The Old Testament, or covenant, that God made with his people, the law which “can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect”, was done away with two-thousand years ago, and the New Testament, or covenant, where God said he will put his “laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts,” is now in force (Heb. 10:1; 8:10). Unfortunately, many modern-day Christians don't understand the difference between the old covenant “handwriting of ordinances that was against us”, and the new covenant laws of God that he writes in our hearts (Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:10). If you are a true born again Christian, having repented and forsaken your sins, placing your faith in Jesus Christ's sinless life, atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, and are “sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”, “preserved in Jesus Christ,” “called to be saints,” “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,” then the laws of God contained in the ten commandments are written in the table of your heart (Prov. 28:13; I Cor. 1:2; II Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10; 10:10; I Pet. 1:23; Jude 1:1).

      The apostle Paul said, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom. 2:13). But then Paul said, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:” (Rom. 3:20). These two verses seem to be totally contradicting one another, unless there is more than one law that is being spoken of by the apostle. The apostle Paul said “that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). But the apostle James said, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (Jam. 2:24). Another contradiction? Not if there is more than one law that is being spoken of in the scriptures.

      Throughout the rest of this study we are going to search the scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament to see whether or not there is more than one law spoken of in the Bible. We will examine “the law of the Spirit of life” and “the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). We will examine “the law of commandments contained in ordinances” “which is written in the book of the law of Moses,” and the law of “the ten commandments” in the “two tables of testimony” which are the “tables of stone written with the finger of God”. To delineate and distinguish between the two laws, we will use the scriptures to explain the scriptures, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”, not taking select verses out of context, “nor handling the word of God deceitfully,” but reading and studying the entire text to understand the context, “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (Ex. 31:18; Deut. 9:10; 10:4; 31:24-26; Josh. 8:31; II Kings 14:6; I Cor. 2:13; II Cor. 4:2; Eph. 2:15; I Tim. 4:13; II Tim. 2:15).

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” (I Thess. 5:21; I Tim. 4:13)

      Jesus said that “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matt. 19:17). What commandments? The ten commandments! Jesus said, “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.” (Luke 18:20). The apostle James said, “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.” (Jam. 2:11). The apostle Paul said, “Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet;” (Rom. 13:9). Paul said, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” (I Cor. 7:19). The apostle John said, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I John 2:4). And in Revelation we read where “the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” and, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 12:17; 22:14).

      As we can see, keeping the ten commandments was affirmed by Jesus Christ and reaffirmed by his apostles throughout the New Testament (I Cor. 7:19; I John 2:3,4; 3:22; 5:2,3; II John 1:6; Rev. 12:17; 14:12). Even to the time of the end of the world “the remnant” of born again Bible believing Christians are keeping “the commandments of God.” (Rev. 12:17; 22:14). It would be a total contradiction and would make absolutely no sense for Jesus Christ to blot out the ten commandments and nail them to his cross, and then turn around and write them in the believers' hearts. But this is precisely what some people believe today. Some modern-day Christians, many of whom are well-meaning individuals with good intentions, have taken the Old Testament “ordinances of divine service”, “carnal ordinances” and “sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Heb. 9:1,10; 10:11), the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us” (Col. 2:14) “when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book,.. this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee” (Deut. 31:24-26), and confused it with the New Testament laws of God's commandments written “into their mind” and “in their hearts” (Heb. 10:1; 8:10).

      When asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?” (Mark 12:28) Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” (Matt. 22:37). Now, according to the theology of the “commandments nailed to the cross,” to love God with all of your heart is totally optional (Col. 2:14). Of course, to espouse such an absurd belief, one would have to be devoid of wisdom and common sense. Solomon said, “He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.” (Prov. 4:4). The apostle John said, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (I John 5:3).

      As “children of the living God” we are to possess at least a basic knowledge of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith (Rom. 8:16; 9:26; 10:8-18; Deut. 30:11-14), and understand what Jesus Christ meant when he said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matt. 5:17). When the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins upon himself and died on the cross he satisfied the requirement of the law by dying in our place – “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23) – “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4,20). This is what was nailed to the cross at Calvary, not the ten commandments, but “that which is written in the book of the law of Moses” which is “the law of sin and death” which says that “every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Col. 2:14; II Kings 14:6; Rom. 8:2). Jesus Christ said,

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:17-19).

      Still, many people are confused about this issue, and are unclear about the Biblical meaning of faith and works, grace and wrath, mercy and judgment, sin and salvation. Some modern-day Christians have made the following comments concerning the blotting out of carnal ordinances and laws and keeping the Sabbath day holy: “Weren't the commandments blotted out? Didn't Jesus nail the commandments to his cross? That's what it says in Colossians chapter 2 verse 14. And it also says that we're not supposed to keep the sabbath anymore in verse 16. Explain that!”

      To unravel the knots, which some otherwise well-meaning Christian have tangled, let us examine these verses and search the scriptures to see whether or not these things are so, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”, comparing the scriptures with the scriptures, as Job said, “the cause which I knew not I searched out”, and as King David said, “the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” and as the apostle Paul said, “Prove all things” (I Cor. 2:13; Job 29:16; Prov. 25:2; Rev. 1:6; I Thess. 5:21; John 5:39; Acts 17:11). Starting at Colossians chapter 2 and verse 14, it says:

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

      Then in verses 16 and 17 it goes on to say:

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

      Now, let us take these three verses of Scripture, brake them down, and then build them all back up again, and we are going to get an accurate picture of what God is telling us here in Colossians chapter two, verses 14, 16 and 17. Let's start back at verse 14, it says:

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

      Before we go any further, there are two things that we need to distinguish — in the scriptures there are two laws that are spoken of: the ten commandment law which was written by the finger of God on two tables of stone; and then also the book of the law which was dictated by the word of the Lord unto Moses and then Moses wrote them down in a book. Let us prove it, of course, from the scriptures. In Exodus chapter 31 and verse 18 the Bible says:

“And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”

      Notice that God wrote the ten commandments with his own omnipotent finger. This is very sobering. And there is also something very interesting and very important about the ten commandments: and that is where they were located. In the book of Exodus, the 25th chapter, verse 21, it says:

“and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.”

      Where was the testimony placed? "in the ark" —

“And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.” (Ex. 25:21)

      Notice that the mercy seat which was symbolic of the very throne of God was placed above the ark into which was placed the ten commandments. So at the very foundation of God's throne was the ten commandments. This is very important. And then in verse 22 it goes on to say:

“And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”

      Now there was also a book of the law. Let us search the scriptures and find out if this is true. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31 starting at verses 24-26 the Bible says:

“when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”

      Now let us go further with this, because it also says here that it has ordinances. So we are looking for the law that contains ordinances. Does the ten commandments contain ordinances? or does the book of the law contain ordinances? Well, the book of the law does contain the feast days. We can see this in Leviticus chapter 23, where it talks about different feast days, like the Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the Pentecost, the feast of trumpets, the feast of tabernacles, the day of atonement. Let's talk about passover and the ordinances that were connected to that one. In the book of second Chronicles chapter 35 starting at verse 6 it says:

“So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.”

