Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 5:20
If we ignore the law, our righteousness is far, far less than the righteousness of the Pharisees.

The ministers of today say: because you have faith in Christ, you have his righteousness. But where is the evidence of your faith in Christ? Are you obedient to his law? Have you produced the fruit of the Spirit of God? For Christ said his true followers would produce fruit, much fruit: When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. John 15:8. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:22-3. So unless you have the fruit of the Spirit, Jesus says you are not a true follower of his. His fruit and his righteousness are gifts of grace over time as you seek His righteousness. It does not happen with saying that you believe in Jesus; you must be obedient to his commands.

To produce fruit, we must strive to obey the parts of the law that relate to morality: regarding love, mercy and faith. All the other important moral laws evolve from the principal and most important commandments: love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. For example, stealing is covered by love your neighbor, for if you love him as yourself, you will not steal from him, or lie to him, or use him sexually, or envy him, or hate him, or plot against him, or be angry with him. Love is the opposite of selfishness. As James says, if you love your neighbor as yourself, you will do well; it is the royal law. James 2:8

These blind guides, masquerading as Christ's ministers, tell you that you have the righteousness of Christ, so you need do nothing.
They say to rely on the "imputed righteousness of Christ" to us, based on our faith; as it was with Abraham.
True, Abraham received imputed righteousness even before he was circumcised. True, our faith is imputed righteousness.
But Abraham went on to be circumcised, just as we must receive the spiritual circumcision- our heart circumcised from sin.
We can't just sit around celebrating our imputed righteousness, which only gives us the right to approach God for help.
As Abraham exercised his faith to move to a new land , so we must forsake the world to enter the Kingdom of God, within and around us.
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1 Cor 15:34

You can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person..has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Eph 5:5-6, You have to become pure to have any inheritance in the Kingdom of God and Christ.

Servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death,
or of obedience unto righteousness.
Rom 6:16

How about the parts of the law such as: don't eat swine or hare, or bring in your tithes, or perform you oaths to God? These parts of the Law died, for they were only shadows, ceremonies, and forms. These parts of the law are dead to us, but the inward law, the law that is written on every man's heart, his conscience, is alive and to be obeyed. And the inward law is the same as the outward law's moral parts. What is still alive is the core of the law. The core of the law is our schoolmaster, until we are advanced spiritually enough to be led by the Spirit of God.

The core, or inward parts, of God's Law were explained partially when Jesus answered the question:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:35-42

Further clues from Jesus were: Go and learn the meaning of this: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Mat 12:7.
Meaning outward sacrifices are not what he wants, he wants you to forgive and love your neighbor.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin,
and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:
these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Matthew 23:23-2

Why do Your disciples not order their way of living .. eat with hands unwashed and ceremonially not purified?
..These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far distant from Me.
In vain .. do they worship Me, ordering and teaching as doctrines the commandments and precepts of men. Mark 7:5-7

Forget about food, drink, washing properly; for whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean'.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
These are what make a man 'unclean'; Mat 15:18-20

So Jesus is telling people the important part of the law is love, mercy, and faith. At the same time, he is telling us that the tithing, sacrifices, and ceremonies are not important. He is stressing the inward condition of a man's heart - whether it is filled with love and mercy or evil.

Paul tells us: for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God,
but the doers of the law will be justified; [permanently]
for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law,
these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,
and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them. Rom 2:13-16

So all men already have an inward moral law written in their hearts, and it is to be obeyed;
the law is not to be ignored because we believe in Jesus, who supposedly excuses us from all requirements to obey the Law.
But Paul says: Only the doers of the law will be justified.

 

Christ died on the cross to show us by example the extent of obedience required; for as he died on the cross in loving obedience to God, so we also must obey the promptings and commands of God, to crucify our sinful nature on the cross of self-denial.

