K124. Why was Jesus a friend of the sinners; but an enemy of the Pharisees?

Was it because the sinners did not obey the law; but the Pharisees keep the law? Was it because the sinners did not keep the Ten Commandments; but the Pharisees did and teach the Ten Commandments? Will the presence of the law or absence of it determine who is the friend of Jesus and who is not? Or will that determine who is the hypocrite and who is not? No, don't be deceived.

A. The Pharisees were religious hypocrites because they knew how to justify themselves hypocritically
They could do it hypocritically with or without the law; they could also do it with or without lawlessness too. Hence, a religious hypocrite will not only use the law to justify himself; he will use God's name, God's words, God's commands, God's love, God's gifts, God's grace, holy communion, miracles, prosperity, baptism of the Holy Spirit, tongues, the laying of hands, his testimonies, his visions, his dreams, his chime, his cat, his videos, his faith, .. and even hyper grace (or lawlessness), to justify himself. A religious hypocrites can use anything to deceive the people. However, if he used faith or God's principles to enrich himself, do we conclude that all principles are hypocritical principles? No. Neither do we reject grace just because someone has abused grace too.
The devil had used the bread to tempt Jesus, do we therefore say that all the bread is the curse of Satan? No, neither do we conclude that the revelation, the fruit, or the tree of the knowledge of the good and evil is evil just because Adam and Eve were tempted by it. Of course, don't be a fool to conclude that, therefore, any fruit, any knowledge, or any word (principle, doctrine, command, and law) to discern the good and evil today is of the tree of curses.
Heb 5:13-14 KJV  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness*: for he is a babe.  (14)  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Please be honest if you are a father, Do you teach your children to discern between good and evil? Or do you just tell them to give away their brains? Do you tell all who need our advice to just think of a 'Jesus' or 'the Word' who has no more law or command for them to do anything? However, we would be as blind as the Pharisees if we blame all the laws, commands, principles, and knowledge of God in both the Old and New Covenants as the main culprit of our fall or our sin problem just because the Pharisees had used the law to live their hypocritical lives too. The Pharisees were not the only people who were lawless in God's eyes; the 'brainless' could be the 'lawless' too.
The Pharisees were rejected by Jesus not because they kept the law or obeyed the Ten Commandments. They were rejected because they were hypocrites when they chose lawlessness which is the 'fruit' of departing from God or God's laws. Jesus warned His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and the false prophets: it was not the leaven of God's laws; it was the leaven of hypocrisy, lawlessness, and hatred against God's laws and prophets :
Mat 7:15-23 KJV  Beware of false prophets .. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits ..  (17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18)  A good tree .. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter .. (Jesus has said it so clearly. Are we made good or evil by eating the fruit from the tree (of the law or the knowledge of good and evil) ? No, it is by what that is inside us which causes us to rebel, eat, or bring forth the evil 'fruit'; not the fruit itself) 
Mat 23:28-30 KJV  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  (29)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,  (30)  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Mat 23:28 LITV  So you also indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Luk 12:1-2 KJV  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  (2)  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
The Pharisees seemed to have high regard for the law of God, but they were lawless in their hearts. They oppressed the weak and the widows. Their worst sin was using the law or the blood sacrifice to justify themselves for any sins which they would do against their fellow neighbours. They did not love God or their neighbours, yet they preached as though they were the holiest people on earth. They abused the law of Moses which was given to them:
Heb 10:26-29 KJV  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  (28)  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  (29)  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Now, please think, If the Pharisees were to live in our generation (after the law of Christ or grace is given to us), will they use grace instead, to justify themselves? Many will say, "No, it is impossible because the Pharisees would never believe in grace, and hence, there would not be anyone abusing grace." I will tell them, Are you sure? Please read Heb 10:26-29 above again. There are no more Pharisees today, but there are still many religious people. Are you sure that none of them will do like the Pharisees and use grace or the blood of Jesus to justify themselves for any hidden sin which they would do against their fellow brethren, preach against their fellow brethren, or falsely accuse their brethren?
Today many preachers say that they can preach grace (with no more law or repentance) as though it is license to sin until everyone misunderstood them and that this is the gospel of grace that Paul preached. I will tell them, No, please read your Bible again. Paul did not say that He preached until everyone MISUNDERSTOOD him. You added the words to justify yourselves. Please think, How could anyone have MISUNDERSTOOD Paul when he confirmed or double-confirmed with Heb 10:26-29 and the following Bible verses that we should never preach it as a license to sin or as though it is a license to sin?
Rom 6:1-15 KJV What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (3)  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? .. ..  (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
What does it mean? It means that a believer who knows the words of Jesus and Paul would know that they should NEVER sin and they would NEVER have MISUNDERSTOOD them (because GOD FORBID twice or said it twice). Only the unrepentant sinners, the hypocrites, and the Pharisees would have MISUNDERSTOOD it or choose to have MISUNDERSTOOD Paul or Jesus (so that they could accuse them and stir up false accusation against them).

B. The sinners were not religious hypocrites
The reason why Jesus loved the sinners more was not because the sinners sinned more than the Pharisees. It was because the sinners were not like the Pharisees or the religious hypocrites who tried to justify themselves with their religious justification, lawlessness gimmicks, or false obedience to God; the sinners were not ashamed to confess their sins. Most of the sinners who followed and listened to Jesus were the sinners who knew that they were sinners, that they must repent, and that they needed Jesus. However, not all the sinners became the friends of Jesus. Some of them realized that they could not follow Jesus because they could not repent and accept all the doctrine and commandments of Jesus:
Joh 6:59-66 KJV  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.  (60)  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  ..  (64) .. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  (65)  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  (66)  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Today can we preach 'hyper grace' and conclude that Jesus is a friend to all kinds of sinners whether they will turn away from their sins or not? I don't think so. When Jesus commented and said that Zacchaeus did the right thing, He showed that every sinner who comes to Him must repent and turn away from their sins too:
Luk 19:8-9 KJV  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  (9)  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Most hyper grace preachers, if not all, will insist and say, "Jesus will never leave you even if you sin; no matter how you sin. It's because He will still love you even if you are sinning in the midst of your sins. It is unthinkable to have a Jesus who will love you at one moment when you do right, but at the next moment when you sin or do wrong, He will hate you, condemn you, and judge you .." I will tell them, Yes, you are right, but only partially. Yes, Jesus loves everyone. He loves all the sinners even if they are still in the midst of sinning or doing wicked things. But you would be certainly wrong (and 'speechlessly' shocked one day Mat 22:12) if you think that you and all your sinners ('believers') can sin forever and that Jesus will never leave you no matter how you sin. Do you remember what you have read in Heb 10:26-29? It shows that the 'Jesus' that you preached contradicts the Jesus that Paul preached. Paul said that if the Jews or the Pharisees abused the blood sacrifice which was God's provision in the Old Covenant, how much sorer punishment will you get if you or we would sin wilfully, abuse grace, or lie about the blood of Jesus under the New Covenant? Do you know why Paul said, "If we sin wilfully" and not "if you sin wilfully" or "If they sin wilfully"? It is because Paul said deliberately to warn us, the believers, that there is the possibility if we sin wilfully and the possibility of a 'sorer judgement' for those who are in the blood covenant.

