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Zeph.3:4
Intro.
It was the religious leaders in Israel that were responsible. People should expect the leaders to "handle aright the word of truth". God upholds His words. He didn't look the other way when Adam and Eve allowed one altering word from Satan to slip in. He doesn't uphold the earth with as much respect as He does His words. The earth can pass, but His words never will. It is when religious leaders take lightly the authority of God's words, that God considers violence has been done to His law. It is a fearful thing to contemplate doing violence to the law of the Almighty Judge and King. Men have acted with greater carefulness on the instructions and words of mere earthly kings. Why do religious leaders have so little regard for the words of Divine scripture?
Various ways in which religious leaders "do violence" to the law of God.:
I. FAILURE TO "RIGHTLY DIVIDE" IT. 2 Tim.2:15
A. OT vs. NT. "Thief on Cross" - Heb.9:15f
B. OT rituals vs. NT worship. Incense. Instrumental Music, etc.
C. Personal address vs. General Principle.
1. Example: Jno.16:13 - "Just waiting for the Spirit to guide me".
D. Taking verses out of context.
1. Example: Rom.4:1-5. Making "works" apply to works of faith, when the context is about meritorious "deeds of the law". 3:20,28
2. The contrast is between "works" (no violations of law) and "faith" (trusting obedience).
3. Rom.4:3 - Quotes Gen.15:5 which was AFTER Abraham "obeyed by faith" - Heb.11:8,9
II. FAILURE TO DECLARE "ALL" THE COUNSEL. Acts 20:20,27
A. Faith Only - fails to tell about repentance, baptism.
B. I asked a guy, "Is there ever a time when you would tell someone exactly what Peter said in Acts 2:38?"
1. He said, "they might get the wrong idea if he did".
2. When giving is required every first day of the week, but the same frequency for the supper is left out. 1 Cor.16:2; Acts 20:7
III. TWISTING THE SCRIPTURES. 2 Pet.3:16
A. 1 Pet.3:21 gets twisted a lot.
1. One fellow said that it teaches that baptism is a figure of salvation. Actually it teaches that the flood is a figure of the antitype: baptism. Baptism is the real thing prefigured by the flood that washed away a sinful world.
2. Another fellow twisted it to say, "Baptism does also now save us NOT..."
IV. ADDING / SUBTRACTING. Rev.22:18,19
A. Nadab & Abihu added strange fire. Lev.10. A small matter in their eyes
was a big matter to God.
B. Adding doctrines/ commandments of men. Matt.15:9f Makes worship "vain".
C. Adding Social-Recreational programs to churches' mission.
D. Adding offices and superstructures: Popes, Archbishops, Cardinals,
District Associations, Earthly names, headquarters, etc.
V. ALTERING/ PERVERTING. Gal.1:6-8
A. By mixing in a "little" OT with New. "Circumcision".
1. Made the gospel just one point different. Still same gospel?
2. How many OT laws may be added? Will the gospel still be the same?
3. How much human changes can we make to the NT pattern of sound words? Will it still be the same old gospel?
VI. IGNORING.
A. Heb.5:9 - Author of eternal salvation to all who "obey".
1. No such promise to those who continue to ignore the gospel call.
B. 2 Thess.1:7-9 - Vengeance on those who obey not...
C. Heb.2:3 - How escape if NEGLECT...?
D. How many times have you ignored God's call in the gospel? How long do
you think you can get by with it? Does God look lightly on this?
Conclusion:
God upholds His law. It is more important to Him that "heaven and earth". He could remove the earth before He would allow "one jot or tittle to pass". He does not look kindly on those who "do violence to His law". Have YOU been doing violence to the law of God? Need to repent? Why not now?
- - Terry W. Benton
