LAW IN THE BIBLE

 Law in the Bible

The Bible has a lot to say about the law, which some lawyers may be unfamiliar with, because it is understood in the theological sense. Lawyers speak about the law all the time, so theoretically when the law is mentioned in the Bible, the embodying legal principle of power and authority is essentially similar in the secular understanding of law. 

God is the God of order. From the beginning of time God designed all creation with order, harmony, and ordained the laws of nature and by His Sovereign power sustains all things. (Hebrews 1:3) 

In dealing with His chosen race, the Hebrew people, God ordained the Law that would govern His people. Unlike the legal systems that we have where laws are legislated or decreed by man, God is the Source of this Law, made known to the great Patriarch Moses. 

The law of Moses or what is described as Mosaic Law  is the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah (Hebrew for “law”), also called the Pentateuch (Greek for “five books”). More strictly speaking, the Law of Moses refers only to the 600-plus commandments and regulations in the second through fifth books of the Torah. We often refer to the commandments as “the Law of Moses”; of course, they are actually the Law of God. Moses was the one through whom God gave Israel the law.

The Law of Moses has three general applications: Moral Laws, Civil Laws and Ceremonial Laws. . 

Moral laws declare God’s holy, unchanging character. The moral laws included the Ten Commandments.

Civil laws were regulations on the day-to-day life of the Hebrew people. It deals with pragmatic aspects of civil order to preserve the nation until the coming of the Messia. These laws govern persons and their interpersonal relation like such things as marriage and divorce, sexual conduct, and property rights and set the penalties for various crimes ranging from theft to kidnapping to slander.

Ceremonial laws related to the manner that the Israelites were to worship God. The ceremonial laws instructed on the proper way to offer sacrifices, perform rituals, and celebrate festivals. The laws governing what was “clean” and “unclean” were in this category.

The Mosaic Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel (Exodus 19; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 9:4). 

The purpose of the Mosaic Law among others was to accomplish the following: 1) Reveal the holy character of the eternal God to the nation of Israel (Leviticus 19:2; 20:7–8). 2) Set apart the nation of Israel as distinct from all the other nations (Exodus 19:5). 3) Reveal the sinfulness of man (cf. Galatians 3:19). Although the Law was good and holy (Romans 7:12), it did not provide salvation for the nation of Israel. “No one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20; cf. Acts 13:38–39). 4) Reveal to humanity that no one can keep the Law but everyone falls short of God’s standard of holiness. That realization causes us to rely on God’s mercy and grace. When Christ came, He fulfilled the Law and with His death paid the penalty for our breaking it (Galatians 3:24; Romans 10:4). By faith in Him, the believer has the very righteousness of Christ imputed to him.

Israel was never to be saved by keeping the Law (Romans 3:20). The Law was meant to govern their earthly lives, to define sin, and to point to the coming Savior. Neither did the Law change the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant. 

Obedience to this law was commanded’ of God’s people as they attempted to merit His favor and blessing. After all, Israel was His special people, and they were bound together in a solemn covenant with Him. So the laws are not just some rules but essentially covenantal. When the law was transgressed, the covenant was broken, and so was the relationship with God! That’s why the law occupied such a huge place in the life of Israel. In order to restore the broken relationship, sacrifices were required and penalties were prescribed. Yet all these sacrifices were really inadequate. They have to be done repeatedly every time the people transgressed the law which they often did. 

This sacrificial inadequacy was later fully satisfied when the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the just punishment of man’s sin.

In the New Testament we find the phrase “the law and the prophets”. The phrase the law and the prophets refers to the entire Old Testament, which comprises the Torah (the first five Books) and the rest of the Old Testament described as the Prophets. 

Jesus made reference to “the law and the prophets”. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus remarkably pointed out that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

On the Emmaus Road, Jesus taught two disciples “everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets” (Luke 24:27, CEV). 

It is clear that the Old Testament comprising the two fold division: “the law and the prophets,” pointed to Jesus. 

When Philip invited his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus, he referred to the whole of Hebrew Scripture in its two-fold division: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45, NET). 

Philip was right that all of Scripture has a common theme: the Messiah, the Son of God, who is Jesus. 

Jesus fulfilled the moral requirements of the law: He perfectly obeyed all the commandments, showcasing an unblemished character and establishing the perfect example of how humans should live according to God's will.

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial aspects of the law: He served as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, rendering the animal sacrifices and rituals prescribed by the Mosaic Law unnecessary. His death and resurrection opened a new way for humanity to be reconciled with God.

Jesus fulfilled the prophetic aspects of the law: Throughout the Old Testament, numerous prophecies pointed to the coming of a Messiah who would redeem and fulfill God's plan for salvation. Jesus was the fulfillment of these prophecies.

The llife, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished what the law could not. Through faith in Christ and his finished work, believers are no longer bound to the requirements of the Mosaic Law, but instead find salvation, forgiveness, and righteousness in him.

