Over time, reading scripture in fellowship will spill over into other areas of life. You will find yourself working in fellowship, talking to a friend in fellowship, sharing your faith in fellowship. It has been a very slow process for me. But turning in your spirit, to Him who is within, will become spontaneous, natural and powerful over time. 

The closing words of the introduction to this book were:

"To enter into this fellowship, the heart must touch what the eye cannot see. It all depends on what happens in one particular moment... in that very second when we come into contact with the word of God. That moment is the foundation of this book. It is from that moment, which this fellowship with God unfolds. Chapter 1 will focus on that moment."
 
Ayoola... In closing, I offer this prayer for you:
 
Lord of Heaven and earth, I offer you praise for who you are and what you have done. You are full of wisdom, power, grace, love and justice. I lift up Ayoola to you and on Ayoola's behalf make this request. Out of Your great power and grace, please multiply faith, intimacy, insight, strength and power, all for Your glory and for Your glory alone! Amen.

If you have other questions or comments, please contact me again!

Your brother in Christ,

Jim   
 

• Jesus said "You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me'" (Matthew 12:7-8).
  

• Jesus said, "For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak... However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak" (John 12:49, 16:13). 

• Paul wrote, "Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ (1Corinthians 11:1)"

• "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). 
• "17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face seeing the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). 

• "The Word became flesh, and lived among us" (John 1:14). (Jesus is "the Word." See also John 1:1.)
• "His name is called 'The Word of God'" (Revelation 19:13 speaking of Jesus). 
• "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life" (Spoken by Jesus in John 5:39-40). 

• "having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever" (1Peter 1:23). 
• "For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). 

• "the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don't need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things" (1 John 2:27. The anointing is the Holy Spirit.) 

• "...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). 
• "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his" (Romans 8:9). 
• "Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19). 

• "Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, in the day of the trial in the wilderness" (Hebrews 3:7-8).

•  "But their eyes were kept from recognizing him" (Luke 24:16). 
• "Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45). Note: Luke 24:16 doesn't say who kept their eyes from recognizing Jesus. But since it is God who opens our minds to understand scripture (Luke 24:45), it is God who decides to open or to not open. To not open is to withhold. So, God both reveals and conceals justly, based on spiritual conditions which He has ordained (subchapter 1.5).

• Jesus said... "3 Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  (Matthew 18:3,4).

•  "long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow" (1 Peter 2:2). 
• "I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation" (Psalm 119:99, as Psalm of David). 

• "Pray without ceasing" (1Thessalonians 5:17). 

•  "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls . For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30, explained in subchapter 2.3).

• "Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6 There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; 10 and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11 But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires" (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). 

• What does the scripture say about Man? 
• What does the scripture say about God? 
• What does it say that we can Pray? 

• Then you pray those prayers!

• "You must be born anew" (John 3:3).
• "by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8).

• "If we live by the Spirit, let's also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).

• "Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into God's Kingdom. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8). verse born of Spirit
• "not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5) (To be born of the Spirit is the same as regeneration.)

• "There is one body and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all, and in us all" (Ephesians 4:4-6).
• "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his" (Romans 8:9).
• "Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own" (1 Corinthians 6:19).

• "But you didn't learn Christ that way, 21 if indeed you heard him, and were taught in him, even as truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Ephesians 4:22-24).
• "Don't lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator" (Colossians 3:9-10). See also Colossians 3:1-170.

• Scripture
• Prayer
• Meditation
• Make Disciples

• When will the temple be destroyed?
• What is the sign of Your coming?
• What is the sign of the end of the age?

• "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).
• "But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

• "But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

• individually
• beginning of creation, or
• conversion into eternal life 

• "13 Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today" (Exodus 14:13).

• "Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:16).

• "But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

• "In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13). 

• "the assembly of God which is at Corinth"

• "those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus"

• "called saints"

• "So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him" (Numbers 27:18). 

• "Behold, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all kinds of workmanship, to devise skillful works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze" (Exodus 3:2,3).

• "He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).

• "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Luke 11:13).

• "but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior" (1 Peter 1:15).

Since we are instructed by our Lord in this passage to be holy in all of our behavior... we can be holy in all of our behavior. So, yes, we can live holy! 

