My question is this. Why would God, being the cause of everything both good and evil, train me up in a speaking situation in Babylon, and then reveal to me the hidden things of Him? I have already on a couple of speaking occasions refuted what the minister had said just 2 weeks before. I have also refuted the deacon’s sermonette which was concerning the idea that man was made perfect. But in both incidences, although they were both present each time I spoke, nothing was said to me at all, either by them or from anyone in the congregation. Are they all totally asleep? Maybe God is giving me breathing room, while I am wholeheartedly studying to show myself approved, so I can give an answer? I have not figured out what He may have in store for me to do. I have come to realize that just about every doctrine I have learned over the many years I have been in that system has been wrong. The only one that they teach that is truth is that there is no eternal torment in hell fire, and yet they believe that God will put to death forever all unrepentant sinners. This is also false!!

As you know this church is very legalistic. Its bread and butter, so to speak, is the Law of Moses and the holy days. (The minister) from time to time screams out at the congregation via DVD, that there are no new commandments of Christ. Someone must have hit him on a nerve recently!!

I know that sooner or later I will be challenged to give an answer. Therefore I have been studying ways to refute their teachings concerning the law. Many such ways I have already learned from your paper The Law of Moses Verses the Law of the Spirit. But in my studies I noticed something else. Bear with me on this, for I am trying out my spiritual eyes, and please correct me where I am wrong and give support where needed.

One of their bread and butter scriptures centers on 1Jn 3:4 which says: (KJVR)

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

They say that this scripture is speaking of the 10 commandments.
Here is the reasoning I believe I have been given concerning this particular verse that flat out refutes what they say about it.
Paul tells us that he had walked in the Law of Moses blameless, before his conversion.

Php 3:6 kjvr Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Phi 3:7 kjvr But what things were gain to me, (the righteousness which is in the law blameless, was considered to him as gain) those I counted loss for christ.

Phi 3:8 kjvr Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord: for whom i have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung,( the law ) that I may win Christ,

Phi 3:9 kjvr And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, (the same law in which he was blameless in) but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of god by faith:

So, if under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is telling us that before his conversion he had kept the law blameless, and 1Jn 3:4 says that sin is the transgression of the law, if taken to mean the Law of Moses, thenone couldconclude, as does this legalistic church, that Paul was not a sinner, before his conversion because hewas keepingthe law of moses.

But that would be a wrong conclusion for we read in Rom 3:23

Rom3:23 kjvr For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of god;

Now that all would include the apostle Paul before his conversion, would it not?

So Paul would have been a sinner before coming to Christ, because Rom 3: 23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of god, and that would include everyone before coming to Christ, would it not?

The all have sinned would definitely include Paul. And Paul also admits to his sinful nature before being called to Christ in Rom 8:2

Rom 8:2 kjvr For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

So we then have a contradiction in what is taught by Babylon concerning 1Jn 3:4 when it is said that this verse is speaking of the Law of Moses.

Paul was keeping the law blameless before coming to Christ, yet Rom. 3:23 says all have sinned and come short of the glory of Christ, before coming to Christ.

It should be obvious then that 1Jn 3:4 is not, and cannot be speaking of the ten commandments, the Law of Moses, which Paul admits he had kept blameless.

Therefore, 1Jn 3:4 cannot and should not be used as a definition of breaking the Law of Moses. Sin is the transgression of the Law of Moses.

God considers Paul, and therefore all before Paul, and that would include ALL of ancient Israel along with the patriarchs, even though they walked in the law of Moses and kept the holy days are all guilty of sin in God’s eyes—–“for all have sinned and come short—-“Rom. 3:23. That is before Christ.

This is so because Paul, as well as all who, before being dragged to Christ are guilty before God of breaking another law, a much higher law than the law of Moses, a more glorious law of God, the law of love, the law of the spirit, the law of Christ, and the law of faith, which Christ came to reveal. What do you think?

Another question, should I always send an e- mail to you as a reply, with all the other previous e- mails attached?

And one more thing, I was just reading today your reply to a lady named Donna, concerning DINOSAURS ARE THEY MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?

You made a statement, “There was no gap between verses one and two of Genesis. The fact that Adam and Eve were both created naked proves this to be so. God created the heavens and the earth in six evenings and mornings of six twenty four hour days:

Exo 20:11 (a) For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is,

“All” includes the dinosaurs. There are huge loopholes in carbon 14 dating. It is based on the totally unscientific and unscriptural theory of uniformity. But that is another subject for another time.”

I really would like to like to read your views concerning carbon 14 dating and the unscientific theory of uniformity.

Thank you very much for your time and may God be with you.

