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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 1, 1983
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ETERNITY NOW. We are the FIRSTFRUITS. We are the embryo of the KINGDOM OF
GOD1 We are to be DIFFERENT from the world! It is GOD through Christ who
is judging us right now, once for all eternity!
Before examining specific texts on the subject of make-up, let me sum
marize the PRINCIPLE involved--not only on make-up but on any or all sub
jects of what is right and what is wrong.
God's law defines the WAY of human conduct--first of all, in relation
to God, and secondly to human neighbor. LAW simply means the rules of con
duct. The RULES of a basketball, baseball or football game might be called
the LAWS of those games--the rules that regulate performance.
God's LAW is stated in the one word, LOVE. The word LOVE is a PRIN
CIPLE, and in principle it is opposite to the word LUST. It is LOVE toward
others.
First of all, LOVE toward GOD, in love, worship, and obedience.
Secondly it is love toward other humans.
It cannot be vanity, because
vanity is toward self and puts SELF before God. Love toward and worship of
God in itself is the PRINCIPLE of humility, not self-glory or vanity or
coveting. It is love toward neighbor in the spirit of outgoing CONCERN for
neighbor's welfare and good--of cooperation, serving, helping, sharing. It
also may be love toward self in the sense or principle of concern for the
physical and mental and spiritual welfare of the body and mind, which is the
temple of God's Holy Spirit.
YOU CAN APPLY THAT PRINCIPLE TO ANY QUESTION OF HUMAN CONDUCT. It is
the real answer to the SIN question.
As I write, and THINK on this subject, I am convinced that few under
stand--even in God's true Church--the TRUTH on this SIN question.
A great deal of Protestantism has rubbed off on our people in God's
Church.
Neither the Catholics nor Protestants teach God's Commandments.
Rather, they teach that the law was abolished. If there is no law, then
there is no sin, "for where no law is, there is no transgression" (Rom.
4:15),
and "sin is not imputed when there is no law" (Rom. 5:13) and "sin IS
the transgression of the law" (I John 3:4). But the law of God is SPIRITUAL
( Rom. 7:
14) .
God looks on the heart. But "the heart" as used in.the Biblical sense,
refers to the attitude, the intent or purpose.
Sin results from a wrong
attitude, intent, desire, which is an attitude of mind. Yet sin is also an
act. It is the act of yielding to an attitude, desire or purpose contrary
to LOVE toward God or toward humans.
Vanity violates "love toward and
worship of GOD." It is desire or intent, or attitude of SELF glorification.
SELF wants to glorify itself, not God. VANITY is the root of SIN.
Brethren, this month I shall enter the 92nd year of my life in this
age. I have to realize that I am only a heartbeat away from the end of this
life. For your sake, and the Work's sake, I hope God will allow me con
tinued heartbeats. But I have to look at the state of God's Church realis
tically. I think I see these things more soberly than formerly--perhaps
more soberly than many of you.
Ask yourselves, "Do I really hunger and thirst after God's righteous
ness?" or after being like the world, whose. god is Satan?