The Ark of The Covenant

[herald]

Jerusalem housed the temple, which, housed The Ark, which contained God's Covenant with man. The Ark held the sign and the seal of God's presence upon the earth and was the place where His presence and glory dwelt. The Ark was carried for decades through the wilderness, to search out a resting place. Num 10:33-35. It was overlaid with pure gold, and was called, "holy." 2 Chron 35:3. It was, also, called The Ark of The Testimony. Rev 19:10 tells us "...the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

The Lord spoke to and communed with Moses from The Mercy Seat, atop The Ark of the Covenant. Ex 25:22; Num 7:89; 8:1.

As God had instructed, Joshua told the priests, bearing The Ark to stand in the middle of the Jordan River, and the water parted. Josh 3:8;4:7. After, The Ark was removed, the waters receded. Josh 4:18.

At Jericho, seven priests bearing The Ark with seven trumpets, on the seventh day encompassed Jericho seven times. Jericho fell. Joshua cried out to the Lord before The Ark and God spoke to Joshua from The Ark. Josh 7:6,10.

The children of Israel wept, fasted and offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. Jud 20:26,27.

The Lord spoke to Samuel from The Ark. 1 Sam 3:3,4.

When Eli heard that The Ark was taken, he fell backward and died. 1 Sam 4:18.

Phineas's wife named her child, "Ichabod," saying, "The glory is departed from Israel; for The Ark of God is taken." 1 Sam 4:19-22.

The Philistines put The Ark in the house of their god, Dagon. Dagon fell before The Ark, his head and palms broken off. 1 Sam 5:1-5.

Uzzah touched The Ark and was struck dead. 2 Sam 6:6,7.

God blessed the household of Obed Edom, while, The Ark was there. 2 Sam 6:11.

When The Ark was brought to Jerusalem, King David danced before the Lord with all his might. 2 Sam 6:12-15.

Solomon offered burnt and peace offerings before The Ark. 1 Ki 3:15.

The chief function of the temple was to house The Ark of The Covenant. When The Ark was placed in The Most Holy Place, nothing was in it, but, the Ten Commandments. 1 Ki 8:9; 2 Chron 4:10. And the glory of the Lord filled the house. 1 Ki 8:11. David called the temple, a house of rest for The Ark. 1 Chron 6:31; 28:2.

When The Ark was brought up from Kirjath Jearim, David and all of Israel "...played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals and with trumpets." 1 Chron 13:5-8; 15:28.

The Ten Commandments are God' eternal Covenant with man. Deut 4:13; 2 Chron 6:11; Ps 111:7,8. The Lord wrote this Covenant with His own finger, in tablets of stone, which, were placed inside The Ark.

The people had said, that, they could keep God's law in their own strength, but failed. Ex 24:7. The New Covenant is God engraving this Covenant in our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10. He gives us a new heart and His Spirit and "CAUSES US" to walk in His law. Ezek 36:26,27. It is the same Covenant, written in a different place. Now, if we are born-again believers, His Covenant is within us. He enables us, by His Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29) to walk with Him in loving obedience.

The Ten Commandments = One Covenant. James 2:10,11 tells us, that, if we break one of the commandments, we become transgressors of His law, and are guilty of breaking all of them.

The fourth commandment is the mark of God's authority as Creator and Redeemer. Deut 5:15. Our Creator: Jesus (John 1:3) calls the seventh day, "My holy day." Isa 58:13.

Christians were, still, keeping the Sabbath in 321 A.D., when Constantine instituted the first Sunday law, and in 364 A.D., when the Sabbath was "changed" to Sunday. The penalty for worshipping on the Sabbath was death! As a consequence, many Sabbath-keepers were martyred. One of the marks of The Antichrist is "...he thinks to change times and laws." Dan 7:25. He, only, "thinks to change," because, no man/institution can over-rule our Creator and change His law.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God...For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Ex 20:8-11. Our Creator sanctified and blessed the seventh day, because, it was the day in which He rested from His work of Creation.

In Revelation 14:6,7 we read, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water."

The everlasting gospel is revealed in the fourth commandment, in which, we see the three components of a seal:

1. His NAME: Lord God. Isa 42:8
2. His AUTHORITY: Creator of all. Isa 40:25,25; Jer 10:10-12; Rev 4:11.
3. His DOMAIN: Heaven and earth. Gen 2:1-4; Ex 20:8-11.