Christ is the perfection of the law. Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses in every respect (Matthew 5:17). With the coming of Christ, the Law of Moses had achieved its purpose (Galatians 3:23–25), and now that Old Covenant of animal sacrifices is replaced by the New Covenant of faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14). “We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).  “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4).

Treasures Old and New

 TREASURES OLD AND NEW

He said to them, “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. 

He brings new treasures out of his storeroom as well as old ones.” (Matthew 13:52 NIRV)

One joy of the Christian life is the privilege of learning God’s truth from God’s Word. 

The Lord Jesus Christ often confronts  the Teachers  of the Law  who are the Scribes, mostly Pharisees. They are steep in religious learning. They are the intellectual elite. They are in a sense lawyers, experts in Hebrew law (Scripture). They are the repository and interpreters of Scripture. But the Scribes  go beyond interpretation and add many man made traditions to what God ordained. The regulations and traditions which they add to the Law become more important  than the Law itself. Christ condemns them for they nullify the law by the man made traditions they  add to the Law. (Mark 7:13) They cancel the word of God for the sake of their tradition. (Matthew 15:6)

The disciples of Christ are not as learned as the Scribes. They are his followers who learn the truth about  Christ and live in obedience to him. Christ is their Master Teacher. Everyone is amazed when Jesus teach in the synagogue. They ask, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” Many acknowledge that Jesus is unlike the Scribes  and the Pharisees for he teach with authority. (Mark 1:22)

So, the Lord here points out that a Scribe who may happen to become his disciple is likened to a house owner, who holds out treasures from his storeroom. Scribes may be said to have a treasury of traditional knowledge. A Scribe’s treasure is his knowledge and understanding of Scripture, but unillumined by the mind of Christ such knowledge is imperfect. 

The Scribes during that time emphasize learning, but true disciples emphasize living. Disciples are doers of the Word (James 1:22) and they learn by doing. While learning is important a balance should be maintained  by living out what is learned. 

As shown in the experience of the Scribes, knowledge alone without personal application, puffs up and does not build up according to St. Paul ( 1 Corinthians 8:1) 

Verse 52 speaks of treasure. What is the treasure? In context this refers to the teachings the disciples had heard from Jesus and would continue to hear from Him right up to the time He ascended. Scribal knowledge would turn into enlightened knowledge, when one learns of the new truths imparted by Christ.

Bible Commentator Brian Bell  noted that the disciples were beginning to understand the new things Jesus was teaching in conjunction with the traditions from the Scriptures they already knew.  

The fusion of the old and the new (Testaments) is like a gem of knowledge made alive in practice.

Theologian and Pastor Knox Chamblin says, “Every true disciple has discovered the treasure of the kingdom (Mt 13:44); and each of them will in time have a full treasury from which to impart things both new and old (Mt 13:52b), including things formerly learned but now freshly illuminated…”

Bible Teacher Warren Wiersbe sharply observed: 

“The scribes preserved the Law but did not invest it in the lives of the people. 

The treasure of the Law was encrusted by man’s traditions. The seed was not planted so it could bear fruit. 

The ‘spiritual gold and silver’ 

was not put to work so it could produce dividends. 

As Christians we should be conservative but not preservative. The steward guards the treasure, but he also dispenses it as it is needed. He dispenses both the old and the new. 

New principles and insights are based on old truths. 

The new cannot contradict the old because the old comes out of the new (Lev. 26:10). 

The new without the old is mere novelty and will not last. But the old does no good unless it is given new applications in life today. 

We need both.”

St. Augustine in speaking of the Gospel, famously described the relationship between the Old and New Testaments this way: “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” 

They are treasures found in the storehouse of God’s revealed truth. Churches could well be reminded that preaching an incomplete Gospel  is a weak investment.

Road Rage

 Road rage is an epidemic that inflicts us as we live in a stressful, crowded environment. It is strange how operating a motor vehicle, a machine of modern convenience, could transform the one behind the wheel, into a raging, violent person. We wonder why many are easily provoked, justly or unjustly when they are cloistered in the privacy of their cars. The violence that could erupt in the streets because somebody loses his cool, always end in regret or remorse. 

Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong. Anger is a natural human emotion experienced by all. But excessive anger can  be a bad thing causing serious problems. Excessive anger may become wrath. The range of anger is as broad as life’s experiences. 

Scripture tells us anger could lead to sin. God gave us this natural human emotion for there can be righteous anger or indignation. It’s opposite, is sinful anger. It is not a sin to feel angry, but what we do next or how long we allow anger to dwell can lead us to sinfulness. Scripture teaches that human anger is dangerous, but righteous anger is when we are angry about evil and sin in the world. Truly, we cannot ignore evil and injustice.

The Bible addresses anger and wrath in several passages, providing guidance on how to handle these emotions:

1. Ephesians 4:26-27: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." This verse acknowledges that anger is a natural emotion, but it warns against allowing anger to lead to sin or giving room for the devil's influence.

2. Proverbs 14:29: "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." This verse emphasizes the importance of patience and self-control, indicating that those who are slow to anger demonstrate wisdom and understanding.