Is there judgement for the believers who think that they can sin in anyway they like?
Rev 3:17-19 KJV  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  (19)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 2:21-23 KJV  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.  (22)  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.  (23)  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Mat 22:12-14 KJV  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  (13)  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (14)  For many are called, but few are chosen.
Mat 18:32-34 KJV  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:  (33)  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?  (34)  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Luk 16:27-31 KJV  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  (29)  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

How do we repent or turn to God?
I will ask the hyper grace preachers, Are all the Bible verses above written to the sinners or the believers? I believe that these Bible verses were written for us. I will ask them, Do you think that they sound condemning? Are you tempted to preach them as obsolete, to ignore them, or to remove them from your Bible? If you think so and have tried to do so, can you still be a friend of Jesus. You may think that you are a sinner and a friend of Jesus, but you are like the sinners who had departed from His words, His doctrine, His teaching, His commandments .. and His 'hard sayings':
Joh 6:59-66 KJV  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.  (60)  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  ..  (64) .. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him ..
I remember your definition of repentance when you said, "Repentance is not turning away from sins or doing good; repentance is changing your mind from unbelieving in God to believing in God. We do not preach repentance from sins; but repentance towards God as Paul preached:Act 20:21 KJV  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will ask, Did you read your Bible? Did you read what Paul said in Act 26:20 KJV  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, AND DO works meet for repentance.
Yes, you may define your repentance as just turning or repenting toward God. Did you explain how do you turn to God? Is it just turning from the thinking of God in the old way to a new way? No. Jesus may not always preach the word 'repent' to call sinners to repentance or to tell them to repent toward God; but His parables explained it clearly. For example, the prodigal son repented and turned to his father. Did Jesus explained how did he repent and turn to the father? He stopped sinning. Zacchaeus was commented and given the assurance of salvation by Jesus, but did he repent? Yes, Zacchaeus turned to God by stop cheating the people and doing good. How about the woman caught in the adultery? She was asked to sin no more (Joh 5:14). In another Bible passage, Jesus healed a man; but He asked him to sin no more too:
Joh 5:14 KJV  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
I will ask them, If you agree that you must still repent and turn to God, don't you agree that you would still obey Jesus and sin no more too? You say that you obey Him, but what's the point if you do not know or obey any command from Him?

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K123. Jesus is The Word who came in the flesh (5)

Two Major cleansing: I have said in K122 that there are two major cleansing for us:
A. Cleansing by the blood of Jesus and
B. Cleansing by His words and commands
We must receive both cleansing; otherwise we are not His true disciples (Joh 13:8). Hence, we can summarize that there are three main groups of people according to the Lord's parable in Mat 22:11-13:
1. Those who are invited and have the wedding garment. They are the believers who are washed and cleansed by both cleansing.
2. Those who are invited, but they have no wedding garment. They are the ones who are not cleansed at all. They could be those who believe like Judas Iscariot (who happened to be 'one' of the twelve or 'one' of the many who joined the Lord's supper). They believe and 'repent' (or change their minds only), but they do not keep all the words and commands of Jesus Christ.
3. Those who are invited, but they will reject the invitation. They are the majority of the sinners who have heard of Jesus; but they do not accept Jesus and they can never keep ANY of the Lord's commands. That's why Jesus said, "many are called (invited); but few are chosen" (cleansed by His blood and covered by His garment (command) to enter the wedding Mat 22:13).

Two Major commands: But, today I will focus more on the two major commands of God to us.
A. The command of God to Adam and Eve at the garden of Eden to obey His words, and
B. The command of God to Peter, James, and John at the transfiguration of Jesus to obey His Son
Do you notice that the two commands above were given only to God's people or believers? It is because only God's people are ready to receive His commands, garments, or glory. The sinners, however, can never know the commands or glory of God until they have repented of their lawlessness, rejected lawlessness, and received the cleansing of the Lord. They may learn and keep 'washing' themselves with the words and principles, but they can never be 'cleansed'. Like Judas, they can never be clean inside.
Many will ask, "Adam and Eve were not cleansed; why could they receive God's command?" The answer is: They were created without any sin or lawlessness. God's command was given to them before they rejected His words and became lawless (naked) spiritually.
They will still argue, "But Peter, James, and John were not cleansed too, why did God give them the command?"
I have said in K122. Yes, Jesus was not crucified yet, but by faith all His disciples had received that salvation which would be made complete when Jesus died on the cross. Judas, however, had no faith to repent and believe, and hence, he was not clean in the eyes of the Lord.

The world will question, test, and research on God's commandments to eliminate or reduce God's commandments
We know that the scripture, the doctrine of Christ, and the letters of the Apostles were all taught based on the words and commandments of God, but the world will try to oppose God and come up with their own rule of thumb, their rule of five, their rule of instructions, rule of favour, or rule of positive thinking, to reduce and replace God's commandments. They argue that the Ten Commandments are obsolete because they can come up with 5 principles or lesser number of instructions for the people.  I don't know on what basis they can conclude that their rules and instructions are better than the Ten Commandments; but I will ask them, Are the Ten Commandments from God? If the Ten Commandments are from God, they are always better than your human rules and instructions. If the Ten Commandments are from God, they are God's commandments. If they are God's commandments, they are the light of God. Hence, their argument and attitude reminds me of the five foolish virgins who set their own rule (mind, philosophy, and wisdom) by not keeping the light or command of God.
Pro 6:23 KJV  For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Mat 25:3 KJV  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: .. (7) Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  (8)  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But Jesus summarize God's commandments to include all God's commandments
The virgins were foolish not because they had no oil; they were foolish enough not to bring enough oil. They could be the groups of believers who deliberately cut down, eliminate, or reduce the commandments of God to one, two, or whichever convenient to them; but Jesus summarized God's commandments to include all God's commandments:
Mat 5:43 KJV  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 22:35-40 KJV  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  (36)  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  (37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Many preachers have boasted and said that they can come up with their own rules and instructions to summarize the Ten Commandments too. Some boasted that they could teach God's people better things without any God's commandment in their new revolution. I will tell them, The truth of God is not something new. If you try to preach revolution just because you want to preach something new, you do not know God's truth. Please don't think that you can preach better than Jesus just because you can preach more graciously or more eloquently. Only Jesus could summarize the Ten Commandments perfectly well and silent the lawyer and whosoever wants to eliminate, reduce, or nullify the commandments and the truth of God.