But, I know of no other way that we can live holy except through scriptural prayer, the Endorsed Prayers of scripture (subchapter 4.1). According to scripture, it is by scriptural prayer that we hear the Spirit. It is through scriptural prayer that we obey the Spirit. So, it is by scriptural prayer that we walk by the Spirit (subchapter 4.7).

If any are reading here who are preachers, I prayerfully admonish you to read chapter 4, learn the prayers endorsed by scripture and teach them to your congregation. If you do not know how to pray, how will you teach your flock to pray? If your flock does not pray scriptural prayer, your flock will not walk by the Spirit.

B) A more detailed answer:

Below, I will present a more detailed answer from the scriptures and the exact scriptural terms which describe the separation which occurs because of sin. There are five sections below. The first four sections illuminate the fifth. The fifth section answers the question "Can we live holy?"

1) We are not born in a state of separation:

• "But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to ones like these" (Matthew 19:14).

When King David's little child died he said "But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:23). When David said "I will go to him", David revealed that he would see his child in heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to children and they go to God when they die.

Click here for additional explanation regarding this point and read micro-subchapter 1.5k. 

So, at this point we see that we are not born in a state of spiritual separation. This will be increasingly clear as the next scripture shows that we are spiritually alive before we become spiritually dead. 

2) Sin results in spiritual death:

• "I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Romans 7:9).

Just like Adam and Eve, we are created spiritually alive, but the commandment comes, then we sin and die. (God said to Adam "you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Before his fall into sin and death, Adam had not the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17) but had fellowship with God (Genesis 2:15-25). Children also don't know the difference between good and evil (Isaiah 7:16) but they come to Jesus (Matthew 19:14) and are therefore not separated from Him.

• "Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; so death passed to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).

We die spiritually just like Adam and Eve did. We die spiritually when we commit our first sin.

3) Sin results in alienation from God (separation):

• "You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him" (Colossians 1:21-22).

Being alienated from God (separated) is in the past tense. In our present state ("now"), Jesus reconciles us and makes us holy. This change occurs at conversion. Future sins do not change this. The word "now" indicates the present state of the Christian. The phrase "to present you holy" is the action of Christ, which results from His death. 

4) We are "washed... sanctified... justified", not because we stopped sinning, but because of what Christ did:

• "Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God's Kingdom? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God's Kingdom. ¹¹ Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Notice that the phrase "some of you were such" is in the past tense. We are no longer "idolaters.. adulterers... covetous" etc because we were washed, sanctified and justified in the name of Christ. We are new creatures, not because we stopped sinning, but because He made us new (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

God calls us saints. The word saint means holy. It is a translation of the Greek word hagios. In my Bible, the Greek word hagios is translated as holy 168 times, saint 62 times and sanctuary 2  times. So, God calls us holy. Translators have chosen to render the word as "saint" when it applies to us, but God did not do this. He called us hagios, holy. God used the same word for us that He used for the Holy Spirit. The phrase "Holy Spirit" is a translation of the Greek phrase "hagio pneuma". We are hagios, holy.

We are holy because God chose us to be holy (Ephesians 1:3-4). This choice of God was conditional... conditioned on faith. Ephesians 1:4 states: 

• "... he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him..."  Click here for an in depth study of Ephesians 1:4.

4) Sins after conversion disrupt fellowship. Fellowship is reestablished by the prayer of confession:

• "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Forgiveness is conditioned on confession. The result of our confession is two-fold: Forgiveness and cleansing. This forgiveness and cleansing is to restore fellowship. It is not a cleansing to keep us from damnation, as Christ has already accomplished our freedom from damnation:

• Christ "through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).

So, there are two cleansings. One occurs at conversion. The other occurs as we confess sins committed after conversion. Click here and read micro-subchapter 4.3i for additional information.


5) We may please God "in every respect" through the scriptural prayer of God's will:

• "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don't cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to please him in all respects..." (Colossians 1:9-10).

My Prayer for you:

Lord of Heaven and Earth, I pray for Sharon and all those who read these words... I ask You Lord... to Multiply their faith, love and obedience... that they may walk intimately with You in the Endorsed Prayers... full of praise and thankful hearts... meditating on Your words... praying continually... to walk by the Spirit and spread Your words where ever they go... all for Your glory... that Your name be lifted higher and higher and higher! Amen.