3. James 1:19-20: "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." These verses urge believers to practice patience, active listening, and restraint in their reactions. They emphasize that human anger often leads to actions contrary to godly righteousness.

4. Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." This verse encourages responding to anger or wrath with gentle and kind words. It suggests that a calm and compassionate approach can help diffuse and resolve conflicts.

5. Colossians 3:8: "But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." This verse calls for believers to let go of anger and other negative emotions, replacing them with virtuous attributes such as kindness and forgiveness.

6. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

When Right Seems Wrong

 There is a way which seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death. 

-Proverbs 14:12  (ASB)

When Right Seems Wrong

When the crowd is running the wrong way, it's hard to be the oddball who runs the right way. Most of the participants in the 10,000-meter cross-country race thought Mike was heading the wrong way. He kept waving for the other runners to follow him, but only 4 believed he had taken the right turn--the turn that all the other competitors had missed. When he was asked about the reaction to his mid-course decision not to let the crowd determine his direction, Mike responded, "They thought it was funny that I went the right way."

First-century pagans reacted the same way to the changed lifestyle of their Christian neighbors. The apostle Peter said, "They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you" (1 Pet. 4:4). Non-Christians still think that followers of Jesus Christ are going in the wrong direction. But actually, believers are headed for the victor's crown and a heavenly home (2 Tim. 4:7-8).

Scripture often warns that human reasoning and human desire can lead to disaster (Jeremiah 17:9). The problem is not that we cannot use reason, or that we can never have right desires. Rather, it's that we're too easily swayed by what we desire, not what is true (Proverbs 1:7). Proverbs 12:15 previews this danger: the "fool" is the person who trusts his own thinking over and above that of God (Proverbs 3:5). This verse points out the need for self-examination (2 Corinthians 13:5). Other proverbs note the value in seeking advice and wisdom from godly people (Proverbs 11:14; 15:5). 

Even faced with overwhelming evidence, however, a person who is committed to rejecting God can find excuses to do so.  “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “ John 5:39–40). Left to his own devices, such a man will reject the way of salvation (Hebrews 2:3). He relies on his finite, corrupt knowledge to illumine his way through life.  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8). He walks in darkness, and unless he comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he will experience eternal death (John 3:36). Isaiah 53:6 confirms, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way."

Wide Moves

 WIse Moves

A man of understanding holds his peace (Proverbs 11:12).

A fool's wrath is known at once (Proverbs 12:16).

He who guards his mouth preserves his life (Proverbs 13:3).

He who loses his temper finds trouble

A Way that seems right

 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 14:12

Solomon was a wise son who paid attention to his father, David. He also sought to be a wise father by sharing his wisdom with his own son and compiling his own set of righteous guidelines and the learned sayings of others, into a compendium. He did this to encourage his own children towards righteous living.

Reverence for the Lord and trust in His Word is the foundation upon which true wisdom is based, and we in the Church age have discovered that: "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Wise choices in life are of true and lasting benefit, and the 'Proverbs of Solomon' are an amazing collection of maxims for profitable living. They cover a wide range of subject matter which can help to prevent foolish behaviour and ungodly decisions in areas like relationships, friendships, finances, and a fruitful life. This not only pleases God and demonstrates faith in His Word, but gives every day advice on peaceful living, while avoiding troublesome situations.

Source: 

LETTER THAT KILLETH, SPIRIT THAT GIVETH LIFE

 LETTER THAT KILLETH, SPIRIT THAT GIVETH LIFE

who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

-2 Corinthians 3:6 (AKJV)

The phrase “for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life” is a phrase familiar to most lawyers and judges and a favorite quote in court decisions and lawyer's brief. 

What is unknown to some or most, is the fact that it comes from the Bible  which somehow found its way in the annals of jurisprudence quoted in judicial language.  

This   Biblical dictum is fascinating for it speaks of life not death, substance not form. Essence not appearances.

In the general  sense the  strict observance of the letter of the law is far less important than being true to its spirit. Which ordinarily the verse could really mean that. 

In the theological sense it rather goes deeper than that.

2 Corinthians 3:6 is a verse from the New Testament that says, "He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." 

This verse is a part of a larger passage in which the Apostle Paul is contrasting the old covenant, which was based on the law given to Moses, with the new covenant, which is based on the grace of God.

In this verse, Paul is highlighting the role of Christians as ministers of the new covenant, which he describes as being different from the old covenant in two key ways.

 

First, he says that the new covenant is not based on written laws but on the Spirit. This means that Christians are called to follow the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, rather than simply obeying a set of rules or regulations.

Second, Paul points out that the old covenant led to death, while the new covenant brings life.

 

He is suggesting that under the old covenant, people were unable to live up to the standard set by the law, and so they were left with a sense of guilt and shame. However, under the new covenant, believers are forgiven and empowered to live a life of freedom and joy through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Overall, this verse is a reminder that Christians are called to live according to the new covenant, which is marked by grace, freedom, and life-giving power.

