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Keeping God's Standards

Sermon by John O. Reid

God's standards are essential for guiding humanity toward a life of righteousness and order. Without adherence to these standards, the world has experienced 6,000 years of war, prejudice, suspicion, hatred, perversion, greed, abuse, dishonesty, and a complete breakdown of moral systems, all stemming from mankind's rejection of the right way to live as set forth by God. However, a time is coming when Jesus Christ will impose His standards and values upon mankind, ensuring that they learn to live by them. God's Word will fill the earth, and His law will be written in their hearts, so that everyone will know Him and live by the standards He establishes for all mankind. Until that time, the people of God must maintain and live by these standards in a society that is rapidly deteriorating. God's standards are rooted in the Ten Commandments, which form the solid base from which everything else emanates. These commandments dictate that God and His laws must always be first in our lives, placing jobs, possessions, hobbies, friends, and personal desires second to what He wants. Our lives must reflect His nature in dealings with each other, the environment, and every aspect of living. We are to keep God number one in our lives, bringing every thought and desire under Him. We must not allow any idol to take us away from God, respecting His name and carrying it with honor and righteousness so that we reflect Him in all we do. The Sabbath must be kept holy, from sunset Friday through sunset Sabbath, not engaging in personal pursuits or employment, but using the time to learn more about God through our dress, conversation, and activities. Honoring our parents establishes a right relationship with them and with God, reflecting respect for Him. God's standards also dictate that we control our anger, as it leads to hatred, strife, war, and killing, which are abominations to Him since He gives life. In the Kingdom of God, everything will be designed to promote life and the good life, with no harmful additives in food or emissions causing harm. God's standards address fornication and adultery, which, if kept, would prevent illegitimate children, shattered homes, and homelessness, ensuring two parents to train each child and fostering happy marriages as examples of our future union with Jesus Christ. If the world adhered to the commandment against stealing, there would be no need for locks or alarm systems, and mutual respect for property would prevail among individuals, governments, and employers. The standard against bearing false witness would promote honesty, trust, and character, eliminating scandal and deceit, and fostering peace, especially in regions like the Middle East where trust is scarce. The commandment against coveting promotes peace by preventing idolatry, stealing, or war driven by desire, ensuring that nothing takes God's place in importance. At this time, God has entrusted these standards to His called ones, who are special and selected for a unique purpose. We are to feel the weight and responsibility of our calling, understanding that as we change and grow to become like Him, He will be glorified, and we will share in that glory. Despite the chaos and confusion in the world and among God's people, with many relaxing these standards or pursuing strange ideas, we must press on to finish the race, striving for perfection as God desires. God expects us to overcome, to go on to perfection, which means striving for complete freedom from sin and holiness in all we do, even amidst personal struggles. We are to live by every word of God, embracing the Beatitudes to change from our human nature to His nature, from our thinking to His thinking. This maturity comes from habitual obedience to God's way of life, heightening our senses to discern good and evil. In the Kingdom of God, our role will be to reveal God the Father and Jesus Christ to the world, teaching both the practical and spiritual aspects of God's law to a blind world. We ar

Standards

Sermonette by Joseph B. Baity

God commands that we use accurate measurements and just standards. Without Godly standards, we have a world without ethics or morality.

God's Law Is Eternal

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God's law expresses the expectations for the moral and spiritual conduct of His people, embodying His standards for living as He created us to live. This law is not temporary but permanent, perpetual, and eternal, serving as a reliable guide for human benefit. It originates from God, illuminates understanding, and is intended to bring delight and joy to those who follow it. The law is described with various terms such as testimonies, precepts, statutes, commandments, ordinances, ways, and word, each highlighting its comprehensive nature as a path to fix one's eyes upon and a guard for life. Jesus Christ affirmed the enduring authority of God's law, declaring that not even the smallest part of it would pass away until all is fulfilled, emphasizing its eternal nature. He did not come to abolish the law but to explain and fulfill it, showing how it must be kept in both letter and spirit. Christ demonstrated through His teachings and life that the law reaches into the inward parts, demanding purity in thought, desire, and imagination, thus revealing its far-reaching sovereignty. He embodied the law perfectly, living in complete conformity to God's standards, and bore the penalty for humanity's transgressions without ever breaking it Himself. God's law defines sin and shows humanity's shortcomings, acting as a mirror to reveal our corruptness and need for grace. It is not to be altered or nullified, as doing so would diminish its power to convict and convert, leaving no true standard for righteousness. The law's purpose is not for salvation through works but to lead us to faith in Christ, who enables us to keep God's holy standards through His strength. Ultimately, God's law will be fully fulfilled in believers at the resurrection, when their nature will be perfectly conformed to His will, finding joy in holiness without any resistance to His commands.