Hence, Jesus is not only the Lamb who shed His blood for our sins
He came so that we can have our garment back. He is the Word (or God's command) to all men after Adam failed to listen to God's first command in Gen 2:16. Hence, God spoke and gave His command again at the Lord's transfiguration (and after God gave His commandments through Moses too). And there was glory as there was giving of God's commandment again. However, this time His command or His Word is His Son, Jesus Christ, and the glory is greater:
Mat 17:2-5 KJV  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light  ..  (5)  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Jesus is also the word or the command of God to men again (second time)
This is also the reason why I said in K081 that Jesus is the Word or God's commandment who came in the flesh and live in us now. However, many preachers argue that 'hear ye Him' means 'hear ye grace' or 'hear Jesus only'; not 'hear ye the law and the prophets' or 'hear ye His commandments'; hence, grace is greater than the law or God's commandment. I will tell them, Since you like to compare, let me ask you, Which is greater, Grace or Jesus? If grace and truth came from Jesus or the Word (Joh 1:14,17), grace can never be greater than Jesus or His command. Please don't confuse your believers. When God tells us, 'Hear ye Him' or 'Obey Him', it won't make sense for us to obey Him if He has no more command for us to obey. Yes, we know that grace is amazing. However, grace is not amazing enough to replace all God's commands. Grace should not be preached to replace the Lord's commandments or doctrine based on the scripture or the words of God. We must hear the true Jesus who has the command of God; not any Christ or the anointed who tells us to do nothing.
Hence, it always puzzles me how they can hear Jesus and conclude that Jesus has no more command or commandment for them? How can they hear Him if they do not hear the law and the prophets of God in the written words of God or the written commands of the Lord? How can they hear Him if they do not hear Him who taught God's commandments based on the written scripture and summarized God's commandments to include all God's commandments?
a. What is God's command?
God's command 'hear ye Him' means 'Hear His voice' or 'Hear His command'. It is not 'hear Him singing' or 'hear Him saying good things about you only'; it is 'hear and do His words'.
Joh 10:24-27 KJV  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.  (25)  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.  (26) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. (27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
b. God's voice is God's command
Jesus said that His sheep must hear His voice; otherwise, they are not His sheep. What is His voice? Is it a supernatural audible human voice, a still small voice, or just any voice which claims that it is God's voice? No, don't be foolish. I can say that I heard the voice of God, that God told me not to preach any law or commandment, or that God spoke to me through a chime or a cat too; do you believe me? No, of course.
1. Firstly, the chimes or the cats do not speak our languages. So, I could have used a lot of my imagination and interpretation to have the chime or the cat to speak to me
2. Secondly, even if the chime or the cat spoke to me in a human audible voice and I had the video recorded it, I did not hear from God. It is because God would never speak and contradict His own words or commands by saying that we no longer need to worship God, honour our parents, or keep His commandments.
3. Thirdly, Jesus has warned us about the false prophets who will rise in the end time. So, please use my brain and read your scripture. (Oh, sorry, I mean use your brain and read the scripture).
c. Are we really hearing the voice of God?
Satan will try to give us a different voice in the end time. Please think, Will Satan still need to raise the false prophets to deceive the world again? No, the sinners since the fall of Adam have already been deceived to depart from God's command. Many have already shut their ears to the voice of God. Hence, Satan would just want to deceive the churches or the believers who still keep the commandments of God in the end time:
Mat 24:11-12 KJV  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  (12)  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold .. (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. (We should beware of the Christs or 'cats' who claim that they have a different God's 'command' too)
Rev 12:17 KJV  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Hence, the voice of God is not simply a hollow sound, a vain frequency, or an appealing music. Yes, the voice of God must be from God or from someone truly sent by God, but it is also a word, a principle, a doctrine, an instruction, or a command. God will not just 'meow' like a cat and expect you to know what He wants you to do and obey; He will teach you and give you clear instructions, doctrine, or commandments so that you will know what to do and obey.

Jesus is also a type of new Adam who keeps the commandments of God
Many will ask, "You said that Jesus is the Word who came in the flesh. But now you say that Jesus is a type of Adam who obeyed God. What are you trying to say?" I will tell them, Yes, I said in K122 that He is a type of Adam who will find his garment back. He was also the master who gave the disciples the example of an humble servant:
Joh 13:14-17 KJV  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  (15)  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  (16)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  (17)  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
I know that it difficult to explain it but yet He gave us the example of how He was God and yet He would be baptised by John and the Holy Spirit. He was the Word or Command and yet He would keep the commandments of God.
So, we should not be surprised at the many examples or illustrations we can learn from Him. We do not have to go too deep into all these illustrations. But if the lawless one starts to to preach lawlessness with his own interpretations and illustrations, it is time for us to go deeper into the words and illustrations of God.

Jesus is also a type of new Adam who has overcome lawlessness
We will know God's illustration if we read and compare the following Bible verses:
1. At the Garden of Eden
Gen 1:31 KJV  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day .. .. Gen 2:15-24 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  (16)  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  (17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.  .. (21)  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man ..
2. At the transfiguration of the Lord
Mar 9:2-10 KJV  And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.  (3)  And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.  (4)  And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus .. ..  (7)  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him .. (9)  And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.  (10)  And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
The rising from the dead means the birth of the Church or the Bride too. Just as Adam went into a deep sleep before Eve was created from the rib taken from him, Jesus died for three days too. In the garden of Eden, Adam was in the midst of two trees. Similarly, in the Lord's transfiguration, Jesus was accompanied by two different type of 'trees' (or prophets) too - one is known as the 'tree' of life or resurrection (Elijah); the other is the 'tree' of commandments (Moses):
Rev 11:4-10 KJV  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth .. .. (10) And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
In the last days, the devil will come again and tell his followers to challenge, mock, abuse, 'eat', or make use of the two 'trees' (or both the law and the prophets of God). They will try to remove the two witnesses in the same way they removed the Son of God by 'killing' them and making a mockery of them. But they will be shocked to know that the law and the prophets will rise up again.

Jesus is also a type of new Adam who truly loves his wife and protects her from the spirit of lawlessness
Eph 5:25-32 KJV  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  (28)  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  (29)  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: .. ..(31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  (32)  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

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K122. Is God still concerned with what we wear (or how we wear) our garment when we see Him? (3)

I have said in K120 that there are two cleansing:
A. Cleansing by the blood of Jesus and
B. Cleansing by His words and commands

A. Jesus did not just forgo His own life (blood) to save us or to make us clean
The Lord has shown clearly to Peter and us in Joh 13:3-12 that we must have both inner cleansing from Him. Judas Iscariot had the privilege to be washed by Him, by His words, by His teaching, and by His doctrine, but he was never cleansed (or clean under the first cleansing). Many may ask, "But Jesus was not crucified yet, how could the eleven disciples be clean under the first cleansing". I will say, Yes, Jesus was not crucified yet, but by faith all His disciples had received that salvation which would be made complete when Jesus died on the cross. Judas, on the other hand, had no faith to repent and believe, and hence, he was not clean in the eyes of the Lord.
I have explained in K120 that the garment of glory is a gift of the Lord and that how the Lord would wash and cleanse us so that we can have the garment back. We do not know how the garment will look like (spiritually) - will it be a new garment or the same garment which God had given to Adam and the angels? However, I saw something new again when I read what Jesus did in the following Bible verses :
Joh 13:3-12 KJV  Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;  (4)  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself .. .. (10) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all .. .. (12) So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? ..