THE WORD CUTS. BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT

 THE WORD CUTS BETWEEN SOUL AND SPIRIT

The Book of Hebrews is a marvelous masterpiece of theological writing, and appears different from the other writings found in the New Testament. It is more of a theological treatise. It is homiletical in style. There is a disagreement among scholars regarding the authorship of Hebrews. Some believe it was written by the Apostle Paul, others venture to say that its author cannot be determined with certainty. Notwithstanding this issue, the  inspired writer of Hebrews  declares that God’s Word is not an ordinary piece of writing or literature. 

God’s Word is alive. 

The fourth chapter of Hebrews states : “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (verse 12). 

To the soul regenerated by the saving Grace of God through Christ, the truth and objective reality of this statement is unmistakable.

The Word of God (Scripture) is God’s revelation to us humans. We would never know anything about God unless He reveals Himself to us through  human means of communication. Our primary exposure is through His written Word, the Bible. We learn in Scripture that the Word of God is alive and active—it not only lives but works. 

The Word of God is alive because God is a living God (Hebrews 3:12). Jesus said, “The very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63, NLT). In the parable of the sower, Jesus compared God’s Word to seed (Matthew 13:1–23). Seed, like the Word, is a living organism that, when spread and planted in fertile soil, produces abundant life.

Christians are made alive spiritually and eternally because they are “born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). 

Believers “enter God’s eternal rest” (receive God’s free gift of salvation by grace through faith alone and not by self-effort, Ephesians 2:8–9) through the life-giving power of God’s Word. This truth is the main point the writer of Hebrews has been driving home in the previous verses (Hebrew 4:1–11), that no one can enter God’s true rest except those in whom God’s message has taken deep root and complete control. God does the work of salvation by the power of His Word when we submit to God’s dominion and trust Him to save us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

The Word of God is active. The term active in Hebrews 4:12 means “effective, powerful, producing or capable of producing an intended result.” 

The Word of God is vibrant, dynamic, energizing, and productive. It is not static or idle in the lives of genuine believers. The apostle Paul explained that the Word of God is “at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

God’s Word is powerful, not only to give life, but also to deliver warnings and bring judgment and punishment to the disobedient: “Is not my Word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29, ESV).

God’s living Word is not something to read or listen to passively and then forget. James taught Christians to look “intently into the perfect law that gives freedom” and to focus on it by doing what it says (James 1:23–25). 

St. Paul proclaims, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NLT). If we let God’s message do its work deep inside, it will change our character and behavior.

Astonishing, life-generating things happen when God’s Word goes forth. It is fully capable of accomplishing its purpose: “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11, NLT). 

On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, those who heard it “were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37), and about three thousand people were saved (Acts 2:41).

The author of Hebrews described the Word of God as “sharper than any double-edged sword.” Paul called it “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). This sword imagery also appears in Isaiah 49:2, Revelation 1:16, and Revelation 2:12. 

As a sharp, double-bladed sword, the Word of God is our definitive offensive weapon against the assaults of a spiritual enemy. When Satan tempted our Lord in the wilderness, Jesus wielded the sword of God’s Word to counter the devil’s attacks, saying, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4).

WONDERFUL THINGS

 WONDERFUL THINGS TO SEE

“Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law.”

- Psalm 119:18

1 There are wonderful things in the WORD of God (Bible)

2 No one can see these wonderful things for what they really are without God’s supernatural help.

3 We must pray to God for supernatural illumination when we read the Bible.

4 You will not be able to fully comprehend the Living Word of God unless you have personal relationship with Jesus Christ the Author, by believing on Him and trusting Him as your Lord and Savior. 

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8)

I ask that your minds may be opened to see his light, so that you will know what is the hope to which he has called you, how rich are the wonderful blessings he promises his people,(Ephesians 1:18)

For God so loved the world that he gave[a] his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn[b] the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

- John 3:16-17 (NABRE)

TESTIMONIAL EVIDENCE IN THE BIBLE

 TESTIMONIAL EVIDENCE 

Rules of Court (PhLaw)

All persons who can perceive and perceiving can make known their perception to others may be witnesses. (Section 20 Rule 130  Rules of  Court)

A witness can testify only to those facts which he knows of his personal knowledge that is which are derived from his own perception …(Section 36) 

In the rules of evidence in Philippine law, personal knowledge refers to actual and direct knowledge of facts related to a case or issue under consideration, acquired through the use of one's own senses or perception. Personal knowledge is usually required for testimony to be admissible as evidence in court.   Under Section 36 of Rule 130 of the Rules of Court of the Philippines, a witness may testify only to those facts that they know of their personal knowledge. Personal knowledge means that the witness themselves actually perceived, or experienced, or otherwise directly witnessed the event in question. A witness who has no personal knowledge of the facts may not testify as to those facts. 

The Bible (NLT) Record of testimonies about the Lord Jesus Christ.

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning,[a] whom we have HEARD and SEEN. 