• I will pray 
• address the heart of the issue 
• directly respond to your question

"They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus' name" (Acts 5:40-41).

• Murder of Christians by 666
• Rapture
• Armageddon

• Last Trumpet 
• Jesus is in the clouds
• Ascent of saints to Jesus in the clouds

• "wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead: Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:10). 
• "For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him" (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

• "Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, didn't consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8).
• "You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, "My son, don't take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines, and chastises every son whom he receives" (Hebrews 12:4-6). The Greek word translated as "chastises" in this passage is translated as "flogged" in John 19:1. In fact, the NASB, KJV and ASV use the word "scourge" instead of "chastise".
• "Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf" (Philippians 1:29).

• "that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death" (Philippians 3:10).

• The earthquake previewed in 6:12 occurs in 8:5. 
• The affliction of the Sun previewed in 6:12 occurs in 8:12 and 16:8.
• The day of wrath of previewed in 6:16-17 occurs in 14:19-20 and etc.
• The sealing of the 144,000 on their foreheads previewed in 7:3-4 is completed in 14:1.
• The preview of coming out of the great tribulation (7:14) occurs in 14:13 and in the rapture (14:14-16).
• The preview of the multitude before the throne in 7:9-10,15 occurs in 22:3-4 and possibly in 19:6. Specifically, 7:15 occurs in 22:1-4, especially 3-4. Verse 19:6 may be the fulfillment of 7:9-10.

"Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand, ¹⁰ he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name" (Revelation 14:9-11).

• Last trumpet
  
• Jesus in the clouds
  
• Ascent of saints to Jesus in the clouds
  
• End of the age
  
• Voice of the archangel
  
• Only the Father knows the day
  
• The last day

• Last trumpet
  
• Jesus in the clouds
  
• Ascent of saints to Jesus in the clouds
  
• End of the age
  
• Voice of the archangel
  
• Only the Father knows the day
  
• The last day

Scriptures About Walking by the Spirit:

• The apostle Paul wrote, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). 

• Paul also wrote, "If we live by the Spirit, let's also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).

• "Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says, "Today if you will hear his voice, don't harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7-8).

• "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God" (Romans 8:14).

We Walk by the Spirit Through Prayer: 

• We hear the Holy Spirit by prayer. 
• We obey the Holy Spirit by prayer.

• From death to life (John 5:24), 
• From the penalty of sin (Colossians 2:9-15,14) to the righteousness of Christ which is by faith (Romans 3:20-22), 
• From being a child of Satan (John 8:44) to being born again into a child of God (John 3:3-8), 
• From the domain of Satan to the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1;13), 
• From living by the Law of Conscience to being indwelt by the Holy Spirit, to be taught and empowered by him to walk intimately by the Spirit, 
• Etc, etc, etc, etc. 

• Jesus said, "One who believes in the Son has eternal life," (John 3:36)
• "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life" (John 5:24).

• "believe in the Son"
• "believe him"
• "believes in him"

• "He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings, that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:26-27).

In summary, conversion and eternal life occur when we believe in him... regardless of which aspects of him are in our mind at the time of conversion, regardless of whether we are cognizant of our sin at the time and regardless of whether we are contemplating eternal life, or not. Eternal life comes when we...

"BELIEVE IN HIM"

or...

"CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD"

I would like to hear from you about this and talk further. Please let me know your thoughts.

My prayer for you:

Lord of Heaven and Earth, increase Frank's faith 1000 fold and 1000 fold and 1000 fold, again and again and again... that he may have no fear... that he may walk intimately with you in all the works you have ordained for him! Amen. 

Click here to read my conversion account again.

God Bless,

Jim Phillips

"¹ A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars...  

¹⁷ The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony" (Revelation 12:1,17).

"But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all" 

(Galatians 4:26).

• twelve kinds of fruit of the tree of life in the new Jerusalem
• the twelve angels at the twelve gates of the new Jerusalem
• the names of the twelve apostles which are written on the twelve foundation stones in the new Jerusalem

• genetic Israel
• spiritual Israel
• nation of Israel

• Old Covenant
• Holy Covenant
• New Covenant

• "Now I pray to God that you do no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:7).

