2007-05-11 Criticism versus Love and Understanding

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in IAUA (ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father,

Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath. I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and happy in the service of the Lord. This is the 23rd day of the second month. It is one week and four days until the evening of Pentecost Sabbath (Wednesday May 23).

There is a constant struggle with the sinful tendencies of criticism versus the love and understanding that the Messiah commands.

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

This is of course no new commandment. The Greek word actually means more like fresh or refreshed. This is a restatement of His earlier words.

Mark 12:28-31
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Remember I observed that there is nothing new in the New Testament. This is a quote of a statute.

Leviticus 19:18
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

The word 'love' used by the Messiah is recorded in the Greek as the word 'agape' which should be well known to students of the Bible. This is the same word translated as 'charity' in I Corinthians 13.

These thoughts have been thoroughly churned over in my mind in the last few weeks. I would have loved to quote another newsletter reader who made some very astute observations about comments in recent newsletters. But, he was concerned that they would be viewed as criticism and asked that they not be printed.

An attitude of love toward one another is the greatest commandment of God. It is therefore more important than the other aspects of the law. Remember the response of the Messiah quoted above. A similar passage in Matthew:

Matthew 22:36-40
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This may explain why EGW never received a complete revelation of the full restoration of the statutes. The church was already deeply into the law they understood at that point and was in great danger from a spirit of criticism, condemnation, and judgment. This problem is still rampant in the church and in my life today. This does not dismiss the need to grow in understanding and adherence to the law but there are priorities.

Matthew 23:23
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

There are a couple of comments from that newsletter reader that are just too valuable too pass by. I will paraphrase them rather than quote them. They certainly echo my experience.

I am tolerated in my position as long as I don't preach the "feast days" as a salvation issue. When I am asked if I believe it is a salvation isssue I just refer to:

Psalms 119:155
155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.

This is a time of the expectation of sudden events to come. We had all better be supportive of each other. If we truly, follow the example of the Messiah. If we claim, to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We see many making these claims. Then they are seen tearing down each other and what God has established.

Is the love from God for others growing in your heart? Is the love for all of God's law also growing in your heart? Do you still cling to the popular notion that Ten Commandments is the extent of God's law?

I pray that we may all continue to strive for love, peace and unity in truth preparing for the soon coming of IAUShUO (ee-uh-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah, the Son of God.

Shabbat Shalom,

Frank T. Clark
Webmaster@IAUA.name
www.IAUA.name

Next: 2007-05-18 Pentecost

Revised 2007-05-18