We SAW him with OUR OWN EYES and TOUCHED him with our OWN HANDS. 

He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have SEEN him. 

And now we TESTIFY and PROCLAIM  to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.

3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually SEEN and HEARD so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 

4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. 1John 1:1-4 (Capitalized supplied) 

When we told you about the power and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were NOT TELLING CLEVER STORIES  someone had made up. But with OUR OWN EYES we SAW his true greatness.

-2 Peter 1:16 

THE DEFENSE OF. ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE AND LAWYER BEFORE THE COURT OF KING AGRIPPA:

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies.Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

-Acts 26:1-29 NIV

To my friends, and colleagues in the Bench and Bar may I appeal to you to consider the evidence for Christ, that by His grace you may repent and believe and trust  Him as your personal Lord and Savior. 

God Bless you and grant you His Grace of wisdom in your endeavors.

PRIDE

 LOVE NOT THE WORLD :

Love not the world, nor the things in the world. 

If any one love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;

because 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 is passing, and its lust, but he that does the will of God abides for eternity.-

-

1 John 2:15-17 (Darby)

PRIDE:

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain.

-Luke 18:11-12

(Notice how Jesus brought out that the underlying attitude of the Pharisee was reliance in self. He boasted before God of all his "excellent" qualities and works, things he evidently thought would earn him God's respect. His vanity about these things then motivated him to regard others as less than himself.)

PRIDE IN ACHIEVEMENTS:

All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29…as the king was walking  on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

-Daniel 4:28-32 

PRIDE THE ROOT CAUSE OF SIN:

An angel named Lucifer tried to exalt himself above God. 

He declared: “I will ascend to heaven;  I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend  above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14) 

 (Look at the pride of this angel, most handsome and brightest, who said “I”, “I”, “I,”  “I”, “I”, “I”)

 

He said, “I will” five (5) times, and God said, “No, you won’t” and cast him out of Heaven. Lucifer, “son  of the  morning”  become Satan  the accuser.  

 

God said to Lucifer, “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy,  beauty, 

thou hast corrupted  thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; 

I will cast thee to the ground. 

I will lay thee before kings that they may behold thee.” (Ezekiel 28:17)

  

Every sin whatever it is has pride at its root because all sin is defiance of God. What could be more prideful than saying, “I won’t follow God’s standard”.  

 

God isn’t impressed with your credentials. You must come to God and say, “I am a sinner, and I realize I am worthy of nothing”. 

- The Importance of Humility, Daily Readings, John MacArthur

BORN AGAIN REVISITED

 Born Again, Revisited

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

-John 3:3

It was to a very religious and well educated person named Nicodemus that Jesus spoke about the need to be “born again”. 

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of  new birth and there are some born again believers who still suffer much ridicule when they speak about this spiritual awakening to the unregenerate mind. We hear such pejorative comments directed at them as “born against” a reference to a convert who abandons  his religious tradition by becoming a Christian.. 

There are relatively good, well mannered and considerate people who refuse to accept that they need rebirth as Christ said to Nicodemus. They say they live a decent life, they show concern or even love for others, they try to be kind and unselfish, they go to church and perform religious duties and submit to religious rites. They believe  they are doing pretty well so what is  all this business about needing to be born again?

In John 3:3 the Lord Jesus  tells the decent, respectable, religious man Nicodemus , “Unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

In Matthew 18:3 he tells his disciples, “Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.

This is childlike faith, humble trust and submission to  Christ.

The Bible reveals to us that man is “dead in his transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Jesus describes a born again believer as one who has “crossed over from the death to life.” (John 5:24)

 The Bible is speaking about spiritual death. And because man is by nature spiritually dead he needs to receive spiritual life, in other words, to be born again.

This was hard for Nicodemus to comprehend. How can a man enter his mother’s womb the second time and be born again when he is old? Jesus isn’t referring to a physical birth. This conveys the idea of being “born from above”. (John 2:23)  Man must be born of the Spirit of God. It is the only way. The Holy Spirit brings conviction to man’s heart and through faith he believes in the finished work of Christ and is regenerated a new creature.

God and man are so different in essence, in character and in nature that the only way in which man can possibly enter into a living relationship with him is if God gives him a new life, a new nature. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You shoulld not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”

Jesus reveals to Nicodemus there is a fundamental difference in the flesh and the Spirit. Those who have never experienced the spiritual birth remain in the flesh. There has been no change in their lives. When we are born again, we are born of the Spirit. The Lord makes a change within the heart, old things have passed away and all things become new. There will be a noticeable difference in the lives of those who are born again. 2 Cor.5:17- “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We will still be apt to sin and come short of the glory of God, but there will be a drastic change in our lives.

Nicodemus was an educated Pharisee but he couldn’t grasp the truths of salvation. It is beyond our ability to grasp all Jesus has done for us and continues to do in us. The new birth is the supernatural work of God in the heart of man, a miracle that can neither be explained nor controlled.

