The First Works

How excited were you? And you'll be excited to hear this. I will be going overtime.

I didn't know it would take me so long to read that. We have nothing else to do.

How excited were you when you first came to understand that God was calling you into His marvelous light? That you were beginning to understand the truth of God. I remember burning the midnight oil night after night, wandered to what I had perhaps lost my mind, and gone off the deep end.

But not long after that, she, too, began to do the same thing. And thankfully and miraculously, God called both of us into His marvelous truth at about the same time. So remember how excited you were to read and study the Bible, to get that next correspondence course, to get the Plain Truth or some other publication.

You devoured it. You were anxious for the next Sabbath to roll around. You didn't care if you had to drive 50 miles, 100 or 150. You wanted to learn more of God's truth. You were consumed with what we call the first love. You loved the truth, and it was the most important thing in your life.

You viewed the Word of God as a great goal-mind, and you were willing to dig for the goal. But as time went on, and you sort of caught up on things and began to be a little bit lax, and you began to hear things over and over again, things became a bit repetitive and somewhat redundant as they were repeated over and over.

You heard certain words and cliches, and they were imprinted on your mind. And you began to slack off. You didn't dig as diligently as you used to, and you began to sort of casually follow along in the Bible in services. And then you put away the Bible altogether, and you sort of sit there or sat there courteously, a courteous listener to some degree, with your head in a sort of position as you sit there and listen. After all, you already know all this stuff. And once you get something in a person's head, it's almost impossible to get it out.

And you've heard it said many times it's far more difficult to learn something to teach an old dog a new trick than it is to teach a new trick to a dog. Do you know that the youngsters that grow up in the church never experience that first rush of excitement that you experienced from cradle to the grave, as it were?

They've heard the truth preached all their lives, and they can go through the same kind of process that you go through as you no longer show great enthusiasm for digging into God's Word. Loving the truth is the same as loving God and His Word. Remember, Christ states in John 6, 63, the flesh profits nothing, it is the Spirit that quickens, the words I speak, they are Spirit, and they are life.

So the Word of God is equated with life, and the Word of God is Spirit, and it is life. It is a very mind of God. And if you don't love the truth, as we're admonished in 2 Thessalonians 2, you will be deceived. Now let's turn there and read that. Let's turn there and read that. The more ways that you and the more often you can have the Word of God imprinted on your cerebral cortex, the more out you are be able to remember it and to recall it, that that critical crucial time, whenever that critical crucial time will be for you.

In 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 10, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they love not the truths that they might be saved. It's talking about they're going to be deceived by the one who sits in the temple of God claiming that he is God because he's going to perform great signs, wonders, and miracles, be empowered by Satan himself. And for this cause, what cause? Because they love not the truth, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie. There is no indefinite article in Greek. It is the lie, and apparently the lie here is that Christ has returned and that the one sitting in that chair claiming that he is God will be accepted.

In fact, Revelation 13, 8 says that everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will worship this beast's assistant, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

But is the first love of the truth the same as the first works? Or do the two go hand in hand? First love and first works. So we're going to examine that. We titled the sermon the first works, Judgment, Mercy, and Faith. Let's go now to Revelation chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2, the message to the seven churches. A very important point here that we should note is that we have various gospel writers in the New Testament, but these seven letters are dictated from Christ himself through the messenger that he sent. And of course, we can go back even farther than that. In that, it says in verse 1, this is the revelation that God gave to Christ who gave it to his angelos who gave it to John. So the author of these seven letters is none other than God who gave it to Christ who gave it to the messenger who gave it to John. And John then wrote it down for us. Under the angel of the church of Ephesus, write, so it's like he's taking dictation, these things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand. We know that's Jesus Christ who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and we know that is the church. You read that in Revelation 1. I know your works, your labor, your patience, how you cannot bear them which are evil.

You have tried them which say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars. There are very few descriptions in the seven churches that fit our generation more than these words here. Of course, these seven letters can be taken in three or four different ways. There were seven literal churches on a mail route. These letters were sent to those churches. These letters reflect conditions in the church through the ages.

Some believe that they reflect seven distinct eras of the church in which whatever the message is is most characteristic of that church at that time.

