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The title of this study probably sounds like that of some kind of self-help book, but it’s actually a very important concept with regard to the essence and nature of sanctification. And, like all important concepts, it can actually be made quite simple. Here is what we know from the Scriptures, four basic premises:
1) Every sin is a transgression of the Law. The only definition of “sin” that the Scriptures give us is found in the writings of John. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law, for sin is the transgression of the Law.” (1John 3:4)
2) The Law represents the character of Yahweh. We read, “‘But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days,’ saith Yahweh, ‘I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.’” (Jer 31:33) In another place we read, “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” (2Cor 3:3) We find this common language that speaks of the Law written on the heart of those in whom Yahweh dwells. Where the Spirit of our Father is, there, inevitably, is His Law. One is a reflection of the other.
3) The Gospel frees us from sin, so that we come to reflect the Father, and also the Son, since they have a common Spirit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Yahshua hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom 8:2-4)
4) The Law tells us who Yahweh is, and the goal of His people is the development of His perfect character. As it is written, the goal is that we “all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yahweh, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:13)
Based on these four things, we may draw a rather fundamental conclusion. While we are being sanctified, that is, when we are identifying and putting away sin in our persons, the important question to ask about the thoughts and feelings we are processing is, “How does this impact my character’s development?”
We speak of preferences and convictions. We speak of “don’t know thoughts,” and “I messages.” We speak of the chain of character, and various other rules of thumb. These are all vital elements of the Gospel, and the truth as it is in Yahshua, and we are the only Church in the world that has this light… but they are all doorways into the same room. They are all entrances, some easier to find by certain people than others, into the same truth. If what we are doing, and thinking, and saying, is facilitating growth toward the character of Yahshua, it is of righteousness. If what we are doing takes us further away, it is a violation of at least the spirit of the Law, if not its letter. Every sin is a violation of the character of the Father and Son.
This is not a legalistic principle when rightly understood. Even the “Law” itself as we know it is only a representation in human language of something more basic, which Yahshua explained, when saying that all the Law hangs on just two principles: “Yahshua said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love Yahweh thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’” (Mat 22:37-39)
As most of you know, we had some conversations last year with a group of Adventists whose leadership is located in Russia. As a whole, they are a people who seem to embody the best principles of Christianity, and Adventism. They are sincere, and committed, and genuinely wish to convert sinners to the Gospel as they understand it. It might seem natural, then, that we would find common ground, and unite to cooperate and finish the great work.
Unfortunately, our dialogue fell apart, because we could not agree on one of the critical tests of Christian fellowship: the Commandments of Yahweh. In reading the Scripture, we find that one of the elements of the Law, which – as we have seen – is one of the elements of our Father’s character, is the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exo 20:13) The slightest amount of investigation will reveal that the meaning of this statement is not that every time one human kills another, the killer has sinned, but that the unjustified taking of human life is contrary to Yahweh’s will. Our Father has sanctioned, even commanded, wars, sacrifices, and executions. We don’t need to gloss this over or make excuses for Him. This, too, is a part of His character, for He is not only the Creator and Redeemer, but also the Judge. Here is where some people get confused: it is true that Yahweh does not “cause” anyone’s death, in the sense that He never forces anyone to sin, and therefore to become worthy of death. From that perspective no, He does not kill. However, once one – through his or her own will – becomes a rebel against the Law with no remedy, it is Yahweh who pronounces the sentence, and Yahweh who carries out the only remaining act of mercy. In fact, He is the only One who can destroy the sinful soul.
We read, “‘Thou hast forsaken me,’ saith Yahweh, ‘Thou art gone backward; therefore will I stretch out My hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.” (Jer 15:6, 7) There are some who believe that all such statements are metaphors for Yahweh allowing His people to be destroyed by their own sin, and that He Himself does not kill. This, however, does not explain the very specific and direct ways in which sinners have been swallowed up by the earth, consumed in divine fire, and stoned to death as a result of a direct instruction from Heaven. These were not, none of them, the natural, cause-and-effect consequences of Lawlessness, nor the work of Satan to remove his own best agents in Israel from among the people. This was Yahweh, working directly to cleanse His camp, in an act that the Bible’s writers acknowledge is “strange,” (Isa 28:21) but from the Most High.
