THE LAW AND WORSHIP

Introduction

Man was made to worship. Since the Fall, he will either worship the Creator or the creature. There is no neutrality because there are no vacuums. In other words, there is not a nothing but a something. Can man make an exact representation of God? To do so, man would have to be God’s creator. This is an impossibility if there ever was one. The Lord Jesus Christ made this known about God in John 4:21-24, "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." God is looking for us to be like Him. This is only possible through the atonement in Christ Jesus. True worship is spiritual worship. In other words, we have to realize not only that God is Triune, but that He is also Spirit. What can we use to represent this Spirit since none of us have seen Him with our physical eyes? We can only recognize His effects. This is what the Lord Jesus said in John 3:8, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." We can only see the effect not the source of the wind. If we cannot see the source, how can we make an adequate representation of the source?

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Leviticus 26:1-2 reads, "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 2Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD." Making representations of God was forbidden by the second commandment. This is a negative commandment. Therefore, the positive side has to be spiritual worship. To keep God’s Sabbaths and to have veneration for His established sanctuary is part and parcel of spiritual worship. To worship God in spirit and truth is to recognize Him as both Creator and Lord.

Man will either worship the Triune God or seek a god of the creation to worship. He will bow down himself to someone or something. It is inherent in his nature. Paul wrote this truth in Romans 1:18-25, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. 20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." Verse 25 is very telling. Those who break the second commandment worship the creature more than their Creator. In other words, they are in idolatry. They are offering false worship to a false god. Therefore, they are not worshiping in truth and spirit. They are living in a fantasy world.

The apostle John was shown seven visions in the book of Revelation by an angel as Revelation 1:1 expresses, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John." This angel was a messenger sent by God to John. In other words, whether this was an actual angel or a man who had gone to heaven, he was a creature and not the Creator. Here is what happened at two different junctures during this vision process. Revelation 19:10 says, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This messenger obviously shone with the glory of the Lord. John was tempted to worship him. This messenger rebukes John and points him to whom he should worship, God. Again John finds himself wanting to worship the creature more than the Creator in Revelation 22:8-9, "And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God." The messenger once again enjoins John to true worship. Only worship of the Creator is in keeping with the second commandment. All other worship is idolatry.

Conclusion

Paul wrote this about the Lord Jesus Christ in Hebrews 1:5-6, "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him." Verse 6 conclusively proves that the Lord Jesus Christ is God (second person of the Trinity). He is worthy or our worship. When we worship Him, we are worshiping in truth and spirit.

TRUTH AND LYING

Introduction

We live in a day and age when lying has become the norm rather than the exception. It is used to be said that a man’s word was his bond. You could rely upon people’s word. Not today. If someone tells you something, it may or may not take place. We have become jaded. We simply do not trust other people’s words. They tell us one thing and do another. This has serious consequences. I remember hearing a man at work say, something he thought was clever, "That contracts were made to be broken." What was he really saying? All men are liars. They will not abide by their word, if they think that they can get an advantage. This attitude is all to common in the sports world where athletes will break contracts and hold out for more money. They are simply liars.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

The ninth commandment in Exodus 20:16 reads, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." This is a negative commandment. The positive side would entail telling the truth regarding our neighbors. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary renders "false" as, "Not true; not conformable to fact; expressing what is contrary to that which exists, is done, said or thought. A false accusation imputes to a person what he has not done or said. A false witness testifies what is not true. A false opinion is not according to truth or fact. The word is applicable to any subject physical or moral." In the same dictionary, "witness" is "1. Testimony; attestation of a fact or event. 2. That which furnishes evidence or proof. 3. A person who knows or sees any thing; one personally present; as, he was witness; he was an eye-witness. 4. One who sees the execution of an instrument, and subscribes it for the purpose of confirming its authenticity by his testimony. 5. One who gives testimony; as, the witnesses in court agreed in all essential facts." So a false witness would be some one who says that they saw, heard, was present etc., when in fact, such was not the case. A false witness is essentially a liar.

Where does lying come from? John 8:44 answers this question, as follows: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." The devil is father of lies. The devil did not abide in truth, therefore by definition, he abides in falsehood and he is the first false witness. His testimony cannot be trusted because it is not and cannot be truth. He is synonymous with all that is untrue. The word "devil" means slanderer.

