Hell's Best Kept Secret: the Gospel without the Law

[cyberjosh]

I heard a phenomenal message on the radio the other day of Ray Comfort's preaching on his teaching "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and even after so many years of walking in Christ it pierced my heart and even moved me to tears. It made me evaluate myself again and thank God all the more to the truth and authority of His word and His mercy to save me. I strongly urge you to listen to this short 20 minute sermon here and allow it to sink in. It particularly hit me what he said about how founding preachers such as Whitefield, Wesley, and Spurgeon preached something that we scarcely hear today: the preaching of the law to convict people of sin before the presentation of the Gospel. We had a member here once who was a pastor and they said that they refused to preach what they considered "fire and brimstone" messages in their Church because they thought is was coercion and inappropriate to preach law. Infact nothing could be further from the truth, the sinner must know from what they must be saved: the consequences of their sin and God's wrath and judgement, before they can appreciate or even apprehend the remedy and its effects. No coercion is necessary, all one has to do is faithfully state and represent what the law says, and it has a weight of its own, with the working of the Holy Spirit, to convict.

Ray Comfort makes a careful point to self-evaluate a wrong way to approach the situation, in that he admits that years ago he used to be so zealous for souls to be saved, and was so sick of backsliding, that he ended up having an almost "gestapo spirit" in drilling the question home to a person wanting to say "the Lord's prayer": "Are you sure you mean it? Do you really, really mean it? You better be sincere. Are you sure?" And then eventually it dawned on him one day that he saw so many people lacking contrition and repentance in heart because they never had been told exactly what sin was or why they needed saving from it.

As Ray drives home very well, the Gospel has the power to save by Christ's mercy where sin is repented from and Christ's salvation accepted in pressing toward the mark. As Paul said, "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law" (Romans 7:7). And through the knowledge and recognition of sin the Gospel has the power to convict and save.

Tell me your thoughts on the message.

God Bless,

~Josh

 

[manichunter]

could not agree more. The message is to friendly. People do not take God serious with the milk messages. Many do not even get saved by these infantile messages............

 

[cyberjosh]

could not agree more. The message is to friendly. People do not take God serious with the milk messages. Many do not even get saved by these infantile messages............

Amen. As I said, if you find the time, I urge you to listen to the sermon. Ray Comfort has such a gentle spirit and a forward presentation of the Gospel that it is disarming. After I heard that message and they announced who it was who had preached for the first time, all the dots connected in my head. I have a book called "Spurgeon Gold" containing some of the best quotes from Spurgeon.... And guess who it was edited by? I also have an Apologetics Bible which has proper defenses of the faith, and also historical/inspirational quotes from great reformers and reviavlists like Whitefield, Edwards, Wesley, etc.... Guess who that was edited by? And also through reading the Spurgeon book one could see very clearly that Spurgeon's success and great power in preaching the Gospel of Christ was because of his strong emphasis of the consequences of the law and our sin, to rend hearts and turn them to the one and only loving God who can save sinners from their destruction.

P.S. The funny part where he asks who wasn't listening to him earlier, and he says "God bless you pastor for your honesty", it just suddenly hit me that Coral Ridge Ministries is Dr. James Kennedy's Church, and Ray Comfort was a guest speaker for them that day. It was Dr. Kennedy who raised his hand to admit he hadn't been listening! LOL! :D Oh, and by the way, I might as well say I have a deep-found respect for Dr. James Kennedy. A great man of God, and I owe it to him for my introduction to apologetics for the first time in his book called Why I Believe.

God Bless,

~Josh

 

[Rick W]

For some reason the clip won't play for me.
Anyway,
Sin connot be taken lightly. Sure, we know that one shouldn't sin, that one is forgiven their sins and Christ died for our sins. Those things you hear all the time.
But what of the seriousness of sin? Again, I'm not talking about the above examples.
Christ knows the wrath of God. He understood it so well that He stayed on the cross to conquer sin. Think about that for a bit. How serious is sin? How serious is the wrath of God?

