Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

The Commandment to Believe:

1John 3:23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. 3:24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

Do we actually understand what the word context means? That is not a put down, but so many have built their entire faith in God based on one scripture taken out of context of the entire letter, the entire Greek Scriptures. Moreover, whole massive religions have also been built off scriptures taken our of context.

John. 5:38 You don't have his word living in you; because you don't believe him whom he sent.
5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.
5:40 Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.
5:41 I don't receive glory from men.

Where is the Word of God? This not a trick question if we understand who the apostle John was speaking to here? He certainly isn't speaking to the world, or false religion. John is speaking to the anointed of God, like himself. He speaking to those that are “in Christ” and Christ in them. So once again, where was the Christ for those brothers John was speaking to?

Let us put this into complete context so there is no confusion? Let us uses the words of another of Christ apostles:

Rom.10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'{Deuteronomy 30:12} (that is, to bring Christ down); 10:7 or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?'{Deuteronomy 30:13} (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)" 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;"{Deuteronomy 30:14} that is, the word of faith, which we preach: 10:9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10:10 For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 10:11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed."{Isaiah 28:16} 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. 10:13 For, "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."{Joel 2:32}

So yes, they were in Christ and Christ in them that is the context. No mystery they needed no new writings, they certainly needed no temple to go to a religion, it was not found in a man. (they were in Christ, and Christ in them, and speaking through them by faith, who could teach them beyond that?) So how did they obey the commandments? Lets let John tells us one more time:

1John 3:23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. 3:24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

But what happens when we take these verses out of context making them stand alone on their own like a legal analyses does? It builds and entire false religion based upon works of law.

Matthew 13:33 He spoke another parable to them. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures{literally, three sata. 3 sata is about 39 litres or a bit more than a bushel} of meal, until it was all leavened."

But is this Christ commandment the one he stated from the beginning of his ministry? Lets not wonder, or guess, lets see if the apostle John is speaking from the same Holy Spirit found in Christ at the time he spoke it?

John 6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

John 6:47 Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.

Now stop what is the commandment Christ gave to his followers? What is the work Christ stated would give us eternal life? In context as the apostle John is very clear about, which is? For us to keep the commandments of God, and do the works of God we must believe in the Son of God, Christ Jesus.

It is this faith that keeps us where? In Christ Jesus, and Christ Jesus in us that is the context of John's words and the whole Greek scriptures, but let us go further here. Faith in Christ Jesus is without works of law, it is without works of our flesh, it is without man approval or works at all, or a religion. And that was the apostles Paul's point. It is where, in heaven, in the depth of the sea in our hearts and mouth?

Having life is not complicated as legalized religion has made it, so the average person must jump through years of analyzing the bible, be trained in the a ministry to unlock the truth of God freely giving us life.

1Cor. 1:22 For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom,
1:23 but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews, and foolishness to Greeks,
1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1:26 For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;
1:27 but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
1:28 and God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are:
1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.

We cannot bring Christ down, the Word of God, and we certainly can not resurrect him by going into the center of our earth, but we sure can and do make it impossible for someone to believe in God, so they can receive the gift of life, and for them to do the works of God by believing in Christ.

Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

Religion and us can do complicated teaching seating ourselves into the judgment seat of Christ, many have, and many more will. We certain can put legal clauses on Christ by our teaching how to get the ransom through works of law, the ransom freely given to all by believing in God's love, the love of God that resurrected his Son giving us us the free gift of life in Christ Jesus. Yes, we have complicated all our ways and God's!

Psalms 18:26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

Ecclesiastes 1:15 That which is crooked can't be made straight; and that which is lacking can't be counted.

Proverbs 8:8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.

Obeying the commandments is the first work of law that not one sinner has every done! Yet, we have whole religions based upon this verse, because they refuse to understand the context of the Greek Scriptures, they will traverse land, river, mountain, and seas to make a person a convert to flesh binding them into works of law obeying the commandments and miss the entire thought of the Greek Scriptures in unmerited kindness, undeserved kindness, and/or grace!

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Lets break it down:

1. What is the commandment John tells us to obey first? For us to believe in the Son of God, Christ Jesus.

So if we break one commandment we break them all. Most of the Jews did not believe in who? Christ Jesus, and they deny him for self-righteousness, which is another word for works of law. They thought, like so many Christian's that they could keep the commandments of God through their own works of their flesh. In other words, the could remove sin from their flesh by hard work in obeying the commandments.

Rom.10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
10:3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
10:4 For Christ is the fulfillment{or, completion, or end} of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Rom.8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.
8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

But that is the lie, the first lie! Without faith in God's power and goodness their no eternal life for anyone! How simple? Christ came to remove the curse, what is the curse, our sinful flesh that cannot stop breaking God's commandments so God's law curse us with death. How did Christ remove the curse by becoming our curse that is our flesh, or sinful flesh born from Adam.

Rom.8:3 For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"{Deuteronomy 21:23}

How can someone wipe, washes themselves clean on earth when not one Jew could for thousand's year under God's righteous law? Are we that foolish?

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Without the first step of believing in Christ the Son of God as our curse and redeemer, we are not in Christ, if we are then not found in righteousness, Christ is our righteousness, we are a sinner, and we can't keep any of God's commandments because none of us our righteous is God's judgment of the law.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

1Cor.1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.
1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

With sin we cannot do the works of God, which means loving our brothers because the love of God is found where, in righteousness, Christ Jesus. Works not found in righteousness are not God's works, they are, in fact, works of law through our own flesh, which flesh is not in Christ.

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

In other words, we are not in the true vine if we are not found in Christ righteousness, the life source for the vines fruits, hence, our works (God's), which are produced by the life of the vine, Christ Jesus.

John. 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.
15:2 Every branch in me that doesn't bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
15:3 You are already pruned clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.
15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
15:6 If a man doesn't remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
15:7 If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.

We can't love our brothers under the laws of the flesh, because under the laws of the flesh we are all worthy of what? Death! The laws judgment of sin, death, if we judge our brothers and sisters truthfully like God did Israel under the law for thousand's of years all are worthy of death. The law did not perfect anything, why? Because it did not perfect love in us, for God, or our brothers and sisters.

Hebrews 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Colossians 1:8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

Colossians 1:13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn't love his brother remains in death.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn't do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn't love his brother.

Those trying to perfect others by the law, are unwittingly stating in error that the flesh can be perfected, and God was wrong, the commandments could perfect us our flesh!

2 Corinthians 12:9 He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Hebrews 9:9 which is a symbol of the present age, where gifts and sacrifices are offered that are incapable, concerning the conscience, of making the worshipper perfect;

No where is that found in our bibles unless we deliberately taking each verse out of context, and like an attorney build upon it, until it is a complicated mountain of legal wrangling that make it impossible to know the Christ, by faith. One prays, searches the depths of the oceans, and cries out to God, help me find the truth, help me find life, when it right in our mouths, in our heart if we have faith, believe in the Son of God.

Galatians 4:6 And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba,{Abba is a Greek spelling for the Aramaic word for "Father" or "Daddy" used in a familiar, respectful, and loving way.} Father!"

Luke 18:16 Jesus summoned them, saying, "Allow the little children to come to me, and don't hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Luke 10:21 In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight."

See also: www.nu-truth.com