B. Jesus had to forgo His own glory (garments) so that He will restore our garments too
Today I notice that Jesus laid aside his garments before He started to wash the disciples feet (John 13:4). It was an awesome picture of how much he had to forgo to restore our garment back - it means that He had to lay aside His own garments (of glory and protection). He had to take off His own clothing so that we could be clothed. It shows that when He came to cleanse us, He had to forgo His two most precious things:
1. His own blood or His own life - it cost Him to lose His blood or His life to come to die for our sins;
2. His garments or glory - it also cost Him to lose His garment of glory and protection to come to teach and wash us with His words too.

Jesus would never lose His garments although the devil thought that he could strip Him and crucify Him
However, He lost His life and garments only temporarily. He got both back although the soldiers cast lots and took away all His garments including that garment which was transfigured JUST before He was crucified:
Joh 19:23-24 KJV  Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.  (24)  They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
Psa 22:16-19 KJV  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.  (17)  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.  (18)  They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.  (19)  But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
But how do we know that the devils, the dogs, or the soldiers who tried to snatch away His garments will not succeed?

Jesus is a type of Adam who will find his garment back
When I read the Joh 13:12-17 again, I knew that Jesus would get back His garments and continue to teach us after He was seated at the right hand of God:
Joh 13:12-17 KJV  So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?  (13)  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  (14)  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  (15)  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  (16)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  (17)  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Rev 1:13 KJV  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

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K121. Is God still concerned with what we wear (or how we wear) our garment when we see Him? (2)

Jesus told us in the parable (Matt 22:11-12) that the king will question those who do not have the wedding garment. Now, please ask ourselves, Can we create that wedding garment that is so beautiful and glorious for us to attend the marriage supper in heaven? No, I believe that it is beyond our effort or ability. Hence, I believe that it is a God-given garment or God-given command.

When there is God's commandment, there is God's glory
We can see the illustration of this Bible truth all over the Bible:

1. First illustration - I have explained that the garment is a garment of glory like the one  worn by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It is the garment of command too because they lost it the moment they disobeyed God's command. Hence, when there is God's command, there is God's glory. When there is God's glory, there is God's covering and God's protection, like a shield or a garment. This is the first illustration we saw in the Bible:
Gen 2:16-22 KJV  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  (17)  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.  (18)  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him ..  (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

When God gave Adam His commandment, He could have also given him the 'garment of glory and protection' too. So, Eve, who was created later out of Adam, could be covered and protected by the same glory that was given to Adam. Hence, Adam could have warned Eve about the danger of losing it because Eve knew it (Gen 3:2-3) even though she was not there when God gave the command to Adam. We may not have the full picture of why there was a need for God's protection when there was no corruption of the world in the garden of Eden yet, but we can imagine that after the fall of Lucifer who became Satan or the Serpent, there was already lawlessness in the universe or the air; but probably not in the ground or the earth yet. Hence, God's command or word could be an unseen garment of protection which shielded Adam and Eve from the effect (poison or corruption) of the lawlessness from the 'dark side'. God's commandment is always known as the true light of the world in both the Old and the New Testament:
Pro 6:23 KJV  For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Rom 13:12 KJV  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

2. Second illustration - When Moses came down with God's commandments, there was God's glory too:
Exo 34:29 KJV  And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

3. Third illustration - When Jesus came to the world, He came with the light. This was the third illustration we saw in the Bible:
Joh 1:1-14 KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God .. (5)  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not .. (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1Jn 2:8 KJV  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 shineth.
Did John really mean it when he said he beheld His glory or the glory of the Word (or God's command who came down in the flesh)? Yes, John was certainly referring to that glory which he saw when Jesus was transfigured before them:
Mat 17:2-3 KJV  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.  (3)  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Mar 9:2-3 KJV  And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.  (3)  And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
Luk 9:29 KJV  And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

The garment of glory is a gift from the Lord
I have mentioned about the glory of the Lord's transfiguration in my previous posts. I know that His face and His whole body shone. But today, I saw something more which shone from Him - His raiment. I believe that His raiment or garment was transfigured too, and it became the garment of glory! It could be the same garment which we have lost in the garden of Eden because of Adam's disobedience. Hence, Jesus would not just die for our sins and cleanse us from all our lawlessness. He will clothe us with His garment of glory too:
Mat 28:3 KJV  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Rev 3:5-6 KJV  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.  (6)  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 3:18 KJV  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 4:4 KJV  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

4. The final illustration - Can we see the final picture or illustration in the Bible? I don't know about you, but I can see a great picture of all those who are saved wearing the garment of glory. It is more than just a clean garment or white garment. It was a garment of beauty and glory like the one worn by Adam and Eve before they rejected God's command. It is not just a garment which shows that we are holy, sinless, and forgiven; it is also a garment which shows the glory of God's command in the lives and hearts of His people once again:
Heb 8:10 KJV  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 10:16-17 KJV  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  (17)  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

We are not saved by the garment; but we must still put on the garment
Many will say, "But we are saved by grace; not by the laws or commandments. We should not preach the mixture; we should preach only pure grace (with no more commandments) .."
I will tell them, Who told you that when there is command (or glory) and grace, it is a mixture? Do you know what is a mixture? A mixture is something which cannot mix; for example, we cannot mix the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. But, if there is still God's command in the New Covenant, we do not call it a mixture; we call it a restoration because men can now find their garment back.
I said in K119 that the Holy Communion cannot save us or make us clean but it must be taken worthily; otherwise, there will be condemnation (1Co 11:34), sickness, and death (1Co 11:30). Similarly, God's command cannot save us or make us clean too, but we must still put on God's command; otherwise, we have no part with Him. I have explained in K114 that washing by the word or command of God is a continuous washing or sanctification for all the believers who are in Christ:
Joh 13:8-10 KJV  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. .. (10) Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Eph 5:26-27 KJV  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Hence, the washing of the 'feet' or washing by the word may not make us clean; but it makes us holy, glorious, or more complete to wear the garment of glory.