Murder is not a part of the character of Yahweh, which is why it is forbidden in the Law, but ending human life sometimes is, and the Scripture justifies those who kill in warfare, the defense of one’s own life, and the defense of others. (1Sam 15:3, Psalm 144:1, Exo 22:2) I did an entire study on this topic, but the basic idea is as I have stated it here.
Those who do not understand this are not seeing the character of their Creator clearly, and therefore will never wish to come into harmony with those who do. This is what happened with the Russian Adventists with whom we are speaking, and what happens whenever two groups that do not aspire to the same character come into contact with each other. The spirits will not prove to be the same, if the principles behind the commandments, and what they tell us of the divine character, are not accurately perceived. Our destination is not Heaven per se, it is the character of Christ. Heaven and everlasting life are the consequences of becoming equivalent with One who has life within Himself, un-borrowed, original, and without end.
When it comes to the sixth commandment, which tells us not to kill, the question is, “What is this instruction teaching us about Yahweh’s character? What is the impact of obedience, or disobedience, on the quality of the human soul?” That is really why the Bible was given to us, and the focus of today’s study.
What is the impact on the character of each of the 10 elements of Yahweh’s Law? If we can discover this, we will reveal the ten principles behind them, and open the gates of the Kingdom. So, let us begin to do so today. I say “begin,” because not every truth can be taught through, or learned from, a study. The inspiration may come from hearing the Word explained, but in terms of what it means to you, individually… that comes only through meditation and prayer.
The First Commandments reads, “I am Yahweh thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” (Exo 20:2, 3)
The first principle revealed by the Commandments is the concept that we grow closer and closer in character and nature to that which we worship. Our brains are formed, and transformed, by what they experience. As Paul writes, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of Yahweh, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Cor 3:18) This works both positively and negatively, for we read in Romans 1 that those who worship the things of this earth are made corrupt by the misuse of their affections. One of the keys to the Kingdom, then, one of the 10 fundamental principles of character development, is to have Yahweh foremost in one’s affections, because our affection draws our character after it. Thus, we pray, we fellowship with the saints, we study the Word, not merely because these are positive habits, but because they have an active role in transforming the personality, and refining the character for Heaven.
The Second Commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them, for I Yahweh thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.” (Exo 20:4-6)
This is a follow-up to the first principle. Those who worship idols, or who perceive Yahweh as something that may be captured in an image, do not comprehend His greatness, the limitless nature of His being. The Scriptures speak of the foolishness of those who bow to idols of wood and stone, but it is no wiser to bow to idols of opinion, and pride, and selfish ambition. These are all ideas that limit our concept of who our Father is, and so, if we obey the first principle and make Yahweh the focus of our worship, we must also be careful not to liken Him to anything that may be grasped with the hand or with the mind.
Worship is, and must be, a supernatural experience. We love and worship that which we know in the Spirit, but cannot explain or describe. In worship, it is not we who truly draw near to Yahweh, but it is He who draws near to us, by His own power, as we invite Him to do so.
It is He who knows how much of Himself we can safely experience, revealing to Moses only His back, (Exo 33:23) and to us only and exactly what we need in order to be sanctified.
The Third Commandment is, “Thou shalt not take the name of Yahweh thy God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” (Exo 20:7)
What is the principle? The “name” of an individual is what they are called. It is also what they stand for, what their lives mean. The Scriptures tell us that names are powerful things, and the Name of Yahweh is the most powerful of all. Those who speak lightly of others do not respect them. Those who speak lightly of Yahweh, or use His name, or title, as a curse, are protected only by their ignorance. We, who are His people, know Him, and knowing Him, knowing His name, is life everlasting. As Yahshua said, “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Yahshua the Messiah, whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)
The principle of respecting Yahweh’s name has, therefore, great implications for the characters of those who claim to worship Him. When we are baptized, when we are brought into the covenant of Yahweh, we take on His name, just as a bride takes on the name of her husband. To “take His name in vain” speaks not only to the obvious fulfillment of not speaking ill of Him, or using His name carelessly, but also that the entire life that has taken His name shall be full of meaning, fulfilled in service to Him. As a promise, we know that in Yahshua, we shall not take the name of Yahweh our Lord in vain. This is because as we live the life of Christ on earth, that life is one that glorifies the Law. That life is one that returns to Yahweh victoriously, full of eternal treasures.
