As I stated at the beginning of this blog, I was grieved to hear someone that says that they love Christ to now have heard along with others the call to ‘walk away from the law”.....and it was argued by one of the ‘others’ thatChrist has now TRANSMUTED the law into a HIGHER LAW OF LOVE..... and now this ‘law of love’ doesn’t judge anyone or anything.
I like what Stephen Jones has to say to this.......
“Lawlessness is an attitude of the heart. It is despising the law. It is setting aside the law, as if God no longer requires obedience. Or it is thinking that God has put away the “old law” in favor of another law. Usually, Christian lawlessness takes the form of teaching that Jesus substituted a new law of “love” for the “old law,” as if the law of Moses were based upon hatred and vengeance.
This view is based upon a complete misunderstanding of the law. The law of Moses was based totally upon love. For example, to love one's neighbor meant that one should not steal from him, or murder him, or covet any of his property. These laws define love in specific ways. Without those specific laws, men might justify their theft, murder, or covetousness. Without specific laws, men justify usury, when God calls it theft. They justify adultery in the name of love. They justify homosexual relations in the name of love. They justify the prison system in the name of “law and order.” Even ministers justify their covetous practices in stealing money from people by fraud and deceit in their fund-raising efforts. Many well-known healing evangelists charge money for people to go on stage and be prayed for their healing. They have outdone Balaam! “
Stephen Jones goes on to say...
”It is true, however, that the law itself does not define the highest form of love called agape love. The law merely defines phileo love. These are Greek words found in the New Testament, both translated “love.” Phileo love means “brotherly love.” Agape love is divine love, for it is unconditional.
Phileo love is the type of love that is found between brothers. When children grow up together, they must learn to respect the rights of their brothers and sisters. Parents find themselves each day acting as referees to settle small legal disputes between siblings. This may become tiresome for the parents, but it is extremely important to the children as they come into maturity. Every time a dispute is settled, the parent is teaching the children the difference between right and wrong. The parent is teaching property rights. The parent is teaching the law.
Phileo love is thus a legal love. It teaches a fifty-fifty relationship between siblings. The law establishes the boundaries between each child's side of the room. The law backs up each child's rights to own certain toys or clothing. The law disciplines each child that hurts another or steals from his brother or sister.
Parents may tire of such discipline, but without laws, a child will grow up to think that the whole world is his. If a child grows up with injustice continually perpetrated upon him, he will think that the world is a very unjust place, and he will respond in kind. His creed will be to “do unto others before they do unto you.”
He will think he has the natural right to do as he pleases, and no one else has any right to stop him from taking what he wants. In short, he grows up to be a criminal, because he believes that others have no respect for his rights, and so he has no respect for the rights of others either. This is why it is so vital that children be treated lovingly and judiciously when they are young. They must learn phileo love in order to prepare them to learn agape love.
Agape love is a mature, unconditional love. Those who are spiritually mature are able to love others regardless of how unlovable they may be. They are capable of loving even those who abuse them. They do not view others in terms of good and evil, but as people who are future neighbors in the kingdom of God, future believers in Christ. Therefore, they are able to do what they can to assist such people in whatever way possible to grow into spiritual maturity.
The law of Moses alone is insufficient in bringing a person into the maturity of agape love. The law defines your rights according to phileo love, so phileo love is obtained by learning the divine law. But the grace of agape love comes through knowing the Lawgiver, Jesus Christ. It comes by relationship, not by knowledge of what Jesus said. And yet, true agape love cannot be obtained apart from learning the basics of phileo love in the divine law." (Stephen Jones endquote).
Ah, this is the crux of the entire matter......THE CROSS. As believers this is how we show our ultimate brotherly love......in the direction of the cross. We are shown the PATTERN of what GREAT LOVE DOES.......
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt16:24.
1John 3:16 echoes this.....
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matt16:24.
1John 3:16 echoes this.....
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
My brother Jack Hennessey has a favorite quote.....’the wheels within the wheel’......giving forth the understanding of the CIRCULARITY of GOD......and I too am captured by the wheels within the wheel.....for as HE IS SO ARE WE in the earth.
What QUALIFIED Jesus to BE MADE Priest after the order of Melchizedek? Hebrews chpt. 3 tells us....
My brother Jack Hennessey has a favorite quote.....’the wheels within the wheel’......giving forth the understanding of the CIRCULARITY of GOD......and I too am captured by the wheels within the wheel.....for as HE IS SO ARE WE in the earth.
What QUALIFIED Jesus to BE MADE Priest after the order of Melchizedek? Hebrews chpt. 3 tells us....
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.
Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future.
But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.” (Hebrews chpt 3).
So my beloved, the Word makes it very clear as to who share in the Heavenly calling of being after the order of Melchizedek and it is THOSE that are FAITHFUL OVER GOD’S HOUSE.
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” (Heb 3:12-14)
Over the last several days the Lord gave me an assignment to go out into the HEARTLAND (Hard-land) and bring back a report of what I see......just as Caleb and Joshua did long ago.
So as His Heavenly Spy I did just that. I perused the landscape of a particular forum that have many people that have fallen to the poison and deceit of Mr. Lawlessness and have left their FIRST LOVE.
Over the last several days the Lord gave me an assignment to go out into the HEARTLAND (Hard-land) and bring back a report of what I see......just as Caleb and Joshua did long ago.
So as His Heavenly Spy I did just that. I perused the landscape of a particular forum that have many people that have fallen to the poison and deceit of Mr. Lawlessness and have left their FIRST LOVE.
I was overjoyed to find that there is still a REMNANT in the land......and that there are those who are of the HOLY GROUND found in Christ Jesus. The word tells us that the Lord will give us EVERYWHERE our FEET TREAD.....and so with that very promise I claimed the Heartland for the Kingdom of our Lord.....that the hearts of the disobedient children WILL turn to the fathers.
Jezebel let Mr. Lawlessness aboard the SHIP of the Heartland...but she has now been THROWN DOWN.....and those that have been passengers aboard the HEARTLAND SHIP have now become aware of it’s real name,,, the TITANIC.... and all those that have heeded the warning of the Lord’s PROPHET to ABANDON SHIP will find refuge in the arms of their TRUE LOVE once again.
The Lord still has His Elijah’s calling out to all who will listen...... and the message is still the same.....Keep your Heart for JESUS alone, give Him the preeminence in all things, keep it pure, spotless, and without wrinkle, for it has WRITTEN upon it the very LAW of God and this took place when your BRIDEGROOM shed his blood for you.
Eliyah
(Eliyah, her husband, Mordekai
along with their four young children
reside in Mississippi)
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