little sermons

Author: Dushko of Christ (Boceski)

  • The Law of love (a simple reflection)

    I want to give you a few simple things to consider tonight—about law versus beliefs.

    The Reality of Life

    • You were born.
    • You have a life ahead of you.
    • No one asked you if you wanted to be born, if you wanted to be a boy or a girl, or what kind of life you would have.
    • You were placed in a specific time and place, given certain traits, and now you live.

    But what is the point of this life?

    • Is there a goal?
    • Is there a destination?
    • Is there a reason?

    If there is a reason, who placed it?

    • Can we choose our purpose, or was it given to us?
    • How can we answer this question?

    The Source of Truth

    Only the Creator—the One who made us—can answer this.

    • Your parents cannot answer it because they struggle with the same enigma.
    • Philosophy and opinions may speculate, but they cannot create truth.

    If we want to know why we are here and the right way to live, we must understand:

    1. Who the Creator is.
    2. What His will is for us.
    3. What His purpose is for our lives.

    The question is: Can we understand this?

    Only if He has made it possible.

    • If He has made us blind, we will never understand.
    • If He has given us vision but hidden the answer, we still will not understand.

    So, how can we understand?

    Only if He has provided the truth for us—somewhere we can access it—and given us:

    • Eyes to recognize it.
    • Ears to hear it.
    • A mind to discern it.
    • A heart to understand it.

    The Law and Its Verdict

    Now, what is the LAW that exists beyond our beliefs and opinions?

    • If Jesus came to give us life and had to die so that we may live, then the LAW condemns us to death.
    • Why? Because we are sinners, criminals before this Law.
    • Who defines this? The Lawgiver—God Himself.

    Do we agree? It is irrelevant whether we agree or not.

    • We do not have the power to stand against Him or change His verdict.

    So, what is this unchanging Law?

    1. God gave us life.
    2. Sin leads to death.
    3. Jesus paid for our sins, taking our death upon Himself so that we may live.

    This is love.

    The Question of Truth

    Now, we must ask: Is this the truth?

    • If it is, do we want this truth?
    • If yes, then we must live according to the way God has chosen for us to live.

    How do we know His way?

    By reading the text He left for us to understand.

    But which text?

    • The Qur’an?
    • The Upanishads?
    • The Bhagavad Gita?
    • Or is it the Bible?

    This requires exploration. It takes time.

    But most people do not care enough to take the time to seek and satisfy their Creator.

    The Consequence of Ignoring the Law

    If this Law is real, then those who ignore it will not have the blood of Jesus applied to them as a ransom for their sins.

    • They will remain in their death.
    • They will lose eternal life.

    The Purpose of Our Lives

    So, if we want to live according to the will of our Creator and find the point of our existence, then we must:

    1. Seek to know Him.
    2. Seek to understand His Word.
    3. Make time for Him.

    If we do not care enough to seek Him, then we do not truly care.

    It would be like having a husband but never making time to be with him—what kind of love is that?

    The Final Question

    So, what is the point of our lives?

    Jesus died so that we may live.

    • Do we believe?
    • Is this the Law?
    • Are we sinners?

    And if so—what will we do about it?

    Will the truth move us to live by it? Will the Law cause us to obey it? Does our faith in its worth produce works in our lives?

    Belief is not enough; response is required. Be reminded of what the Word says in James 1:22, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Romans 2:13 – “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

    • Righteousness is shown through obedience, not just knowledge of the law.

    Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

    • Mere profession of faith is not enough; one must do God’s will.

    Luke 6:46 – “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

    • Jesus rebukes those who claim to follow Him but do not obey.

    1 John 2:3-4 – “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

    • Obedience is the proof of truly knowing God.

    Faith and the Law Working Together

    John 14:15 – “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

    • Love for Christ is shown in obedience.

    James 2:17 – “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

    • Faith must be active and obedient to be real.

    Deuteronomy 11:1 – “Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always.”

    • Love and obedience are inseparable.

    Psalm 119:44 – “So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever.”

    • God’s law is eternal and should be kept always.

    Ecclesiastes 12:13 – “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.”

    Obedience as Evidence of True Faith

    James 2:24 – “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”

    • Many think faith alone is enough, but faith must be expressed in action. Just as Abraham showed faith through obedience (Genesis 22), believers must act on God’s commands.