The Fourth point of the Law, we know, is the one concerning the Sabbath: “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 Yahweh thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, for in six days Yahweh made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exo 20:8-11)
The principle here is one that Seventh-day Adventists, and CSDAs in particular, have learned to explain very well. We call it, in fact, the Sabbath Rest Principle. We put away the world, with its goals and values, and take on the Heavenly instead. We rest from our labors, as Yahweh did from His on the Seventh Day, and life becomes a monument to the Creativity of our Father, rather than a competition, a race, or a struggle for survival. We are content in all things, because we have the Spirit of the Most High dwelling within us; therefore it is a sign, a seal, that we are indeed His people. Without this principle, as with all the others, the character will not be made perfect for entrance into the Heavenly Kingdom.
The Fifth Commandment reads, “Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which Yahweh thy God giveth thee.” (Exo 20:12)
Why is this here? In a sense, it is about respecting the authority of those whom Yahweh has placed above us, and so it is similar in a sense to the first commandment. However, this is here separately because it illustrates another principle of Yahweh’s Kingdom, which is that of delegated authority.
When Samuel the Prophet was trying to persuade the people not to ask for an earthly king, he became upset that they were not paying much attention to his arguments. Seeing this, Yahweh said to Samuel, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (1Sam 8:7) In rejecting Samuel’s advice, they were truly rejecting Yahweh. The same idea applied to Yahshua’s disciples, to whom the Messiah said, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” (Mark 6:11)
Would the people be condemned for rejecting a traveler, a messenger? No, they were condemned because they would not receive the Messiah in the person of His people, and so it is with children regarding their parents, wives regarding their husbands, Church members regarding the elders, servants regarding their lawful masters, etc. Except in matters of conviction, we are to give honor to those whom Yahweh has given to us as representatives of Himself. When this is done in a balanced and healthy manner, we come to recognize the Spirit of our Father in different voices, different faces, and so we learn of Him on a spiritual level in a very direct and personal way. We learn lessons by submitting to Yahweh’s delegated authority that speak to our souls directly, and cannot be easily comprehended by an instruction or written passage.
We began with the example of this Sixth Commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exo 20:13)
The sin here is obviously the direct and permanent harm that is done to another. The reason it is a sin is that it attacks the image of Yahweh. Even the worst of sinners was created in our Father’s image, and is of equal value to Him as we are. Life is sacred to Yahweh; this is the reason why sacrifices are so prominent in the rituals associated with His worship, until the death of Yahshua that fulfilled all of the blood requirements of the Law.
The spirit, the mind, the life, the right to that life, that all comes from Yahweh, and is not our right to remove. The principle is to love, because if you hate your brother in your heart, you are a murderer, (1John 3:15) so killing belongs to the opposite principle of love. Practically speaking, few of us will ever be in a position to actively take the life of another person, but the commandment was written for all, so that all may know the value that our Father places on each of us. To see the image of Yahweh in ourselves, and in others (at least as a potential) is a necessary principle for the sanctification of the soul.
The Seventh Commandment is, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exo 20:14)
The principle here is a simple one: we are to honor our covenants. We are to stand by our agreements, except that they be broken by another. The world teaches us that marriages may end for many causes – arguments, falling out of the initial excitement of romance that they call “love,” finding a more attractive or entertaining partner, irreconcilable differences… these are all legitimate reasons to break a covenant according to the principles of this world.
What Yahweh teaches us, though, is that the idea of breaking an agreement is as far from us as the east is from the west. What we vow comes our conviction. What we promise becomes our bond. Yes, adultery itself is the cause of great sorrows in many marriages, and in the days of ancient Israel it could affect the passing on of land from a landowner to his true descendants. This was a major issue in the Old Testament… but the day-to-day meaning of this commandment teaches us the power of our words. It is still an issue of inheritance. The saints are to be inheritors of great power from our Father, but only those who can control their tongues, and honor their vows, will be safe to entrust with such a weight of responsibility.
The Eighth Commandment is quite straightforward, “Thou shalt not steal.” (Exo 20:15)
Our Father knows that while we are living on this earth, we have needs that can only be fulfilled by earthly resources – water, food, and so on. Without possessions, we cannot be free from the authority of others. Without resources, we will always be the servants of, or indebted to, others. We are not to worship those things that Yahweh has permitted us to own, but we are to see them as gifts that give us value to those around us, and they are to be used lawfully and in the spirit of agape.