• "This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ" (John 17:3).

Lorem Ipsum

• The Old Covenant, the Law of Moses was temporary and has been replaced by the New Covenant. So, we are not under the 10 commandments, which includes the Sabbath laws. 
• Christians are not under the Law of Moses, so we do not follow the Old Covenant (animal sacrifices, festivals, feast days, etc). We who are strong in faith may partially participate in Old Covenant festivals or feast days with observing Jews to "be all things to all people" to win them to Christ, if such participation could help us to win them to Christ, as Paul said. 
• You can participate in Easter and Christmas, even though there may be a historical connection to pagan festivals. You may actually be able to participate in pagan festivals, in a limited way, to win others to Christ. 
• "Forever" should be understood as "indefinite continuance" instead of never ending.

• "Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made" (Galatians 3:19). 

• "23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 So that the law has become our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:23-24).

• "But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (Galatians 3:25).

"whatever things the law says,

it speaks to those who are under the law...

you are not under law. "

Romans 3:19, 6:14

So... the law has nothing to say to you if you are a believer. Scripture says that you are in the New Covenant of the Spirit, not the Old Covenant of Law. 

The scriptures are emphatic. 

As a believer in Jesus Christ you are:

• not under law, 
• dead to the Law, 
• released from the Law, 
• not under the jurisdiction of the Law and 
• do not serve in the Law (the letter). 

(Romans 6:14, 7:4, 7:6, 7:1, 7:6).

We have been discharged from the Ten Commandments:

• "I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet"' (Romans 7:7).

• Do not covet is the tenth of the Ten Commandments. Paul specifically uses it as an example of what he means by the term "law". And we are "discharged from the law" (Romans 7:6). Some say that we are only discharged from ceremonial and sacrificial law. But Paul made it clear. We are discharged from the Ten Commandments.

• "6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:6).

• "The letter" is a figure of speech for "the law". The transitional passage from 2 Corinthians will use this same figure of speech.

• "so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:6).

Not Serving in the Oldness of the Letter:

The old way was "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein" (Joshua 1:8). The old way to serve was to focus on the written law to practice law. When Israel was under law, God's presence was in the portable tabernacle until the temple was built by Solomon. Then God's presence was in the temple. They were to pray towards the temple because that was where God dwelt (1 Kings 8:29-30). But in the New Covenant of the Spirit, God's Holy Spirit is within us (John 14:17). In the New Covenant of the Spirit, we serve by focusing on His Spirit and walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25, Subchapter 4.7 titled "Walk by the Spirit, John 4:23). See subchapter 1.1, "Learning to Read" for help in walking by the Spirit, through scripture. 

The New Testament repeats the ten commandments, with the exception of the law of Sabbath. The reason for this omission is not expressly explained in scripture. But, Paul wrote, "One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). So, it appears that we have freedom in regard to the Sabbath to not work on the Sabbath... or to work on the Sabbath. We can and should enjoy Sabbath fellowship and rest each day... or on the first day of the week... or both.

Discharged from the Law,

Dead to the Law,

but NOT FREE TO SIN:

Above you saw that Romans 7:6 reveals that we have been "discharged from the law". And Romans 7:4 stated that we have "died to the law". Being discharged from law doesn't mean that we are free to sin. God anticipated that response and directly addressed it in Romans 6:15, "What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be!" (Romans 6:15). 

So, do we have no commandments in the new covenant? No. Jesus left one commandment: "This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded" (1 John 3:23). So, the one commandment is loving faith. Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets were based on the command to love (Matthew 22:37-40).

In the New Covenant, we have one law. But we don't serve in the law. We serve in the Spirit. Remember, Romans 7:6 said "we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter". Serving in newness of the Spirit involves spiritual communication, interaction and empowerment. The Holy Spirit will remind us of the words of Christ (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27). We are to yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 3:7-8).

The spirit interacts with New Covenant believers in new ways which will be detailed later in the paragraph titled "Serve in the Newness of the Spirit". Some say that we are discharged from the penalty of the Law, but that we are still supposed to focus on and obey the Ten Commandments. 

