Keeping His Commandments 2
We talked last week about keeping His commandments, and some might say that,
it’s legalism, but the early church shows us, that it is do able and warns us about
not keeping them. The church in the first century “set the world upside down”
(Acts 17:6).
Paul and Peter warned believers to abstain from fornication (I Thessalonians 4:3-
7) “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification that you should abstain
from fornication. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel
in sanctification and honor. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the
Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother
in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have
forewarned you and testified. For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to
holiness”. In I Thessalonians 5:22 it says “Abstain from all appearance of evil”.
In I Peter 2:11-16 it says “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles that, whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God
in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’
s sake whether it be to the king, as supreme. Or to governors, as to them that
are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that
do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God”.
Paul also warns in Hebrews 6:6 “seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of
God afresh, and put Him to an open shame”. In I Timothy 6:11 it says “But you,
O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, meekness”; again in II Timothy 2:19,22-23 says “Let every one
that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity… Flee also youthful lusts, but
follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a
pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do
gender strifes”, and in Hebrews 10:26,29 “For if we sin willfully after that we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins…
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who
has trodden under foot the Son of God, and have counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite to
the Spirit of grace”?
I John 3:3-8 “And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as
He is pure. Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the
transgression of the law. And you know that He was manifested to take away our
sins, and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sins not, whosoever sins
has not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you, he
that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that commits
sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”.
The Bible says by the mouth of two or three witnesses, let a thing be established,
and I have showed you the witness of Paul, Peter and John. John in III John 3-4
commends the believers, “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and
testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth. I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”.
We are told in Hebrews 12:28-29 to serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire”. Acts 5:1-11 tells what happened to
Ananias and Sapphira his wife when they lied to the Holy Spirit.
The early church walked closer to God and was able to do the things that Jesus
told us we would be able to do (John 14;12) “Verily, verily, I say to you, he that
believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than
these shall he do, because I go to My Father”.
Colossians 3:16-17 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father
by Him”. So let us weigh what we say and do considering whether it brings glory
or shame to the Lord.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 1, 2007
We talked last week about keeping His commandments, and some might say that,
it’s legalism, but the early church shows us, that it is do able and warns us about
not keeping them. The church in the first century “set the world upside down”
(Acts 17:6).
Paul and Peter warned believers to abstain from fornication (I Thessalonians 4:3-
7) “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification that you should abstain
from fornication. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel
in sanctification and honor. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the
Gentiles which know not God. That no man go beyond and defraud his brother
in any matter, because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have
forewarned you and testified. For God has not called us to uncleanness, but to
holiness”. In I Thessalonians 5:22 it says “Abstain from all appearance of evil”.
In I Peter 2:11-16 it says “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles that, whereas they speak against you
as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God
in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’
s sake whether it be to the king, as supreme. Or to governors, as to them that
are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that
do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of
maliciousness, but as the servants of God”.
Paul also warns in Hebrews 6:6 “seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of
God afresh, and put Him to an open shame”. In I Timothy 6:11 it says “But you,
O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, meekness”; again in II Timothy 2:19,22-23 says “Let every one
that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity… Flee also youthful lusts, but
follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a
pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do
gender strifes”, and in Hebrews 10:26,29 “For if we sin willfully after that we have
received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins…
Of how much sorer punishment, suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who
has trodden under foot the Son of God, and have counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite to
the Spirit of grace”?
I John 3:3-8 “And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as
He is pure. Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the
transgression of the law. And you know that He was manifested to take away our
sins, and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sins not, whosoever sins
has not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you, he
that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that commits
sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”.
The Bible says by the mouth of two or three witnesses, let a thing be established,
and I have showed you the witness of Paul, Peter and John. John in III John 3-4
commends the believers, “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and
testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walk in the truth. I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”.
We are told in Hebrews 12:28-29 to serve God acceptably with reverence and
godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire”. Acts 5:1-11 tells what happened to
Ananias and Sapphira his wife when they lied to the Holy Spirit.
The early church walked closer to God and was able to do the things that Jesus
told us we would be able to do (John 14;12) “Verily, verily, I say to you, he that
believes on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than
these shall he do, because I go to My Father”.
Colossians 3:16-17 says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father
by Him”. So let us weigh what we say and do considering whether it brings glory
or shame to the Lord.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 1, 2007