We cannot afford to remove that garment
Many 'mature' (old) believers today have been convinced by the lawless preachers that having God's command in their hearts is now 'out-of-fashion'; hence, they want to think of grace only:
Luk 15:20-22 KJV  .. (22)  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
When many traditional believers, old believers, or 'elder brothers' were tempted as they saw how God blessed the prodigal son, prospered him, and gave him the best robe (garment), they would want to be like him too. They did not read further or understand what God would say to them. They did not know that our Father would still want to clothe us with His garment (command):
Luk 15:29-32 KJV  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends .. (31) And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  (32)  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
It means: When the elder son kept and did his father' commandment, he would always be with his father and he would have everything that the father has. He thought the best garment that his father gave to his brother was cool, but he had forgotten that the garment that he was wearing was the garment of glory and protection too. If he removed it, he would become the next prodigal son who lost his garment.

If we are already in the Father's house, why should we envy the 'prodigal sons' or those who may still need to find grace?
Today there are many 'prodigal sons' who have lost their garments. They may seem to prosper more; however, we should know that we are more blessed because we have not departed and removed our garment. We do not envy them just because they still have grace to find their garment back. Yes, today there is still grace for the 'prodigal sons' who have lost their garments. We can still see the 'picture' or illustration of the giving of forgiveness, blessings, and garments to them. But when grace expires, it will be another 'picture' - it would be a picture when they will stand speechless if they do not repent:
Mat 22:12-14 KJV  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  (13)  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (14)  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Many will try to remove the parable of the Lord
They know that, if they want to remove the garment without feeling condemned or insecured, they must remove the parable of the Lord. To do that they will come up with many silly arguments:
1. Only one guest had no wedding garment?
So, they will argue, "But in the parable, only one guest was found without the garment. So, in the kingdom of God, everyone is saved, except one who is really rebellious or wicked. He could be someone like Judas Iscariot. We should preach the positive picture that everyone is saved."
I will ask them, Did you read v(14)? Many are called, but few are chosen. It means, Many are invited, but few will finally enter the kingdom of God. In the parable, of course, 'one guest' is a metaphor or illustration for a group of people or believers. It cannot be taken literally as one person. Please think, When Jesus talked about the prodigal son in His parable, does it mean that there is only one prodigal son, literally? Of course, no. Interpreting the Bible foolishly in this way to give false Bible assurance to the sinners who are desperate, distressed, or doubtful is never the way of God or the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must preach the truth with the Spirit of Christ; not the spirit of blindness, deceitfulness, or lawlessness.
2. The guest who came without the wedding garment was a sinner?
They will say, "In the parable, all the guests in the marriage supper or wedding were the believers who were saved. Only the guest without the wedding garment was not a believer. Since we are the believers, this parable can never be applicable to us. Stop reminding us about this 'garment' business .."
I will tell them, If the guest without the wedding garment was invited and he came for the wedding, this shows that he was 'almost' a believer and he was like the sinners of the world who rejected the gospel. Yes, strictly speaking, he may not be the true believers who have the garment; but he could be someone who think that he was the a true believer. If this was the case, it was serious enough to be a warning to all the present believers in the churches or the world.
3. The parable of the Lord was for the Jews only
Many could be so desperate that they will give us this silly argument: "The parable is obsolete. The parable is a done thing. It is no longer a prophecy or warning for us the future. It has happened historically when the Jews were gathered in their homeland and form the nation of Israel. Many Jews from the many different countries (from the highways and byways) were invited to come. But one or a few groups of the Jews who came were mixed in marriages with the Gentiles. Hence, there were the ones who did not have the 'wedding garments' .. .. etc.
I will ask them, How do you explain the beginning of the parable: "Mat 22:2 KJV  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son .." Is this a physical event or spiritual event?

But Jesus will expose the false prophets in the end time
Of course, the lawless preachers may find many ways, convincing ways, noble ways, 'anointed' ways, 'spiritual' ways, or even 'gracious' ways, to nullify or remove the parable of the Lord, but we know what are their real motives or fruits? They are the false prophets who will rise in the end time to preach against the words of Jesus and work lawlessness, blindness, or deceitfulness:
Mat 7:14-23 KJV  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  (15)  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  (16)  Ye shall know them by their fruits.. .. (20)  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21)  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 7:23-24 LITV  And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; "depart from Me, those working lawlessness!" (24)  Then everyone who hears these Words from Me, and does them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house on the rock;
Please read Mat 7:14 and Mat 7:22 again. Jesus said, ".. few there be that find it" and "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord .."
It means that many will not have the wedding garment.

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K120. Is God still concerned with what we wear (or how we wear) our garment when we see Him? (1)

At the end of my previous post K190, I said that many people know how to put on their Sunday best; but they do not know how to put on God's best. Jesus said that it could be a serious matter if we do not know what to put on (or how to put on our wedding garment) when we face the King of the universe too (Mat 22:11-12). I have explained 'What is the wedding garment' in K190. But I want to discuss further on this garment today.

What is this garment that is the garment of glory or salvation in God's presence?
Of course, we rule out the physical garments or beautiful garments that we have in our wardrobes. But, is it our garment of praise, or the garment of grace, the garment of joy and gladness, the garment of positive thinking and good opinion on God and on all the blessings of God, or the inner garment of our minds? Of course, we can think of all the good things of God and say that they are the garments. But it is good to go back to the origin of all our garments in the days of God's creation and find out what Adam and Eve wore in the garden of Eden. Did Adam and Eve originally wear tree skins and leaves? No, they were not covered by tree skins or tree trunks, but they were not naked. They were covered by the 'garment' of God (or the command of God which protected them). It was beautiful and glorious beyond all our words or descriptions. But do they still have that garment today? No. It is sad to know that that they have lost it because of their disobedience or lawlessness. The day that they departed from the command of God was the day when the glory of God departed from them. However,
1. many believers still prefer to say that they have lost it because of their ignorance or their 'weakness' for food; not because of their sins
2. many hyper grace preachers, however, prefer to say that it is because of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the tree of the law, or God's laws.