We do obey them but they are not our focus. The above scriptures said  "we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter" (Romans 7:6). The tenth of the Ten Commandments was used as a case in point. We saw that the Law was temporary, that we don't live by law and that we live by faith. Those scriptures said that we don't serve in the "oldness of the letter". In the New Covenant, we do obey the Ten Commandments. But we do it by being in the presence of God and obeying the Holy Spirit. That is how we "serve in newness of the spirit." We live by faith, seeing the unseen and following the unseen.

Romans 3:19 states, "whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law." Romans 6:14 tells us, "you are not under law. " In the New Covenant, the law doesn't speak to us. The Holy Spirit speaks to us. For example, the Holy Spirit may put these words of Christ in your mind from Mark 10:19 "Do not commit adultery". You might think that those words came into your mind through your memory. But, instead it would be the living word of God spoken by the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12). 

John 14:16-26 states that the Holy Spirit will "teach you all things" and "remind you of all that" Christ said.  That working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all believers is part of the New Covenant, but not the Old. This passage was explained in the Introduction to this book.

There are Christians today who are trying to practice Christianity by following rules. These are Christians who are in the New Covenant but living as if they were in the Old Covenant. A New Covenant Christian can have intimate spiritual interaction with God within. That is what the Six Paths illustrate.

2) Christians are not under the Law of Moses, so we do not follow the Old Covenant (animal sacrifices, festivals, feast days, etc). We who are strong in faith may participate in Old Covenant festivals or feast days with observing Jews to "be all things to all people" to win them to Christ, if such participation could help us to win them to Christ, as Paul said. 

Paul wrote, " To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. ²² To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. ²³ Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. ²⁴ Don't you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win" (1 Corinthians 9:18-24).

In other words, we may socialize with Jews at their events... and hope that they may come to know Christ through that association. 

But, to participate in Old Covenant events, thinking that such participation is a necessary requirement for eternal life is falling from Grace. So, the reason for our participation is important. Paul sternly warned the church at Galatia that they should not follow the Law as a means of justification... A reading of all five chapters of the book of Galatians is recommended. But, I will quote a few verses below:

"yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law" (Galatians 2:16).

"But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? ¹⁰ You observe days, months, seasons, and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you" (Galatians 4:9-11).

"You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4)

So, if your husband believes that observation of the Old Covenant feasts is necessary for justification (essentially meaning that such observation is necessary to receive eternal life) such observation is a very serious sin.

3) You can participate in Easter and Christmas, even though there may be a historical connection to pagan festivals. You may actually be able to participate in pagan festivals, in a limited way, to win others to Christ.

Please prayerfully consider the following scriptures:
In 2 Kings 5:1-19, Naaman was captain in the army of Aram, enemy of Israel. His captive Israelite slave girl told him that Elisha, the prophet of Israel, could heal him of his leprosy. Naaman went to Elisha, and was healed. Naaman said in v 15, "Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel". Then in verses 18-19, Naaman said to Elisha, "in this matter, may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter. And he said to him, 'Go in peace.' " 

Notice that Naaman, knowing that Rimmon was not really God, bowed but did not worship Rimmon or express faith in Rimmon verbally. He also did not deny his faith in the one true God. But, by association with pagans in their activities, he can witness to pagans. Refusing to participate is a rejection of the pagans, making it difficult to witness to them. The next paragraph will provide additional illumination on the issues. But please join me in praying that the light of our God will penetrate the darkness… Into Satan's deepest strongholds… even into pagan temples… as life comes to the lost through the prayers of the saints, the Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit!

There are two passages from 1 Corinthians that deserve our prayerful consideration, as we prayerfully engage in transfer of unbelievers (Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc) from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of the Son (Colossians 1:13). Please prayerfully consider 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 and 1 Corinthians 10:14–33. Both passages involve food sacrificed to idols (8:1, 10:19,23, 28). Both passages indicate that eating food sacrificed to idols is acceptable (8:8,10,11; 10:25, 27). Observe that in 8:11, the week brother is ruined, not the one eating in the idol's temple with knowledge. Chapter 8 says that we should not eat food sacrificed to idols, if various conditions are met in regard to the effect it could have on the conscience of a Christian who is present at the meal who also has a weak faith (8:7,9,10,11, 12) so that we don't cause that Christian to stumble by encouraging him to eat that which is not wrong to eat, but which he thinks is wrong to eat (8:22,13). Chapter 10 has a similar prohibition in regard to the conscience of an unbeliever (10:24, 28-29), so as to not hinder our efforts to save the unbeliever's soul (10:33). Note that it is not wrong to dine in an idol's temple (8:10,1,8), eating food sacrifice to the idol, unless a believer with a weak conscience in regard to idols is present (8:9,10). It's not wrong for the believer of strong faith, because he knows that there is no God, except Yahweh (8:4,7,11). 

