproduction of a classic story that has never before been made into a motion picture film. You have spent your hard earned money in transforming this great novel into a movie. You finally have produced a DVD video of the story and begin selling it. And within a months time you start to see your profits drop because you have discovered that people are making bootlegged copies of your movie! They are stealing from you! How would that make you feel? In our modern, technological age, it's pretty easy to steal from people, especially electronic forms of intellectual property. How are you stealing from other people? Is it music, software, books? Dig deep into your heart and identify the thievery that dwells there. This weedy root needs to come out! Where is your compassion for your neighbor's diligent work? If you need something, work honestly and earn the money to buy it! Don't steal it! Not too long ago someone broke into my car while it was in my driveway, they took my GPS and several other items. Taking things that don't belong to you is a sin against God and consequently your neighbor because people belong to God; He is their Creator. Love God and your neighbor, don't steal from them. How about your work ethic? Do you work to please God, who calls you to not waste your employers money or time? If you owned the business, how would you want your workers to do their jobs? Would you want them skimping on quality work for quality Facebook time? Certainly not, when you have a task to do, do it joyfully and diligently unto the Lord!
9. You are not allowed to bear false witness.
You need to see the depth of your transgressions against God's Law. Your sins are not trivial but treason against King Jesus who requires you to love and obey His law. Think back to a time in your past when someone talked about you behind your back; how did that make you feel? Angry, upset? Now, think for a minute, how many times have you talked about other people behind their back? You make your snobby, prideful comments-- bearing false witness about your neighbor. Love people, give them grace, and don't gossip about them because God says that you are not allowed to bear false witness. Bearing false witness includes small little white lies as well, which most people tend to think are irrelevant. Those small white lies are big black lies to God. The Bible reveals that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.
10. You are not allowed to covet.
More money, a better car, a bigger house--your thoughts should not be consumed with possessions There's nothing sinful in these things themselves, but your heart is the problem. Even if you did get more money, a better car, and a bigger house, you wouldn't be satisfied very long. The reason for this is because you have a heart that does not delight in Jesus like it ought to; you are covetous by your very nature. As a result of your covetous mind, you seek to be satisfied by fulfilling your own desires rather than being satisfied in Jesus. God commands that you be content and do not seek to have your neighbors possessions Don't be jealous when your neighbor is blessed with various possessions but instead pray that God will give you contentment in Jesus. And do not think bad thoughts about prosperous people, but love them and serve them as Jesus would. For surely if you do not put to death your consuming sins, you will be consumed by the fires of God's judgment in an eternal hell.
Don't be so quick to think that you have kept these commandments, because you really haven't. God has spared your life up to this point, because He is patient and merciful. God's goodness to you is meant to bring you to repentance. God has been abundantly kind to you and hopefully you have come to your senses by the fact that God has not already sent you to hell--the place you deserve to go! Do you see your guilt before God, do you tremble before His holiness, do you have godly sorrow, do you want to turn from your sins, do you desire to keep God's commandments (John 14:21)? Remember the Bible verse I mentioned earlier, 2 Corinthians 7:10, which says that godly sorrow leads to repentance unto life? The life this verse is talking about is eternal life with God. If you do not obtain this eternal life you will die in your sins and absorb the wrath of God in hell for eternity (eternal death). What needs to happen in order for you to escape God's displeasure is that you must be born again! Being born again is the obtaining of eternal life, and this life is in God's Son Jesus (1 john 1)!
BEING BORN-AGAIN
I can proclaim to you the good news that Jesus stepped into the eternal courtroom of God's justice and paid your fine for breaking God's law. And go on to tell you how God commands you to repent of your sins (to turn from your sins) and put your trust in Jesus. But if your heart hasn't been changed to love God, or in other words; if the hard soil of your heart hasn't been tilled up and prepared to receive the gospel--your "repentance" and "trust" in Jesus will not be genuine and you will sooner or later turn your back on God when life gets tough, when trials, temptations, and persecutions come your way. The Holy Spirit of God must make you a new person, He must change your heart to love what God loves and to hate what God hates. Listen to what God tells us in the book of Ezekiel 36:26-27 "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." You see, the desire to obey God comes from God; it is a gift, something that you don't deserve (Ephesians 2:8-10). Becoming born again is not something that happens to you because you say a prayer, ask God to forgive you, are baptized in water, or even take communion. Becoming born again is a supernatural event where God breaks your heart over your sin and you whole-heartily love Jesus, which results in obedience to His commands. The reason we went through God's commandments was to stir your God-given conscience so that godly sorrow may overcome you and lead you to repentance unto Christ. When this happens God's Holy Spirit has fallen on you and graciously given you eternal life in His Son Jesus, and he promises that the work He has begun in you, He will bring it to completion--because He is faithful as the Bible attests. Being born again is not based on a "decision" you make to follow Jesus. Certainly, when you have become born again you decisively follow Christ at all costs. No matter if it costs you your life, family, friends, or job. Becoming born again is dying to your sinful selfish ways and being made alive in the Spirit of Christ, to love and serve God as the Bible makes clear. So now that you have an idea of what is means to be born again, let's explore what a born again life looks like.