But in the admonition that is given to at the end of all seven of these messages, it says, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church is, not to just one but to all. And you can find these conditions, extant all of these conditions, extant pretty much in any congregation.

One of the things as I read that letter, and before I read that letter, and as I was thinking throughout this week, it seems that we have one of the most settled, stable churches that I know of.

They call it Houston South, a dedicated congregation.

But all of us can grow, all of us can learn, and we have much to learn, even though oftentimes we think maybe we don't, but we do. We have a lot to learn, and we have a ways to go.

Verse 2, I know your works and your labor, your patience, and how you cannot bear them, which are evil, and have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars, and have borne and have patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted. Many of you that sit here today have been in the church over 40 years, some probably 50 years or more. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Now, you might look at that and say, no big deal. Well, I'm not as excited as I used to be about the church, and about the truth, and about studying, about going to church, about fellowshiping with a brethren. It just doesn't seem as exciting as it used to. I've basically heard it all. I'm just sort of treading water now until Christ comes, and I hope He comes soon. I'm really tired of this. I'm real tired. Everybody's tired, and we know we are. We are tired. The whole nation is tired. It's like everybody wants to get away. And so, basically, the strategy that the peoples of the U.S. have chosen is escapism. So, they escape to the casinos, to the ballgames, and to the great shopping mall of Walmart, and other glorious places as they stroll about, you know, wasting their weekends. And then they go work their 40 hours or so, and they do it all over again, looking for a new thrill. And then you have that monstrous movie machine out of Hollywood, turning out more grotesque, more demoniacal, kind of violence-filled, unbelievable trash and slop that people go and feed their minds on. And we wonder why we are where we are. You've left your first love. Well, is that a big deal? Who is the first love? Is your first love God and Christ in the truth? Or is your first love some man? You know, when I came into the church, my parents, especially my mother, who was a very devout Christian woman, one of the most devout in what she knew to do that I have ever known, thought that I was just following a man. And if I could just know the truth about Herbert Armstrong or anybody else, that would do it. No, I made the commitment to God's truth, and I proved it and knew that I knew it. And through the times that I've been in the church, I've had several men and various things, some intentionally, some intentionally, that have tried to destroy me. And it'll always be. It'll always continue. You know, Christ told Peter after he had boasted of his great faithfulness, he said, Peter, the devil has tried to get you. He wants to sift you, just like you might sift wheat in a sifter.

But he said, I have prayed for you. See, if God be for you, who can be against you? And if you're loyal and faithful to his truth, I have never seen the action of any person. Change one line in this Bible. I've never seen it. As far as I know, it still says the same thing.

Verse 5, Remember therefore from whence you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works. Or else, how serious is it? Is it very serious? Or else, I will come into you quickly and remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent. Now that hearkens back to the vision that Zachariah was given in Zachariah chapter 4, where you have this bowl with the seven candlesticks in it. Remember, Christ is walking among the seven candlesticks in Revelation chapter 1. And within the candlestick, there is oil, or at the base of the candlestick, and in the bowl, there's oil coming up, symbolic of God's Spirit, which provides the energy, the light, the sustenance to light this candlestick, or the church and the membership, and to keep it going. How important is it? Unless you repent, I will come and take the candlestick out of its place, which in essence is saying I will remove the source of your spiritual power.

But you have this. You hate the deeds of the Nicolae Iatans, and probably the doctor of the Nicolae Iatans has to do with licentiousness in teaching that the more you sin, the greater God's grace and mercy can be, so you might as well sin, so you can glorify God. That's pretty evil, isn't it? The Nicolae Iatans, which I also hate.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches, to him that overcomes, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Our first flush of love of the truth basically involves learning and having our minds open to something that we did not know. But as the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8 and verse 1, let's go there. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 8 and verse 1. Remember the great rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians is, is Christ divided? Some say I am of Cephas of Paul. Some say that I'm even of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 8, 1, now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies. But if any man think he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. To know is one thing. To do is a step beyond knowing. To do is a step beyond knowing. Knowledge is necessary, and knowledge is power if it is properly exercised. You hear, well, knowledge is power. Well, the devils believe and tremble, but will you know, vain man, that faith without works is dead. So knowledge in and of itself is not going to get you there. For many people, their first love is more toward an intellectual body of knowledge. That is, love for just the knowledge itself. Intellectual assent to the truth. Oh, I know this. Isn't it exciting to know the truth? So for some people, the first love is more directed toward an intellectual body of knowledge than it is love for the author of life and love. Who is the author of life and love? God and Christ. God and Christ are real beings, just as the family members who sit beside you here this afternoon are real beings that you love and you have a personal relationship with. God and Christ are real beings. Parents love their children before children love them, and it is through the love manifested by the parents that the children learn to love the parents and others. Let's note now 1 John 4 verse 7. 1 John 4 verse 7. 1 John 4 verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God.