Some want to sidestep the wrath of God claiming, "What kind of loving God would send people to Hell?". That view misses the point entirely. Through the 3 year ministry of Christ, not just on the cross, He gave of himself unselfishly to bring the good news to the people. Maybe the question should be, "What kind of God would suffer the mocking, the verbal abuse from the higher authorities of The Law, the accusations, the false witness and finally being falsely sentenced to be crucified?" A VERY loving God indeed!
There is no why the Father will change His mind concerning sin. That won't happen. There's no way to change the consequences of sin. That won't happen. So what does a loving God do for His people? He takes it all, the persecution, the ridicule and the judgement of men for crucifiction. How much more love can possibly be expected?

The wrath of God is very real. The love of God gives us salvation from His wrath.
Until people understand the seriousness of the consequences of sin they won't understand the fullness of His love through Jesus Christ.

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

I heard a phenomenal message on the radio the other day of Ray Comfort's preaching on his teaching "Hell's Best Kept Secret" and even after so many years of walking in Christ it pierced my heart and even moved me to tears. It made me evaluate myself again and thank God all the more to the truth and authority of His word and His mercy to save me. I strongly urge you to listen to this short 20 minute sermon here and allow it to sink in. It particularly hit me what he said about how founding preachers such as Whitefield, Wesley, and Spurgeon preached something that we scarcely hear today: the preaching of the law to convict people of sin before the presentation of the Gospel. We had a member here once who was a pastor and they said that they refused to preach what they considered "fire and brimstone" messages in their Church because they thought is was coercion and inappropriate to preach law. Infact nothing could be further from the truth, the sinner must know from what they must be saved: the consequences of their sin and God's wrath and judgement, before they can appreciate or even apprehend the remedy and its effects. No coercion is necessary, all one has to do is faithfully state and represent what the law says, and it has a weight of its own, with the working of the Holy Spirit, to convict.

Ray Comfort makes a careful point to self-evaluate a wrong way to approach the situation, in that he admits that years ago he used to be so zealous for souls to be saved, and was so sick of backsliding, that he ended up having an almost "gestapo spirit" in drilling the question home to a person wanting to say "the Lord's prayer": "Are you sure you mean it? Do you really, really mean it? You better be sincere. Are you sure?" And then eventually it dawned on him one day that he saw so many people lacking contrition and repentance in heart because they never had been told exactly what sin was or why they needed saving from it.

As Ray drives home very well, the Gospel has the power to save by Christ's mercy where sin is repented from and Christ's salvation accepted in pressing toward the mark. As Paul said, "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law" (Romans 7:7). And through the knowledge and recognition of sin the Gospel has the power to convict and save.

Tell me your thoughts on the message.

God Bless,

~Josh

But. "It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Rom. 2:13
A law has been added. And it is this fact, friend, you'll not hear any contemporary preacher speak about. Ray Comfort or otherwise. Specifically relief from serving the penalty of eternal death is predicated upon hearing the only Way this added law must be obeyed and be completely convinced to obey it.

 

[TruthSeeker2012]

Who has Bewitched you? That's an interesting question that Paul asked.

"...Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" - Galatians 3:1-3

Paul rebuked them in Galatia, because they started believing that they are saved by the Holy Spirit but then needed to add human effort to finally get their salvation goal! And that's a type of WITCHCRAFT!

So this dangerous and false gospel that still exists today, is not salvation by works per se, but salvation by faith PLUS works. Unfortunately, this means then in reality that many Christians have 2 Saviours... Part Jesus, and part themselves! Jesus is not their sole 100% Saviour, because they also trust in themselves to save them through their own works and own human effort, so in reality, they have rejected Jesus as their complete Savior!

Any message about faith in Jesus’ death and life of righteousness for salvation, that adds human efforts into the equation, according to Paul “is really no gospel at all” Gal 1:7.

This means that the TRUE and only gospel of Christ is faith alone in the works of Jesus and the dying of Jesus. Having Jesus as your 100% Saviour.

Jesus must become your complete, total 100% Saviour.

Once you start looking at YOURSELF to contribute to your own salvation, you have rejected grace.

Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Now make your choice... trust in those false teachers who teach salvation through Jesus + human effort, OR, trust completely in Jesus and His merits to save you.

Do you trust in Jesus? If you answered yes, then read John 14:1-3 and tell me if Jesus was telling the truth in these verses or lying?

So we can have certainty and assurance in our salvation NOW, because in John 14:1-3 Jesus said when we trust in Him, that HE WILL COME BACK AND TAKE US WITH HIM.