      The word of the Lord given by who? Given by Moses. In verses 11 through 12 of that same chapter it goes on to say:

“And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them. And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.”

      Listen closely to verse 13:

“And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance:”

      Wait a second: the passover was contained where? In the book of Moses which is the book of the law, the one that was written by the hand of Moses. It also said that it contained ordinances, because the passover had ordinances contained in it. That's why they had to burn the passover lamb with fire because that was the ordinance. That's the way it was ordained to be done.

      So, what was blotted out on the cross? It was the book of the law. But if you are not yet convinced, let us go to Colossians chapter 2 and verse 16 which says:

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”

      Now, we're looking for a law that contains meat, drink, holy days, new moons and sabbath days. Once again, it is the book of the law. In Leviticus chapter 23, verse 37, it talks of the feast days that were in the book of the law, these ceremonial laws. It said:

“These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:”

      Notice that the feast days and the meat and the drink offerings, all these things were connected together, and the feast days were holy days.

      But some might say, “What about sabbath days?” Was not the day of atonement a sabbath day? The Bible tells us that the day of atonement was a ceremonial sabbath day. In the book of Leviticus chapter 16 starting at verse 29 and into verse 31, it says:

“And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you,”

      So they were told clearly that the day of atonement was a ceremonial sabbath day. We are also told the same thing in the book of Leviticus chapter 23. Also in Leviticus chapter 23 verses 23 and 24 we are told that the feast of trumpets was a ceremonial sabbath day:

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”

      So the feast of trumpets, which was the day they blew their trumpets, was a ceremonial sabbath day. It was also connected to the new moon, because in Psalms chapter 81 and verse 3 it says:

“Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”

      So here we have a feast day, which was a new moon, and also a ceremonial sabbath day. That is what we are talking about in Colossians chapter 2 starting at verse 16 when it tells you, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:” We are talking about the ceremonial ordinances contained within the book of the law. This is what was blotted out at the cross.

      Let us finish this part of our study by looking at Colossians chapter 2 starting at verse 17:

“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

      Now a question: Which law was a shadow of things to come? Let's find out in Hebrews chapter 10 starting at verse 1:

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”

      Question: Which one of the laws — either the ten commandments, or the book of the law — contained continual sacrifices offered year by year? Because if we can answer this question accurately, then we can find out which law was a shadow of things to come, but not the very image of those things which was Christ. That's right, the book of the law. The book of the law was the one that contained continual sacrifices. Those ordinances in the book of the law foreshadowed the very coming, life, death and ministry of Jesus Christ. But when Jesus Christ came, lived, died and ministered unto us, he exemplified everything that was contained within the ceremonial law of the book of Moses, the book of the law. That is what was blotted out at the cross. Those ceremonial laws contained within the book of the law. Not the ten commandments.

      The ten commandments can never be done away with. They are everlasting. They are eternal. And we can prove it. In the book of Psalms chapter 119 verse 142 it says:

“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”

      Remember, God's righteousness is everlasting. Then in Psalms chapter 119 verse 172 it says:

“My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.”

      Therefore, if God's commandments are righteousness they are everlasting, because God's righteousness is everlasting which makes the commandments everlasting. That is important to know because in Psalms chapter 97 verse 2 it says:

“Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.”

      That word habitation means the foundation. So at the very foundation of the throne of God is righteousness and judgment. Well, God's righteousness is everlasting; that's why his throne is everlasting. But, God's righteousness is also contained in his commandments. That means that at the very foundation of the throne of God are his ten commandments which are as eternal as the throne of God. In the book of Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8 it says:

“But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

      God rules his kingdom with a sceptre of righteousness, meaning that the commandments are the very standard by which he rules the subjects of his kingdom. God has a kingdom, he has a government; so he has to have a constitution. And that is what the ten commandments are: the constitution of the kingdom of God. Are you going to try to overthrow God's constitution? It is everlasting. It is eternal.

      Then in the book of Revelation chapter 11 verse 19 it says:

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament:”

      Remember, in the ark of the testament were the two tables of testimony, the ten commandments. The ten commandments will be in effect forever and ever. That means you not only have to keep eight, not only nine, but all ten of God's commandments, including the fourth commandment which is the sabbath commandment. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy — “the seventh day is the sabbath” (Ex. 20:10; Deut. 5:14).

      But some might say, “Christians don't have to keep the seventh day sabbath because Exodus chapter 31 and Ezekiel chapter 20 says that the sabbath was a sign only between God and the children of Israel.” Well, aren't Christians the children of Israel by grace through faith? The apostle Paul said, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7). Jacob, whom God named Israel, called Abraham “my father Abraham” (Gen. 32:9). The children of Israel are the children “of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob” (Ex. 3:16). Paul said that we were “graffed in among them” (Rom. 11:17) as “heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him” (Jam. 2:5). The Lord said, “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever” (Ex. 31:17). This extends to the New Testament believer, because Paul said, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.... And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:26,29).

      Again, some might say, “If we have to keep the fourth commandment, the seventh day sabbath, then that would mean that we have to keep it exactly as it was kept in the Old Testament, 'let no man go out of his place,' 'kindle no fire,' etc.” Again, this mind-set goes back to the confusing of the two distinct sets of Old Testament laws. The ten commandments were in effect in the days of Jesus and in the days of the apostles. Luke tells us that after Jesus Christ was crucified, his disciples “rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56). The disciples kept the seventh day sabbath after Jesus said “It is finished” and he died on the cross and “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”, meaning that the old covenant has past away and the new covenant is begun and “the way into the holiest of all” is now “made manifest” “by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (John 19:30; Matt. 27:51; Heb. 9:8; Luke 23:56; II Tim. 1:10). When Jesus came on the scene he explained the ten commandments in a more perfect manner, as did his apostles.

      In the Old Testament, both the man and the woman who committed adultery were punished with death (Lev. 20:10). A man was not put to death for simply looking on a woman with lust. In the New Testament, however, Jesus tells us “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt. 5:28). Does this mean that the seventh commandment was abolished? No. In the Old Testament, when someone committed murder they were put to death (Lev. 24:17). People were not put to death if they simply hated someone. In the New Testament, however, the apostle John tells us that “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (I John 3:15). Does this mean that the sixth commandment was abolished? No. In the Old Testament, every one that defiled the seventh day sabbath was put to death (Ex. 31:14). In the New Testament, however, Jesus and his disciples did things that were considered unlawful to do on the sabbath day, such as healing the sick and plucking ears of corn (Matt. 12:1-14; ). Does this mean that the fourth commandment was abolished? No. Jesus and his apostles did not abolish these commandments. They simply shed more light on them. The acts of healing the sick and plucking ears of corn on the sabbath day were allowed because Jesus said “That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Luke 6:5), and “it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” (Matt. 12:12).