God is the author of love. God is the author of life.

Know the truth. We talk about since you came into the knowledge of the truth, and we use the word knowledge. Thank you for this knowledge. Well, knowledge is a precursor to action, but knowledge in and of itself is not going to get you there. And the love of the truth is more than just the love that body of knowledge, but it's to love God and Christ and to have a relationship with them and each member of the body of Christ. Learning this vital part of what really should be the first love and what are the first works. Remember the title?

The first love, the first works. Well, actually, I said the first works, judgment, mercy, and faith.

But the first love and the first works are intricately, inextricably linked together. You cannot do the first works unless you love God and Christ and each member of the body of Christ.

So let's ask the question once again. Are you in love with a body of knowledge, or are you in love with God and Christ and each member of the body of Christ? 1 John 4, 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is Gnao, in this case should be translated begotten of God and knows God. He that loves not knows not God, for God is love. And this was manifested the love of God toward us because God said His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.

Now we go to verse 17, same chapter, 1 John 4, 17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear, because fear hath torment, He that fears is not made perfect in love. If God be for you, who can be against you? Who are you going to be afraid of?

We love Him because He first loved us, and our children love us because we first loved them. Now in some cases, I know that children love parents in spite of the parents, and vice versa. And some parents love their children in spite of their children.

And it's pretty difficult not to love the fruit of your body, your children.

But sadly, you know, even in families with that said, well over 50% of the murders that are committed in the Western world are within the family structure. And well over 70% are the murders are people who know each other in some way or the other.

If any man say, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. For he that loves not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he's not seen? And this commandment halfway from him that he who loves God loves his brother also. There really shouldn't be I don't know why they made a chapter break there. Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God, Gennao.

And everyone that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him. So if you love God, then you will love your brother, your neighbor. Because of verse 20, if a man say, I love God and hates his brother, he's a liar. For he that loves not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he's not seen? And a lot of people think that they can love God and not love their brother.

And the testimony is given time after time, the way people behave in the world and some in the church. Verse 2, by this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not burdensome or grievous. For whosoever is, Gennao, begotten of God overcomes the world. And this is a victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Now, faith is a gift of God, and it's also a fruit of the Spirit. It's like a reciprocal. But God doesn't just give you faith, and then you can sit there and not act on that faith, because faith without works is dead. So it's a gift of God. It's a fruit of the Spirit as well. Who is he that overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, believes on him, his name, his authority, what he taught, what he said, and everything that goes with that.

Love is manifested through actions that are in harmony with the Word of God. Now, let's note Matthew 22, 35 through 40. Matthew 22, 35 through 40. In Matthew 22, there had been a discussion among the various detractors of Jesus. The Sadducees had a run at him, and then the Pharisees had a run. And we notice Matthew 22, 35.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

And Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Now, notice this.

On these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. Here's a whole ball of wax in two verses. Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. On this, hang all the law and the prophets. Know you're reminded of what Paul wrote, though I speak with the tongues of angels, have the gift of prophecy, faith that I could remove mountains, and so on, and have not charity, not becoming as God is, that prophets mean nothing. So here is what it hangs on. Here we have a summary of the law. We've already read 1 John 5.3, that the love of God is equated with keeping the commandments. Now let's turn to John 13.35. John 13.35.