Anyone who claims we cannot be certain we are saved now, they accuse Jesus of lying in John 14:1-3.

So do you believe and trust in Jesus? OR do you believe in and trust in the teachers of salvation through human effort? Make your choice because they contradict Jesus.

Salvation is a marriage to Christ, a LEGAL marriage, a LEGAL covenant.

The only sin that will legally divorce you from Christ is if you willfully renounce Christ as your Lord and Saviour and go an commit adultery towards Jesus and go "sleep and have sex" with another religion, e.g Islam, Buddhism, Legalism, or any religion that denies Jesus as your 100% COMPLETE Lord and Saviour.

Just as if you are legally married to your wife, you don't have to go back to Church every day and get remarried over and over every-time you stumble in sin against each other do you?

The same applies to salvation and marriage to Jesus.

As long as you trust in the merits of Jesus you are CONTINUOUSLY saved!

1John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Yet once sincerely saved, you will delight and love to walk in obedience because you will hate sinning. But whenever you stumble in sin, you are still saved and still covered by Jesus' righteousness and robe of salvation.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

I repeat, as long as you trust in the merits of Christ, you cannot lose your salvation. And don't let anyone tell you any different for if they do, they are false teachers of a false gospel based on maintaining your salvation through HUMAN EFFORT!

 

[westtexas]

I repeat, as long as you trust in the merits of Christ, you cannot lose your salvation. And don't let anyone tell you any different for if they do, they are false teachers of a false gospel based on maintaining your salvation through HUMAN EFFORT!

Truthseeker, the italics are yours. What if you trust today, and tomorrow you discard that trust and lose your faith. Is this individual still saved?

 

[jasoncran]

lol. a freudian slip. as long as you trust...

 

[Former Christian]

Cyberjosh

Christians have a hard time understanding the nature and purpose of the Law. Some think that the Law was something special for the Jews and doesn’t apply to Christians. Some think that Jesus fulfilled it and the Law means nothing to Christians today. Others add their own “New Covenant” interpretations and try to change the Law. One individual on this forum thinks that Jesus changed the Law.

Jesus lived and died under that Law. In order to understand being conformed to the image of Christ, one must understand the Law. Because according to the New Testament, Jesus didn’t sin. That can only mean he kept the Law perfectly. Because one purpose of the Law is to reveal the nature of sin, as Paul said.

FC

 

[Former Christian]

Westtexas

“What if you trust today, and tomorrow you discard that trust and lose your faith. Is this individual still saved?â€

Depends on the source of salvation. If the source of salvation is the person himself, then salvation is dependent on the faith of the person. If the source of salvation is Jesus Christ, then the salvation is dependent on the faith of Jesus Christ.

FC

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

Who has Bewitched you? That's an interesting question that Paul asked.

"...Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" - Galatians 3:1-3

Paul rebuked them in Galatia, because they started believing that they are saved by the Holy Spirit but then needed to add human effort to finally get their salvation goal! And that's a type of WITCHCRAFT!

So this dangerous and false gospel that still exists today, is not salvation by works per se, but salvation by faith PLUS works. Unfortunately, this means then in reality that many Christians have 2 Saviours... Part Jesus, and part themselves! Jesus is not their sole 100% Saviour, because they also trust in themselves to save them through their own works and own human effort, so in reality, they have rejected Jesus as their complete Savior!

Any message about faith in Jesus’ death and life of righteousness for salvation, that adds human efforts into the equation, according to Paul “is really no gospel at all†Gal 1:7.

This means that the TRUE and only gospel of Christ is faith alone in the works of Jesus and the dying of Jesus. Having Jesus as your 100% Saviour.

Jesus must become your complete, total 100% Saviour.

Once you start looking at YOURSELF to contribute to your own salvation, you have rejected grace.

Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

Now make your choice... trust in those false teachers who teach salvation through Jesus + human effort, OR, trust completely in Jesus and His merits to save you.

Do you trust in Jesus? If you answered yes, then read John 14:1-3 and tell me if Jesus was telling the truth in these verses or lying?

So we can have certainty and assurance in our salvation NOW, because in John 14:1-3 Jesus said when we trust in Him, that HE WILL COME BACK AND TAKE US WITH HIM.