The world must learn that I love the Father
and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
John 14:31

After the Law and before Christ, the only people who received the favor of God were those who walked to the best of their ability, closely conforming to the Law's requirements; those who ignored his Law, were disregarded by Him, Heb 8:9. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, with only a belief in His name and humble sorrow for the past, we can approach God by faith in the name of Christ to be able to receive the operations of his changing grace to purify our hearts and consciences; whatever our burden of past sins may be. With faith in the name of Jesus, by grace and the cross, He can now make you perfect in every good work to do his will, Heb 13:11; a forever cleansing and perfection with resulting union that is now available to all who go to him for change. Until we have advanced spiritually far enough to consistently hear the Voice of the Lord and follow it in faith, being obedient to Christ's commands to us, the Law is our schoolmaster, which we must strive to obey.

Without obedience, you  cannot know Jesus: We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. John 14:23
Without obedience, you cannot love Jesus: If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. 1 John 2:3
Without obedience you are not a friend of Jesus: You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:14
Without obedience, you cannot have been born again while still sinning: Whoever has been born of God does not sin. 1 John 3:9

While the Law is dead as a way to obtain the receipt God's favor, we (Gentiles) are still required to be obedient to the core of the Law. The ministers and pastors incorrectly today tell us the law is dead, even to our required obedience - that we no longer have to observe it; instead all we need is to believe in Jesus and get baptised, excusing a life of sin.

Indeed you [God] are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument;
for they hear your words, but they do not do them. Eze 33:32

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

The ministers of today call trying to observe the law, works, and tell us: don't even try to obey the Law. This is colossal lie, leading their followers to destruction.

They profess that they know God;
but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16

What about: Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? And Love your neighbor as you love yourself, and Don't steal, and Don't commit adultery, and Don't bear false witness, and Don't covet, and Don't murder, and Honor your father and mother? If you think you can remain a thief and obtain salvation, you are grossly deceived. If you think you can lie or remain a selfish person in your flesh, not loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself, you are grossly deceived. The law defines sin, what we must cease; which if we do not, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.' John 8:34. If you are a slave to sin, Jesus cannot be your Lord. Jesus said himself, you cannot serve two masters! Luke16:13. The Law is our reminder of sin and that we need God's help to be able to completely stop sinning. Following the common sense portions of the law, to the best of our ability, is not only required, but is evidence of our sincere repentance for our sins of the past. The fear of God is to depart from evil. Let everyone who names the name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. 2 Tim 2:19. The purpose of this web site is to show you how to be obedient to all of God's commands, and how to receive the changing power of God to become pure and free from sin.

ARE THERE NEW COMMANDMENTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

In their zeal to get rid of the Ten Commandments, most professing Christians conclude that the New Testament's "new commandments" somehow abolished them. The Bible suggests nothing of the sort!

Christ declared, in ..."slickWindow('Matthew','5','17-19')" title="View scripture">Matthew 5:17-19, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, 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 so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

The Greek word for "fulfill" is pleroo. Its meaning depends upon the context. In this case, the translators' use of the word "fulfill" correctly fits the context. They could have also used "satisfy," "complete" or "accomplish." For example, suppose the word "end" was used for pleroo. "End" would not fit the context, because the verse would read, "...I am not come to destroy, but to end." This would be meaningless-"end" and "destroy" mean the same thing!

Another key passage is ..."slickWindow('Matthew','19','17')" title="View scripture">Matthew 19:17. Christ was asked a profound question by a wealthy nobleman: "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Christ answered, "Why call you Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God: but if you will enter into [eternal] life, keep the commandments."

Christ's New Commandment

In ..."slickWindow('John','13','34-35')" title="View scripture">John 13:34-35, Christ stated, "A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another." Christ also commanded this in ..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 22: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','37-39')" title="View scripture">vs. 37-39).

There is no hint of God's law being done away, suspended or replaced by "love" or any other religious sounding phrase.

In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','22','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 22, the old standard was to love others as yourself. But in ..."slickWindow('John','13','ALL')" title="View scripture">John 13, Christ gives us a new and higher standard-to love others as He loves us.

The Ten Commandments were given to the nation of Israel as the basis of the covenant between all the Israelites and God. However, the Ten Commandments also apply to all humanity for all time. God revealed to Israel what He will ultimately reveal to the whole world. Israel was a carnal nation, not yet given God's Spirit. Thus, they could only keep the letter of the law. This was the old version of "love toward neighbor."

