THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT

                         THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT

“Now the end of the commandment is CHARITY/LOVE out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a faith unfeigned/sincere.” 1 Timothy 1:5

INDEX:
- INTRO
- FIRST THINGS FIRST
- THE DECEPTION OF WALKING IN THE FEAR OF FALLING
- FALSE SAFEGAUARDS 
- SAFEGUARDS FOR OUR WALK
- HUMILITY, THE GREAT KEEPER
- WALKING IN LOVE
- WALKING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD
- CONCLUSION


-  INTRO
  I have been writing on many very heavy, but foundational Biblical doctrines that are critical for the knowledge and understanding on which we must build our faith; however, I do not know those of you who are reading these topics and I fear least someone may derive unhealthy conclusions. I intend to stress the absolute seriousness of the full counsel of the Word of God and our call to faith and obedience, but unless we understand the objective of God our Loving Heavenly Father, and the Wonderful nature of Christ, we can miss His AMAZING GRACE and the glorious life in this life that He has called us to, let alone Eternal Life.  

“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, LET US GO ON UNTO PERFECTION not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do if God permit.” Hebrews 6:1-3
 These doctrines are FOUNDATIONAL, but we do not continue continually go over the foundation once it is properly laid. Once the foundation is laid,  we then begin to construct the building designed for the foundation, and in this case, a dwelling place for the Lord through/by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22 - So it becomes "Christ in you, the Hope of glory." Colossians 1:27  Our life is not longer about us, but about us in Him, and He in us!
 FIRST THINGS FIRST

 For one, surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ without reservation. Next, find a Bible believing Church that you can attend and begin to grow in. And at the same time develop a prayer life and Bible reading devotional time in your day to day walk, and make sure your faith is built on the solid foundations laid out in the Scriptures. Then enjoy the adventure that is set before you with all its amazing experiences, challenges, and joy.

 Initially there needs to be a detachment from the old life; the world and its influences, the devil and his deceptions, our ways and the passions of the flesh – hence – repentance and faith towards God. Now, what happens to us when we repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the sin that separates us from God is removed, the broken relationship between He and us is bridged through His blood sacrifice on the Cross, “… without the shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness/removal) of sin…” Hebrews 9:22.  The Holy Spirit of Christ unites with our spirit and we are adopted into God’s family through New Birth. We are no longer separated from our Heavenly Father…and this is just the beginning of our walk with God into eternity. How FANTASTIC is that!!!! John 3:3, 6, Galatians 4:6, John 11:26

 God has designed us to walk with Him as His children, and while in this life, though separated until Jesus returns or when He calls us home, He has given us His Holy Spirit as our Companion through life until then (John 14:16). We are no longer under the Law for our righteousness, but have been liberated into the life of a walk with His Holy Spirit that frees us from the law of ‘sin and death’ Romans 8:2.

 Still necessary is the knowledge of His law, and the doctrines of Christ (the Bible), as previously mentioned, in order to enable us to discern what is of Him and what isn’t, “Moreover by them (His laws, testimonies, statutes, commandments, His fear, His judgments) is Thy servant warned, and in keeping of the them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11

 Because of the fierceness of the battle we are all in, the battle of our faith for our salvation, I wish for myself and all His people that the bulwark of our faith and its foundation is secure against all the assaults of the devil, and the weakness of our flesh to the which we our bound until He calls us home or to the resurrection Philippians 1:23, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.

THE DECEPTION OF WALKING IN THE FEAR OF FALLING

 In the meantime we are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18  How we then live is a pursuit of a LIFE OF FAITH AND LOVE in Him.  The fruit of His Spirit and love is what God is looking for in our lives. If we are living in a constant fear of sin and falling, a fear of evil and corruption, we may then fall back into a life of bondage and slavery from which Christ has come to set us free “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36, Galatians 5:1 There is further good news regarding the simplicity and safeguard regarding our faith. John puts it like this, and this is fantastic! "He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10 This is actually the message of the topic we are trying to convey.

FALSE SAFEGUARDS
(Please be assured that I am not condoning careless or loose living, which is so contrary to walking in the grace of God  ""For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: looking of that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2:11-13)

  What we can tend to do when we learn about God’s righteousness and our sinfulness without grasping the Gospel of Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we may attempt to encompass ourselves with an entourage of man-made rules and regulations, either of our own convictions, and or someone else’s, and with them, out of desperation and fear, try to hem ourselves in 'lest we be contaminated' with the evil and assumed evils of this world. Yet, even by these laws and rules we are unable to escape the evils and passions in our own hearts Colossians 2:23. As for reaching out in loving concern to others (other than perhaps by trying drawing them into our own religion) that becomes a far lesser concern since it may require us to step out of our ‘safe zone’. Remember, living by the law of any kind, does not require love, only fear and obedience. Then we get to feel good about ourselves and might even look down on others who aren’t living by ‘our’ standards.

 Hopefully the revelation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is so simple and clear that the snares of self-righteousness, legalism, or hopelessness, and any other contrary actions and beliefs, are clearly flowing in the opposite direction of our pursuit of Faith, Hope, and Love, that are in Christ Jesus.

 SAFEGUARDS FOR OUR WALK

 Since deviating off course can occur without our noticing, there are some safeguards and warning signs that can help us stay on course:

 HUMILITY - the GREAT KEEPER

– Pride is so easy to fall into, and makes us an sure candidate for error. “”By humility’ and the fear of the Lord, are riches, and honor, and life.” Proverbs 22:4    

- When we begin to be over confident (“Wherefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.”  1 Corinthians 10:12), we become careless.

- If we are not teachable, or correctable we are heading for trouble.

WALKING IN LOVE
 1 John 3:17 "He that loves his brother abides in the light, ant there is no occasion of stumbling in him." 1 John 2:10

- If we have little regard for the sufferings and plights of others, our hearts are hardening.

-  When our personal objectives are more important than healthy relationships with others, or even God - Luke 14:16-24

- When we refuse to reconcile, and or forgive

- When we are selfishly ambitious

WALKING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD Acts 9:31

- When we see or hear about something that God in the Bible calls sin, and it does not bother us.

 - When we do not tremble at His Word.

- When we can speak easily about or against anyone

- When we despise authority

If any of these things are showing in our lives, we need to re-examine our walk with Him.

 CONCLUSION

 Dear friends, the heart of God our Heavenly Father is reflected in the Life and Nature of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. So in all our pursuits if the end product of our life style does not reflect Him, we are truly missing the mark. Instead we now follow Him in a life pursuit of faith and love. 

At this point I fully intend to continue (Lord willing) covering the foundational topics of the Christian faith, so hold on and let us move ahead.

 Most sincerely, in the love of Christ Jesus,

Gerry Langevin.