How to Establish Religious Authority 10

A. Last week, in this series, we learned that in the Bible there are two kinds of commands that fall under the Law of God. There are Moral commands that are Religious in nature. They govern your conduct toward your fellow man------Laws that regulate activity between human beings. And there are Religious laws that have to do with your relationship with God. Moral laws are horizontal-----outward toward each other. Religious laws are vertical. They govern your responsibility and activity to God.
Moral laws regulate your social activity. “Do not murder, Honor your father and mother, do not commit adultery, do not lie,” are given to teach you to honor and respect those who are created in God’s own image and likeness. “Do steal” teaches you that what God has given another is not your’s and you have no right to it. “Do not covet” teaches that you do not harbor in your heart the desire to violate these laws. You are to be honorable, respectful and value those whom God has put on this earth. All of this has one purpose. It builds in you character, honor,
the dignity of who you are.
a. There were also religious laws that regulate your worship of God. Commands to offer up certain
sacrifices to God. They were told What to Sacrifice, When to Sacrifice, How to Sacrifice and
Where that Sacrifice was to be made. That did not relate to conduct between humans. It related
to their worship and personal relationship to God. It was an act to test their faith and to teach
them and condition them how to Honor, Respect and be obedient to God. You honor, respect,
and learn how to truly show reverence to God by doing, without exception, what He asks. What
ever God asks, you do, and that is the only way you can worship Him acceptably. You show
contempt and disrespect for God by not following the laws He has given to regulate our conduct
toward each other and toward Him.
(A) That is also true of those taught requirements in Christianity. Rom. 12:1?2, says, “ ...present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” We become
living sacrifices to God. And this is our reasonable service of worship to God. Reasonable
service of worship is called worshiping God in “Spirit and in Truth.” We are to offer sacrifice
and worship to God that is acceptable to God. That’s the reasonable thing to do. It is not
unreasonable to worship God in the way He has asked. Anything less than that is not only
unreasonable but it is also unacceptable.
Some of God’s laws are negative and some are positive in reference to our obeying the will of God. Gen. 2:15, “God put man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” That is a positive command. It lays down a responsibility. Responsibility builds character that teaches self worth and the joy of respect that comes with accomplishment and, at the same time, yields obedience to God. In the next breath Vs. 16-17, God said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden except one; you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." That command is negative. It forbids you to do something. In the Bible all commands are either Positive or Negative. They are, “You do this or You do not do this.” That’s called an imperative. An imperative is either positive or negative. An imperative is not a suggestion, or an option. It is an absolute command and you only have two choices. You obey or you don’t obey. You comply or you stand in rebellion.
All of God’s commands are either Positive or Negative. They say, you are to do this or you are not to do this. Good example is the ten commandments. 8 of the 10 are negative. “Do not steal; do not commit adultery; do not lie; worship other gods; do not murder.” The positives are “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy; honor your father and mother.” It takes both kinds of commands to make things rational and balanced.

Today sociologists, psychologists and historical revisionists have invented a new mind set called “Political Correctness.” It says that you are not to be negative. That is a stupid statement. “Don’t be negative. Don’t tell someone they are wrong.” That is in itself a negative statement. But, yet they say, “Don’t say no to your children; don’t tell them they cannot do something or you will harm their self esteem and that makes them warped.” Don’t say no; don’t discipline. Just re-channel their little enthusiasm. Guess who ends up in control of whom? Guess who ends up running the zoo?
There are also two kinds of commands, or laws. There are specific laws and generic laws. These distinct differences are crucial. To understand the difference is to solve 99.9% of the problems in the religious differences that exist in the world today. What’s the difference between generic and specific commands?
Illustration: Wife says, “Go to the store and get us something for lunch.” That’s a generic command. That generic command leaves the “options” of how to do that open to you. That command has three generic options. “Go.” How? Walk, car, bike?
“The store,” IGA, Allsups, United? “Something for lunch.” Half pound of bologna, bread, can of soup, tuna, what? The option is left open to you. On the other hand, if the command is, “Go to IGA, bring back some cheese and bread.” That is specific and it eliminates everything else.
(2) In the same way God has given commands to us. And some of them are generic and some are specific. You and I need to be able to tell the difference between the two. Example: In giving the great commission, Jesus said, in Mk. 15:15-16. Contains both specific and generic commands.
(1) “Go preach the gospel to all the world.” Generic. Not say, “How to go.” The New Testament tells us that some “Walked,” Some went “by ship.” Today, we do that in ways we choose----Car, airplane, horse-back, walking, television, on the internet. That is a generic command.
(2) Go do what? Preach the Gospel. That’s specific. Not the philosophies of Socrates; not the made up doctrines of Catholicism or the subjective additions or excuses of denominationalism. Do you see the difference between the generic and the specific?
(1) The great commission is very simple and understandable. “Those who hear the Gospel preached are to believe that gospel and then they are to be baptized to be saved.” Baptism is specific. It’s purpose is to save you. You are not to be baptized into a church or denomination. You are not to be baptized as a sign of salvation. You are not to be baptized as a statement of your faith. Those are specific reason some people say they are baptized. Those are different from the specific reason God gives in the Bible.
(2) Be immersed for the same reason Peter stated in Acts 2:38. “For the forgiveness of your sins.” Receiving forgiveness of sins is what saves you because that’s what God commanded. Whose command did you obeyed when you were baptized? When you were baptized, were you sprinkled or immersed? For the forgiveness of your sins or for some other made up denominational reason?
(3) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 04/13/03 am