The fourth commandment is God's SEAL upon His Covenant. The everlasting gospel is calling us back to the one commandment, that, He told us to "remember." He is calling us to sanctify Him as Creator and Redeemer - Jesus, the "Lord of the Sabbath." Mk 2:28.

The Ark is symbolic of Jesus Christ. The wood speaks of His humanity, overlaid with pure gold, speaking of His deity, and His law within. It, also, speaks of the New Covenant believer, who has His Covenant written in his heart and mind. When we walk with Him in loving obedience, it is an expression of a converted heart, and evidence of a Spirit-filled life.

"Know ye not that YE are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor 3:16.

Does His Covenant find in you a resting place?

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple The Ark of His Testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." Rev 11:19

The Apostle John wrote, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have RIGHT to the tree of life, AND MAY ENTER IN through the gates into the city." Rev 22:14.

 

[jiggyfly]

Very nice post Herald. I don't agree with much of it but you did a good job of laying it all out. The old covenant was completely fulfilled by Christ, so now there is no need to do anything concerning it. We now have a new covenant that Father is making available to us through His Son Jesus.

Galations 5:1-6
1*So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
2*Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you. 3*I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses. 4*For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.5*But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith. 6*For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

Colossians 2:16&17
16*So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17*For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself.

Hebrews 8:1-13
1*Here is the main point: Our High Priest sat down in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. 2*There he ministers in the sacred tent, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
3*And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4*If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law of Moses. 5*They serve in a place of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the design I have shown you here on the mountain.”* 6*But our High Priest has been given a ministry that is far superior to the ministry of those who serve under the old laws, for he is the one who guarantees for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.
7*If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. 8 But God himself found fault with the old one when he said:“The day will come, says the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel and Judah.
9* This covenant will not be like the one
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
and led them out of the land of Egypt.They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
10* But this is the new covenant I will make
with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds
so they will understand them,
and I will write them on their hearts
so they will obey them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11* And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
nor will they need to teach their family,
saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’
For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
will already know me.
12* And I will forgive their wrongdoings,
and I will never again remember their sins.”*
13 When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and ready to be put aside.

 

[herald]

Colossians 2 is referring to the sabbath feast days, circumcision, clean/unclean. These were part of the ceremonial law, which, pointed to Jesus's death, burial and resurrection and were fulfilled.

There is a distinction in the law:

Ceremonial Law:

1. Is called, "The law contained in ordinances." Eph 2:15.
2. Was spoken by Moses. Lev 1:1-3
3. Was written by Moses in a book. 11 Chron 35:12
4. Was placed in the side of The Ark. Deut 31:24-26
5. Was nailed to the cross. Col 2:14
6. Was abolished by Christ. Eph 2:15

Ten Commandments:

1. Is called, the "royal law." Ja 2:8
2. Was spoken by God. Deut 4:12,13
3. Was written with the finger of God. Ex 31:18
4. Was placed inside The Ark. Ex 40:20; Heb 9:4
5. Is to "stand forever and ever." Ps 111:7,8
6. Was not destroyed by Christ. Matt 5:17,18

The ceremonial laws were fulfilled in His sacrifice - He rent the veil. He is the high-priest, the sacrificial Lamb, the Manna...It is finished!

The ceremonial laws were external.

Jesus amplified the Ten Commandments. That is why, He said, that, if a man looks on a woman to lust, he has, already, committed adultery with her in his heart. If we are angry with our brother without cause, we have committed murder. Jesus took the commandments to the thoughts and intents of the heart.

To think, that, we can worship and bow down to other gods, take His name in vain, profane His holy day, dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, covet and walk with a holy God is grave error.

The Ten Commandments reveal His character in contrast to ours. The Holy Spirit uses them in our on-going work of sanctification - the circumcision of our hearts.

Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall ENTER the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

MANY will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? ("Christians" do works in His name.) And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that wiork iniquity." (lawlessness)

The flip side is "And hereby we do know that we know him, IF we keep his commandments. He that saith, I KNOW HIM, and keepeth not his commandments is a LIAR, and the truth (Jesus: John 14:6; the law: Ps 119:142; and ALL the commandments Ps 119:151) is not in him." 1 John 2:3,4.