In John 13.35, By this you all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another. And perhaps we have spent very little time in really trying to teach each other one another, how to love one another, and what this is really about, and also tying it in with Ephesians, not Ephesians, but the letter to the Ephesians in Revelation 2 to do the first work. So how do we continue to love God and our neighbor and do the first works? How do we continually love God and our neighbor and do the first work? How do we have the first love and do the first works? Can this be achieved by knowledge alone?

Let's note what the apostle James writes. James 1, James 1, and verse 19. James 1, verse 19.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

For the wrath of God works not the righteousness of God. Wherefore, lay apart all filthiness, superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness in the great pruces of perfectly teachable heart.

Some people sit there and they resist the truth, and you can always resist it.

And receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls. But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. See, knowledge is a precursor of action, but knowledge in and of itself is useless unless action is taken. For if any man, or if any, be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he's likened to a man beholding his natural face in a glass. He looks at himself in the glass and goes away and forgets what he looks like. Verse 25. But who so looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein? Being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Now, so how can we maintain our first love and do the first works?

What does God require of us? Is there a verse in the Bible that just summarizes what he requires? Let's go to Micah.

Micah in the 12. There are 12 what's called minor prophets. They're called minor because they're shorter.

And so we got Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.

Micah right after Jonah. In Micah, Chapter 6, what does God require? Micah, Chapter 6, Verse 6. Micah 6, 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Eternal and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings with calves of a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, which Israel came to do, and there worship the Queen of Heaven and Baal?

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul. Will that redeem me? Will that bring me back? Is that what God wants? Is that what he requires?

Verse 8. He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? That's what God requires. Now, we're going to expand on what that means and the practical application thereof. Show how it can be applied in our lives, and Christ will show us how. But first, let's turn to Isaiah 42, Verse 21, which shows part of the mission of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 42 and Verse 21.

In Isaiah 42, Verse 21, The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake. He will magnify the law and make it honorable. So Jesus Christ came on the scene, and he did magnify the law, and he gave it its spiritual intent. We'll see that now. We go to Matthew, Chapter 5. Matthew, Chapter 5. And Matthew, Chapter 5 and Verse 17.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.

I'm not come to destroy but to fulfill.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, One jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, Till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, And shall teach men to do so, He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, But whosoever shall do and teach them, The same shall be great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, You shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

So let's note first of all now how Christ defined the weightier matters of the law, And then note how it is to be fulfilled in the practical sense in our lives. Let's go to Matthew 23, Verse 23. Matthew 23, Verse 23. In Matthew 23, you'll see a long discourse back into Christ talking about the scribes and the Pharisees, And what they did. They're more concerned with the form and looking good than in being good.

And in verse 23, there are several woe unto the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, But this one we note Matthew 23, 23. One to you scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites, For you pay tithe of men and anise and coming, And have omitted the weightier matters of the law, Judgement, mercy, and faith. These ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Notice these three are weightier matters of the law. If they're weightier matters of the law, they must need spring from the law, or stem from the law.

Judgment stems from the law.

Paul writes in Romans 7, I had not known sin, unless the commandment had said, You shall not commit adultery. So, judgment stems from the law. Judge righteous judgment. Judge judgment based on the Word of God. Mercy can be extended, and mercy can be used synonymously with forgiveness. Mercy can only be extended in the ultimate sense after judgment is made. God does not extend mercy to someone who will not judge himself and repent. If he were to do that, he would be the minister of sin. Now, on the other hand, God can be long suffering, and not take any action for years and years, as in the case of Joab, David's general, I don't know how many. You know, one of the things that David told Solomon to do, when Solomon became the king, was to get rid of Joab.

Amazing as that might sound.

And then faith, see faith, without works is dead. So, you read the law of God, and you believe what he says, but if you don't do what he says, your faith is dead. How do you know what to do? Because God says what to do, just as Abraham. His faith was perfected by doing what God said to do. The Pharisees were diligent in judgment, but they were very short on mercy and faith. But even their judgment was based on their traditions. If you would, please go back to Matthew 15. Matthew 15.

Verse 1, Then came to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees, which were in Jerusalem, saying, Why did your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

The Pharisees were not of the priestly cast.

