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God gave the law for one specific purpose. He gave the law to be a mirror. And when I look in the Ten Commandments and read them, and understand them, it shows me how far short I've come. But the law cannot forgive, the law cannot save, the law cannot cleanse me from my sins. I believe before this week is over I shall prove to you night after night that every one of us in this audience has broken every commandment.
You say, "But, Billy, I've never killed anybody. Doesn't the Lord say, 'Thou shalt not murder'?" Yes, Jesus, interpreting that passage, said, "If you've ever hated anybody, you have broken my commandments" [see 1 John 3:15]. Under that comes prejudice, and bigotry, and malice, and contempt.
A Christian leader wrote another Christian leader the other day, and I've got a copy of the letter. He said, "I hold you in utter contempt." You look up the word "contempt" in the dictionary; and it means "I have hatred, I have malice for you."
Jesus said, "Any man who hates his brother is going to hell" [see Matthew 5:22]. I didn't say it; Jesus said it. So we've broken that commandment.
You say, "But, Billy, I've never stolen anything." Haven't you? Did you ever cheat on your income tax, even a little bit? Did you ever cheat in school? You've broken every commandment.
You say, "But I've never committed adultery." Haven't you? Jesus said, "If you've ever had lust in your heart, you've committed adultery" [see Matthew 5:28].
We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God [see Romans 3:23]. You're a sinner, and I'm a sinner. We've all broken God's law, and the law was to show us that we're sinners. I see that I'm wrong, that I'm a sinner. But the law cannot correct; it cannot save. Because salvation came through Christ.
And then the law was given for something else. It becomes a schoolmaster [see Galatians 3:24]. It becomes an usher to drive me to the cross of Christ.
I read those commandments and say, "My God, I haven't kept them. My God, I'm a sinner." And then I hear the thunder from Sinai, and I see the lightning. I hear the judgment of God's thunder and wrath. I hear that the wages of the broken law is sin, and that sin bringeth forth death [see James 1:15]. And I know that every man who breaks that law is lost. And immediately I say, "How can I be saved?"
I find the answer in the grace, and mercy, and the love of God at the cross of Calvary where Christ died and shed His blood for my sins. No one will ever be saved apart from the cross.
Concerning The Four Spiritual
Laws and the late Dr. Bill Bright:
(Taken from The Way
Of The Master, by Ray Comfort, Chapter 10, page
78.)
Over the years that I have shared my concerns
about contemporary evangelism, I have been careful never
to name names. However, many have guessed that on occasion
I have been referring to the incredibly popular tract
The Four Spiritual Laws, penned by the late Dr. Bill
Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ. More than a billion
copies have been distributed in all the major languages
of the world, and his approach has become the model
for the modern gospel presentation.
In July 2002, Kirk and I were invited to Orlando, Florida,
to join Dr. Bright at his home for breakfast. After
breakfast, we sat down in his living room and heard
this warm, humble, sincere man of God (then eighty-one)
confess that he had been in error. Let me use his own
words from his book Heaven or Hell - Your Ultimate
Choice (published the same year) to tell you what
he said to us:
"In his approximately 42 months of public
ministry, there are 33 recorded instances of Jesus
speaking about hell. No doubt He warned of hell thousands
of times. The Bible refers to hell a total of 167
times. I wonder with what frequency this eternal subject
is found in today's pulpits. I confess I have failed
in my ministry to declare the reality of hell as often
as I have the love of God and the benefits of a personal
relationship with Christ. But Jesus spent more of
His time warning His listeners of the impending judgement
of hell than of speaking of the joys of heaven....I
have never felt the need to focus on telling people
about hell. However, as a result of a steady decline
in morals and spiritual vitality in today's culture
and a growing indifference to the afterlife, I have
come to realize the need for greater discussion of
hell....I have thus come to see that silence, or even
benign neglect on these subjects, is disobedience
on my part. To be silent on the eternal destinations
of souls is to be like a sentry failing to warn his
fellow soldiers of impending attack." [Bill
Bright, Heaven or Hell - Your Ultimate Choice
(Orlando, Fla.: New Life Publications, 2002), 32,
48]
Dr. Bright even took the time to use the Law lawfully,
by quoting every one of the Ten Commandments, then expounding
the Law by saying, "Breaking these commandments
will take us to hell without the intervening grace and
mercy of Jesus Christ." [Ibid., 37] By admitting
that "benign neglect on these subjects is disobedience
on my part," Dr. Bright revealed his honest humility
and his genuine love of the truth.