      But some might ask, “Doesn't Revelation chapter one verse ten tell us that the Lord's Day is the first day of the week?” No, it does not say that at all. Nowhere in this verse, nor in any other verse in the Bible, is the first day of the week referred to as ‘the Lord’s day’. This expression, “Lord's Day,” points to the seventh-day Sabbath in both the Old and New Testaments. “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.” (Ex. 20:10). In Isaiah chapter fifty-eight verse thirteen the Lord calls the Sabbath “my holy day.” The Lord's day is the day of which Christ is the Lord: He says He is Lord of the Sabbath day (Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:28).

      Again, some might ask, “Doesn't first Corinthians chapter sixteen verses one through three instruct us to have church meetings on the first day of the week?” No, these scripture verses say no such thing. In first Corinthians chapter sixteen Paul is telling the Christians at Corinth to collect money and necessities which were to be sent to the poor saints who were in Jerusalem. It was not a collection for the visiting or presiding pastor. Paul speaks on this same subject again in second Corinthians chapter nine where he referred to the distributing to the necessity of saints as “the experiment of this ministration” (see 2nd Corinthians 9:1-13).

      The book of Acts, which provides the earliest historical account of the church, gives no hint that the acceptance of the Messiah caused converted Jews to abandon the regular worship time and places of their own people. Peter and John, for example, after the Pentecost experience, went “into the temple at the hour of prayer” (Acts 3:1). There are ample indications that seventh day sabbath attendance at the temple and synagogue was still continued by Christ's followers, though private meetings were also conducted. The synagogue is, in fact, the place of worship most frequently mentioned as attended not only by Christ and his disciples but also by Christian converts. Paul, for example, met regularly in the synagogue on the Sabbath with “Jews and Greeks” (Acts 18:4,19; 13:5,14,42,44; 14:1; 17:1,10,17). Acts 13:42 says that “the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.” Clearly, the apostles regularly observed the seventh day sabbath “according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56).

      After the Old Testament law of Moses was abolished, true Christians in the early church kept the ten commandments and observed the fourth commandment seventh day sabbath. If we would humble our heart as a little child and desire the sincere milk of the word, and compare spiritual things with spiritual, comparing scripture with scripture, allowing the scriptures to interpret themselves, we would lessen our chances of taking verses out of context to justify our private interpretation of scripture, and we would understand that keeping God's “commandments are not grievous”, but are “all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Prov. 8:9; Matt. 18:4; Luke 18:17; I Pet. 2:2; I Cor. 2:13; II Pet. 1:20; I John 5:3). The ten commandments were not abolished in any way, shape or form. Jesus and his apostles expounded unto us the ten commandments more perfectly.

      So, the question is not whether or not the ten commandments have been done away with; and not whether or not the sabbath still stands. The question is, “Are you going to be obedient and keep God's ten commandments?” The Old Testament contained two distinct sets of laws — the ceremonial and purification laws contained in ordinances; and the judicial and moral laws of the ten commandments. The ceremonial and purification laws included the feast of trumpets (Lev. 23:24), the feast of tabernacles (Lev. 23:34-37), the new moons (II Chron. 8:13; Psa. 81:3), the ceremonial sabbath days (Lev. 16:29-31; 23:24,37,39), the purification ordinances (Num. 19:9,17; Luke 2:22), the law of clean and unclean foods (Lev. 11:1-47). The judicial moral laws were the ten commandments which were written with the very finger of God himself (Ex. 31:18). The ten commandments were the only set of laws placed “in the ark” of the covenant because it is the very foundation of God's moral laws (Ex. 25:21).

      In the book of Matthew, Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matt. 7:13). Many people think they are on the strait path that is leading to life. But they are on the broad path that leads to destruction: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14). The way of life is not difficult, but narrow; and like a narrow road, most people simply avoid it or overlooking it altogether.

      Many people are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness”, believing that “the perfect law of liberty” gives us a license to commit sin, “not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Gal. 5:13; Jam. 1:25; Jude 1:4; Rom. 2:4). And there are others who are “giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats”, teaching *“blasphemous fables, and dangerous deceits”, preaching “another Jesus” of “another gospel”, “even denying the Lord that bought them” (I Tim. 4:1-3; II Cor. 11:4; II Pet. 2:1; *Book OF Common Prayer of the Episcopal church in America, 1953, Article 31, p. 609).

      Proverbs chapter 16 verse 25 says, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Why? because God said, “Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.” (Prov. 4:4). Not a single one of God's ten commandments has ever been repealed or revised. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matt. 5:17); and, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15); and, “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matt. 19:17); and, “If a man love me, he will keep my words:” (John 14:23). Read the following scriptures, all found in the New Testament, under the new covenant:

“Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” (I Cor. 7:19).
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (I John 2:3).
“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I John 2:4).
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” (I John 3:22).
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.” (I John 5:2).
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (I John 5:3).
“And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” (II John 1:6).
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev. 12:17).
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12).
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:14).

      Some people think that they can run around here and commit adultery, steal, lie or commit other sins and they are still in good standing with God. It is true that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2); but this does not give us freedom to commit sin. Jesus told the woman who was taken in adultery to “go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11). Jesus said to the man which had an infirmity thirty and eight years, “sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” (John 5:14). The apostle John said, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” (I John 2:1). The apostle Paul said, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not” (I Cor. 15:34). The prophet Samuel said that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (I Sam. 15:22). Paul said that Jesus Christ is “the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8). Our freedom “from the law of sin and death” is not freedom to commit sin; it is freedom to “be forgiven”: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Mark 4:12; Luke 5:23; I John 1:9).

“When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;... None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.” (Ezek. 33:13-17)

“What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Rom. 6:15-18)

      Jesus said that “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (John 8:34); and “No servant can serve two masters” (Luke 16:13). The apostle John said, “He that committeth sin is of the devil;” (John 3:8). The apostle Paul said, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Without living a holy life “no man shall see the Lord”. Holiness doesn't bring salvation. Salvation brings holiness (Incidently, new bible versions are systematically omitting the word “holy” from a number of key verses in their texts.). Keeping the commandments of God will not save your soul. But breaking the commandments of God will ultimately destroy your soul: “whoso committeth adultery... destroyeth his own soul.” (Prov. 6:32).; “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezek. 18:20); “LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.” (Psa. 41:4).

“Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Ex. 32:33)
“And... God shall take away his part out of the book of life” (Rev. 22:19).

      Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). He then said, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” (Rev. 3:2). The apostle Paul said that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Tim. 3:16,17). Paul said to “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,.. striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:1,4); and “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (II Cor. 7:1). “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” (I Thess. 4:3,4,7); “for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Rom. 6:19). The apostle Peter said “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (I Pet. 1:14-16).

