Renewal of Your Mind

The Word by Itself is Dead

October 7, 2010 at 11:08 AM Leave a comment

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Faith is a mixture of believing and acting on words. But the written Word, (also called the letter) by itself is dead.  As the body without the spirit is dead, so is the Word without the Spirit also.

2Cr 3:6 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.

The power is not in the word but in the doing of the word and acting on the word. But it is the Spirit of God that empowers us to do what the Word says. If the power was in the words themselves, then all that would be necessary to remedy any situation or achieve any desired goal, would be to lay the Bible on the situation or just touch your body with the Bible and whatsoever you desire would instantly happen.Jesus spoke many words and likewise, so did God. But many heard the words but not all were affected by the words.

Mat 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

Mat 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

The Word reveals what the will of God is and reveals what is possible. The law reveals what is right and wrong. It reveals what God approves of and what He disapproves, what is permitted and what is not permitted, what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

The law gave us the knowledge of sin. Sin was already in the world running rampant before the law was given. The law simply made known unto man that, what he was already doing is called sin.   Sin is defined by the law and is defined as being the transgression of the law.

Man was actively living contrary to the law but because the law was not in effect, man could not be held legally accountable for his acts of transgressing the law. But once the law was introduced and went into effect, man became accountable for his sins. The law states what is acceptable behavior and whatever behavior is contrary to that qualifies as sin.  The Law also determines what the penalty one would pay for committing sin. For the wages of sin is death.

So is the Law evil because it condemns us to death for sinning? No, Not at all. For before the Law was in effect, man suffered the consequences and effects of sin, but he could not be held legally accountable or punishable. Then the Law came and declared him guilty of sin and sentenced him to death.

But the Law is good, not evil. The Law was written for transgressors. The Law punishes those who violate the Law of Love. The Law is good to those that love God. It works in their favor. But the Law is a terror to those that hate and disobey the Law.

The Law was given to direct us toward love. The Law is about loving God and loving your fellowman. The Law tells us how we should behave towards God and towards each other. It teaches us to treat others the way we want others to treat us. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t covet, don’t steal, don’t hate, hurt, harm, or judge one another. Just be good to one another, help each other to become a better person, treat everyone with love and respect. Go beyond the call of duty. Don’t just love those who love you, but love also your enemies.

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Mat 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Luk 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

Luk 6:28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Luk 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not [to take thy] coat also.

Luk 6:30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask [them] not again.

Luk 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luk 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Luk 6:33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Luk 6:34 And if ye lend [to them] of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

Luk 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.

We are commanded to love one another including our enemies and we are commanded not to judge. That is to say, do not prejudge or condemn anyone to hell prematurely. The person who you prejudge may be the next Paul.

The Law of sin and death will judge those who refuse to obey the Law of Love.

Related Articles

• Love Your Enemies (pjsprayerline.blogspot.com)
• Between the Boy and the Bridge – A Haunting Question (albertmohler.com)

Entry filed under: Article. Tags: Bible, Deryl S. Lampkin, Expounding of the Law, God, Hatred, Jesus, Law, Romance, Sin.