TO LIVE LIKE JESUS
Someone who has been born of God (1John 1:13) has the Spirit of God now living in him or her self. The Holy Spirit takes up residence, "moves in" you could say. And as a result the Spirit of God begins to change that person's life to be like Jesus. In theological terms this is called the sanctification process. Make a note--doing good things is not for your justification (your right standing with God) but doing good things is a product or result of being born again (justified). Because of Jesus' sacrificial atoning death, God can acquit your eternal court case--Jesus paid your fine for your justification. Therefore you can face God on judgment day without fear of being cast into hell. You must grasp this point or else you will think that you have to do things so that God will love you and be satisfied with you.
Put yourself in a classroom, it's the first week of class and you know it's going to be a tough one. The professor walks in, you and the students quiet down, and the professor says "everyone in here has an A for the semester, now relax and don't worry how you will do, just enjoy the class!" You see, the person who is born again has an "A" for judgment day, not because they did anything to earn it, but because Jesus met the requirements for you! Realizing this will enable you to joyfully obey Jesus. You will delight to do His will.
As God starts to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit in your life, this will influence the world around you. God's desires will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So what are the fruits of the Spirit anyways? In the New Testament book called Galatians in chapter 5, we discover what they are.
Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Okay, here's the temptation; your evil heart will want to justify itself into thinking that you are a good person and that you exhibit these character traits. Overcome this temptation by the grace of God's Spirit that He has given you. Be humble and realize that you have a long way to go to be like Jesus. Think about this; Jesus exemplified these traits perfectly. He loved God and neighbor flawlessly, He always worked joyfully, He sought to be peaceful even with His enemies, He was patient with all people, He expressed kindness even when people didn't deserve it, He showed goodness through His generosity, He was always faithful to His word, He showed gentleness in times of hostility, and He exhibited self-control in all things--every area of His life.
Put yourself in a classroom, it's the first week of class and you know it's going to be a tough one. The professor walks in, you and the students quiet down, and the professor says "everyone in here has an A for the semester, now relax and don't worry how you will do, just enjoy the class!" You see, the person who is born again has an "A" for judgment day, not because they did anything to earn it, but because Jesus met the requirements for you! Realizing this will enable you to joyfully obey Jesus. You will delight to do His will.
As God starts to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit in your life, this will influence the world around you. God's desires will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So what are the fruits of the Spirit anyways? In the New Testament book called Galatians in chapter 5, we discover what they are.
Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Okay, here's the temptation; your evil heart will want to justify itself into thinking that you are a good person and that you exhibit these character traits. Overcome this temptation by the grace of God's Spirit that He has given you. Be humble and realize that you have a long way to go to be like Jesus. Think about this; Jesus exemplified these traits perfectly. He loved God and neighbor flawlessly, He always worked joyfully, He sought to be peaceful even with His enemies, He was patient with all people, He expressed kindness even when people didn't deserve it, He showed goodness through His generosity, He was always faithful to His word, He showed gentleness in times of hostility, and He exhibited self-control in all things--every area of His life.