Please, follow Dr. Bright's example and examine your
evangelism methods in light of God's Word. At stake
is the eternal salvation of millions of people. You
don't have to throw away The Four Spiritual Laws. Simply
make four important changes. First, don't tell sinners
that Jesus will improve their lives with a wonderful
plan. Second, don't make the unbiblical mistake of giving
the cure before you've convinced them of the disease.
Third, take the time to follow in the way of the Master
by "opening up" (or explaining) the Ten Commandments.
And fourth, faithfully remember to include the terrible
realities of Judgement Day and hell.
A Thought Provoking Email
Message sent to Ray Comfort:
(As quoted in What
Would Jesus Do?, by Ray Comfort.)
Dear Brother Ray,
I have been a pastor for 25 years. I always thought
I was doing a reasonably good job. Kind of like the
folks that tell you they consider themselves "good
people." I had tried to preach, what I thought,
was the whole counsel of God. I prayed, over the years,
with many people to accept Jesus and make Him Lord of
their lives.
My wife Judy and I moved to Ruidoso, New Mexico about
six years ago to plant a church. Shortly after arriving
I was convicted that something was horribly wrong with
my ministry. I read the scriptures and prayed earnestly
that God would show me what was wrong. The feeling continued
to grow and I became depressed and moody. I asked Judy
to pray for me and explained my problem. I didn't know
if this was the Holy Spirit convicting or Satan attacking.
She prayed that God would reveal the cause of my depression
and make Himself clear as He revealed any problem with
my ministry for Him.
That night I had the most terrifying, realistic, blood
chilling nightmare any man has ever had. I am a Vietnam
veteran and I know a little about nightmares. Nothing
in my experience has ever come close, nor do I ever
want it to, to the horror of that night!
I dreamed that it was judgment day and I was standing
right next to the throne of God. I noticed that to my
left and my right were pastors as far as I could see.
I thought this was odd that the Lord would reserve this
front row space for pastors only.
I looked out across a space of only a few yards and
there were millions, maybe billions, of people, yet
I could see each one of their eyes staring at me. As
I studied this group I noticed that I knew many of them
from times at the alter or ones who had sat under my
teaching. I was pleased to see that they had made it
to heaven, but confused because they didn't look happy.
They looked very angry and hateful.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord say, "Away,
I never knew you." I was suddenly frightened that
what I was seeing was those who "thought"
that they were saved. Then I saw all of them pointing
a finger at each of us pastors and together, in one
voice that shook my soul, "WE SAT IN YOUR CHURCH
AND THOUGHT WE WERE SAVED. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US WE
WERE LOST?"
Tears were pouring down my face and the faces of all
of those pastors. I watched as one by one those people
were cast into hell. One and then another, and another,
and another......., until they were all gone. I died
inside as each one screamed in agony and gnashed their
teeth, cursing us as they went into the lake of fire.
Then I was looking into the face of Jesus and He said
to me, "Is this the part where I'm suppose to say,
' Well done my good and faithful servant?" I woke
up with a scream and my heart pounding and I was begging
Jesus to forgive me.
I died a million deaths that night. Since that night
I have done two things on a daily bases. I do everything
I can to preach the law before grace in the hope that
conviction of sin will bring a sinner to true salvation.
The other thing that I do is pray for every person I
have ever preached to asking God to repair any damage
I have done. I also never believe anyone when they tell
me they are saved. It is my duty to challenge them and
search out the solidness of their salvation.
Your ministry and material has been a great blessing
to me. I am learning to be more effective and confident
as I teach others how to share their faith by using
the Law. I have seen several people saved, who thought
they were saved, as I have used The Way of The Master
material to teach them evangelism.
I do want to hear those words, "Well done my good
and faithful servant", and thanks to you and your
team I have a better chance of hearing them. Thank you!
I just wanted to let you know, some pastors are waking
up to the truth. The desire of my heart is to please
God. I pray that my days of being a man pleaser are
over along with the nightmares. I also pray that God
will use me to bring other pastors into the truth of
the Gospel message so that they will not have to face
the nightmare that I did.
Blessings,
Steve Kreins
First Church of God
Waco, Texas
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