So, if there was a Christian with a "weak conscience, who believed that the Easter bunny or Santa Clause was a god, it would be sinful for you to participate in Easter Egg hunts or take a child to visit Santa Clause in front of that Christian, because of his or her weak conscience.

The key to participation... is knowledge on behalf of the participant, that pagan gods are really not gods... that the Easter bunny and Santa Clause are not gods... that the Easter bunny, Santa Clause, Christmas trees and etc have become cultural norms with no spiritual significance. That said, I would not lie to children about Santa Clause. We told our children that some presents were from Santa. When they were older, we told them that we were Santa Clause. In this way, we didn't alienate all of our children's friends and parents who practiced Santa Clause. 

We should also be careful to observe Paul's warning… "learn not to exceed what is written" (1 Cor 4:6). We should be careful not to apply commands specifically dealing with the worship of false gods to other things like playing cards, dancing, consuming gasoline, consuming alcohol, going to places which serve alcohol, watching movies, attending a secular university, attending a Christian school, wearing pants, long hair, short hair, owning or manufacturing weapons, socializing with heathens, refusing to socialize with heathens, building airplanes, believing the earth is flat, believing the earth is round, etc. Such things are considered to be sin by some believers and not to be sin by other believers. If we never do anything which any other believer thinks is sin, even though the other believer is mistaken, we really can't do much of anything. We couldn't interact with unbelievers in order to save their souls. If we cannot be part of a sinful organization, is there even a church on the planet which we can join? Please prayerfully consider the above scriptures. May God multiply your faith 1000 fold and 1000 fold and 1000 fold… again and again and again… that His word be spread into the darkest places of the earth… that His name be lifted higher and higher and higher! Amen!

 

4) "Forever" should be understood as "indefinite continuance" instead of never ending.
The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Some of these original words are sometimes translated as "everlasting" or "forever", when possibly they should be translated to infer indefinite continuance. Strong's words 5769 and 165 are examples in the Old Testament and New Testament, respectively.

Contradictions are sometimes created in some passages by rendering those words as "everlasting" or "forever". For example:

"You shall anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me in the priest's office. Their anointing shall be to them for an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations" (Exodus 40:15).

The priesthood of Aaron (Exodus 40:12-15) was not eternal. It was of indefinite duration.  Christ replaced it. We do not have the sons of Aaron performing sacrifices or any priestly duties in the Christian church. Neither do present day Jews. Nowhere in the pages of the New Testament do we see a continuation of Aaronic priesthood. See Hebrews 7:1-10:18, especially 7:12, 8:4-5 and 9:11-14. Instead of the sons of Aaron being priests, all Christians are priests! See 1 Peter 2:9.

How Will You Know?

If you are wondering if a particular word in the Bible should be understood as forever or as indefinite continuance, click here to open the free online version of Rotherham's Emphasized Bible. Then look up the passage you are curious about and see how Rotherham translated the text. In the next paragraph you will learn more about Rotherham. 

In Depth Study: Everlasting or Indefinite Continuance?
The difference between eternal and indefinite continuance, and the proper translation of certain words in the Old and New Testament regarding that difference is treated here. 

For those of you who are interested in a detailed study of this subject written by a theologian who is expert in both Hebrew and Greek, see the analysis below by Joseph Rotherham from the introduction to his translation of the Bible, The Emphasized Bible. The remainder of this page, is devoted to Rotherham's scholarly examination of this topic, which was published in 1902.

As I quote Rotherham below, you will see some phrases, in bold text. Those phrases are in Rotherham's appendix, but not in bold print. But, I have rendered them in bold text below to make it easier for you to understand Rotherham's  point of view. 

I present below two entries from the appendix to Rotherham's Emphasized Bible:

• AGE
• AGE-ABIDING