If we are under the New Covenant, then, His law is written in our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10.

"For THIS is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3

Not to those who have His Covenant written in their hearts and minds.

"And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation, unto all them, that obey him." Heb 5:9

 

[ladylovesJesus]

The greatest commandment God gave us is this:

Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

God bless

LLJ :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Firstborn]

I agree 100% with brother Jiggyfly, I just want to add Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
But for me the main reason is, the difference between those under the old covenant and us under the new covenant. Under old covenant they were of the old Adam, living souls, operating in the flesh. And they needed the law to keep the flesh in line. Under the new covenant through Jesus, the life-giving Spirit, by a spiritual birth we become a spiritual being and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit it becomes a relationship. For me this is two differed worlds
Be blessed
Niel

 

[jiggyfly]

Psted by Herald> Colossians 2 is referring to the sabbath feast days, circumcision, clean/unclean. These were part of the ceremonial law, which, pointed to Jesus's death, burial and resurrection and were fulfilled.

Herald, can you show me where the law was devided and disected into parts by Paul? Please, without conjecture , I want scripture that is plain and clear.

 

[herald]

When Jesus gave us the "Two Greatest Commandments" He was quoting the law:

"And thou shal love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deut 6:5

"...thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Lev 19:18

These two are a summation of The Ten: If you love the Lord, supremely, you will not bow down or worship other gods, take His name in vain, or profane His holy day.

If you love your neighbour as yourself, you will honor your parents, do no murder, nor adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet.

John said, "By THIS we know that we love the children of God (#2), when we love God (#1), and keep his commandments." 1 John 5:2

If the law were not separated into the ceremonial and The Ten, we would, still, be sacrificing animals. The Ten are fulfilled in our, daily, walk:

"But the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto that perfect day." Pro 4:18. And who is the perfect day? We are walking toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and being sanctified and changed into His image.

"Do we then make void the law through faith: yea, we establish the law." Rom 3:31

Faith is an obedient response to God's Word. 1 Cor 16:26 refers to the "obedience of faith."

In Hebrews 11, all those mentioned, responded in faith and obedience to God's Word. Heb 11:8 says, "By faith Abraham...obeyed."

When Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock twice, God charged him with unbelief. Num 20:12. When the children of Israel disobeyed, they were not allowed to ENTER (Rev 22:14) the Promised Land,because of unbelief. Heb 3:19. Jesus could not do many works in Nazareth, because, of unbelief. Heb 3:12 says, that, unbelief comes out of an EVIL heart. Why? John says, "...he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar." 1 John 5:10.

So, we see, faith/works and disobedience/unbelief.

Jesus said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?"

How can we call Him, Lord, and not obey Him?

If He is not Lord of your Sabbath, who is?

 

[jiggyfly]

Nice try Herald, but your post does not show how Paul devided the Law. Now if you want to physically keep the sabboth, thats your prerogative, but don't make it a requisite for others.

 

[herald]

If you do not believe, that, the ceremonial law was fulfilled in Jesus' sacrifice, and are not, involved in the temple service, then, you are, still, in your sin.

Our Creator instituted the Sabbath at Creation, and He never changed, or, abolished it.

Jesus prophesied the Sabbath, still, being kept during the Great Tribulation, as we are not there, yet:

"But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For THEN shall be Great Tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, NOR EVER SHALL BE..." Matt 24:20,21

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make , shall remain before me,saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa 66:22,23

We will keep the Sabbath in His Kingdom.

It is not I who said, to keep the Sabbath. It was the "Lord of the Sabbath."

 

[jiggyfly]

Herald it seems that you fail to grasp the new covenant and all it's benefits. Christ fulfilled and satisfied Father in everyway concerning all of the old covenant. Now Father has invited us to join with Him in a new covenant which is Christ, Himself. We could not fulfill or satisfy Father concerning any part of the old covenant or any of it's amendments, so He sent His Son to do it for us. His righteousness, by His own works are now bestowed on us through faith/ abiding in Him. We die to self and allow Him to live in us and through us. The sabboth is just a shadow of Christ, this is why Jesus said, "all you who are weary and heavy laiden, come unto me and I will give you rest."