Jesus gives a simple illustration: The wind blows where it wishes; we hear the sound of the wind and can even see its effects, but we cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with our salvation. We feel the conviction of the Spirit and we visibly see the effects of a changed life, and yet we have no idea all that the Spirit is doing in our lives or where He is leading us.

Much of what we’ve received is a wonderful mystery. 

As an illustration of man’s lost condition, dead men are blind and Jesus said that unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul adds that “the god of this age (the devil) has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4) Again dead men are deaf, and the Prophet Jeremiah says, of people who are not right with God: “ Their ears are closed so that they cannot hear.” (Jeremiah 6:10) And to take one more illustration, a dead body soon becomes decayed and unclean and the Bible teaches that even at our best we are unclean in God’s sight until we are born again.  

And who can say “ I have kept my heart pure, I am clean and without sin?”. (Proverbs 20:9) 

No one.

The Book of Revelation says concerning Heaven: “Nothing impure will ever enter it…” It would be obvious that for a man to get right with God something radical needs to happen. He must be born again.

Jesus reveals there is only one way to enter into the Kingdom of God. A man must be born again. The phrase “unless a man be born again” is imperative telling us “there are no other options;” Jesus is the only way! We must be born again. It is absolutely necessary. A person of the same stature as Nicodemus would presume he was likely to enter God’s Kingdom. But Jesus said, “You must be born again.”  The implication is clear. Nicodemus should not rely upon his own personal righteousness, merit and religiosity as his passage to God’s kingdom. He needs to repent of his sins and believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. 

And he did because he became a follower of Christ. ( See John 19:39, John 7:50-51)

MERCIES

 As shadows of night

Give way to dawn’s light

God opens the door

To a brand new day

And with it come mercies

From His  gracious hands

For giving new mercies

Is always His way.

-D de Haan

This, in spite  of the stormy days…

BLINDED

 4 The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like.

-2 Corinthians 4:4 (CEV)

12 Be attentive, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, and you depart from the living God.

-Hebrews 3:12

WOEFUL INVERSION

 WOEFUL INVERSION

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

-Isaiah 5:20-21 KJV

… That is, in essence, the nature of fallen humanity—to believe lies, to overturn right and wrong, and to replace God’s holy standard with a flawed and feeble one of its own design. 

- Dr. John MacArthur

Christian writer Erik Jones remarkably observes: “As we look at society today, we see a cultural landscape that has veered further and further from any semblance of biblically based morality. The slide into secularism—the idea that humanity can define morality apart from any divine spiritual guidance—has accelerated rapidly in the last two decades.”

Reversing God's standards of right and wrong characterizes the times we live in.   The irrepressible advance of an inverted culture better describes  post modern society. The Prophet Isaiah already condemned this woeful inversion during his time. The German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche  perhaps inspired the appearance of this phenomenon in his philosophical theory of transvaluation of values, wherein new values would be created and recreated by the new types of “superior thinkers”.   It presents  the  deceptive picture of the "modern morality" promoting values derived from godless assumptions, rationalization, and cultural evolution, giving it the appearance of rightness, and social acceptability. 

The moral relativists" of the modern day redefine moral standards, as they teach the ungodly idea that  right is now called wrong, and wrong is now called right. The goal of an inverted culture is to make right the very things the Bible calls sin.  It's a culture that makes true the very things we know are a lie.  It's a culture that insidiously pushes the agenda of worldly values and man centered world view as opposed to God’s standard of truth.  

…Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ( John 8:12) 

But many will be offended by the truth. “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:20).

Cultural relativism persuades us that there is no right or wrong, good or evil. Truth is based on one’s own opinions and preferences, and it can be adapted according to certain situations. 

So we hear the lying politician justify his lies by saying it was only a misappreciation of facts.  The dishonest manager putting an excuse for his embezzlement by saying it was a moment of personal weakness. The tyrant who orders genocide and extrajudicial killings saying the ends justifies the means. The man who flaunts his illicit relationship as an act between two consenting adults.

Calling good “evil” and evil “good” is a sure sign of spiritual wickedness at work: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

The great Evangelist Dr. Billy Graham expressed it well, “Honesty was once the hallmark of character. But it has been set aside with an “It’s all right as long as you don’t get caught” philosophy. How do we get our values so mixed up?…

“In one of novelist John Steinbeck’s books, he has a character saying: ‘If it succeeds, they will be thought not crooked but clever.’ In our desire to achieve success quickly, it is easy to get our values mixed up and call evil good and good evil.

“Another way to call evil good is to say that morals are relative. Someone has said: “As the occasion, so the behavior.” We have changed our moral code to fit our behavior instead of changing our behavior to harmonize with our moral code. Nothing is firm today. We are not on solid ground. Young people are shifting from one side to the other. Morally, they are drifting aimlessly without compass or guide”.

The wave of inversion is slowly gaining ground, in the way our society redefines the time honored Christian principles  pertaining to marriage, marital relationships,  family relations, sex,  value of human life, godly child rearing, accountability of freedom of choice, and the objective reality of sin. 