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.... but the redeemed shall walk there:” (Isa. 35:8,9)

      Paul said to “walk worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:10). Jesus told the church in Sardis that “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” (Rev. 3:4). It is only reasonable to conclude that if a few “are worthy”, then some have defiled their garments and are “not worthy.” Jesus said, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” (Matt. 10:38). How do we “walk worthy of the Lord” if we cannot lose “our salvation” (Rom. 13:11)? How do we “walk worthy of the Lord” if we cannot lose our “crown of rejoicing”, our “crown of righteousness”, our “crown of glory”, our “crown of life” (I Thess. 2:19; II Tim. 4:8; I Pet. 5:4; Jam. 1:12)? Jesus said to “hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Rev. 3:11). A Christian can most certainly walk “unworthily” and lose his crown of life. Paul said, “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself” (I Cor. 11:29). Damnation means “The state of being excluded from God’s mercy, and condemned to the everlasting punishment of the wicked.” (Amtract Bible Dictionary, 2003). Webster's 1828 dictionary defines damnation as, “Sentence or condemnation to everlasting punishment in the future state; or the state of eternal torments.”

“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:... Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” (Matt. 25:32,33,34,41)

“Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:29).

      But the carnal mind of the ‘eternal security’ advocate will argue thus, “Since the blood of Jesus Christ is stronger than sin, if you continue to live in sin after you receive Jesus in your heart you can't lose your soul.“ But what about the word of God? Surely the word of God is stronger than man, yet Jesus tells us that hypocrites “honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.... Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition” (Mark 7:6,13). What? man's traditions are stronger than God's word? the word that spoke all things into existence (John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:3)? whereby “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Pet. 3:7)? The blood of Jesus Christ is stronger than sin as much as the word of God is stronger than the traditions of men; but, just as hypocrites make “the word of God of none effect through your tradition,” our sins can make the blood of Christ on none effect through willful disobedience, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” (Mark 7:13; Heb. 10:26). The apostle Paul said, “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:28,29). Paul said “wherewith he was sanctified,” “he” being a Christian who has taken for granted “the blood of the covenant”. It is not the power, or lack of power, of the blood of Jesus that is the issue. What is at issue is the efficacy of the blood of Jesus by proper application, or the lack of efficacy of the blood of Jesus by abuse. Paul said, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Heb. 10:38,39). Perdition means “The utter loss of the soul or of final happiness in a future state; future misery or eternal death. The impenitent sinner is condemned to final perdition.” (Webster's 1828 American Dictionary, see PERDI'TION).

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;” “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,” (Matt. 13:41,49)

      Jesus assured us, saying, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37). Nevertheless, Jesus also said, “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 8:12), “when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” (Luke 13:28). The apostle Paul said, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13). But Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:21-23). Jesus said, “knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Matt. 7:7). But Jesus also said, “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:” (Luke 13:25). “Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” (Matt. 25:11,12).

      Now, it may be argued by the “eternal security” proponents that those persons in Matthew 7:21-23 were never saved to begin with, to whom Jesus said, “I never knew you”. But it is undeniable that the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25:11,12 were saved at some point, to whom Jesus said, “I know you not.” Jesus is their “bridegroom” and their “Lord” (Matt. 25:1-12). In this scripture virgins mean “pure,” “separated,” or “sanctified” persons. The five wise virgins are those who “endure chastening,” but the five foolish virgins are those who “have refused to receive correction:” “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:” as the prophet Jeremiah said of the children of Israel, “their backslidings are increased” (Heb. 12:7,8; II Pet. 2:14; Jer. 5:3,6). The apostle Paul said, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (II Cor. 11:2). A “chaste virgin” is one who is rebuked and receives correction (2 Cor. 11:2-4; Heb. 12:1-11; Rev. 3:19,22). “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.... that we might be partakers of his holiness.” (Heb. 12:6,10). And it is also undeniable that the disciples who confessed Jesus Christ as their “Lord” in Luke 13:23-28 were saved at some point. These persons confessed Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, but they either continued to walk in the “desires of the flesh,” or they turned back to their “old sins” (Eph. 2:3; II Pet. 1:9). Jesus said to “depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27).

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” “I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.” “I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.” (Psalms 119:2,34,69,145); “Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.” (Proverbs 4:4)

      It is true that we “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” “whereby ye are sealed” with “the holy Spirit of God” “unto the day of redemption”, “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (I Pet. 1:5; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 8:23). However, Galatians chapter 2 verse 17 says, “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.” Hebrews chapter 10 says, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment” (Heb. 10:26,27). Psalms chapter 89 verses 31 and 32 says, “If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” Jesus said, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required:” (Luke 12:47,48). Had the thief on the cross, whom Jesus forgave, lived, he would have been required to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” and “keep the commandments.” (II Pet. 3:18; Matt. 19:17; I John 2:4).

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I John 2:4)

      Ecclesiastes chapter twelve says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Eccl. 12:13,14). The apostle Paul said, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12); “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (II Cor. 5:10). Who are the “us” in Romans 14:12 and the “we” in 2nd Corinthians 5:10? “the church of God,” “the saints,” “the called of Jesus Christ” (II Cor. 1:1; Rom. 1:6). Everyone in the world, including Christians, will be judged “according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6). Paul said, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (Col. 3:25). Jesus said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28,29). And then in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, “And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Rev. 2:23)

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev. 3:22)

      There is some doing going on in the believers' lives. There is definitely “striving against sin,” “resisting the devil,” and “escaping temptation” in the Christian's walk (Heb. 12:4; I Cor. 10:13; Jam. 4:7). The apostle Paul said, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (I Cor. 10:13). Repentance and faith is absolutely necessary to serve God, and “without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6), but the apostle James said that “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.... so faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:24,26). Not our works of righteousness to obtain salvation (for “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” Isa. 64:6); but the works of the Spirit of God unto sanctification and holiness in the believer's life, which is what we are called unto (Eph. 2:10; I Thess. 4:7; II Thess. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2; 2:12). The apostle Peter said, “add to your faith virtue” (II Pet. 1:5). Virtue is “Moral goodness; the practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law.” (Webster's 1828 American Dictionary). “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (Jam. 1:21,22).

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;” (II Pet. 1:3-6)

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.... If a man love me, he will keep my words” (John 14:15,23)

      The apostle James exhorted believers to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (Jam. 1:22). The apostle Paul said, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Rom. 2:13): the doers of the law “that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (Rev. 14:12). The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer. 31:33). What “law” does God write in our hearts? “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” which is the “everlasting righteousness” of God engrafted on the “two tables of stone written with the finger of God” and now “engrafted” “in fleshy tables of the heart” (Rom. 8:2; Deut. 9:10; Jam. 1:21; II Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10; 10:6). “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.” – “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” (Psa. 119:142,172).