By the way you still haven't shown where Paul made your distinctions in the Law by seperating it.

 

[Mouse]

Herold,
If you read Romans it should give you an understanding concerning the law. I also used to think along the same lines as you with sabbath keeping and clean/unclen meats. But Romans cleared every question I had regarding the laws. Actually the entire books from Acts to Hebrews should answer all questions you have. Pray to Jesus and have faith that he directs you so that you can serve him to the fullest in the exact manner he wants.
God bless!

 

[herald]

Colossians 2 refers to the Ceremonial laws: Sabbath feast days, clean/unclean, circumcision, washings, meat, drink. It is important not to take a Scripture out of it's context.

Sabbath feast days pointed to Christ:

Passover - our Passover Lamb.
Tabernacles - John said, He "tabernacled" among us.
Shewbread - He is the Bread from Heaven.
Day of Atonement: He is our Scapegoat.
Firstfruits: He is the "firstfruits from the dead."
Unleavened Bread: He was/is without sin.
Pentecost: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

Jesus, the clean, became unclean, so that, we could be clean.
Outward circumcision, is now the circumcision of the heart.
Washings are now depicted in water baptism.

His Covenant has gone from the externals to the internals of the heart and mind.

Colossians 2 has nothing to do with God's Covenant - the Ten Commandments. Deut 4:13

Are you saying, that, we can worship and bow down to other gods, take His name in vain, profane His holy day, dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness and covet and walk in His Spirit?

To transgress His law is sin, and sinners will not ENTER His Kingdom.

"Even so, faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The devils believe, but they do not do as the Greek defines the word "believe" - "abandon for, cling to and follow after." Faith requires obedience.

Was not Abraham our father, JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, when he had offered Isaac his son (in obedience) upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then, how that BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, and not by faith only." Ja 2

 

[herald]

The denominations speak on The Sabbath:

PRESBYTERIAN: "The Christian Sabbath (Sunday) is not in the Scripture, and was not by the primitive church called the Sabbath." - Dwight's theology, vol4, p.401.

CONGREGATIONAL: "There is no command in the Bible requiring us to observe the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath." - Fowler, Mode and Subjects of Baptism.

LUTHERAN: "The observance of the Lord's day (Sunday) is founded not on any command of God, but on the authority of the church." - Augsburg Confession of Fatih," quoted in Cox's Sabbath Manual, p. 287

EPISCOPALIAN: "The festival of Sunday, like all other festivals, was always only a human ordinance, and it was far from the intentions of the apostles to establish a divine command in this respect, far from them and from the early apostolic church, to transfer the laws of the Sabbath to Sunday." -Neander, The History of the Christian Religion and Church, p. 186.

METHODIST: "It is true there is no positive command for infant baptism...Nor is there any for keeping holy the first day of the week."- Rev. Amos Binney, Theological Compend, pp. 180, 181. 1902 ed.

BAPTIST: Dr Edward T. Hiscox, author of The Baptist Manual, before a group of New York Ministers, said,

"There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday. It will be said,however, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with all it's duties, privileges, and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament, absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh to the first day of the week.

"Of course," he continues, "I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctioned by the papal apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism!" - Nov 13, 1893.

 

[Firstborn]

Dear brother Herald
We read about this same discussion in the book of Acts in chapter 15. When the gentiles become believers, it was just by accepting Jesus as their savior, there were no ten commandments or laws of Moses involve. They never read or kept one of these laws. That is why they send them this letter. Act 15:28 + 29 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well. You see nothing about the Sabbath. I think it would have look bad if the apostles came afterwards and said, look we didn’t told you the whole truth you still have to do this or that laws. Anyway what is the purpose of the Ten Commandments after you have accepted Jesus as you savior?
Be Blessed
Niel

 

[Mouse]

Colossians 2 refers to the Ceremonial laws: Sabbath feast days, clean/unclean, circumcision, washings, meat, drink. It is important not to take a Scripture out of it's context.


To transgress His law is sin, and sinners will not ENTER His Kingdom.

Hi Herald,
Sadly we are all sinners and it doesn't mean we won't enter into God's kingdom. Romans (one of the Best books from the NT in my humble opinion) explains about sin, the new covenant, the commandments and keeping them. This is for us today.