The new version was given on the night before Christ was crucified. He instructed His disciples, who became the original apostles and leaders of His Church. This instruction applied to His Church.

Notice ..."slickWindow('John','17','9')" title="View scripture">John 17:9, ..."slickWindow('John','17','11')" title="View scripture">11: "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which You have given Me; for they are Yours...and now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your own name those who You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are."

The older version-love toward your neighbor-is still in effect today. So are the Ten Commandments. The new command applies specifically to God's Church, not the world. The Church is the mother who nurtures those who are preparing for positions of responsibility in the kingdom of God.

The true Church has the Spirit of God and follows Christ's example (..."slickWindow('1 Peter','2','21')" title="View scripture">I Peter 2:21). Only with God's Holy Spirit can one keep this new commandment. To require someone without the Spirit of God to love someone as Christ loves him would be unreasonable and actually impossible (..."slickWindow('Romans','5','5')" title="View scripture">Rom. 5:5).

For people in the world, God considers loving your neighbor as yourself to be both reasonable and possible. When God's Spirit becomes available to all mankind, the standard will be raised.

New Commandment From John

Now read ..."slickWindow('1 John','2','7-9')" title="View scripture">I John 2:7-9: "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now."

Notice that nothing is changed as far as the Ten Commandments are concerned. Nothing is mentioned about doing away with it. Notice the phrase, "which thing is true in Him and in you." It followed the phrase, "Again, a new commandment I write unto you."

What is the thing that is "true in Christ" that is in you (brethren to whom John sent this letter)? Here is the answer: "Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will show you things to come. it shall glorify Me: for it shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are Mine: therefore said I, that it shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you" (..."slickWindow('John','16','13-15')" title="View scripture">John 16:13-15).

A careful reading of this scripture reveals that it is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that is "true in Christ." The Holy Spirit is in Christ, and in the members of God's Church. God's Spirit sets His people apart from the world-this is the key message of ..."slickWindow('1 John','2','7-9')" title="View scripture">I John 2:7-9.

In ..."slickWindow('2 John','1','5-6')" title="View scripture">II John 5-6, John stated, "And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it."

As before, this scripture does away with nothing. In fact, what John calls a new commandment still applies today. Notice the statement, "And this is love, that we walk after His commandments." This is the same as ..."slickWindow('1 John','5','3')" title="View scripture">I John 5:3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous."

Here is how Paul summed up God's wonderful, perfect Law: "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (..."slickWindow('Romans','7','12')" title="View scripture">Rom. 7:12). We must seek God so "That He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers" (..."slickWindow('1 Kings','8','58')" title="View scripture">I Kings 8:58).

What If...?

Now we consider the greatest question: What if the whole world kept the Ten Commandments? What if everyone obeyed Christ's instruction to keep this entire law?

People would no longer idolize anything or anyone, because they would put God first in their lives. God's name would no longer be misused or carelessly thrown around. Everyone would keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. Families would be happier because people would honor their physical parents and their spiritual Father. There would be no more hatred, killing or war. Husbands and wives would be faithful to each other, and there would be no more illegitimate births. There would be no more sexually transmitted diseases. There would be no more thefts, robberies or embezzlements. Slander, perjury, and gossip would be things of the past. People would not lust for anything that belongs to someone else.

In ..."slickWindow('Matthew','24','ALL')" title="View scripture">Matthew 24, Christ described conditions that would precede His Second Coming. ..."slickWindow('Matthew','24','12')" title="View scripture">Verse 12 describes how "iniquity [Greek: lawlessness] shall abound" and the result would be that "the love of many shall wax cold."

But the time is coming when the whole world will keep God's Law-the Ten Commandments.

God's Word Points the Way

The following quote from Mr. Armstrong sums up this booklet. It is taken from his "Personal from the Editor" in Tomorrow's World, May-June, 1970:

"The world has rejected God's Law-God's way. It has gone the way that has brought every curse on mankind. The world tomorrow will change all that. It will be ruled by God's law!

