4 September 2016
Dear Phyllis,
Years ago I was challenged by the scene of the seraphims crying ceaselessly “Holy, holy, holy”. Both Isiah and John agree concerning what they saw (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8), but we don't see this replicated anywhere else in scripture except these seraphims standing before the Throne. What are they looking at that excites them to the degree that they ceaselessly cry Holy, holy, holy? It came to me that they were observing the activity of God. The actions of God are, of course, the outward expression of His character. This is universally true of all beings. But if God is holy, what makes Him holy? I used to think that God was holy because He didn't smoke, drink, or look at porno. A brother once told me, “I have a dog that doesn't do any of that but he isn't holy”. What is the standard that the seraphims are using to judge God by that so impresses them that He is holy. It came to me that the only possible answer was they were judging God by His performance relative to His own Law. By this reasoning I came to the conclusion that the Ten Commandments are the character of God.
When a man asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment, He turned the table on him and said there is a positive aspect to the Ten Commandments as well as a negative. And He said the sum of everything was love (Mt. 22:36-40). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10; Jm. 2:8). It is the love that God is showing towards all His creation that makes Him holy. To say that the Ten Commandment are the character of God may be a difficult robe to place on God the Father, but we see that it is a suit that fits Jesus perfectly. As we look at the life of Jesus we see Him fulfilling the Ten Commandments perfectly; in both the negative and positive aspects of the Law. He had no other loyalty but the Father. He was totally void of anything idolatrous. He honored the Name of the Father, refocused the keeping of the Sabbath, He honored His mother and father, He never killed any one, or slept around, He never stole a thing, was always truthful, and was void of covetousness. He truly loved the Father will all His heart and His neighbor as Himself. He never taught a thing that wasn't true of His own character. We can clearly see that the Ten Commandments were the character of Christ. And this is true of what God is. God is love. That is why He is holy.
When God created man in His own image (Gen. 1:26,27) His purpose was that man should be just like Himself. This is not his shape that he has hands, feet, mouth and ears. He wanted man to be just like Himself in character. That probably was true of Adam but we all know the terrible devastation the the fall brought. It totally destroyed the image of God in man. Then 4,000 years later we see a Man who is the perfect image of God – Jesus (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). This is what God was after in creation.
Last week I said this week I would try to discuss the two Covenants – the Old and the New. What does all of this have to do with the Covenants? Everything. The Ten Commandments are the very corner stone of the two Covenants. While it is not specifically stated in these exact words basically the Covenants are the marriage between God and His people where He said, “I will be your God and you will be my people” (Ex. 19; Jer. 32:38; Heb. 8:10). When God choose a people to be uniquely His own He naturally wanted them to be like Himself. Jesus and the Father are perfectly one because they both possess the same character and when the God choose a people to be His own He naturally wanted them to have the same character. It would be impossible to have harmony if this was not true. So when God told Israel that they were to be His people, He told them what kind of people He expected them to be.
It is amazing that people should think of the Ten Commandments as being offensive. And astoundingly that the supreme court would demand that they be taken from public buildings. What pray tell is wrong with them? Is it wrong that we should worship the creator God only? Is it wrong to say that we should respect our parents; that we shouldn't kill, sleep around, steal, lie, and be satisfied with what we have? What is wrong with that? In God's original covenant with His chosen people the only thing He was asking of them that they be that kind of people.
In any covenant, or contract, it requires that both sides of the agreement keep their side of the deal. Failure of either side nullifies the deal. Unfaithfulness in marriage destroys the marriage bond. The original Covenant was excellent. The only problem was that there was a little two letter word at the beginning of it – IF (Ex. 19:5). If Israel kept their side of the bargain they would be God's unique people and enjoy His unique blessings. Failure negated the blessings.
We all know the rest of the story. It would be pointless for God to make another contract if this fatal flaw in the first covenant was not corrected. It was to correct this very flaw that God created a New Covenant. It not only had to guarantee God's keeping His side of the agreement but it must also guarantee mans faithfulness in keeping his side. Other wise the blessings of the New Covenant would be nullified just as it was in the Old one.
This is a message that is almost totally ignored today. Salvation is presented as a pass to heaven by wiping the slate of terrible sins. God is not interested in filling heaven with disgusting sinners whose sins are forgiven and then somehow they will be different when they get to heaven. God's Covenant is not with dead people but with the living. What God is after is people that are in His own image with the same character as He has. And how is this possible?
Maybe we can get into that next week. I hope you got something out of today's letter. This message has been a shocker to me.
Physically I am 100%. A year ago I said I had the body of a 40 year old man. Today I might up that to 60, but my energy level is excellent. There is a small store down the street 100 meters from our house. Three months ago it was unthinkable to walk that far. Now I can run it. Thank you again for your love and prayers;
In our wonderful Lord Jesus,
bill
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