They came to embrace a doctrine in which they said that every person is, in essence, a priest, and every Pharisee's home is tantamount to the temple. So remember, before the priest did services in the temple, that they would go through washings and oblations. So when you come to the Pharisee's home or the Pharisee himself, he would wash from his elbows down before he would eat.

And notice it says, the tradition of the elders.

Verse 3, But Jesus answered and said, And said, The M.Y.D. you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition.

Verse 7, You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips. But their heart is far from me, but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Judah and Israel went into captivity because they failed to do these commandments. In other words, because they failed to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith. You may say, well, that's quite a stretch. Let's see if it is. Zechariah 7. Zechariah 7.

Zephaniah, Haggai, Zaphiraiah, Zechariah.

Zechariah 7.

Zechariah 7, verse 8.

The word of the Lord came into Zechariah, saying, Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy, and compassion every man to his brother. O, press not the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger nor the poor, and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulders, stomped their ears, that they should not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as adamant as stone. Lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent in his spirit by the former prophets. Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass that as he cried, and they would not hear, so they cried, and I would not hear, says the Lord of hosts, but I scattered them with a whirlwind among the nations. They would not exercise judgment, mercy, and faith.

Among the nations whom they knew not, thus the land was desolate after them, and no man passed through nor returned, for they laid the pleasant land desolate.

So now let's relate judgment, mercy, and faith to our life. First of all, let's examine judgment. Before you can be forgiven of your sins, you must judge yourself and confess your sins. I have sinned. We go to Luke 18, verse 13, the case of the parable of the Pharisee and the publican who went up in the temple to pray, the Pharisee. First of all, thank God that he was not like other men. He boasted of his works of fasting twice in the week, giving tithes of all he possessed. Remember, the weightier matters of the law said, you have neglected the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. You focus on paying tithe of the men anison coming. You ought to have done these, that is, to pay the tithes of men anison coming. But the first works, what you should have done, is exercise judgment, mercy, and faith. So the true judgment we'll see here of the publican in Luke chapter 18, in verse 13.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

So he judged himself.

See, judgment and then mercy. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other, for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

We notice in Psalm 51, Psalm 51, reported to be the psalm of David after he had committed adultery and also murder by having the wife of Bathsheba killed, sending him to the front lines, knowing full well he would be killed. The prophet Nathan comes to him and tells him what he had done.

And then David starts fasting and praying in these words.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my transgressions. I judge myself. I have sinned and cleanse me from my sin.

My sin is ever before me against you, and you only have a sin done this evil in your sight, that you might be justified when you speak and be clear when you judge.

See, if David had gotten judgment under the terms of the Old Covenant, there were at least ten things specified in the Pentateuch for which you could be put to death. Among them were adultery and murder. And if he had gotten that judgment, the Old Covenant judgment, the judgment of the Law Covenant, he would have been put to death.

Some were put to death.

Behold, I was shaping in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts and the hidden part. You shall make me to no wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities, creating me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. So the scripture is very clear that first of all, we are to judge ourselves. Then, what about mercy? And mercy can be used interchangeably with forgiveness. Mercy has at least three aspects. Mercy that God extends to us. Mercy we extend to others. And mercy God extends to others. Forgiveness, compassion, mercy are three of the most beautiful words in any language. And all people have some concept of mercy. But true mercy is based on God's true law and true judgment.

Notice what John and Christ preached. Go to Mark. Mark chapter 1. What did God and Christ, what did John the Baptist preach who prepared the way for Christ? And what did Christ preach? In Mark chapter 1, in the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As is written in the prophets, quoting here from Malachi, one of the five messengers identified in Malachi. The five messengers are Malachi the priest, John the Baptist, and Christ. As is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare the way before you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of the Lord, make his path straight. John did baptize in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Now, after John was put in prison, verse 14, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and saying, The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent you, and believe the Gospel. You see, repentance cannot be preached if there is no law, because where there is no law, there is no sin. The law defines what we should repent of. So mercy and forgiveness can be granted after we judge ourselves. And mercy has no meaning or validity apart from judgment and repentance. It's just to say, okay, you know, I'll be merciful to you, and I won't punish you for this.