"To qualify to become a King-a ruler in the kingdom of God-you must come to really know that Law. And the whole Bible is a magnification-an elaboration of its principles. It is only those who repent of their transgressions of God's great spiritual Law-the Ten Commandments-and who surrender to and accept as Savior Jesus Christ, who can become begotten children of God. No one is a true Christian until he has received the Holy Spirit of God (..."slickWindow('Romans','8','9')" title="View scripture">Rom. 8:9). That is God's gift. It imparts the very life of God. It renews and opens the mind to comprehend spiritual knowledge. It bestows the love of God-divine, spiritual love. It imparts power. It instills faith.

"Then, once really converted-the entire direction of your life changed-you must continually overcome. There are three very tough things to overcome-your own self with the pull of human nature; the world, with its customs, false teachings, wrong ways, wrong fellowships; and the invisible yet very real devil. You must grow not only in spiritual grace, but in the knowledge of Christ-the knowledge in God's instruction book-the Holy Bible. You must study-understand it-live henceforth by its directions. It points the way-walk ye in it!"

 

Chapter Two -

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

The ancient nations, cut off from the real God, almost invariably worshipped idols. The masses needed gods near at hand-and this meant those that could be seen. Before God could instruct Israel how to properly worship Him, He first had to show them how not to worship Him.

..."slickWindow('Exodus','20','4-6')" title="View scripture">Exodus 20:4-6 records the Second Commandment. Here is God's explicit directive: "YOU SHALL NOT MAKE UNTO YOU ANY GRAVEN IMAGE, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments."

God specifically defined the forbidden ways that were used to worship idols. He realized human nature's tendency to justify loopholes around His instructions.

The First Commandment forbids having other gods before the true God. The Second Commandment forbids using an image to represent the true God, or any false god. This commandment deals specifically with using physical images for worship or as representations of anything related to worship. This does not condemn the existence of statues or pictures in general-only their use for worship. Therefore, using any statue or picture to represent God is expressly forbidden. Man is to worship, bow down to and serve the Creator God. God does not allow man to transfer this same honor to an image representing Him. He strongly warned Israel of this danger.

Notice God's specific instructions to Moses: "You shall not make with Me gods of silver, neither shall you make unto you gods of gold" (..."slickWindow('Exodus','20','23')" title="View scripture">Ex. 20:23). These were God's first words to Moses after giving him the Ten Commandments!

Again, notice ..."slickWindow('Exodus','20','5-6')" title="View scripture">verses 5-6: "...for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments." If people persist in idol worship, God will not only punish them, but also their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. No other commandment gives such detailed implications.

However, Almighty God promises to bless those who love and obey Him!

God's Warnings to Israel

..."slickWindow('Leviticus','26','1')" title="View scripture">Leviticus 26:1 warns, "You shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God."

In turning away from worshipping such images, Israel went against the current of the surrounding nations, as well as their carnal human nature. The natural mind seeks for some image to represent the god it worships. Human nature finds it easier to worship a physical object than to worship the invisible God. The Second Commandment forbids using images to assist or remind in worshipping God.

..."slickWindow('Deuteronomy','4','15-20')" title="View scripture">Deuteronomy 4:15-20 expands upon this in greater detail: "Take you therefore good heed unto yourselves; for you saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: lest you corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air, the likeness of any thing that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: and lest you lift up your eyes unto heaven, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord your God has divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as you are this day."

The ancient Greeks worshipped as many as five thousand gods, mostly images of men and women. Many of the nations around Israel worshipped images of various land, air and sea creatures, such as the Philistine fish god, Dagon. The Babylonians and others worshipped the "host of heaven"-the sun, moon and stars.

Here is how Moses warned Israel about idolatry: "Take heed unto yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God" (..."slickWindow('Deuteronomy','4','23-24')" title="View scripture">Deut. 4:23-24).

Israel's Track Record

How well did Israel listen? In only a matter of days during Moses' absence, Aaron, under pressure from certain people, allowed them to mold a golden calf. The worship of the calf was followed by a celebration in which the people "sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play" (..."slickWindow('Exodus','32','1-6')" title="View scripture">Ex. 32:1-6).

