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"doing our own thing" on that day.
We are to cease from our physical
labors- just as God did after His six–
day creation (Gen. 2:1-3; Heb. 4:4) .
In other words, we must learn to
keep the Sabbath in the
spirit,
ac–
cording to God's original intent, but
we must also keep the
literal
seventh
day. We cannot keep the Sabbath in
our hearts, and at the same time do
our normal work or business, porsue
worldly pleasures or other activities
not in keeping with the spi rit or in–
tent of that holy day.
Of course, there might be times
when one would have to break the
"no-work" letter of the Sabbath in
order to keep the spirit or intent of
that day. Examples would include
emergencies or saving human life on
that day-even if it meant doing
hard work.
Saved
by
Grace
No amount of good works or com–
mandment keeping, no kind of legal
observance (whether the Ten Com–
mandments or the ceremonial, sacri–
ficial or ritualistic laws) can possibly
justify
us. Keeping any law cannot
forgive us for the
past sins
(the viola–
tions of the spiritual law of God)
which we have committed.
This is where the sacrifice of Christ
comes in. Christ's substitutionary
death was sufficient to pay the penalty
for all the sins which mankind has ever
committed or will commit. Therefore
it is truly "by
grace
[that] ye are
saved" (Eph. 2:5).
Grace
means something which is
freely given.
lt
is by God's free gift of
forgiveness that our guilty past is
wiped clean. [t is by His free gift of
the Holy Spirit that we receive the
strength élnd power to live a godly life
in the future.
So it is by His
grace
(His free
gift)
that we are saved- not by our own
works. But many other scriptures
show that we must obey God- we
must have good works: "For by
grace
are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the
gift
of God:
Not of
works,
lest any man should
boast. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto
good
works,
which God hath before or–
dained that we should walk in them"
(Eph. 2:8-10).
The
PLAIN TRUTH September 1979
A Commandment-Keeping Church
Though no amount of commandment
keeping will save anyone, nonetheless
God commands obedience. We are
told to keep His commandments.
Jesus Christ inspired His servant
John to write: "And hereby we do
know that we know him, if we keep
his commandments. He that saith, 1
know him, and keepeth not his com–
mandments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him"
(J
John 2:3, 4).
But the Christian is to go beyond
what is commanded- to go beyond
"duty" (Luke 17: 10). "And what–
soever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments,
and oo those things that are pleasing
in his sight" (1 John 3:22). Further–
more, this same apostle was inspired
to reveal tha-t God's true Church
would be a commandment-keeping
Church (Rev. 12:17; 14:12).
Is commandment keeping impor–
tant? Does God intend that we keep
His Ten Commandments- all ten?
Will we be blessed if we keep His
commandments-or will we, as sorne
would have you believe, be under a
terrible
curse?
What does God say?
"8/essed
are they that
do
his
com–
mandments ,
that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city"
(Rev. 22: 14). Notice that this verse
does not say, "Biessed are those who
keep
sorne
of his commandments."
When Jesus told the rich young
man tó "keep the commandments,"
He clearly referred to the spiritual
(or commonly called "moral") law of
God (Matt. 19:16-19).
Will
Wy
repent of sin- repent of
breaking God's spiritual law? God
commands us to repent- to quit
sin–
ning-to
quit breaking His law
(1
John 3:4).
David, a man after God's own
heart, was inspired to say: "O how
love 1thy
law!
J
t is my meditation all
the day" (Ps. 119:97).
And Isaiah also knew that obe–
dience to the law of God is the only
way to peace, happiness, prosperity
and eterna( life: "O that thou hadst
hearkened to
my commandments!
Then had
thy peace
been as a river ,
and thy righteousness as the waves of
thesea" (lsa. 48: 18) . o
THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
Can you imagine how lite on
this planet would be changed
if every single individual be–
gan living by those ancient
laws known collectively as the
Decalogue? lt would be the
most drastic revolution in hu–
man experience! We invite
you to write for a free booklet
expanding the real meaning
and app lication of th.e Ten
Commandments and explain–
ing how they can change your
lite. For your free copy of
The
Ten Commandments
write to
The Plain Truth
at the office
nearest you.
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