God the Father (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God the Father sets the ultimate standard of perfection and goodness, far surpassing any human ideal. His will is the guiding force, and Jesus Christ exemplifies complete obedience to it, demonstrating that true sonship is rooted in love and submission to the Father's commands. The Father's goodness is absolute, determining the very nature of what is good, and He provides for all creation, even the unjust, as a reflection of His boundless love. Jesus teaches that we must strive to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, aligning our conduct with His intimate presence and will. The Father's perfection is the goal for His children, achievable only through humble submission to Him. His self-control and wisdom ensure that His blessings are given according to His perfect plan, never spoiling but always nurturing. As the pinnacle of goodness, the Father is the source of safety, peace, and sustenance, encouraging us to ask for what we need according to His will, assured of receiving what is good for us. Through Christ, we are called to reflect this divine standard, pursuing perfection by doing the Father's will rather than our own, as a true sign of being His sons and daughters.

The Priesthood of God (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Because God is holy, His people must also be holy, displaying the character of God. Holiness designates God-like qualities found in those sanctified by God.

The Sovereignty of God (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God has consistently moved His creation toward its ultimate purpose, setting the bounds of nations, motivating rulers to pursue a certain course of action.

Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part Two)

Booklet by John W. Ritenbaugh

Israel had every opportunity that the Gentiles did not have. God gave the Israelites gifts to live a better way, but they completely failed to reflect Him.

Do You Really Know God?

Sermon by Clyde Finklea

We can know for sure that we know Him intimately by keeping His commandments and practicing loving kindnesses.

Living By Faith: God's Justice

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In order to live by faith, we must understand God's sovereignty, God's character, and God's justice, realizing that we do not see the entire picture.

Hating Evil, Fearing God

'Ready Answer' by David C. Grabbe

Paul warns against mixing good and evil, as the fruit is wickedness. The proper fear of the Lord plays a significant role in ridding evil from our lives.

Teaching Us To Think (Part Three): Proving God's Will

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

As God tests His people, He desires that they test and prove His Laws to demonstrate that they invariably work, to prove these principles by following them.

God Works in Mysterious Ways (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

No one has any excuse for doubting God's purpose for mankind, whether revealed publicly through His Creation or privately through the Holy Scriptures.

Approaching God Through Christ (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Religious bumper stickers fall short of revealing the full counsel of God, which is more complex than 'believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.'

Getting To Know God

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh

Getting to know God intimately, by virtue of His enabling us to experience life as He experiences life, makes the New Covenant vastly superior to the Old.

Christ Our Standard

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Knowledge of God's truth is useless unless it is acted on. God will only accept children who follow Christ's example and conduct their lives by His high standards.

Do We See the Line?

'Ready Answer' by Mike Ford

Lonesome Dove contains the story of a cowboy who fails to perceive the line between right and wrong, and for his lack of moral sense, he pays with his life.

How Far Have We Fallen? (Part Two)

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Keeping God's laws becomes dangerous in a godless society, in which bribery is good, homosexuality is good, murder is good, theft is good, and sin is good.

Freedom's Dark Underbelly

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Any freedom to choose must be accompanied by a set of standards against which choices are made. The people of the world do not have this freedom.

The Commandments (Part One)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

What have we accepted as our authority for permitting ourselves to do or behave as we do — our value system, our code of ethics or code of morality?

Silence in Heaven (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

What is the connection between the prayers that ascend to God and the angel hurling the censer down to earth, initiating the seven trumpets in Revelation 8?

The Parables of Matthew 13 (Part Eight): The Parable of the Dragnet

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The penultimate parable of Matthew 13 uses the illustration with which Christ's disciples were very familiar: fishing in the Sea of Galilee.

Moral Purity

Sermon by James Beaubelle

The urgency to live righteously, striving for godly character is a continuous, ongoing, and vital pursuit not concluded until our death and resurrection.

Elements of Judgment (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

We must emulate the ways of God, demonstrating justice in our lives, thoughts, words, and deeds, preparing to judge in God's Kingdom. Not all sins are equal.

Elements of Judgment (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The last days of the Worldwide Church of God demonstrated a dearth of righteous judgment. God expects us to judge wisely within the parameters of His Law.

Whose Morality Are We Following?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Moral legislation over the years has steadily eroded because liberal leaders have rejected biblical standards of morality in favor of personal choice.

Our Family Resemblance

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Even though we may not recognize changes in ourselves, when we do the work of God with the right heart, we begin displaying the spiritual family traits.

More on Tolerance

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

Many are guided by a multicultural value system that posits that all values, regardless of their source, are equal and should be tolerated. But God has one way.

Deuteronomy (Part 3) (1994)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We will not be prepared to rule in the Millennium unless we are experientially persuaded of God's faithfulness to His Covenant and His intolerance of evil.

A Rewired Society (Part Two): A Post-Truth World

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The new morality is lawlessness and rejection of all restraints, which ironically makes them abject slaves of sin and candidates for the Lake of Fire.

Politics and Christ's Return

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Because we are set apart by God, we are not to become involved in the world's political, judicial, or military systems. Our term in office has yet to begin.

Conscience (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

A conscience can only function according to what it knows, and will automatically adjust in the way it is exercised. Conscience follows conduct.