I wish I had a gift for words but I do not. Basically what I want to say is all in Romans. Please read that book becasue I was confused by the very same things you write about here.

 

[herald]

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin ("the transgression of the law") that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are DEAD TO SIN, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1

The law exposes and works death to the old man, so that, the new man might be set free. You cannot walk in His Spirit and continue in sin, or, "the transgression of His law."

The law exposes our sin, so that we might realize our sin and repent. The Holy Spirit cleanses us and changes us into His image, and that is what sanctification is all about.

"A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put MY SPIRIT within you and CAUSE YOU to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." Ezek 36:26,27.

When we walk in His Spirit, He "causes us" to walk in His law - Not by our might or power, but, by His Spirit working through us. And He fulfills His law through us!

He will never lead us into sin, or, the "transgression of the law."

He is holy.

The fourth commandment is God's SEAL upon His Covenant. So, what is the MARK of the Beast?

Rome says, "Of course the Catholic Church claims the change was her act...and the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters." Thomas, H.F., Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, in answer to a letter regarding the change of the Sabbath.

Again Rome says, "It's (Sunday's change for Saturday) the MARK of our authority to OVER-RULE God's law." Father Enright, C.S.S.R., President of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, Mo., History of The Sabbath, page 802.

"Sunday is our MARK of authority...The church is ABOVE THE BIBLE, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." The Catholic Record, Sept. 1, 1923.

"The Bible says, "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' The Catholic Church says, 'No! by my divine power I ABOLISH the Sabbath day, and COMMAND YOU to keep holy the first day of the week. And, lo! The entire civilized world BOWS DOWN in reverent obedience to the command of the holy Catholic Church." Father Enright.

(Emphasis added)

A mark in the forehead, symbolizes worship. A mark in the hand, symbolizes service.

The Antichrist "...thinks to change times and laws." Dan 7:25.

Pope John Paul 11, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell have called for re-instituting the Sunday, or, "Blue Laws." They are, still, on the books in 26 states. In Virginia, the thrid infraction meant death!

Does this sound far-fetched? How about a tree in the garden, determining the fate of all mankind?

Just as in the garden, it is a question of allegiance. Is our allegiance to the "Mother of harlots" (the apostate Catholic/Protestant religious system, as seen in Rev 17) and her traditions, or, to the Word of God, (made flesh)?

We will, all, have to choose.

I have presented the information. What each one does with it, is between them and the Lord.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases...As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us...

To such as keep his covenant, and to those that REMEMBER his commandments to do them." Ps 103

 

[jiggyfly]

Colossians 2 refers to the Ceremonial laws: Sabbath feast days, clean/unclean, circumcision, washings, meat, drink. It is important not to take a Scripture out of it's context.

Sabbath feast days pointed to Christ:

Passover - our Passover Lamb.
Tabernacles - John said, He "tabernacled" among us.
Shewbread - He is the Bread from Heaven.
Day of Atonement: He is our Scapegoat.
Firstfruits: He is the "firstfruits from the dead."
Unleavened Bread: He was/is without sin.
Pentecost: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.

Jesus, the clean, became unclean, so that, we could be clean.
Outward circumcision, is now the circumcision of the heart.
Washings are now depicted in water baptism.

His Covenant has gone from the externals to the internals of the heart and mind.

Colossians 2 has nothing to do with God's Covenant - the Ten Commandments. Deut 4:13

Are you saying, that, we can worship and bow down to other gods, take His name in vain, profane His holy day, dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness and covet and walk in His Spirit?

To transgress His law is sin, and sinners will not ENTER His Kingdom.

"Even so, faith if it hath not works is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The devils believe, but they do not do as the Greek defines the word "believe" - "abandon for, cling to and follow after." Faith requires obedience.

Was not Abraham our father, JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, when he had offered Isaac his son (in obedience) upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then, how that BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, and not by faith only." Ja 2

How do you know that Colossians 2 refers to only ceremonial law and sabboth feast days? Paul did not specify anywhere that I can find. I asked you to post scripture without conjecture in the beginning and all you have done is basically repeat your intial post over and over. You are the one making this seperation not Paul. It also seems you misunderstand the new covenant and what it means to abide in Christ.