TO SERVE LIKE JESUS
What does it mean to serve like Jesus? It means to utilize your God given gifts to help others. This is a very brief definition, but now let’s flip to the book of Romans chapter 12. The chapter starts with the Apostle Paul stating “I appeal to you therefore, brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” God’s word admonishes the Christian to live sacrificially for God’s benefit. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). The anti-christian way of doing things is to be self-seeking in all of your interests, for the benefit of yourself. God’s way of doing things is different, it’s opposite of self-centered man. We live in a culture that promotes individualism and self-sufficiency. God’s word confronts this ideology with sound theology. God wants the Christian to realize that they are not to be loners in this world we live in but to be connected with His people called the Church. Click here to find a Church. It is this living organism, known as Christ’s body (Romans 12:5, 1Corinthians 12:12-13), that God calls the Christian into. “But God has so composed the body giving greater honor to the part that lacked it [giving greater honor to parts that don’t seem honorable], that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together, Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor 12:24-27). The people of God, called the Church, fellowship with one another and serve one another with the gifts that God has given to each Christian. God wants the Christian to serve in humility his or her brothers and sisters in Christ. Serving each other is one form of evangelism to those outside the body of Christ (the Church). When you put your God-given abilities to use among the body of Christ, you are to do so with the fruits of the Spirit guiding your thoughts and intentions. The fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are marks of the Christian who serves in the strength that God supplies. God wants you to live and serve according to the Spirit of God. “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal 5:26). “By this we know love, that he [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
THE BOOK ABOUT JESUS
The Bible is God’s revelation, His spoken word to his people of all time; past, present, and future.The focal point of the Scripture is on Jesus Christ. 66 books of the Bible are divided up into 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Simply put, the Old Testament looks toward the coming of Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice for sinners and the New Testament documents the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and explains how people should live in light of what Jesus did for us on the cross. The Bible is not some antiquated book that has no relevance for life today, but “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God might by competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). A word of caution from 2 Peter 3:16, “There are some things in them [the Scripture] that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures [Old and New Testament books].” God’s Word is a light to guide the world out of darkness. “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). The Word of God gives us a framework by which we are to interpret the world in which we live. Without the correct “glasses” one cannot see to live life correctly. The Bible can be outlined as:
1. Creation - God created the world and everything was good and upright.
2. Fall - Mankind (Adam and Eve) rebelled and brought sin, pain, disease, sorrow, and death into the world.
3. Redemption - A promise was given by God to mankind that He would save His people from their sins. Jesus the Son of the living God would come to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and its effects. Through the gospel--the good news of Jesus living a perfect life, dying as a substitute for sinners, and raising from the grave--God can forgive sinners and cleanse them of their guilt.
4. Restoration - And this gospel message is God’s tool to restore mankind's relationship to God, and to restore the earth to a better than Eden world.
This brief outline of the Bible is the biblical framework, or worldview, that a Christian should understand and use to view the world around them. God’s Word speaks to every area of life. The Scripture lays out the guidelines of how we should love God and our neighbor. What’s really cool is that God tells us how families should be governed by the Word, how churches should be governed, and even how civil governments should be governed. None of these institutions instituted by God are above God’s authority. Each must look to God’s Word in order to carry out their duties as the Scripture declares.
1. Creation - God created the world and everything was good and upright.
2. Fall - Mankind (Adam and Eve) rebelled and brought sin, pain, disease, sorrow, and death into the world.
3. Redemption - A promise was given by God to mankind that He would save His people from their sins. Jesus the Son of the living God would come to redeem mankind from the curse of sin and its effects. Through the gospel--the good news of Jesus living a perfect life, dying as a substitute for sinners, and raising from the grave--God can forgive sinners and cleanse them of their guilt.
4. Restoration - And this gospel message is God’s tool to restore mankind's relationship to God, and to restore the earth to a better than Eden world.
This brief outline of the Bible is the biblical framework, or worldview, that a Christian should understand and use to view the world around them. God’s Word speaks to every area of life. The Scripture lays out the guidelines of how we should love God and our neighbor. What’s really cool is that God tells us how families should be governed by the Word, how churches should be governed, and even how civil governments should be governed. None of these institutions instituted by God are above God’s authority. Each must look to God’s Word in order to carry out their duties as the Scripture declares.
THE KINGDOM OF JESUS
The kingdom of God is growing and will continue to grow until all the nations of the earth reach maturity in Christ. The gospel message and its effects are expanding, as the apostle Paul stated, “Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing” (Colossians 1:5-6). Jesus likened the kingdom of Heaven to yeast in a ball of dough, “the kingdom of Heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, til it was all leavened” (Matthew 13:33). God's kingdom on earth grows slowly overtime throughout history. The disciples of Jesus posed this question to Jesus just before He ascended up to Heaven after His resurrection. They asked, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” To which Jesus responded, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that God the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:6-8). In Matthew 28:18-20 we read “And Jesus came and said to them ‘All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’” As Christians obey these things we can expect that our labors in the Lord will not be in vain. Passages of Scripture such as Micah 4:1-4, Isaiah 65:17-25, among others, describe a future time on earth before Jesus returns. We have great hope and motivation to be a part of what God is doing to restore the earth to a better than Eden world. One day in the distant future death will be finally put to death and all those who have died in Christ will be resurrected unto eternal life on a renewed earth that was accomplished by the power of the gospel. So your work here and now is being used by King Jesus!