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (I John 2:3)

      In Acts chapter 16 after the keeper of the prison was saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul and Silas had him “baptized” and “spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.” (Acts 16:25-33). So here we have Paul, the “apostle of grace”, teaching water baptism (Paul himself was baptized) (Acts 9:18; 16:25-33; 20:24; Eph. 6:19). Why? because he was teaching “the commandments of God”. Jesus said, “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” and “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Matt. 5:19; 28:20; Mark 16:16). Don't misunderstand: water baptism is not a means of salvation and re-birth, it is merely an outward expression and confession of our faith. Paul said, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:9,10). Paul was teaching the very same gospel that Peter, John and James taught, “how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24). We are justified by faith and works; not the works of the law of Moses, the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us” which were written by Moses and placed in the “side” of the ark of the covenant; but the law of God, “the commandments of God” which were “written with the finger of God” and placed “in” the ark of the covenant (Col; 2:14; Deut. 31:26; Ex. 25:21; 31:18; Deut. 10:2). Jesus said:

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:19)

      The true born again disciple of Jesus Christ is saved “by grace” “through faith;” and grows daily “in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour” (Eph. 2:8; II Pet. 3:18). The apostle Paul said in Colossians chapter one, “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ... we... do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Col. 1:2-10). “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (II Tim. 3:15). The apostle Peter said, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (I Pet. 2:2). If inadequately fed, a newborn baby will suffer malnutrition or even death. The same is true spiritually for a babe in Christ. Jesus said to “strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:” (Rev. 3:2). The brother or sister in Christ who is not growing “in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” is in grave danger of falling from his “own stedfastness” and “being led away with the error of the wicked” (II Peter 3:17).

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death” (James 5:19,20).

“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14,15)

      The scriptures are clear and “are all plain to him that understandeth” (Prov. 8:9): every sin that we do is committed in our hearts. We can use our bodies to outwardly manifest that sin, but it was first conceived and committed in the heart. We can suppress our sinful nature and not allow our sins to be openly manifested in the flesh, but sin is already being committed in the heart, and there it will remain, unless and until we “confess our sins” “and forsaketh them” (I John 1:9; Prov. 28:13), and “through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13), laying “aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,.. striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:1,4), crucifying “the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), cleansing “ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (II Cor. 7:1), “By the word of truth, by the power of God” (II Cor. 6:7). The clear meaning of the scriptures are unpopular for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it bursts the bubble of the doctrine of “eternal security” wide open.

“And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.” (Mal. 3:15)

      The apostle James said, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” (Jam. 3:11,12). Jesus said, “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt:” “For every tree is known by his own fruit.” (Matt. 12:33; Luke 6:44). Yes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,” “and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (I John 1:7,9). However, any self-righteous double-minded hypocrite can claim to trust in the blood of Jesus Christ for his salvation. But, are his deeds contradicting his words? Do his words conform to godliness? or worldliness? or is he double minded? Jesus said that “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.” “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” “for the tree is known by his fruit.” (Matt. 12:33,34; 15:18). In Revelation the disciples overcame Satan “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;” (Rev. 12:11). Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words:” (John 14:23). James said, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (Jam. 1:22). The Lord warned us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:” (Jer. 17:9). And Proverbs 28:26 says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:”

      Two often mis-quoted verses by the “once saved, always saved” “eternal security” advocates are Romans 7:25 - “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” and 8:2 - “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” They miss the plain context of Romans 8:1 - “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” It is those who “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” that are not condemned. Paul was explaining the difference between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. And this is the same thing the apostle John was speaking about: “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:” (I John 3:6). Paul said, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25). John said, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.” (I John 3:7,8). In Romans 7:23,25, and elsewhere, Paul is illustrating the difference between walking in the flesh verses walking in the Spirit.

      Question: When Paul said, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,... and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” did Paul in fact speak with the tongues of “angels”? and did he in fact give his body to be “burned” (I Cor. 13:1,3)? When Paul wrote this he had never given his body to be burned. Paul was beaten with rods, stoned once, five times received forty stripes save one; but up to that time he was never “burned” (II Cor. 11:24,25). Paul said these things as an illustration to make an important point — the necessity of charity. Carnal-minded people take out of context many of Paul's writings where he uses illustrations and examples. In Romans 7:23 Paul said,

“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

      Question: Was Paul held captive to the law of sin which was in his members? No! “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2) How? Paul explains: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:16,17). This is what Paul is explaining, that you CANNOT “walk in the Spirit” if you are being brought “into captivity to the law of sin”, and vice-versa. Paul said, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19,21). Paul said, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Rom. 8:13); “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,... seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” (Col. 3:5,9). Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:” (I Cor. 9:27), “I am crucified with Christ:” (Gal. 2:20), “I die daily” (I Cor. 15:31), “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal. 5:24).

      Paul said, “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:... if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator,... put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” (I Cor. 5:9,11,13). And Jesus said that at the end of the world the angels shall come forth and “sever the wicked from among the just” (Matt. 13:49): and he “shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity” (Matt. 13:41). Paul calls a fornicating Christian brother a “wicked person.” This is the same thing James said in chapter 5 verses 19 and 20. And then Paul said, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (I Cor. 14:37). Not advice, not suggestions, but the commandments of the Lord.

      The carnal fleshly mind of man will see only the scriptures that it wants to see in order to justify the sins of the flesh. But the carnal fleshly mind of man will overlook the scriptures that expose the sins of the flesh and those that instruct us to forsake the sins of the flesh. For example:

It will SEE 1st Timothy 1:15 “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
But it will OVERLOOK Galatians 2:17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.”  

It will SEE Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
But it will OVERLOOK overlook Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”  

It will SEE Ephesians 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:”
But it will OVERLOOK verse 11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”  

It will SEE Romans 5:20 “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
But it will OVERLOOK Romans 6:1,2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  

It will SEE Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
But it will OVERLOOK Romans 6:15,16 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”  

It will SEE Romans 7:20 “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
But it will OVERLOOK Romans 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”  

It will SEE Romans 7:25 “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
But it will OVERLOOK Romans 13:14, 2nd Corinthians 7:1 and Colossians 3:9 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,” “seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”  

It will SEE Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,” and the first half of verse 13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty;”
But it will OVERLOOK the second half of verse 13 “only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,”  

It will SEE Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
But it will OVERLOOK 1st Corinthians 7:19 “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”  

It will SEE Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”
But it will OVERLOOK verses 2 and 3 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” 

It will SEE 1 Thessalonians 5:9 “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
But it will OVERLOOK 1st Corinthians 3:17 “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”  

It will SEE 2nd Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for thee:”
But it will OVERLOOK 1st Thessalonians 4:7 and Hebrews 12:14 “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” “without which no man shall see the Lord:”  

It will SEE Hebrews 13:5 and Romans 8:38,39 “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,.. nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,”
But it will OVERLOOK Romans 11:21,22 “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.... otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.”

      Notice that every scripture referenced above was taken from the apostle Paul's writings. The apostle Peter, speaking of Paul's writings, said, “in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (II Pet. 3:16). This is the wide and broad way that “leadeth to destruction,” and Jesus said “many there be which go in thereat:” (Matt. 7:13).