Those who steal do not respect Yahweh’s authority to give and to take away. By force or by deceit, they testify that they are not content with what they have been given by their Father, and they violate the principle of contentment, as surely as if they were to be Sabbath-breakers, or adulterers, or murderers. The commandments are all one Law, but the different principles that each commandment reveals each show us a different facet of our Father’s character. Here we see that He gives blessings to all, but those who seek to take the blessings of another do not recognize, cannot accept, or have discarded, the blessings that had been prepared for them.
The Ninth Commandment reads, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” (Exo 20:16)
This is an exceedingly important commandment for the principle that it teaches us. We read in the New Testament, and in a passage familiar to CSDAs, “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?” (1Cor 6:1-3)
We are saved to serve. We are redeemed, and restored to our original estate, in order to govern the universe as the Creator’s representatives. Matters great and small shall be before us in a multitude of different ways, and shall a liar, or a perjurer, or one who would be responsible for, or even tolerate, injustice ever be fit for this role? Many verses speak of Yahweh’s affinity for fairness, justice, and right judgment. He says, in just one of several places, “For I, Yahweh, love judgment; I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.” (Isa 61:8) Those who subvert this have actively made themselves the enemies of Yahweh.
Again, an exceedingly important principle; we could spend an entire study on each of these, and hopefully it will awaken in us a desire to look into these matters individually, deeply, so that we may see more clearly the Heavenly Kingdom for which we are being prepared.
The Final Commandment, as we draw to a close, is, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.” (Exo 20:17)
What is the principle here? This commandment conveys a similar principle to the Sabbath rest, but it has a broader and more social application. We read at the end of the parable of the workers, “And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.” (Mat 20:9, 10) In the eyes of the first workers, those who were called at the 11th hour received the greater benefit, since they were paid an equal sum for far less work. They were expected to accept this with grace.
The ninth commandment teaches us not to be responsible for injustices. The tenth teaches us to be content even in the face of perceived injustices against us. There will always be people who have more than we do, and who have obtained what they have through easier labor. That is the blessing for them, and we have a blessing that is uniquely ours as well, different from theirs. To focus on the blessings of another with envy can lead to a diminishing of the blessings that we have received. When Peter asked about John’s destiny, “Yahshua saith unto him, ‘If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me.’” (John 21:22)
That is the principle of the tenth commandment. We are to be in an attitude of gratefulness for all that we have, not knowing the trials and challenges of others, nor what they need to succeed in their lives. We follow Yahshua along the path through which He calls us, rejecting envy, jealousy, and unhealthy forms of competition, not knowing the needs of others as He does. This is also the only commandment that directly touches the inner life. All the other nine, can be followed outwardly, and the world would never know the state of our spirits, but this one measures the true contentment of the soul, and is seen by Yahweh only.
This is what sets the commandments of Yahweh above laws of man, or other moral principles. We don’t talk about this one enough, because as the last, it is the seal of perfection that Yahweh has placed on His Law, and while the fourth honors Him as the Creator, this 10th tells us of His love for us as individuals, that He and His Son truly heal us, because He will not command what He does not expect. If He restricts us from coveting, it is because He is promising us healing from any and all doubt that He will provide us with whatsoever we need.
There is, of course, always going to be more to say about the nature of Yahweh’s commandments, but I think that we have enough to consider here, and I pray that what has been shared will lead to healing insights, and greater and greater manifestations of the principles of love and peace that lie at the very heart of our Father’s Law.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“God requires perfection of His children. His law is a transcript of His own character, and it is the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will have to compose His kingdom. The life of Christ on earth was a perfect expression of God's law, and when those who claim to be children of God become Christlike in character, they will be obedient to God's commandments. Then the Lord can trust them to be of the number who shall compose the family of heaven.” [Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 315]
“Every time a soul is converted, and learns to love God and keep His commandments, the promise of God is fulfilled, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” Ezekiel 36:26. The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the word of God, the sign that should be manifest now and always is the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the word a regenerating power to those that hear. This is God's witness before the world to the divine mission of His Son.” [The Desire of Ages, p. 407]
“Before the believer is held out the wonderful possibility of being like Christ, obedient to all the principles of the law. But of himself man is utterly unable to reach this condition. The holiness that God's word declares he must have before he can be saved is the result of the working of divine grace as he bows in submission to the discipline and restraining influences of the Spirit of truth. Man's obedience can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ's righteousness, which fills with divine fragrance every act of obedience. The part of the Christian is to persevere in overcoming every fault.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 532]