What is the real cause that made us lost our 'garment'?
I will ask the preachers, If your earthly father asked you not to do 'something' and you did it, do you say that it was only your ignorance. No, it was your rebellion or disobedience. Do you turn around and tell your father that the 'something' which he asked you to do was the real culprit of your disobedience? No, if you had disobeyed, please don't try to twist and turn to say that something else has caused you to disobey. Similarly, today Jesus would still want the sinners to just humbly accept and confess their disobedience to God. If we humbly confess our disobedience to God, we would humbly return to God. If we humbly return to God and God's command (or return like the prodigal son), we will find our 'garment' back. This explains why the Lord's parable showed us that the King would still want us to wear the 'garment'. This will also explain that body nakedness is not an eye sore to God; but spiritual nakedness, lawlessness, disobedience, or shifting of the blame is.
Today many preachers know how to preach popular, anointed, or positive messages without any preaching against sins. They preach, "There is nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with His words, and NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU TOO." Indirectly or deceitfully, they are preaching that men should not blame themselves for any wrongdoings including their own sins. Hence, the people who listen to them day and night can never truly confess their sins to God and repent. Yes, they will 'repent' because they want to change their minds only. They just want to believe. They may have their 'feet' washed daily by the words of Jesus, but they are never clean within. They may keep putting on the garment of God but they are still naked. They are still an eye sore to God spiritually:
Joh 13:10 KJV  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Rev 3:17-18 KJV  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

God has simple plan to restore our garment
However, the plan was so simple that the Israelites still missed it. In the first covenant, God gave the Israelites His laws and commandments to obey Him AGAIN (after the whole world were lost in disobedience and lawlessness since Adam's fall). Many think that the first command that God gave to the lost world were the Ten Commandments and the law of Moses. However, the first command that God gave to men was His command to Abraham. Hence, all those who simply believed and obeyed like Abraham would be considered as 'clothed' by the righteousness of God. In another words, when God spoke or commanded, men who obeyed like Abraham and obeyed with faith would be justified and would find their 'garment' again. But .. .. sadly, this plan was made complicated by the Pharisees and the scribes who did not really believe or obey God's commandments. They would only want to 'use' God's commandments.

But the devil and the Pharisees would corrupt God's plan and stop us from finding our 'garments' back
Because of them, God's simple commandments were multiplied to become so numerous, complicated, and religious, that the people could not follow the law of God any more.
Mar 7:6-8 KJV  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  (7)  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  (8)  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Anyway God had foreseen this problem i.e. When His laws became more and more, it would become more difficult for the people to truly obey Him and find their 'garment' back. Hence, in God's wisdom, Jesus would instead summarize and simplify God's commandments (Mat 22:35-40). He knew the strategy of the devil: When the devil knows that he cannot remove God's law or commandment, he would multiply, complicate, or corrupt it. Obviously, the devil was very unhappy when Jesus said:
Mat 22:40 KJV  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
It means that the people can now SIMPLY obey God and the rebellious cannot find any excuse to reject God's commandments and the law and the prophets of God. The reply of Jesus probably had silent the lawyer who planned to argue with Jesus about the many commandments which they must obey under the law (or their 'law'). Today many preachers, 'lawyers', and false prophets may still want to test us and say, "If they are so many God's commandments in the Ten Commandments and none of us can obey all of them, why do we still keep them?" I will tell them, Do you think that you will obey God's commandments only if there is less commandment or only if it is just a commandment to obey God? Jesus will still tell you that there are not many commandments - only two. But you must still 'love your neighbour as thyself' (Luk 10:36-37) which includes honouring thy parents too:
Mar 7:10-11 KJV  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  (11)  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Eph 6:2-3 KJV  Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)  (3)  That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

Jesus did not just cleanse us; He gave us new garments too
But the rebellious will still argue, "No, Jesus did not come to restore God's laws as our 'garment'; he came just to cleanse us with His blood. When we are cleansed, we don't need any garment. We are nakedly clean and we are more accepted by God under grace. God would never be angry with us because of our lawlessness or nakedness. He will always smile at us - this is the new covenant. We are totally justified apart from the law or commandments of God."
I will tell them, What are you trying to say? I thought you agreed that there are two cleansing? I have explained in K114 that we are first cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and then continuously cleansed by the washing of His words (including washing by His laws). Hence, the second cleansing is a covering or 'garment' which continuously keep us clean. I have explained in K114 that, if we have only the first cleansing, we have no part with Him; but if we have only the second cleansing, we are not saved too. Hence, Jesus showed Peter clearly that a true disciple must be clean (or cleansed) by both cleansing:
1. the first cleansing is known as cleansing from sins unto salvation
2. the second cleansing is cleansing from sins unto sanctification:
Joh 13:8-10 KJV  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.  (9)  Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.  (10)  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
2Ti 2:21-22 KJV  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.  (22)  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Eph 5:26-27 KJV  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

We have a part to play in keeping our garments clean too
Hence, there is a certain 'garment' which God would give to us and He wants us to wear it before we meet Him, whether we are:
1. the believers who will meet Him as His guest with the  'wedding garment', or
2. the church who will meet Him as the bride with the spotless garment
Rev 3:3-6 KJV  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.  (4)  Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.  (5)  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.  (6)  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Rev 16:14-15 KJV  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  (15)  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Hence, in the last days, we don't need bullet proof clothings or supernatural garments which makes us invulnerable; we need spotless garment. And we should not take it for granted or make foolish assumption that it is given to everyone who will just do nothing.

We don't just put on the law of God with our mouth only
Many boastful and lawless preachers will argue, "We believe in the law of God. We meditate on the law of God day and night. We had preached Psalm 1:1-3. We have high regard for the law of God too. We had preached Joshua 1:8. Please stop saying that we are lawless. Even if we are lawless, God would still forgive us all our lawlessness (Heb 8:10, 10:16). Who are you to condemn us? You do not have the right to condemn our lawlessness .. "
I will tell them, I am the voice that is in your conscience. Can you imagine, What if it is the voice of God? Can you withstand it?
If we believe in the law of God, mediate on His laws, have high regard for His laws, or put on His laws, it does not mean that we have the law of God in our hearts. If we do not do the law of God, but always wear the law of God at 'the corner of our mouth', we do not have the law of God. It is the wrong way to 'wear' the law of God. The right way is to stop preaching evasive lawless doctrine and stop confessing like the lukewarm believers.

We don't just put on the law of God like the confession of grace
Many preachers today are still preaching evasively and radically that we should just meditate and confess the law of God like the Pharisees or like those who confess grace. I will tell them, Yes, we could do nothing if we would just confess grace, but if we would really want to put on the armour of light (Rom 13:12) or the garment  of God, we do not just confess it.    
We do not need to teach the true believers to know how to put on the law or the garment of God; but for those who are ignorant or blinded by their lawlessness, I will tell them how to put on the law of God:
Rom 13:9-14 KJV  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (10)  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.  (11)  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.  (12)  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.  (13)  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  (14)  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Eph 4:23-32 KJV  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  (24)  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.  (25)  Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  (26)  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  (27)  Neither give place to the devil.  (28)  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.  (29)  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  (30)  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption ..
Col 3:5-16 KJV  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  (6)  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  (7)  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.  (8)  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  (9)  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;  (10)  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: .. .. (12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  (13)  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  (14)  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.  (15)  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  (16)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Somebody said, If you do not know how what to put off, you do not know how to put on too. I think, There is some truth in it.