We see the influence of the creeping inverted culture characterized by the irrational denial of the physical reality in favor of every conceivable human imagination; rejection of natural law for experiential approach to morality; twisting Biblical truth to mean its opposite.

Such an inversion of God's principles elevates cultural norms as standard of behavior, thoughts and beliefs. Without the divine standards of God, a good thing can be reinterpreted as something evil, while an immoral act  can be twisted into something that actually appears to be good. Without an absolute standard of divine justice, false human reasoning and uncontrolled passion can rationalize and justify almost any act, as in the case of Hitler’s Nazi Germany which came up with a deluded  “moral imperative “for mass murder. 

Much of the crime and immorality that afflicts modern society goes right back to similar personal and societal redefinitions of right and wrong.

LAW IN THE BIBLE

 Law in the Bible

The Bible has a lot to say about the law, which some lawyers may be unfamiliar with, because it is understood in the theological sense. Lawyers speak about the law all the time, so theoretically when the law is mentioned in the Bible, the embodying legal principle of power and authority is essentially similar in the secular understanding of law. 

God is the God of order. From the beginning of time God designed all creation with order, harmony, and ordained the laws of nature and by His Sovereign power sustains all things. (Hebrews 1:3) 

In dealing with His chosen race, the Hebrew people, God ordained the Law that would govern His people. Unlike the legal systems that we have where laws are legislated or decreed by man, God is the Source of this Law, made known to the great Patriarch Moses. 

The law of Moses or what is described as Mosaic Law  is the first five books of the Bible, known as the Torah (Hebrew for “law”), also called the Pentateuch (Greek for “five books”). More strictly speaking, the Law of Moses refers only to the 600-plus commandments and regulations in the second through fifth books of the Torah. We often refer to the commandments as “the Law of Moses”; of course, they are actually the Law of God. Moses was the one through whom God gave Israel the law.

The Law of Moses has three general applications: Moral Laws, Civil Laws and Ceremonial Laws. . 

Moral laws declare God’s holy, unchanging character. The moral laws included the Ten Commandments.

Civil laws were regulations on the day-to-day life of the Hebrew people. It deals with pragmatic aspects of civil order to preserve the nation until the coming of the Messia. These laws govern persons and their interpersonal relation like such things as marriage and divorce, sexual conduct, and property rights and set the penalties for various crimes ranging from theft to kidnapping to slander.

Ceremonial laws related to the manner that the Israelites were to worship God. The ceremonial laws instructed on the proper way to offer sacrifices, perform rituals, and celebrate festivals. The laws governing what was “clean” and “unclean” were in this category.

The Mosaic Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel (Exodus 19; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 9:4). 

The purpose of the Mosaic Law among others was to accomplish the following: 1) Reveal the holy character of the eternal God to the nation of Israel (Leviticus 19:2; 20:7–8). 2) Set apart the nation of Israel as distinct from all the other nations (Exodus 19:5). 3) Reveal the sinfulness of man (cf. Galatians 3:19). Although the Law was good and holy (Romans 7:12), it did not provide salvation for the nation of Israel. “No one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20; cf. Acts 13:38–39). 4) Reveal to humanity that no one can keep the Law but everyone falls short of God’s standard of holiness. That realization causes us to rely on God’s mercy and grace. When Christ came, He fulfilled the Law and with His death paid the penalty for our breaking it (Galatians 3:24; Romans 10:4). By faith in Him, the believer has the very righteousness of Christ imputed to him.

Israel was never to be saved by keeping the Law (Romans 3:20). The Law was meant to govern their earthly lives, to define sin, and to point to the coming Savior. Neither did the Law change the provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant. 

Obedience to this law was commanded’ of God’s people as they attempted to merit His favor and blessing. After all, Israel was His special people, and they were bound together in a solemn covenant with Him. So the laws are not just some rules but essentially covenantal. When the law was transgressed, the covenant was broken, and so was the relationship with God! That’s why the law occupied such a huge place in the life of Israel. In order to restore the broken relationship, sacrifices were required and penalties were prescribed. Yet all these sacrifices were really inadequate. They have to be done repeatedly every time the people transgressed the law which they often did. 

This sacrificial inadequacy was later fully satisfied when the Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself as the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the just punishment of man’s sin.

In the New Testament we find the phrase “the law and the prophets”. The phrase the law and the prophets refers to the entire Old Testament, which comprises the Torah (the first five Books) and the rest of the Old Testament described as the Prophets. 

Jesus made reference to “the law and the prophets”. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus remarkably pointed out that he is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

On the Emmaus Road, Jesus taught two disciples “everything written about himself in the Scriptures, beginning with the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets” (Luke 24:27, CEV). 

It is clear that the Old Testament comprising the two fold division: “the law and the prophets,” pointed to Jesus. 

When Philip invited his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus, he referred to the whole of Hebrew Scripture in its two-fold division: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45, NET). 

Philip was right that all of Scripture has a common theme: the Messiah, the Son of God, who is Jesus. 