“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” (Proverbs 30:12)

      Many modern-day Baptists believe in the “once saved, always saved” doctrine of “eternal security.” However, our early Baptist predecessors and forefathers did not believe in this dogmatic formula for disaster. It is not known exactly when the name Baptist was first used to describe a group of believers, but Baptists, or Anabaptists as they were called prior to the sixteenth century, can be traced back in time even before Martin Luther and John Wycliffe. The following quote is from the 1527 Schleitheim Confession of Faith, the earliest known written Baptist Confession of Faith. It is an admonition to fellow Baptists regarding false converts who were twisting the scriptures “unto their own destruction” (II Pet. 3:16), carnal minded “believers” who were using the law of grace as a license to sin:

“Scandal has been brought in among us by certain false brethren, so that some have turned from the faith, because they have presumed to use for themselves the freedom of the Spirit and of Christ. But such have erred from the truth and are given over (to their condemnation) to the wantonness and freedom of the flesh; and have thought faith and love may do and suffer all things, and nothing would injure or condemn them as long as they thus believed. Mark, ye members of God in Christ Jesus, faith in the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ does not thus prove itself, does not work and deal in such way as these false brethren and sisters do and teach. Take heed to yourselves; be warned of such; for they serve not our Father, but their father, the devil. But ye are not so, for they who are of Christ have crucified the flesh, with all lusts and longings. You understand me well, and the brethren whom we mean. Separate yourselves from them, for they are turned away. Pray the Lord for their acknowledgment unto repentance and for our constancy to walk in the way we have entered, for the honor of God and his Christ. Amen.” (A History of The Baptists, Thomas Armitage, 1887, p. 949)

      Carnal minded Christians often take scriptures out of context in order to justify their fleshly desires (I Cor. 3:3; II Pet. 3:16). The apostle Paul's writings, in particular, are often quoted out of context and twisted and contorted to make them agreeable to our carnal nature. We hear people quote, for example, Romans chapter 6 verse 14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”, as if this, and other scriptures, actually give them permission to commit sin, “understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (I Tim. 1:7); “teaching things which they ought not” (Titus 1:11); “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption” (II Pet. 2:19). But, if we would carefully read Romans chapters 6 through 8 with a humble and repented heart, we would understand that Paul was not giving us permission to sin: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 6:12). Paul was telling us how to be “led by the Spirit of God”, and explaining to us that we cannot walk in the Spirit if we are doing the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19). “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like” (Gal. 5:19-21). Paul said to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (II Cor. 13:5), and “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philip. 2:12). Are you walking “in the Spirit” or “in the flesh”? Are you doing any of the aforementioned “works of the flesh”: a little “Adultery” or “fornication” here and there? or a little “drunkenness” or “Envyings”?

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:5)

      Christians are charged before God to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (II Tim. 4:1-4). The apostle Paul said that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16). But the time has come “when they will not endure sound doctrine” “but after their own lusts” they are “turned unto fables”. A popular fable among carnal minded apostates is the belief that a Christian cannot fall from grace. The Bible clearly shows us that the doctrine of “eternal security” is a faulty theology. Paul said that “whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:4).

      Now, what law is Paul talking about when he says, “whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”? Paul is talking about the Abrahamic law of circumcision (Gal. 5:2). Paul was not referring to the law of God in the ten commandments. Paul said so himself: “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” (I Cor. 7:19). It would be folly to believe that Jesus Christ blotted out the ten commandments on the cross only to turn around and write them in the believers' hearts. Paul said, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Gal. 3:10). Again, what “book of the law” is Paul referring to? Paul is referring to “the book of the law of Moses” (Josh. 8:31), “the book of the law of God” (Neh. 8:18) which is the “book of the law of the LORD given by Moses” (II Chron. 34:14). If we read the whole chapters, and not just cherry-pick select verses, we'll know exactly what Paul was writing about: “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:2-4).

      Now, “fallen from grace” means “fallen from grace”, regardless of the reason (Jam. 2:11; I John 3:4; Ezk. 18:4,20). Jesus said, “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” (Luke 8:13). Fall away from what? Fall away from “grace and truth” (John 1:17): “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (I Cor. 10:12). The apostle Paul said, “A bishop then must be blameless,... Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (I Tim. 3:2,6,7). The apostle James said, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” (Jam. 5:12). And the apostle Peter said,

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (II Peter 2:20)

      The doctrine of “eternal security” is a man-made myth exposed by the light of the scriptures. “Fallen from grace” is a Biblical truth confirmed by the scriptures: “in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13), “lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil” (I Tim. 3:6), “lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (I Tim. 3:7), “lest ye fall into condemnation” (Jam. 5:12), “If they shall fall away” (Heb. 6:6), “let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Cor. 10:12). The apostle Paul warned us to “Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.... otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Rom. 11:20-22). The “once saved, always saved” fable is a dangerous deceit designed to draw carnal minded man away from “the true grace of God” that “leadeth thee to repentance” (Rom. 2:4; I Pet. 5:12). “Fallen from grace” is a scriptural fact. And if some modern “theologian” with “a form of godliness” teaches otherwise and consent not “to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” (I Tim. 6:3-5).

“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:7)

      While the so called “doctrine of eternal security” sounds appealing to the “itching ears” of the modern church-world, it is leading people down a slippery slope of “delusion”. Confusion is created and people are deceived when the “eternal security” doctrine is being propagated by otherwise well-meaning Christians. Yes, Jesus said “I give unto them eternal life;” and “neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28). But, “if we neglect so great salvation” and turn back to our “old sins”, and not “hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown”, Jesus said, “I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Heb. 2:3; II Peter 1:9; Rev. 3:11,16). Jesus is not speaking to atheists or pagans in these verses. Jesus is speaking to the Christian churches in these verses: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Rev. 3:22). The apostle Jude said,

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:3,4)

      Truly we are living in the “perilous times” of “the last days” when men are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness” and are “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Tim. 3:1-7). Yes, Jesus Christ died for all of our sins – past, present and future; and “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (I John 1:9; 2:1-4). But if we don't repent of a sin that we commit, God will not forgive that sin. If we commit a sin tomorrow, we must repent after it is committed, if we hope to be forgiven of that sin. They that are “unlearned and unstable wrest,” or twist the “scriptures, unto their own destruction”, pretending that all of our sins are already forgiven. By failing to understand the absurdity of this idea of forgiveness without repentance, they are led farther away from “the goodness of God” that “leadeth thee to repentance”, and closer to “their own destruction.” (Rom. 2:4; II Pet. 3:16).

“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8)

      “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,” said the apostle Paul, “if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Rom. 8:9,10). “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 6:11,12). “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Cor. 6:9-11). Paul said that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14). Is the Spirit of God leading you “into all truth” (John 16:13)? Or is your old “deceitful” and “desperately wicked” heart leading you into “the works of the flesh” (Jer. 17:9; Gal. 5:19-21)?

