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The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe concept of 'One Law' underscores the unity and applicability of God's law to all people, regardless of background. As stated in Exodus 12, God instructs that there shall be one law for the Israelite and for the stranger. This principle rejects the notion of dividing laws based on personal or cultural distinctions, affirming that the same law applies to everyone. The civil laws within the law of Moses, which serve as extensions of the Ten Commandments, are designed to guide and regulate communities in specific areas of life. These laws remain relevant, as Jesus magnified their application from specific to intent, ensuring that not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. Thus, the enduring spirit of these laws continues to govern the lives of all believers, uniting them under a single standard of righteousness as intended by God.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn Galatians, Paul took issue with the Halakhah, not God's word. Halakhah was a massive collection of human opinion that placed a yoke on its followers.
Biblical Principles of Justice (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAll authority for law and justice resides in God; when God is taken out of the picture, darkness and chaos dominate. God's laws create a better life and character.
Refuge! Refuge! (Part One)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe cities of refuge highlight the great importance God placed on the sanctity of life, especially in beings created in God's image.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Gnostics criticized by Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 were guilty of bringing in ritualistic ascetic discipline to propitiate demons.
Do Angels Live Forever? (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe cannot assume that angels are immortal and share the same kind of spirit God Almighty has; we cannot assume they are indestructible.
The Jerusalem Council's Conclusion
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughAt the Jerusalem conference in AD 49, as recorded in Acts 15, a significant matter arose concerning the application of laws to Gentiles. Just as parents give specific instructions to children for a particular situation without abolishing family rules, the specific instructions given at the council did not negate the broader laws of God. The council's decision to provide Gentiles with four prohibitions—to abstain from things polluted by idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality—was not an indication that the rest of God's law was irrelevant. Instead, these instructions were highlighted to address prevalent Gentile practices that were offensive to Jewish brethren and incompatible with the holiness and purity central to the faith. James, in Acts 15:21, noted that Moses has been preached in every city and read in the synagogues every Sabbath, implying that Gentiles were already familiar with God's law through such exposure. Therefore, there was no need to burden them with extensive additional instructions beyond these specific prohibitions. The expectation was clear: all of God's commandments, as reiterated throughout the New Testament, remain applicable to both Jew and Gentile. Passages such as Matthew 19:17-19, Galatians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:5, Hebrews 4:9, and I Corinthians 5:7-8 affirm the necessity of keeping God's law, demonstrating that the council's ruling did not abolish it but rather focused on immediate concerns to foster unity within the church. The notion that the Jerusalem council did away with God's law is a misunderstanding. The law remains a code that defines sin and guides righteous living for all of God's people, regardless of background. Justification by faith, as emphasized by Paul, does not void the law but establishes its proper place as a standard for conduct, ensuring that both Jew and Gentile live in accordance with God's will under the New Covenant.
As I Breathe
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloSome in the church of God have succumbed to the lie that we do not need to be overly concerned about sinning because we are under God's grace.
Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Acts 15 decision did not do away with God's law, but solved the question of circumcision and the misconception that it was a recipe for salvation.
Did God Change the Sign From the Sabbath to the Holy Spirit?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeA common idea is that the Sabbath is the sign of the Old Covenant, but the Holy Spirit is the sign of the New. Yet the seventh day has been holy since creation.