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May a Christian
Break
the Letter of
GOD'SLAW?
What is the di.fference between the "spirit" and the "letter" of the law? God wants you to keep
His commandments. Satan wishes you to break them. How does the devil deceive the
world-and sorne Christians-into breaking God's law?
ome think you only
need to keep the "spir–
it" of God's law.
Others believe you
always obey the
trict "letter." Both
views are incorrect.
Does God want you to keep the
"spirit" or the "letter" of His com–
mandments? Or does He want you to
keep
both
the "spirit" and the "Jet–
ter" of His law?
Sorne believe the keeping of God's
Ten Commandments is
unnecessary
for salvation. Many professing Chris–
tians believe they should keep
nine
of
the commandments, the exception
being the Sabbath command.
Still others profess to believe in
"the Ten," but break the first and
second commandments by reverenc–
ing idols, break the fourth command–
ment by substituting a counterfeit
sabbath, or break other of "the Ten"
by their actual belief and practices.
A Decei ved World
Your Bible reveals that Satan has
deceived the "whole world."
And the Founder of Christianity
warned: "Take heed that no man de–
ceive you" (Matt. 24:4). Further-
18
by
Raymond F. McNair
more, He foretold that "many false
prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive
many"(verse
11).
Paul also sounded the alarm:
" But," said he, "evil men and
seduc–
ers
shall wax worse and worse, de–
ceiving, and being deceived" (II Tim.
3: 13).
The apostle John, even in his day,
had to warn of "many antichrists"
(1 John 2: 18). He therefore admon–
ished: "Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they
are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world"
(1John4:1).
Peter also foretold great apostasy:
"But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall
be false teachers among you, who
privi ly shall bring in damnable here–
sies ..."
( JI
Peter 2:1 ).
Would they be .successful in lead–
ing multitudes into error? "And
many
shall follow their pernicious
ways; by reason of whom the way of
tru th shall be evil spoken of' ' (verse
2).
False teachers, with cunning de–
ceptions, would become so diabolical–
ly etfective, said Christ, that "if it
were possible, they shall
deceive the
very elect"
(Matt. 24:24). Already,
sorne of the "very elect" have lis-
tened to "false teachers" and have
been caught off balance.
The Ten Commandments
Js obedience to the Ten Command–
ments necessary for salvation?
What did J esus say?
When a young man asked Him
what he must do to receive eterna!
life, He told him to "keep the com–
mandments" (Matt. 19:16, 17; cf.,
Mark 10:17-19).
Christ mentioned five of the Ten
Commandments (Matt. 19:18, 19),
and then quoted one of the two
"great" commandments (see Matt.
22:36-40): "Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself'' (Matt. 19: 19).
Of course, thc other five command–
ments were just as binding as the five
which Christ specifically enumer–
ated.
Furthermore, Jesus knew some
would fa1se1y teach that He came to
"do away with" the commandments
of God. He said: "Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the
prophets:
1
am not come to destroy,
but to fulfil" (Matt. 5:17).
Then He warned: "Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these
least commandments,
and shall
teach men so, he shall be called the
least in the kingdom of heaven: but
The
PLAIN TRUTH September 1979