    Matthew 5:19 – “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

    • Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). True followers of Christ respect and teach obedience to God’s commandments.

    Titus 1:16 – “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

    • Words mean nothing without obedience. Many claim to follow God but deny Him through their actions.

    The Law Defines Sin and Righteousness

    1 John 3:4 – “Whoever commits sin also transgresses the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.”

    • Without the law, we wouldn’t even know what sin is (Romans 7:7). The law defines right and wrong.

    Romans 7:12 – “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”

    • Some claim the law is a burden, but Paul calls it holy, just, and good. Obeying the law is part of walking with God.

    Proverbs 28:9 – “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

    • This is serious: if we ignore God’s law, even our prayers are rejected.

    Love and Obedience Are the Same

    1 John 5:3 – “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

    • The world teaches that obedience is restrictive, but true love is expressed through obedience.

    John 1:6 – “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.”

    • Love is not just emotion—it is walking in God’s truth.

    Romans 13:10 – “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

    • The law of love is about treating others as God commands—not just as we feel.

    Jesus Taught and Kept the Law

    John 15:10 – “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

    • Jesus kept the law as an example. Following Him means doing the same.

    Luke 16:17 – “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.”

    • Some say the law was abolished, but Jesus says the law is permanent.

    The Final Judgment Is Based on Obedience

    Revelation 14:12 – “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

    • In the last days, true believers are identified by their faith and obedience.

    Revelation 22:14 – “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

    • Eternal life is promised to those who obey.

  • There is not one who doeth good. No, not one. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

    the Law and open the mercy seat:

    The Law of GOD is the precept by which one’s goodness is evaluated. And only God can inspect the hearts of men, which are desperately evil and cunning beyond measure. Only God has access to the verdict of us being sinners or sinless – and GOD has spoken from heaven, that we are all sinner, and there is but One Begotten Son of GOD who is according to His willl, and by Whom we can reseive a pardon from sins. He is according to GOD’s Law, and by faith in Him, we can receive gratitude to obey His law, not to avoid death, but to maximize love. That is why Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. If you don’t love Me, you cannot keep them. And if you don’t keep them, you don’t love Me. And if you don’t love me, you don’t know Me. And if you don’t know Me, you haven’t heard about Me. And if you have heard about Me, you don’t believe in Me. And if you don’t believe in Me, I don’t know you as well. And in that day, I will tell you, Get away from Me all you, who do unrighteousness.“
    <–

    Only God is just. Only God is good. Only God is righteous. This righteousness is given through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, Who came to reveal the Father’s glory, justice, and goodness to ALL who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

    Do you want to be righteous in God’s eyes? Believe His words: you cannot do anything on your own, without Jesus Christ; for all you do of yourself is vanity (sin and selfishness and delusion and emptiness and darkness): God Alone is the Giver of light, and God Alone can impart His light to the sinner who truly repents: and God Alone inspects the hearts of men, and He alone can tell the value of one’s repentance: whether genuine or not. But by their fruits ye will know them. Therefore, Bring ye forth fruits worthy of repentance. If you love Him, keep His commandments: it is the forgiving and self-sacrificing love of God alone that begets repentance in our sinful and cunning hearts, and it is repentance alone that opens our hearts to receive the love of God and invites His Spirit in our believing reborn hearts to do His works: and what is the greatest work that one man can do if not to speak the truth and have an absolute control over his tongue? The biggest boats are controlled only by one small rudder and the biggest man, by his tongue. For a man speaks out of that which his heart is full of: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh; and truth is spoken when the heart is full of the love of God and humbly expresses gratitude in every word spoken thereof.

    It is the truth to say, God is good, and it is gratitude to say, I will praise Him: and it is good fruits to praise Him openly in a song or in a personal testimony which speak of how God has worked spiritual and other miracles in your life to those who don’t know His love for them: We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

    The love of God humbles the heart which is filled with the condemnation of being a sinner: the heart feels God’s disapproval and rejection from heaven and this causes expectancy for fatal finish, while the forgiving love of God erases this doom and gives the sinner another chance for holiness: for once the sinner believes in the love of God which forgives sins, his eyes are open to see the fullness of his misery and sinful nature which crucified the Son of God. Once the sinner is relieved from the condemnation of His heart, he has another chance to choose between holiness and sinfulness: if he chooses holiness, he will sin no more, and if sinfulness is chosen, the sacrifice of the LORD cannot relieve his sin.