Webster’s Dictionary defines a "liar" as, "1. A person who knowingly utters falsehood; one who declares to another as a fact what he knows to be not true, and with an intention to deceive him. The uttering of falsehood by mistake, and without an intention to deceive, does not constitute one a liar. 2. One who denies Christ." Notice the elements which establish lying. First, there is a knowing what is being spoken or represented is false. The liar knows it is untrue. Secondly, it is done with the intent to deceive by false report spoken or written to another person. Revelation 21:8 says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This verse should make it apparent that all liars eternal state is one of eternal punishment. They have given false witness against their neighbor in the same that their father the devil does. Therefore, it is not surprising that they will spend eternity with those that they are like. The law is likes beget likes. Liars beget liars.

In contrast, Jesus said in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." As the devil is a liar and the father of all lies, the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth. If we are a Christian, then we must walk in the truth. The Lord Jesus said of the Holy Ghost in John 16:13, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come." He is the Spirit of truth and by definition can only speak truth. Therefore, since a Christian has the Spirit of truth in their hearts, they will bear true witness. Their word can be relied on.

Conclusion

Since there is no neutrality, we will be either true witnesses or false. The ninth commandment was given to us to encourage to speak the truth in love as Ephesians 4:5 enjoins, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Finally, 1 John 2:4 reads, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." In other words, those who claim to be Christians but do not obey His commandments, John the apostle says plainly that they are liars. They are liars because they do not have the Spirit of truth in their hearts. They are hypocrites and false witnesses and break the ninth commandment.

TESTIMONY AND WITNESSES

Introduction

Courts are important for the punishing of evildoers. This is what our government’s main function should be concerned with. This is why it is important to have testimony and witnesses that are truthful. Without it, we will not have justice. Biblical law is concerned with accurate testimony. After all, we do not want to condemn innocent people and we do not want to see the guilty go unpunished. Justice is essential to the proper order of any society. If we do not think we can get fairness from our court system, then good people are at a definite disadvantage. Truth in the courtroom is of the upmost importance. Men’s lives hang in the balance on the truthfulness of the witnesses statements. The ninth commandment follows the fourth commandment in the covenant model of sanctions, blessing for truth, cursing for lying.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines "testimony" as, "A solemn declaration or affirmation made for the purpose of establishing or proving some fact. Such affirmation in judicial proceedings, may be verbal or written, but must be under oath." This oath is calling down curses upon oneself for not telling the truth. In other words, there are curses for testifying falsely. Psalm 19:7 says about the testimony of God, "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." We can rely on the word of God because of the veracity of the Lord. Numbers 23:19 testifies to this integrity, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" He hath spoken and He will make it good for He can only tell the truth because He is truth. We can rely on His testimony regarding Himself.

In the first message on the ninth commandment, I defined the word witness. Its primary meaning is testimony i.e. attesting to a fact or occurrence. The strongest form of evidence admissible in a court of law is eye-witness testimony. This is why hearsay evidence is not allowable as testimony. It was something heard second hand, not something that they actually witnessed themselves. In the Bible, we have the concept of two witnesses. Jesus said in John 8:17, "It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me." Based upon the law, Jesus bore true witness of Himself and the Father was the other true witness. There testimony is of course above reproach.

The reason for two witnesses with corroborating testimony in convicting one of wrongdoing is that an individual can have a vendetta against someone else and make up lies. This becomes one word against another. But where two are in agreements as to the facts, it takes away this revenge factor. In fact the death penalty can be only carried out based on this two witness system. Numbers 35:30 bears this out, "Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die." It takes witnesses i.e. plural testimony to put someone to death.

The Lord Jesus was put to death based upon this two witness testimony, only the declaration was given by those who broke the ninth commandment. We find this account in Matthew 26:59-61, "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; 60But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, 61And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days." These men were seeking to pervert justice. Finally, they found two that could agree. These men were not interested in seeing justice furthered. In fact, they wanted just the opposite.