Dead people do not sin. By who's works are you justified? By your own? I am justified by the works of Christ and His cross. By faith, but faith in what? Faith in Christ, that He paid my debt and it was sufficient.

Let me repeat myself also by quoting Paul again.
Galatians 5:4
*For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Paul said that the sabboth was a shadow of Christ as a matter of fact almost everything that Yahveh did in the old covenant were shadows of what He was going to do in the new covenant. So if all these things are simulatory of Christ, how can you keep Christ holy? News flash!!!! You can't. Is Christ more holy because you don't work from Friday evening till Saturday evening? Is He more Holy because you keep a special diet, or is He more Holy because you love His Father? Living by the ten commandments is an outward regulatory system, not at all what Father wants for us in the new covenant. Paul said "it's not I that lives but rather Christ living in me" (paraphrased).

What I believe to be true does not change the truth and what I believe about Christ does not change Christ. John the Baptist preached " repent for the kingdom of God is at hand". Repent used here means change the way you think. When John saw Jesus he said "behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Is that true? Did Jesus really take away the sin of the world or just those who try and live by the ten commandments? It was the religious law keepers, those who followed the law to the "T" that had a big problem with Christ and couldn't recognize Him or what He was doing on their behalf. This walk with Him is not about us becoming like Him it is about Him, period.

Please read this very carefully and then see if what you believe fits perfectly into this Truth. I myself am still adjusting my mindsets and beliefs. Anything other than or added to this is heresy, period.


Colossians 1:15-23
15*Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.* 16*Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17*He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
18*Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead,* so he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20*and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 21*This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22*yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23*But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.

 

[herald]

Faith requires obedience, or, it is not faith. You must read the entire context of Colossians 2 - it does not refer to the Ten Commandments.

If you are saying, that, we must worship and bow down to other gods, take His name in vain, profane His holy day, dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness and covet, then, Jesus died in vain.

He died to set us free from sin, or, the "transgression of His law."

The "Lord of the Sabbath" said, to keep His Sabbath holy, and that is enough for me.

If He is Lord, then, obey Him.

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev 22:14.

Sounds like works, to me.

 

[jiggyfly]

Faith requires obedience, or, it is not faith. You must read the entire context of Colossians 2 - it does not refer to the Ten Commandments.

If you are saying, that, we must worship and bow down to other gods, take His name in vain, profane His holy day, dishonor our parents, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness and covet, then, Jesus died in vain.

He died to set us free from sin, or, the "transgression of His law."

The "Lord of the Sabbath" said, to keep His Sabbath holy, and that is enough for me.
If He is Lord, then, obey Him.

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev 22:14.

Sounds like works, to me.

Just what did I say??? Have I in any of my posts in this thread said anything about other gods, honoring parents or adultery?????? You are twisting comments, but I'm not surprised with the way you interpret God's words.

I totally agree with you on obeying Him, Jesus and His commands.

What scripture did Jesus say Keep His Sabboth holy?

What are Jesus' Commandments?

I see that you have no comments on Colossians 1:15-23 this doesn't surprise me either. If you think your works are good enough for Father then you are sorely deceived.

Do you believe that Jesus took away the sins of the world or not??????

Entering by works is not Grace, period. You fail to understand that the new covenant is a new thing done by God. Same problem the pharisees had. They just couldn't fathom God doing something different. They identity was wrapped up in the Law rather than the Law Giver. They wouldn't enter the Kingdom (and they kept the law) and they tried to prevent others from entering.

Like I said if you choose to physically keep the sabboth day according to the religious rituals of the old covenant, fine but don't make it a requirement for others, because it simply isn't true. I am not condemning you for practicing your beliefs but I am condemning the teaching of obedience to the old covenant agreements now, in the light of the new covenant.

If you continue to post your beliefs as a requirement for all to be pleasing to Father I will continue to throw a wrench in your theological gear box.

 

[Mouse]

Jesus kept the sabbath because Jesus came as a Jew to his own people. He upheld the teachings of the Law of Moses during his lifetime: circumcision, sabbath keeping, the sacrifices were still being done, etc. It didn't change until Jesus' works were complete.