Jesus fulfilled the moral requirements of the law: He perfectly obeyed all the commandments, showcasing an unblemished character and establishing the perfect example of how humans should live according to God's will.

Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial aspects of the law: He served as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, rendering the animal sacrifices and rituals prescribed by the Mosaic Law unnecessary. His death and resurrection opened a new way for humanity to be reconciled with God.

Jesus fulfilled the prophetic aspects of the law: Throughout the Old Testament, numerous prophecies pointed to the coming of a Messiah who would redeem and fulfill God's plan for salvation. Jesus was the fulfillment of these prophecies.

The llife, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished what the law could not. Through faith in Christ and his finished work, believers are no longer bound to the requirements of the Mosaic Law, but instead find salvation, forgiveness, and righteousness in him.

Christ is the perfection of the law. Jesus fulfilled the Law of Moses in every respect (Matthew 5:17). With the coming of Christ, the Law of Moses had achieved its purpose (Galatians 3:23–25), and now that Old Covenant of animal sacrifices is replaced by the New Covenant of faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14). “We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).  “Christ is the end of the law” (Romans 10:4).

INFLATED DISSATISFACTION

 Our consumer culture highlights what we don’t have. Ingenious commercial promotion, advertising and aggressive social media marketing, are designed to inflate our desires deluding us that we need more of the things we don’t have and sending us subliminal messages that what we have aren’t enough or good enough; that we are missing out on the good life.. It inflates dissatisfaction and envy, greed and covetousness. This worldly appeal to human desire  is spoken of in the Bible as the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16)

God wants us to be content with what we have. (Philippians 4:11) One who is content has plenty of peace of mind, far greater than any material gain. One who inordinately feeds his wants soon gets tired of things, feels empty and stays unsatisfied. The French Philosopher Albert Camus once observed: “Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity.” The hedonistic outlook is not supported by Scripture. In the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer delves deep into the folly of chasing pleasure: “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.’ . . . I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 10). But in the end the verdict was that “everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” 

The great Apostle Paul in his instruction to the young Apostle Timothy said,  “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” ( 1 Timothy 6:6-9). 

In verse 9, the good Apostle is not speaking of the generally wealthy man but of one who is not even wealthy but is consumed by the unmitigated lust for wealth or an already wealthy man but similarly consumed and possessed by the desire to amass more  regardless of the means. The consequence is tragic.

STANDING FIRM

 

STANDING FIRM

 

1 Corinthians 15:57-58

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.(NIV)

The great Apostle Paul frequently uses the phrase, “Thanks be to God” in his Epistles.

In Romans 6:17 he said,  “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient…

In Romans 7:25 he said, “ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

In 2 Corinthians 2:14, he said,  “But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”

Thanks be to God is also recited in responsorial liturgy during worship. The word “thanks” in the Greek efcharisto is our word for grace. We are grateful for God’s grace.

Thanks be to God who (present tense - continually) gives us the victory. This is in the present tense participle so another way of saying it is “thanks be to God who keeps on giving us victory” Note the present tense participle (continually giving). This is good news for it emphasizes the certainty of the victory.

Victory “through our Lord (kurios, kyrios) Jesus (Iesous yesous) Christ  (Christos) - Through is the preposition  indicating that this victory "flows" from the throne (the Father) through the Son to His own! Notice Paul uses the full Name, the Lord Jesus Christ. Every spiritual victory we will ever experience in this life comes through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Be steadfast . . . in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain. —1 Corinthians 15:58

To be steadfast means to be faithful to the Lord and to His teachings. To keep going. To be immovable. Paul was concerned about  the tendency of the Corinthians to compromise their behavior and beliefs for the sake of culture in which they live. To be “always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Paul has been clear that God gives each believer ways in which to serve Him, and the believer should work with enthusiasm because the work is guaranteed to continue through all time.

A preacher who was growing weary in the ministry had a dream. He saw himself pounding away at a huge chunk of granite with a pick-axe. It was his job to break it into small pieces. But hard as he tried, he couldn’t chip off even a tiny piece. At last, tired and disappointed, he decided to give up.

Just then a stranger appeared and said, “Weren’t you given orders to do that work? Your duty is to give your best regardless of what happens.” The preacher, with a renewed determination, lifted the pick-axe high in the air and gave the granite a crushing blow. It broke into a thousand pieces. He had almost quit—one blow too soon. The Lord wants us to keep working at our God-given task no matter how difficult it might be. Even when success seems remote or impossible, we are to remain steadfast, assured that there will be an ample reward for those who persevere.

The Lord wants us to keep working at our God-given task no matter how difficult it might be. Even when success seems remote or impossible, we are to remain steadfast, assured that there will be an ample reward for those who persevere.

St. Paul spoke of God's wonderful assurancee: “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). 

So this is the Exhortation. In faith be steadfast; in trial be unmovable;  in work be always abounding.

This is the encouragement. Your work is in the Lord; your labour is not in vain;  your triumph is sure, “He giveth us the victory.”