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Rom. 8:13)

      The apostle Paul said, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.” (I Cor. 15:34). Paul said, “I die daily.” (I Cor. 15:31). “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20). Paul said, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal. 5:24). This is the cross that Jesus said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (John 12:25). Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philip. 3:12-14). Jesus said, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38). Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:” (1 Cor. 9:27): this is what it means to be “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” (Colossians 3:5-7)

      The children of Israel often backslid in their hearts, “and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt” (Acts 7:39). Egypt, in this verse, represents “this present evil world” (Gal. 1:4). And just as “the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God,” many claiming to be Christians today have either never fully left the sins of the world, or “in their hearts turned back again into Egypt.” The apostle Paul said that “if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”, and, “thou also shalt be cut off.” and “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” (Rom. 11:21,22; Heb. 3:12). In the gospel of Luke, Jesus gives us a good example of a backslidden Christian who later repented and turned from his sins and returned to his first love: “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” (see Luke 15:11-32 and Rev. 2:4,5). Jesus told the jealous brother of the prodigal son to “be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:32). The apostle Paul said, “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” (I Tim. 5:6). It is true that Jesus said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Heb. 13:5). But, it is also true that, like “the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,” you too can leave “thy first love” and “fall from your own stedfastness” and “draw back unto perdition” (Jude 1:6; Rev. 2:4; II Pet. 3:17; Heb. 10:39). God said, “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Ex. 32:33). Jesus said in Revelation chapter 3 verse 5, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life”. And chapter 22 verse 19 says, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life”.

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:20)

      Some might say, “But, Joshua was the Old Testament.” Well, read what Paul, the “apostle of grace”, wrote, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (I Cor. 10:11). Yes, Joshua was “the Old Testament”; however, then, as now, God's people had to first repent and turn from their sins in order to be forgiven. Jesus Christ “is the propitiation for our sins” and “for the sins of the whole world”; but your sins could not be forgiven, remitted and stricken from your record before “ye heard the word of truth” and repented and believed “the gospel of your salvation” (Matt. 18:3; Mark 1:15; 4:12; Acts 3:19; 28:27; Rom. 10:14; Eph. 1:13; I John 2:2). Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 tells us that “the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” When you receive God's gift of salvation “by grace” “through faith”, and you “nameth the name of Christ” as your Lord and God and Saviour, you can't just live as you choose to live: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Cor. 6:19,20; Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:4,6).

“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.... Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Cor. 5:17).

      Nothing you did, however, other than placing your faith in the completed sacrifice of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, saved you from your sins: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9). Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for thee:” (II Cor. 12:9). God's “grace is sufficient” for the salvation of our souls. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23). Our salvation “is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). And like any gift, it can be accepted and cherished; or it can be outright rejected; or it can be accepted and then discarded like an unwanted “Christmas gift”. Some people say, “God doesn't take back a gift.” These folks don't understand that the gift giver is not responsible for what the recipient does with a gift. God doesn't have to “take back his gift” in order for you to neglect it and lose it. When you give someone a gift, is it your fault if they trash it? Make no mistake: we can forfeit “the gift of God” if “we neglect so great salvation” and lose “the race that is set before us” (Eph. 2:8; Heb. 2:3; 12:1;).

“Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.” (Proverbs 15:10)

      Most of the Christian churches in Revelation received both a comendation and a rebuke from the Lord. The church of Ephesus: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent” (Rev. 2:1-5). The church in Pergamos: “I have a few things against thee,... Repent” (Rev. 2:12-16). The church in Thyatira: “I have a few things against thee.... And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Rev. 2:18-23). The church in Sardis: “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.” (Rev. 3:1-5). The church of the Laodiceans: “because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev. 3:14-18). Jesus said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev. 3:19)

“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32)

      The Lord Jesus Christ did his part at Calvary and died for our sins; now we have to do our part and “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The apostle Paul said to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12), and “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (II Cor. 7:1). Don't misunderstand; nothing you did or didn't do played a role in the work of your salvation. The completed work of salvation was accomplished solely by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. But understand this, when someone hears “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” and truly does “repent” and “believe the gospel” he, or she, will “depart from iniquity” and “keep the commandments of God” (Mark 1:15; Eph. 1:13; II Tim. 2:19; Heb. 2:3; 12:1; I John 2:4; Rev. 14:12). Let no man deceive you: our faith in God's salvation by grace is not a passive faith, but an active faith. The born again believer has an active role in his new life: he is to “abstain from fornication”; “abstain from fleshly lusts”; “purifieth himself”; “keep himself unspotted from the world”; “keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (I Thess. 4:3; I Pet. 2:11; Jam. 1:27; I John 3:3; 5:18). Paul said to “keep yourselves from idols”; and “keep thyself pure.” (I Tim. 5:22; I John 5:21). Paul said, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine”; and “Let no man deceive himself.” (I Cor. 3:18; I Tim. 4:16): because we most certainly can turn to our “own vomit again” and “trodden under foot the Son of God” and lose “the crown of life” (II Pet. 2:22; Heb. 10:29; James 1:12). Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Rev. 3:11).

“The lord of that servant... will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:46)

      The apostle James said, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12). And who are “them that love him”? Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.... If a man love me, he will keep my words:” (John 14:15,23). The apostle John said, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4). “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments:” (I John 5:3).

“To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” (Isa. 28:12). “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jer. 6:16).

      Brothers and sisters, the scriptures are perfectly clear: Jesus Christ abolished “the law of commandments contained in ordinances;” “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us” that “Moses wrote”, not the “the ten commandments” of God, the “two tables of testimony... written with the finger of God.” (Eph. 2:15; Ex. 24:4; 31:18). Some people can claim ignorance, but if you are a child of God you must not remain in ignorance or darkness: “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:... And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.... Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Eph. 5:8,11,14). “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (I Thess. 5:6). And now that you know the scriptures, this knowledge is required of you (Luke 12:48; John 15:22; Acts 17:30; Jam. 4:17). “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:15-17). Jesus said, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Rev. 22:12).

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” (Matt. 16:27). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (II Cor. 5:10). “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22,23).

      Of the ten virgins in Matthew chapter 25, five were denied entrance “and the door was shut”. These foolish virgins were waiting “to meet the bridegroom” and fully expected to go “in with him to the marriage”. But while they “slumbered and slept” their lamps had “gone out” because they “took no oil with them” (Matt. 25:1-13). These five foolish virgins considered Jesus Christ to be their Lord. They said, “Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” Note the contrast in Matthew chapter 7 where Jesus said, “I never knew you”; whereas the five virgins were told, “I know you not”: obviously they had a relationship with Jesus at some point. And also in Luke chapter 13 Jesus said:

“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” (Luke 13:24-28)

      Jesus said “That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 8:11,12). Ephesians chapter 2 tells us that God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Eph. 2:4-6). Matthew chapter 13 verse 41 says, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity”.