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K119. Would Jesus still tell the believers to confess their sins today? (5)

I said in K106 that it is possible for a believer to worship God in vain or confess his sins in vain if he prays or confesses like the Pharisee or the hypocrites:
Joh 4:24 KJV  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Luk 18:10-14 KJV  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  (12)  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  (13)  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Of course Jesus would not want all of us to beat our chest when we confess our sins; but He would certainly want us to be humble if we know that we have sinned or we are the sinners.

Do we confess our sins or pretend that we are still righteous when we sin?
Notice that I ask, ".. when we sin?"; not ".. if we sin?" It is because all of us can still can fall or sin. No one is so perfect that he can never sin. Many will still argue, "But we have been forgiven. If we still come before God feeling sinful, feeling inadequate, feeling condemned, feeling depressed, feeling that we are not good enough, or beating ourselves like the publican, we are not the true believers of grace. Please pray tell me, What If I worshipped God in the midst of a church service in a beautiful Sunday morning and while raising up my hands to God, I suddenly think of a naked woman. Can I still worship God? No? Of course, I can. I will just think that I am the righteousness of God. What if I drove my car on the highway, I suddenly saw a poster which made me think of a naked woman. Can I still go to heaven if my car crashed and I died instantly before I could confess my sins? No? Of course yes, I am saved. I know that I am always righteous in Christ. That's why we can worship God at any time and we are always saved without confessing any sin. But many still think of their sins and think that they are too sinful to take the Holy Communion when they come before God. But please pray tell me, How can a dirty person get clean if we tell him not to take his bath? Similarly, it is ridiculous to tell the believers not to take the Holy Communion too until they feel that they are totally clean."

The Holy Communion cannot make us clean but we must do it worthily
I will tell them, The Holy Communion won't make you clean. So, please don't tell the believers to take it like it is a magic to clean them or to remove curses and prosper them. The Holy Communion is just an outward physical confession of our faith in God that Jesus has cleansed us:
1Co 11:25-26 KJV  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.  (26)  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
1. If we still think that we are sinful or unrighteous and still want to enjoy sin until we are willing to repent, please do not take the Holy Communion; or else we insult the blood of Jesus and bring damnation to ourselves. I believe that Paul would never allow us to take the Holy Communion with an attitude of sin (unrepentant heart) and pretend that we can do it together with those who have truly believed in turning away from their sins:
2. If we just take it thinking that taking it will cleanse us without us thinking of our sins and repentance, we still insult the blood of Jesus:
1Co 11:22-34 KJV What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not .. .. (27) Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.  (28)  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.  (29)  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  (30)  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep .. .. (33)  Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.  (34)  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
The Corinthian believers died physically in sickness, not because they took the Holy Communion unworthily by thinking too much of their sins, but because they took it unworthily by nothing about their sins.
3. Hence, if we want to take the Holy Communion worthily before God, we must confess our sins and REMEMBER what Jesus has done for us; Or else do not take it. This is the real message of Paul to the Corinthians believers and us too. The Corinthian believers had not taken the Holy Communion before God with the attitude of humility in remembrance of how their sins were forgiven. Of course, there would be solemn confession of their sins if they would truly remember what Jesus had done for them too. But instead, they would just want to enjoy sumptuous meals, get drunk, boast how well they could live, and humiliate others with their riches.  How do we know that they did not take the Holy Communion worthily? Paul had said it very clearly:
1Co 11:19-34 KJV  For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.  (20)  When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.  (21)  For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.  (22)  What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not .. .. (33) Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.  (34)  And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Anything we do unworthily or hypocritically before God can be very disgusting to God
I will tell the hypo grace believers, Yes, you may have a jolly good time for not thinking of any sins or feeling guilty even when you know that you have sinned against God or lied and cheated your friends, but Paul would still tell you to repent and worship God in a worthy manner. He will say to you, "Whenever sin arises (or even when you think of a naked woman) in your worship or in taking the Holy Communion, you must still pray, confess to God, and do it worthily by repentance (Act 26:20); don't just pretend and pray like the Pharisee or hypocrite (Luk 18:10-14)."
I will tell them, If you still believe that you should just think of God's righteousness only, whenever you come before God, please  read what Jesus said:
Mat 5:23-24 KJV  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;  (24)  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
It means God will not accept the sacrifice if it is given with malice, pretence, or hypocrisy. It means doing anything before God (whether it is our worship, the sacrifice, or the confession of our sins, our praises, our righteousness .. etc) if it is done unworthily or hypocritically, God will not accept it.

The sacrifice of Jesus to God is to die for our sins; but our sacrifice to God is to die to our sin
Many will argue, "But the sacrifice that Jesus gave on our behalf is independent of how we live, how we boast, how we sin, or how we do against others. We are saved by the finished work of Jesus or the perfect sacrifice which He offered for us. Therefore, we do not need to follow what Jesus taught in Matthew 5-7. The doctrine that He taught in the gospel was for the Jews who were under the law and those who would still need to offer sacrifices."
I will tell them, Yes, Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. But it does not mean that we have no more sacrifices to offer. Have you heard of the sacrifice of love, sacrifice of obedience, and sacrifice of praise? Does it matter how we offer those sacrifices? Of course, it does. If the sacrifices are offered rashly or rebelliously, or if they are offered by the words of mouth without any deed correspond to them, they are vain offering without any substance
1Sa 15:22 KJV  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Rom 12:1-2 KJV  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Heb 13:15 KJV  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
We agree that God has abolished the law of animal sacrifice, but has He abolished repentance too ? No, Jesus confirmed that spiritual sacrifice and repentance is still the doctrine of the kingdom of God which can never be obsolete. How can we say that there is no more sacrifices or repentance for us to do?
Mat 9:13 KJV  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

It is not an eye sore to preach against sins
Many friends will say to me, "You said at the top of your post that many (believers or preachers) argued and gave the hypothesis that they may worship God or drive on the road with the possibility that they will think of a 'naked woman'. You have gone too far with your argument and prejudice against some preachers. Who on earth will think of a woman when they worship God in the church or when they drive on the road? Otherwise, how on earth can you give such a ridiculous hypothesis, 'eye sore', or lie?"
I will tell them, It has been preached constantly as a 'valid hypothesis' in many hyper grace churches today. You don't believe it because you have not heard of their 'eye sore' arguments yet. Their illicit or ridiculous illustration of sins and argument against the confession of sins has been welcomed by most of their ignorant believers. I know that the illustration of the 'naked woman' is an 'eye sore' in my posts here, but I just want you to imagine how abominable it can be when it is preached from the pulpits as a constant insult to those who will confess their sins. Many would boast that they can worship God better because they can ignore any sin or any thinking of sin by just confessing God's righteousness instead. Instead of repenting, stopping and pondering on why a sin or a 'nakedness' appears in their minds while they worship God, they boast that they are more righteous by grace and by doing nothing.
But I think, This is beyond ignorance and blindness; it is disgusting and hypocritical.