You know, the law of the land. Let's go to Isaiah. He talks about this. Isaiah, he can probably say it better than I can. In Isaiah 59, the law of the land is now so constructed that you have all these various pleas.

They're thinking about this Abdul-Matalab, now that he might plead that he was brainwashed. He tried to blow up the plane because he's brainwashed. That'll be his defense. Well, guess who chose to be brainwashed? It was Abdul-Matalab who chose to be brainwashed. That is the case. Isaiah 59, verse 1, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is he or heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Your hands are defiled with blood, your fingers with iniquity. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered, uttered and muttered perverseness. None calls for judgment or justice, nor any pleads for truth. They trust in vanity, speak lies, they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Verse 9, Therefore is judgment far from us, neither does justice overtake us. We wait for light, but behold obscurity, for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

Verse 11, We roar all like bears, and mourn so are like doves. We look for judgment, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us.

The failure to understand and practice judgment and mercy is to a large degree what is wrong in society today. So-called mercy or compassion in the name of human rights is being extended apart from judgment. Remember, mercy has no meaning apart from judgment, and it's based on the law.

Now, if we cry out for mercy after we judge ourselves, God will grant us mercy. He'll grant us forgiveness. And let's go to James, where we read that mercy glories against judgment.

How does mercy glory against judgment? James 2, verse 9. In that after you make a judgment and you cry out for God's mercy and forgiveness, He will forgive you, and it is God's glory to pass over a transgression. So, mercy glories against judgment. But the judgment comes first. And as I've already stated, if God were to extend His ultimate mercy before judgment and repentance, then He would be the minister of sin. In James 2, verse 13, For He shall have judgment without mercy that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

After mercy has been extended to us, God says to go walk in faith. So, all three of these, judgment, mercy, and faith, stems from the law. If we go now to John, chapter 8, we'll see in action by Jesus Christ Himself an example of the administration of judgment, mercy, and faith under the terms of the New Covenant. Even though the Holy Spirit had not been sent at that time, and the New Covenant, as it were, had not been ratified through the blood of Jesus Christ, here's an example of Christ going through these steps with this particular woman caught in the act of adultery and how this proceeds. In John, chapter 8, verse 1, Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. Remember what I've already said, that adultery was one of the things you could be put to death for. The judgment was clear. They caught her in the act. So, what's going to happen?

This, they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. So probably he cataloged some of their sins, maybe fornication, maybe adultery, maybe something else, for which they could be put to death. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the least. And Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw no one but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those nine accusers? As no man judged you or condemned you, she said, No, man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I judge you, I am giving you mercy. Go and sin no more. So it is with us. We go before God and we confess our sins. We judge ourselves. We cry out for His mercy. And He tells us to go and sin no more. Now we come to the part that is more difficult when it comes to loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul, and loving your neighbor as yourself. See, that part is more loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul, walking in a reconciled position with Him. But not only must we exercise judgment, mercy, and faith in our own lives and walk in a reconciled position with God and Christ, we must walk in a reconciled position with our neighbors. Here is what doing the first works in exercising judgment, mercy, and faith. This is where it becomes more difficult. Remember, Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable. Notice now, back in Matthew chapter 5, we left off at the end of verse 20. Beginning in verse 21, Christ begins to magnify the law. In Matthew 5 and verse 21, you have heard that it was said by them of old time, you shall not kill, and whosoever shall kill be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. So you can commit murder in your heart, as we talked about last week, without committing the act. And whosoever shall say to his brother Rechas shall be in danger of the counsel. But whosoever shall say you fool shall be in danger of the fire.

So you talk about spiritual application. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and today one of our main gifts we're commanded to offer up spiritual sacrifices, are our prayers. That's one of our main gifts, our prayers that we offer up to God. It is viewed as a spiritual sacrifice. So if you come to pray or whatever the spiritual sacrifice is, and remember that your brother has ought against you, leave your gift before the altar, go your way, first be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift. The failure of us in the church, and it's been through the ages. If you read Paul's epistles and you read other epistles, you read 2 Peter, you read Jude, you'll find out that the problems that are extant in the church at any given time have always been there. There have been those who are pharisaical, very strict on the outside, but on the inside are quite liberal. There have been those who say this, that, or the other. There have been all kind of troublemakers, and you name the trouble. And it's going to be that way till Christ comes. But see, God also expects us to be our brother's keeper and to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith with our neighbor, with our brother. Now, if you get nothing else, what I'm going to say in the next five minutes, and I hope I'll shut it down then, you do too. But let's go to Leviticus 19 and verse 17. God has given me second wind here, and I'm not kidding. And Leviticus 19 verse 17.