..."slickWindow('Judges','2','ALL')" title="View scripture">Judges 2 summarizes Israel's record for about three centuries after arriving in the Promised Land. Less than a generation after Joshua's death, a cycle started. Israel would turn from God, and then He would deliver them into subjection or captivity. They would repent and turn back to God, who would deliver them from their enemy. As Israel began to prosper due to God's blessings, they would soon turn away again and the cycle would repeat itself. In departing from God, one of the first things that Israel adopted was idol worship.

..."slickWindow('Judges','17','ALL')" title="View scripture">Judges 17 and ..."slickWindow('Judges','18','ALL')" title="View scripture">18 record how low Israel had descended. A Levite named Micah had come to possess a "valuable" idol. He was elated to expand his collection of idols. ..."slickWindow('Judges','17','6')" title="View scripture">Judges 17:6 shows the extent to which Israel had forgotten God's ways. Notice: "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Studying such accounts should help you appreciate the order and harmony that flow from obeying God's laws.

..."slickWindow('Psalms','78','56-58')" title="View scripture">Psalms 78:56-58 records, "Yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God, and kept not His testimonies: but turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images."

Pictures of "Christ"

God expressly forbids the use of any pictures or images to represent Him. Jesus Christ is now at the right hand of God the Father, serving as our High Priest. There is no justification for any images or pictures of Christ. Even pictures in general are forbidden to be worshipped. Israel was to destroy pictures and images belonging to the nations that occupied the Promised Land: "Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places" (..."slickWindow('Numbers','33','52')" title="View scripture">Num. 33:52).

Pictures of Christ are often found in bibles and other literature and on the walls of homes and churches. They are prominent in Protestant churches, as well as Catholic churches that take the extra step of adding statues of Christ and Mary. Not only are these pictures and images forbidden, those that supposedly represent Christ bear no resemblance whatsoever to the way He really appeared. For instance, we know that Christ was Jewish, as the Bible states: "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah" (..."slickWindow('Hebrews','7','14')" title="View scripture">Heb. 7:14). This is not the usual picture presented either by popular artwork or Hollywood.

Also, Christ is always depicted as having long hair. However, He inspired Paul to write, "Does not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" (..."slickWindow('1 Corinthians','11','14')" title="View scripture">I Cor. 11:14). During Christ's time, the Romans typically had short haircuts. Statues exist today of various Romans and people of other races at that time, in which their hair length is short.

Some confuse Christ's appearance with the Nazarites. This is because they confuse Nazarites with Nazarenes. Nazarites were those who took the Nazarite vow. They were not to cut their hair or beard during the time of their service (..."slickWindow('Numbers','6','5')" title="View scripture">Num. 6:5). Upon completing their vow, they shaved their heads (..."slickWindow('Numbers','6','18')" title="View scripture">Num. 6:18). Nazarenes were people who came from the town of Nazareth. The term Nazarite vow has nothing to do with this town, in which Christ grew up.

Pictures of Christ existed as early as 400 years after His death. These "pictures" were paintings that artists conjured up to show how Jesus "must have appeared." Not surprisingly, most all of these early painters were steeped in counterfeit Christianity.

This explains in part why, instead of portraying Christ as a Jew with short hair, the early images bore a remarkable resemblance to the Roman god Jupiter, who supposedly ruled over all the other gods. Jupiter was attributed to have overthrown his father, Saturn, taking over the rule of the world. This meshed perfectly with the theology of the counterfeit church, which portrayed Jesus as having now superseded the God of the Old Testament, whom they incorrectly identified as God the Father. False teachers portray the theology of Christ as vetoing the harsh rule of God the Father and replacing those "harsh Ten Commandments" with "love and tolerance."

The use of this image of Jupiter Olympus gained momentum, like all the other false doctrines the counterfeit church perpetuated. Today, people who think that they worship Christ are worshipping something entirely different-in appearance as well as substance!

Recall that the Jews paid Judas Iscariot to lead them to Christ. Upon betraying Christ, Judas did not describe Him in the following manner: "Well, He has this sad, sanctimonious look and exceptionally long hair. He will probably be carrying a lamb on His shoulder and you just could not miss that glowing halo."