It is an eye sore only if we do not know our own nakedness
I will tell my friends that the naked body of a man or woman is not an eye sore. However, it would be an eye sore when men or women use their nakedness to distract, manipulate, and control others. Many may say that they have high regard for their body, but they lie.
Similarly, today many preachers say that they have high regard for the law of God too; they lie. They use their lawlessness to confuse, corrupt, and draw others to themselves. They think that they are properly clothed, but they do not realize that they are an eye sore in the kingdom of God too. They need the 'healing of their eyes' to see their own nakedness and repent:
Mat 22:11-12 KJV  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: (12)  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Rev 3:14-19 KJV  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  (15)  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  (16)  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  (17)  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  (19)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Do not be an eye sore to God
The guest without his wedding garment above was an eye sore to the king because he was a total contrast of his ignorance and disrespect compared with all the rest who come honouring the king. Does it mean that we must all wear beautiful branded garment or suit when we die and meet God in heaven? No. But the moral story of the parable is: Don't be an eye sore to God in that day. How do we explain this? Of course, God is not interested in what we are wearing or how we wear our garment 'outside'; but He is very particular about what we wear 'inside'. Many people are 'almost' a believer of God, but they will realize that the true believers of God must wear 'something inside'. Do we know what we must wear in that day? Many reason that we must 'wear' positive opinions, wholesome thoughts, love, peace, grace, Jesus, or the words of God; but did God say that we should 'wear' all these inside us?  We know that we must have all these inside us, but God said something more clearly when He said what we can 'wear' inside us:
Heb 8:10-13 KJV  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  (12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.  (13)  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away .. .. (10:16-17) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;  (17)  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
So, 'wearing' the laws of God in our hearts is still a command of God in the new covenant (it is especially important after He has put His laws into our hearts - see Heb 8:12 and Heb 10:17). Do we notice the change of sequence in God's putting His laws in our hearts and minds. In the first time (Heb 8:10), God put His laws in our minds first and our minds take precedence over our hearts; but in the second time (Heb 10:16), God put His laws in our hearts and this shows that our hearts with His laws will take precedence over our minds now. Anyway, we don't have to be too concerned what will take precedence over our minds or our hearts; but we must 'put on' what God has put into our hearts. Many people know how to put on their Sunday best; but they do not know how to put on God's garment. Many preachers are now telling the believers that putting on the garment or the law of God is just THINKING of God's law or God's words, having high regard for His laws, or having good opinion of God (without the need of DOING God's laws?) I hope that they will finally learn how to wear the 'garment' before they attend the marriage supper:
Rev 22:12-14 KJV  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  (13)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.  (14)  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

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K118. What would Jesus want us to preach?

Some will say, "Jesus wants us to preach only grace. Pure grace; not a mixture." Another will say, "No, Jesus want us to preach commandments". But many argue, "No, Jesus wants us to preach Him because He is the One who can save .." So, can we just keep arguing and criticising others who do not preach like us ? Should we preach pure grace or radical grace? Or preach like a religious revolutionist?
I will tell them, Why do we preach only this or that, and criticise others? Why do we preach like a revolutionist when our revolution is all about rebellious arguments and philosophies against God's words and commandments? Do you know that there are too many things we must preach in Christ and we cannot afford to waste our time preaching against everyone who cannot believe radically like us? Do we know that Jesus said, Go ye and teach all that He had commanded us to teach.. ? It means ALL; not partial, radical, or revolutionary wisdom which may fade according to time:
Mat 28:19-20 KJV  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Did Jesus tell us to preach only love or only faith?
I do not have time to talk about 'all things whatsoever Jesus have commanded us to preach or teach', but I just want to say briefly or summarize that He wants us to preach all things, including:
1. Love, and
2. Works.
One lawyer had probably tested Jesus and challenged Him that he could love God more than any men; but Jesus looked at him and said, Do you truly love thy neighbour? How can you love thy neighbour if you do not love or do like the Samaritan? Your love for God is still in vain if you would only love and DO NOT DO like the Samaritan.
How about:
1. faith, and
2. works ?
James had said that faith without works is dead. I believe that James had learnt from Jesus too.

God's words cannot be preached individually and separately
Now, for those who like to compare and ask, "Yes, we all have love, faith, and works; but which is the greatest?" I will tell them, Yes, you know the answer: Love is the greatest. But do you think that Jesus would want us to preach only love? No. Jesus would always want us to preach love, faith, and works. He wants us to preach everything because they are all connected and they are in the loop, cycle, or process of producing and strengthening each another. It is impossible:
1. to love without faith
2. to have faith without love
3. to work with no love
4, to work with no faith
5. to love with no works, or
6. to have faith without works
Hence, God's preachers will never dissect it and preach it separately or individually if they know that the following would be linked and connected in a loop or:
Cycle: Love  ->  faith  -> works
God's preachers who truly obey the commandment of Jesus may even expound further, to preach more things and many things, for example:
Cycle: God's words -> God's covenant -> God's laws -> God's commandments -> doctrine -> repentance -> grace -> love -> faith -> fruits -> miracles -> principles -> works -> judgement -> hell -> prophecies -> kingdom of God .. ..
I will ask the hyper grace people, Is that a 'mixture' or a 'mixed truth' ? No, if God's preachers know how to preach the words of God, God's laws and grace can never be a 'mixture'.
Like the chicken and eggs, God's laws and grace are both the gifts and creations of God. Like the 'chicken and eggs' problem, the question is not: Are they a mixture? The question may be: Which comes first - chicken or eggs? God's laws or grace? or God's grace or repentance?
Before creation, God may 'crack His head' thinking which should He create first - chicken or eggs; but after creation, God is not bothered which one comes first. Both are His creations in a loop now. Similarly, God's laws and grace are both His gifts in a loop now. Why should we be bothered by the questions: Which one comes first? Or Which should we preach first? Or Which is more important? Or Should we put the cart before the horse or after the horse? I will tell them, No, I am not bothered by the 'chicken and eggs' problem or the 'cart and horse' problem. I will put the horse and the cart side by side - what say you?

God's words cannot be reduced or eliminated; it can only be summarized (to include more for us to do and learn)
Some preachers may ask, "Why do you make it so complicated? Which is the greatest truth in the words of God?" Jesus will still answer them and tell them the same thing that he told the lawyer:
Mat 22:33-40 KJV  And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.  (34)  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.  (35)  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,  (36)  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  (37)  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The lawyer might want to preach the easiest or the simplest truth based on his beautiful 'minimalistic' law; but Jesus simply summarized the Ten Commandments adequately and amazingly to include all the laws and commandments of God. He made the lawyer speechless ! I believe the lawyer had learnt his lesson. He should not reduce God's commandments to something that he could boast about. However, have we learnt our lesson? I am afraid that many of us are still thinking and boasting like the lawyer. And we can only be humbled by the words of Jesus.

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