As believers we have been justified by faith. But those who do not know Jesus must understand that `the law was put in charge` to lead them to Christ. Without this understanding they can never come to a true saving faith in Christ. If unsaved people don`t hear the law of God or understand its precepts, they come to Christ without the law and for the wrong reasons. They might have made a decision in order to get a better life, but they have not come in reality to Christ, they've just made a decision, had a false conversion. The bible says only the law can bring them to Christ.
1 Timothy 1:8 says `We know that the law is good if one uses it properly` We do not live under the law as Christians because we are released from it. The purpose of the law is to alert unbelievers to the wrath and judgment of God that is to come.
WE MUST COME UNDER THE LAW TO BE SET FREE FROM IT!!!
When people don`t understand the law and the judgment to come we can`t talk to them about the need to be saved. They`ll say `Saved? saved from what?' Once they see they're going to be judged by the righteous standards of the law, they they want to flee to grace. They want to be saved from judgment. This is the best-kept secret in hell because most of the church does not use the law for conversion.
Romans 7:7 says, ' What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.' The bible says clearly with the Ten Commandments nobody will know what sin is. The is how the law leads people to Christ. The makes people aware of their sin and how they have fallen short of God's standards. Most unsaved people would say they don't believe in the Ten Commandments. They think it is old fashioned morality that is irrelevant in our sophisticated, modern, secular, humanistic society. It's our job to help them see that they do in fact believe in the Ten Commandments
Romans 7:7 says, ' What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.' The bible says clearly with the Ten Commandments nobody will know what sin is. The is how the law leads people to Christ. The makes people aware of their sin and how they have fallen short of God's standards. Most unsaved people would say they don't believe in the Ten Commandments. They think it is old fashioned morality that is irrelevant in our sophisticated, modern, secular, humanistic society. It's our job to help them see that they do in fact believe in the Ten Commandments
Unsaved people are under the law--They just don't know it!
If we were to ask them what they think should happen to someone who was a serial killer and rapist they would at the very least say "Lock him up in jail." We can then tell them they do believe in the Ten Commandments. The sixth commandment is "You shall not murder" Their inner conviction is that murder is wrong and deserves to be punished. Any law, without consequence if you break it, is not a law but just 'good advice'
The Ten Commandments
The sixth commandment is 'You shall not murder' Most people you witness to will excuse themselves from this one, but Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 5:21,22 that anyone who is angry with his brother receives the same judgment as one who murders.
The seventh commandment is 'You shall not commit adultery' This refers to sex outside of marriage in any form with any partner. The bible clearly states that the only place for sex is within marriage between a man and a woman. Matthew 5:28 says, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" Jesus is saying that just looking makes a person guilty.
The eighth commandment is 'You shall not steal' What makes a person a thief? Is it the value of the thing that you steal or the act of stealing itself? You are a thief because you steal...
The ninth commandment is 'You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor' This means you can no lies, exaggerations or fibs. There's no such thing as a white lie because there's not white murder, white adultery or white stealing. Everyone will admit to having lied at one point or another...
The tenth commandment is 'You shall not covet' The bible elaborates on how this refers to coveting any of another person's possessions and includes jealousy, envy, lust, greed and materialism...
The law has to be put in charge again to lead people to Christ. We need to help people understand the Ten Commandments step by step so they can have a genuine conversion. Were not just giving them good advice, but showing them that they are under God's law and there are consequences for breaking this law.
The first commandment is ' You shall have no other gods before me' We can ask, "Have you loved God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength your whole life, since birth put him first at all times?" God wants nothing to come between us and him...
The second commandment is ' You shall not make for yourself an idol' God does not want us to make idols with our hands or our minds. All the graven images we have made in our minds, all the things we have done in secret will be brought out into the open on the day of judgment...
The third commandment is 'You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God' Many unsaved people use the name of Lord as a filthy swear word. Just using it once is enough to break it...
The fourth commandment is 'Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy' The bible is clear in Romans 14 that the church does not have to keep the Jewish Sabbath, but is free to choose any day for the Sabbath, a day to reflect on the goodness of God and all that we have.
The fifth commandment is 'Honor your father and your mother' This means to value them even if they're not the best father or mother. Many people dishonor their parents in both word and deed, through hurt, resentment or rebellion.
The first commandment is ' You shall have no other gods before me' We can ask, "Have you loved God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength your whole life, since birth put him first at all times?" God wants nothing to come between us and him...
The second commandment is ' You shall not make for yourself an idol' God does not want us to make idols with our hands or our minds. All the graven images we have made in our minds, all the things we have done in secret will be brought out into the open on the day of judgment...
The third commandment is 'You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God' Many unsaved people use the name of Lord as a filthy swear word. Just using it once is enough to break it...
The fourth commandment is 'Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy' The bible is clear in Romans 14 that the church does not have to keep the Jewish Sabbath, but is free to choose any day for the Sabbath, a day to reflect on the goodness of God and all that we have.
The fifth commandment is 'Honor your father and your mother' This means to value them even if they're not the best father or mother. Many people dishonor their parents in both word and deed, through hurt, resentment or rebellion.
The sixth commandment is 'You shall not murder' Most people you witness to will excuse themselves from this one, but Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 5:21,22 that anyone who is angry with his brother receives the same judgment as one who murders.
The seventh commandment is 'You shall not commit adultery' This refers to sex outside of marriage in any form with any partner. The bible clearly states that the only place for sex is within marriage between a man and a woman. Matthew 5:28 says, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" Jesus is saying that just looking makes a person guilty.
The eighth commandment is 'You shall not steal' What makes a person a thief? Is it the value of the thing that you steal or the act of stealing itself? You are a thief because you steal...
The ninth commandment is 'You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor' This means you can no lies, exaggerations or fibs. There's no such thing as a white lie because there's not white murder, white adultery or white stealing. Everyone will admit to having lied at one point or another...
The tenth commandment is 'You shall not covet' The bible elaborates on how this refers to coveting any of another person's possessions and includes jealousy, envy, lust, greed and materialism...
IT ONLY TAKES ONCE
After we have gone through the Ten Commandments with the unsaved person, we then need to help them see how they've personally fall short. James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" We need to tell them, 'Now this is the God's going to judge you on the day of judgment. If you break one law your guilty and will be judged" They must be conscious of the fact that they are wrong before they can see that their only hope is what Jesus did on the cross for them. You have to know you are a sinner before you value the cross... If measured by man's standards and not by the standards of God's law. They will not see the need to be forgiven. That is why they must measure by God's law. When someone has been led to Jesus through the law, grace suddenly has major significance in their lives. After examining themselves in the light of each of the Ten Commandments, and realizing that breaking only one of them makes them a prime candidate for judgment and punishment, grace seems very appealing. The grace of God takes on major importance because they have felt the weight of the law. Grace releases them from the burden of having to keep the law.
-Rob Rufus "Living in the Grace of God"
I just had to write that out because of the revealation that God brought to me through it. Through the study of Grace, through His word he constantly challenges me. Thank you God for your Grace, for your love and your understanding.
Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners , Christ died for us."
-Rob Rufus "Living in the Grace of God"
I just had to write that out because of the revealation that God brought to me through it. Through the study of Grace, through His word he constantly challenges me. Thank you God for your Grace, for your love and your understanding.
Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners , Christ died for us."
1 comments:
Dude,
That is so cool!!! We just had cell last night and we discussed then played a DVD from www.wayofthemaster.com . Absolutely repeating what you posted here. I think Hell's Best Kept Secret might be a title on their site as well. Rock on brother. Good stuff.
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