In reality, Christ looked like the average Jew of His day-and so much so that Judas specifically identified Him by kissing Him. Like any carpenter of His time, Christ would have had a weather-seasoned, masculine appearance-not the soft features imagined by painters centuries later. The prophet Isaiah was inspired to record, "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: He has no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (..."slickWindow('Isaiah','53','2')" title="View scripture">53:2).

The world's concept of who and what Christ was is as false as its idea of what He actually looked like! (You may read our article "Did Jesus Have Long Hair? - Proper Hair Lengths and Styles in God's Church" for more detail.)

A Church Sanctions Idolatry

As an extension of the Babylonian Mysteries religion, the early Catholic church continued their centuries-old tradition of image worship. The true Church exposed the Catholics' blatant idolatry in the early centuries. In order to avoid condemnation and negative publicity, the Catholic church had to do one of two things: either cease this practice, or change the biblical laws regarding idolatry.

Not surprisingly, they chose the latter.

The theologian/scholar who "saved the day" was Augustine (A.D. 354-430). This man carefully re-structured the Ten Commandments to minimize the direct assault that the Second Commandment brought upon them.

The Second Commandment condemns image worship. Therefore, by "combining" the first and second commandments, Augustine essentially "did away" with the Second Commandment. In order to maintain a total of ten, he split the last commandment into two separate commands. This "re-arrangement" changed the Ninth Commandment to read, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife," and the Tenth to read, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house."

After breaking away from the Roman church, Martin Luther retained the Catholic texts of the Bible including the Augustine division.

Notice the following quote from The Encyclopedia Britannica: "The Church of Rome and the Lutherans adopt the Augustine division...combining into one the first and second commandments of Philo, and splitting his tenth commandment into two" (11th edition, Vol.7, p. 907). Philo was an eminent Jewish scholar of the early first century. He advocated the proper division of the Ten Commandments, as they appear in the King James Version of the Bible.

In combining the first two commandments, Augustine blatantly altered the Ten Commandments. Also, the splitting of the Tenth Commandment presents an unnatural and transparent attempt to alter God's Word.

In ..."slickWindow('Romans','13','9')" title="View scripture">Romans 13:9, Paul mentions all five of the last commandments and makes no distinction in the one forbidding coveting. In ..."slickWindow('Romans','7','7')" title="View scripture">Romans 7:7, he states, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet." We would expect to find this intact as one commandment, since Augustine did not make the change until about 350 years after Paul's death.

If the Bible you are reading is a classic Catholic Bible, this will explain why the Ten Commandments, as listed from the King James Version, differ from your version. Not all Catholic versions contain this Augustine division. If your Bible does not include the Second Commandment in its true form, obtain a more objective, less corrupted version of the Bible. (You may also read our article "Which Bible Translations Should You Use?")

Now read ..."slickWindow('Deuteronomy','4','1-2')" title="View scripture">Deuteronomy 4:1-2: "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish aught from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."

Why would Augustine and other theologians and scholars not fear to violate this direct command from God? Did they willingly violate it for the same reason that they defied the Sabbath commandment and most of the laws and statutes of God? (Read our booklet Many shall come IN MY NAME.)

Idolatry in Perspective

Without God's Spirit, the human mind is naturally inclined to worship images. Someone who breaks the First Commandment will eventually break the Second Commandment.

Satan the devil has capitalized upon this. He knows that breaking one commandment leads to breaking another. For example, in many pagan religions, adultery-violation of the Seventh Commandment-was actually part of the worship rituals.

A true worshipper of God will not seek or need an image to assist in his worship: "But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (..."slickWindow('John','4','23-24')" title="View scripture">John 4:23-24).

What If...?

This time, we ask: What if the whole world kept the Second Commandment? Not only would image worship disappear, but there would also be a ripple effect. The curses brought upon all humanity for breaking this law would no longer exist. Every faction of false Christianity would cease its worship of pictures and images. Virtually every other religion in this world would lose its core attraction. For example, what good would Buddhism be without a statue of Buddha? The world would move one giant step closer to God.