A____

Hello A____,
It is good to hear from you again. It is evident that God is indeed giving you eyes to see the deep truths of His Word. What you have seen and have expressed in this letter about your understanding of 1Jn 3:4 is right on target. Besides that verse is not properly translated. It should read thus:

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever is committing sin, lawlessness also, is committing, and, sin, is, lawlessness; (REV)
1Jn 3:4 Everyone who is doing sin is doing lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness.” (CLV)

Sin is lawlessness. And the law being discussed in this epistle is “the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Your reasoning is exactly right. You have proven that 1Jn 4:3 cannot be talking about the law of Moses.
Let me work backward with your questions.
1.) Concerning Carbon 14 dating, it is now assumed throughout the scientific community that its accuracy is not valid past a few thousand years. It is basically a measuring of decay rate of substances that were once alive. Thus, rocks or other inanimate objects could not be subject to this dating technique. Since scientists who put no credence in the bible, but rather follow the theory of evolution, can’t advise belief in scripture, they must ‘allow’ for the ridiculously long times that their theory presents not only in the time frame of billions of years, but in the natural progression of the order of living things as they see it. Therefore, in their thinking, dinosaurs could not have been compatible with mankind. But dinosaurs and man were actually created on the same day (Gen. 1:24-31).
Evolutionary beliefs have long permeated the textbooks of this country, so much so that even those children raised in God- fearing homes have their thinking colored by these false theories. As a result, the last several Christian generations have grown to adulthood, believing that God created the heavens and earth, but that there must be some sort of a ‘gap’ not mentioned in scripture to allow for the vast eons of time that surely must have been needed to form the myriads of fossils that are constantly being uncovered and the storehouse of crude oil that these fossils left in their passing from the scene.
If one starts with a wrong premise, then everything built on that false premise is in some way in error. If in the back of one’s mind, there is the wrong belief that fossils take millions and billions of years to form, then either there is confusion that must be partially or totally ignored from the information contained in the bible, or one must insert a ‘gap’ to make both beliefs compatible. But seekers of Truth know these two beliefs – one set down by the Word of God, the other by the ‘wisdom’ of man – cannot be compatible. It would be akin to putting the new wine in old wine skins. Both lines of reasoning would be broken. They cannot and do not co- exist.
Scripture states that in six days GOD created the heavens and the earth. Even those who would try to meld the two beliefs by surmising that the days might have been much longer than our present 24 hour day are trying to make scripture fit an erroneous belief. The interdependency of life that God put into nature does away with that possibility. A night of long duration would indeed bring most of life to an end in itself.
Ken Ham, an Australian creationist, has proven time and again over the years that it does not take billions, or even millions, of years to make a fossil. His creation society has logged hours of lectures and facts to prove that point. While he is in error in his popular belief that Adam and Eve ‘fell’, he has been given a gift for making simple the facts concerning fossil formation. The matter of Carbon 14 dating accuracy can be studied at http:// www. christiananswers. net/ q- aig/ aig- c007. html. Simply put, changes in our atmosphere in recent years in CO2 content, etc., make objects tested that lived before the flood appear many times older that their actual age of a few thousand years. The theory of uniformity falls apart along with the accepted ages of fossils taught using erroneous dating techniques.
   
2.) As far as the method used to send emails, it is a lot easier for me if you send each email separately unless, of course, you have questions that would link to previous emails you have sent and had answered.
3.) Now to the meat… you are correct in your understanding that Paul indeed was a sinner before being apprehended by Christ. He was blameless as far as the law of Moses went, but God’s great law of love, which pre- dated Moses, named him a sinner as you pointed out. Of course Paul sinned!

1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Even in the Old Testament this Mosaic law which shadowed God’s law showed the true intent of the law.

Jos 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul..

The New Testament echoes this teaching in its spiritual sense.

Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

It is evident from myriads of other scripture that the law of Moses could in no way be construed as being the law of love spoken of here; not when the 600+ commands in the Mosaic law included killing your enemies, rendering evil for evil under the ‘eye for an eye’ teaching, putting away your wife if she merely displeases you, etc. Christ negates these Old Testament laws in Mat 5.
       
Do we hate our enemies any longer? No!

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Do we seek revenge any longer? No!

Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Do we write bills of divorcement for just any ol’ reason any longer? No!

Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Do we read and watch pornography, but feel that’s okay as long as we don’t actually have sex with someone not our wife? No!

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

As you can see, doing away with the Mosaic laws does not mean we become lawless. It was fairly easy under Moses to obey a law that says it’s okay to break someone’s arm if he breaks yours. But to “pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” is impossible without Christ living in you. We don’t stand a chance of following this new spiritual law of love, law of Christ, law of God as the various names by which it is called, without a new spirit also being put in us to make possible…

Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Without Christ living His life in us, we are subject to death as the Israelites were under Moses. The Law of Moses was a law of death.

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Who can and will deliver us from this sinful nature, this law of death?

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul served the law of sin before Christ struck him down on the road to Damascus. While being “blameless in the righteousness which is in the law” of Moses, Paul was “breathing out slaughter” against Christ’s followers:

Act 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

This is what made Paul blameless. He hated his enemies. He wanted to kill all that had breath of his enemies. Here is the scripture that these nepios law keepers cannot see and will not believe:

1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1Ti 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

The law of Moses “is not for a righteous man.” It is for all those who teach “things contrary to sound doctrine.” I don’t write these verses, all I do is to quote them.
As for why you have not yet been ‘slain… in the streets of that great city wherein our Lord was crucified’ I do not know. But rest assured of this one verse of God’s Word:

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

They may not yet have the eyes or ears to even see that you are speaking of them. But when they come to that realization, you will ‘be put out of their synagogues.’
Hope this has been a help to you. Let me know how it goes.
Mike