      The “one sacrifice” of Jesus Christ “for sins for ever” does not say that we can never lose our free gift of salvation (Heb. 10:12). This is a fallacy predominant in many Christian circles today. Read the entire tenth chapter of Hebrews in its proper context and you will see that the apostle Paul was talking about the Old Testament sacrifices for sins being done away with and any future sacrifice for sins being already accomplished. The apostle Peter said that some things in Paul's writings are “hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (II Pet. 3:16). Keeping the ten commandments will not save you. But breaking the ten commandments will destroy you: “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.” (Prov. 6:32). “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” (II Pet. 2:20,21). The apostle Paul said:

“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Heb. 10:39)
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” (Titus 2:11,12)

      Psalms chapter 24 verses 3 and 4 says, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart”. King David said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psa. 119:11). Jesus said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3). It is God's word hidden in our hearts that cleanses us from all unrighteousness (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; 10:16; I John 1:9). “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17). “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psa. 119:9). “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” (Prov. 6:22). But someone might say, “It's the blood of Jesus, and not his word, that cleanses our sins.” Actually, they are one in the same, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood:” (Lev. 17:11) and “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6:53). Jesus is “the life:” (John 14:6); Jesus is “the Word.... And the Word was made flesh” (John 1:1,14). Jesus said, “the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). Paul said, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:25-27). Jesus said, “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15). When we hear God's word and believe it, we must repent of our sins and hide his word in our hearts and then keep our hearts with all diligence – “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23) – then we are “born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” – and “he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (I Pet. 1:23; I John 5:18). Peter said, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” (I Pet. 1:22). Paul said, “And be not conformed to this world:” (Rom. 12:2).

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4).

      Jesus called us “An evil and adulterous generation”, “A wicked and adulterous generation”, and an “adulterous and sinful generation” (Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Mark 8:38). Jesus said “That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matt. 5:28). Second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 17 says, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Cor. 16:14-18). The apostle Peter warned us about “them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,... sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls:” (II Peter 2:10,13,14). The apostle Paul said, “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Rom. 16:1). Ephesians chapter 4 verses 20 through 24 says:

“But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

“Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” (Isa. 56:11)

      The apostle John said, “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” (I John 4:5,6). John said, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” (I John 3:1). The apostle Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom. 12:1). First John chapter 2 verses 15 through 17 says:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

      And what is “the will of God”? The apostle Paul said, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication.... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.” (I Thess. 4:3,7). Paul said, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (I Cor. 14:37). The will of God is to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22). The will of God is to “repent” of ones sins and “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”, “believe the gospel”, “be converted”, “Being born again,” to hide God's word “in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee”, “Keep thy heart with all diligence;” keep ones self so “that wicked one toucheth him not”, “walk in newness of life”, “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” “abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”, and “keep the commandments of God” (Psa. 119:11; Prov. 4:23; Luke 10:27; Acts 16:31; I John 5:18; Rom. 6:4; Titus 2:12; I Pet. 1:23; 2:11). The “keeping of the commandments of God” is mandatory, not optional (Matt. 19:17; I Cor. 7:19; I John 2:4).

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (Ecc. 12:13,14)

      But keeping the commandments of God without being born again will get us nowhere with God. For man's heart is corrupt by nature; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:” (Jer. 17:9). No amount of good works, sacrifices or suffering we can do will cleanse us from a single sin; “for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Gal. 2:21). Job said, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” “Behold, I am vile;” “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 14:4; 40:4; 42:6). The apostle Paul said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18). But Paul also told us, “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal. 5:24). Paul said, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 13:14). “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:16,17). Hear what the Lord Jesus said:

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John. 3:5-7)

      The Lord is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (II Pet. 3:9). Psalms chapter 51 verse 17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” God said in the book of Isaiah, “but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isa. 66:2). Hebrews chapter 8 verse 10 says, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:” And chapter 10 says, “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb. 10:16,17). How awesome! How glorious! How sobering! The same omnipotent finger that carved the ten commandments of God into the tables of stone, is the same omnipotent finger that writes his laws into the table of our hearts and transforms us and keeps us on the strait and narrow highway of holiness which leadeth unto life (Matt.7:14; Isa. 35:8).

“The seed is the word of God.” (Luke 8:11)
“The sower soweth the word.
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” [Luke 8:13 tells us that these are believers, “which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.]
“And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:14-20)

      The Lord tells us in the book of Jeremiah, “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart,” (Jer. 4:3,4). Psalms chapter 51 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart” (Psa. 51:17). We must humble ourselves, repent, believe the gospel and “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us” (I Pet. 5:6; Mark 1:15; Heb. 12:1). For it is only then that the word of God can be “sown on good ground” (Mark 4:20). The apostle James said, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (Jam. 4:8). The Lord tells us in Ezekiel chapter 36, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezek. 36:26,27). This is “the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God” (Eph. 3:9): “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Col. 1:26,27). “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Eph. 1:4).

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6,7).

      The apostle Paul said, “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.” (I Thess. 5:27). The “holy brethren”: holy, not because we keep the commandments of God, but holy because the commandments of God are written on the table of our hearts keeping us from destroying ourselves (Prov. 3:3; 7:3; Isa. 54:17; Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10; 10:16): “whoso committeth adultery... destroyeth his own soul.” (Prov. 6:32); “He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity:” (Prov. 22:8); “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal. 6:7,8); “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Cor. 6:9,0)

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (I Cor. 3:16,17)

      Jesus said, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” (Rev. 13:8). James chapter 1 verse 22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” And then in chapter 4 verse 17 it says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14)

      The way that leads to life is strait and narrow. It is a highway of “godliness” and “righteousness” (I Tim. 6:11). “The way of holiness” is not a difficult way, as some would portray it, but a narrow way (Isa. 35:8). And like a narrow road, many people are avoiding it or overlooking it and missing the on-ramp. The strait and narrow way of truth that leads to life is this: to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that is believing the everlasting gospel of your salvation and being obedient to all of God's commandments — the ten commandments in particular “written with the finger of God.” (Mark 1:15; 1st Cor. 14:37; Ex. 31:18). And you can't do it on your own; you need his Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, to give you the power to walk in all truth (John 14:17,26; 15:26; 16:13; Acts 1:8): “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zech. 4:6). You can do it “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left” (II Cor. 6:7).

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14)

      So if you want to spend eternity with God, you have to “repent” and “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Matt. 4:17; 9:13; Mark 1:15; 2:17; Luke 5:32; 13:3,5; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 16:31; 17:30; 26:20; II Cor. 7:10; II Peter 3:9; Rev. 2:5; 3:19; 9:20,21); “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:3-7) “and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38,41; 8:12,13,16,38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16), and “do his commandments” (Matt. 19:17; John 14:15; I Cor. 7:19; I John 2:3,4; 3:22; 5:2,3; II John 1:6; Rev. 12:17; 14:12; Rev. 22:14), “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (I Pet. 1:23; I John 5:7)