Let's start. Now, my wife's not going to like this, and I asked for forgiveness, but we've got to start verse 15. Leviticus 19.15. You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. You shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. But in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Now, some people say, well, Matthew 7 verses 1 through 5 says, judge not that you be not judged. And it talks about getting the beam out of your own eye before you try to get the motor, the splinter, out of your neighbor's eye. In Galatians 6 where it talks about considering your own self before you try to help your brother out of his difficulties. All of that is to be the spoken, and it's there. Verse 16. You shall not go up and down as a tail-bearer among your people, neither shall you stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am the Lord. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. It's stated in the negative in that sense. You shall in any wise rebuke your neighbor and not suffer sin upon him. A newer translation and the correct translation is that you not bear sin for him. In other words, if you do not serve as your brother's keeper, then you are hating your brother. And as we shall read if you turn quickly to 1 John chapter 3, we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding within him. You see, to do this, to walk in a reconciled position with God and Christ and each member of the body of Christ, and if we were dedicated and committed to that, such things as I read in this letter, if we all do this and have done it and will do it, I mean, all of that goes by the boards. But it has been a weakness of the people of God from, I guess, ever since the Garden of Eden, to the present time, because it's very difficult, because we make ourselves vulnerable. And oftentimes, the situation might get worse, because, you know, when Moses saw this Egyptian smiting one of his fellow countrymen, he intervened. He wound up killing the Egyptian, hiding him in the sand. The next day, he saw two Israelites arguing among themselves, and he went out and said, my brethren, this ought not to be your brothers, and all of that. And what was their response? Who have made you a judge over us? Are you going to kill us like you did that Egyptian yesterday? And so Moses fled into the wilderness for 40 years.

See, this attitude of who have made you a judge, see, correction is very difficult, for, I guess, nearly all of us. But, you know, the Proverbs talks about he who loves correction is wise and all of that.

So we read here in 1 John chapter 3 verse 14, we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death, whosoever hates his brother is a murderer. So I read from Leviticus 19 17, you shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall anyways rebuke your brother and not bear sin for him. And if you don't do that, if you don't love him enough to rebuke him, as Moses did, and had to flee for his life, but see, who are we here to please? Are we here to please God, or are we here to please man?

Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby, perceive with the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. And one of the main ways we do it is the first works we exercise the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. But whosoever has his world's goods and sees his brother have need, shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him. Oh, we may be quick to give goods to the poor, or if a person's house burns down to come to their rescue, or any kind of physical act like that. But when it comes to the spiritual part of being your brother's keeper and loving as Christ gave commandment, see, until you learn to do that, until I learn to do that, until the church learns to do that, I submit you're not going very far.

You're going to go tell the world, oh, flee from the wrath that is to come, oh, the wrath is coming. That's the important thing, the wrath is coming. And everybody's going to jump on the bandwagon and come rush to you.

Well, I don't think it's going to work that way.

The word of God is quick, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.

Verse 18, My little children, let us not love and word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. So, brethren, the love of God and the first works go hand in hand. There's nothing like the peace that comes from reconciliation. We have been made ministers of reconciliation. That's what it says in 2 Corinthians 5. So I hereby exhort all of us to return to our first love of the truth, not to just a body of truth, whereby we can boast in knowledge, for knowledge puffs up, charity edifies. Let us love in deed and in action according to commandments that Christ has given us. We need to love God and Christ as personal beings that are part and parcel of our being. And we need to love one another. We need to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith with God and with Christ.

Being reconciled to them and with one another. We need to do the first works.

God has called us to fulfill the royal law of God by loving our neighbors as ourselves and loving Him with our whole hearts.