Basic HTML Version
WAY, which seems good to him, but brings every unhappiness,
suffering, and sorrow! It's the difference between the AUTHORITY
and the GOVERNMENT OF GOD (which God allows man voluntarily to
accept or reject), and the government and ways of man.
This difference was shown in the days of ancient Israel.
They had rejected God, set up the two golden calves, deposed God's
priests and installed in office the priests of the pagan idolatrous
god BAAL. Then God sent ELIJAH to show that The ETERNAL is the
living, RULING GOD, who made the fire come down from heaven!
Elijah restored the LAW and the AUTHORITY of GOD as SUPREME RULER!
How different was GOD'S WORK of that day thru Elijah from the work
and message of Baal's prophets?
How DIFFERENT was the work of God thru John the Baptist and
thru Christ, from that of the established religious movements of
that day? The Pharisees and Pseudocyst and other religious groups
had departed FAR from the religion GOD had given them thru Moses.
They had adopted their own traditions and customs. They turned the
sacrifices and rituals of the Law of Moses into a paganized PENANCE
by which they believed they EARNED justification from sin. They
made GOD'S LAW of no effect by their human TRADITIONS. This was
the religion called "Judaism."
In such a world, what was the work and Message of God thru
John the Baptist? His was the Message of REPENTANCE---but what is
repentance? It means to CHANGE THE MIND by TURNING FROM
disobedience! John cried out for people to REPENT of rebellion
against the LAW OF GOD---the AUTHORITY OF GOD!
God has never had but the ONE MESSAGE! God is SUPREME RULER
OF THE UNIVERSE! Sin is the transgression of GOD'S LAWS! Christ
died only because we have rebelled against the rule of God,
transgressed HIS LAWS. Redemption is restoration of the AUTHORITY
OF GOD in our lives, so that we may be begotten and later born into
the KINGDOM of God---the GOD FAMILY---the GOVERNMENT of God!
HOW DIFFERENT was the Message of Jesus? He taught THE WAY of
THE LAW of God---the AUTHORITY of the living GOD---REPENTANCE of
transgression of that government of God. The organized religions
of His day had their church forms, which were the "traditions of
MEN," (Judaism), as opposed to the LAWS of GOD!
How different was the Message of the APOSTLES? Were they
just "another one of the religious movements?" "REPENT!" shouted
the inspired Peter, and "BELIEVE!" "He that saith, 'I know Him,'
and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him," said John. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and
yet offend in one point, is GUILTY of all," said James. Paul
assailed Judaism (traditions of men), but thundered out REPENTANCE
toward God and FAITH toward Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21---preaching
the KINGDOM OF GOD, as did they all!
Then began the great apostasy---the falling away from the
truth which all prophecy foretold. They began preaching ABOUT a
different Jesus---a Jesus who "did away with His Father's law,"---
a puny man with long hair and a beard (when GOD'S WORD says plainly