Deuteronomy 16:19 reads, "Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous." One of the attributes of God is that He is that he does not show favoritism. If you do wrong, you suffer for it, no matter who you may be. We are to be like God in this manner when dispensing justice. Bribes cause people who have seen things to lie. They break the ninth commandment by being false witnesses. Justice is perverted by bribery. It leads to corruption and justice given to the highest bidder. The court system then becomes a place ruled by liars.

Conclusion

Being a witness and giving testimony is an inescapable concept. It depends upon the condition of the heart. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15:18-19, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Out of an evil heart comes false witness and the breaking of the ninth commandment. False witnesses essentially are calling God a liar by their dishonesty. They are saying that there is no true justice. They are of their father the devil.

THEFT AND RESTITUTION

Introduction

We live in a material world. We use goods and services in which to maintain our physical life. This requires that we own property which we call possessions. These belong to us for enjoyment and we can dispose of them as we see fit. If lawfully obtained and used, no one has the right to tell us what we can do with them because we own them, not even the government. There is freedom in owning our own property. We do not have to be dependent upon others when we have our own assets. Theft, however, is symptom of a breakdown in the social order. We live in a day and age when we are never secure in our possessions because of rampant thievery so prevalent in our day and time.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary renders "theft" as, "The act of stealing. In law, the private, unlawful, felonious taking of another person’s goods or movables, with an intent to steal them. To constitute theft, the taking must be in private or without the owner’s knowledge, and it must be unlawful or felonious, that is, it must be with a design to deprive the owner of his property privately and against his will." The key here is deprivation or use of. It converts property from one person to another without any form of remuneration. It is the unlawful taking of another’s goods. It is performed without the knowledge of the owner. In other words, thieves work undercover. They are sneaks and cheats.

1 Corinthians 6:10 reads, "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." Thieves eternal fate has already been determined by God. They will not inherit the kingdom of God. They do inherit eternal punishment. A thief is present oriented and more concerned with the material world rather than the spiritual. Revelation 9:21 says, "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." A thief may so be hardened in his sin that he refuses to repent of his thievery, no matter what kind of judgment the Lord may bring upon him. He does not like to work for a living. In the final analysis, thieves end up spending more energy in stealing and covering up their thefts than if they would do an honest days labor. Their intelligence is negligible.

Once a thief should come to saving knowledge, he will be convicted by the Holy Ghost to make restitution for his thefts. Webster defines "restitution" as, "1. The act of returning or restoring to a person some thing or right of which he has been unjustly deprived...2. The act of making good, or giving an equivalent for any loss, damage, or injury; indemnification. 3. The act of recovering a former state or posture." In other words, a thief will return what he has stolen and ask for forgiveness from the one that was harmed by his actions. Instead of being dishonest, he has now become honest as Ephesians 4:28 expresses, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." The opposite of stealing is working. To repent is to do the opposite of what you were previously doing. Once a man begins to labor, he will have funds to provide for those who are in need. This is also a form of restitution. Sometimes a thief may have stolen from someone who is dead or cannot be located and thus by supplying the needs of others, he would essentially be making restoration in a different form.

When salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house, he told the Lord Jesus in Luke 19:8, "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." When a man gets saved, he is willing to make whole those whom he has defrauded from their property. He is even willing to follow the law of restitution by paying the fourfold penalty. King David realized this principle when Nathan the prophet came to him regarding his sin with Bathsheba. In 2 Samuel 12:6, we read, "And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." This concept of fourfold repayment comes from the law of God in Exodus 22:1. If someone was caught stealing sheep, he had to repay four sheep for each he had stolen. This made getting caught for stealing an extremely expensive proposition. It had an obvious deterrent effect. The victim was to be given the restitution, not the state.

Conclusion

We live in a day and age when theft is rampant. Thieves are thrown into prison where they cannot make restitution to their victims. They continue their life of thievery by stealing from taxpayers who have to pay for them in prison. God’s law does not recognize the putting of thieves into prison. Rather, they are to labor until they have made the required reparation for their misdeeds. In the process, the thief learns to labor honestly. The victim gets repaid and the thief learns to work. God’s law is what works. Humanism’s policies are always failures. Everyone loses.