Anyone who claims we cannot be certain we are saved now, they accuse Jesus of lying in John 14:1-3.

So do you believe and trust in Jesus? OR do you believe in and trust in the teachers of salvation through human effort? Make your choice because they contradict Jesus.

Salvation is a marriage to Christ, a LEGAL marriage, a LEGAL covenant.

The only sin that will legally divorce you from Christ is if you willfully renounce Christ as your Lord and Saviour and go an commit adultery towards Jesus and go "sleep and have sex" with another religion, e.g Islam, Buddhism, Legalism, or any religion that denies Jesus as your 100% COMPLETE Lord and Saviour.

Just as if you are legally married to your wife, you don't have to go back to Church every day and get remarried over and over every-time you stumble in sin against each other do you?

The same applies to salvation and marriage to Jesus.

As long as you trust in the merits of Jesus you are CONTINUOUSLY saved!

1John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Yet once sincerely saved, you will delight and love to walk in obedience because you will hate sinning. But whenever you stumble in sin, you are still saved and still covered by Jesus' righteousness and robe of salvation.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

I repeat, as long as you trust in the merits of Christ, you cannot lose your salvation. And don't let anyone tell you any different for if they do, they are false teachers of a false gospel based on maintaining your salvation through HUMAN EFFORT!

Well then I guess Paul has made a mistake. But didn't he write "Do not go beyond what is written."? And didn't he also write "All Scripture is God-breathed (inspired) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."? So then if you are right then it is Paul that's wrong. But wait a minute. I think Paul says that what he knows was taught to him by the Holy spirit. And by the way. Doesn't Heb. 7:12 say that the law was changed after Jesus' crucifixion? Do you think that is wrong too? I becha you even say that the Scripture is inerrant too, don't cha? Paul did write, "It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." So this statement is false in your opinion and Paul is a false teacher?

 

[westtexas]

Depends on the source of salvation. If the source of salvation is the person himself, then salvation is dependent on the faith of the person. If the source of salvation is Jesus Christ, then the salvation is dependent on the faith of Jesus Christ.

FC

Hello FC, I'm not sure I agree 100% here. I believe scripture says the source of our salvation is Jesus Christ. I also believe scripture to say that salvation is dependant on the faith of the person.

Westtexas

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

Cyberjosh

Christians have a hard time understanding the nature and purpose of the Law. Some think that the Law was something special for the Jews and doesn’t apply to Christians. Some think that Jesus fulfilled it and the Law means nothing to Christians today. Others add their own “New Covenant†interpretations and try to change the Law. One individual on this forum thinks that Jesus changed the Law.

Jesus lived and died under that Law. In order to understand being conformed to the image of Christ, one must understand the Law. Because according to the New Testament, Jesus didn’t sin. That can only mean he kept the Law perfectly. Because one purpose of the Law is to reveal the nature of sin, as Paul said.

FC

"For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Heb. 7:12

 

[Former Christian]

Westtexas

"I believe scripture says the source of our salvation is Jesus Christ. I also believe scripture to say that salvation is dependant on the faith of the person."

Well, you'll have to make up your own mind about that.

Being in Christ is according to our faith in God and the revelation of Christ. We believe into Christ and being water baptized as a work of our faith, the Spirit baptizes us into Christ. Salvation is according to the faith of Christ and has nothing to do with our faith.

Of course there is the idea of synergy in the Catholic faith. This almost sounds the same as your thinking. And there is a cooperation with the grace of God when we choose to believe into Christ. There is no cooperation if we choose not to.

FC

 

[Former Christian]

Theodore A. Jones

Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
(KJV)

What was that change? Was it not a change from the Old Covenant Tabernacle ritual to the New Covenant realization of that ritual in Christ. That was not really a change, rather a fulfillment. The Greek word translated change is better translated as transfer. There was a transfer through realization. The Law didn’t change in the sense of changing from one thing into another. If that happened, then Jesus isn’t the Messiah.

FC

 

[Theodore A. Jones]

Theodore A. Jones

Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
(KJV)

What was that change? Was it not a change from the Old Covenant Tabernacle ritual to the New Covenant realization of that ritual in Christ. That was not really a change, rather a fulfillment. The Greek word translated change is better translated as transfer. There was a transfer through realization. The Law didn’t change in the sense of changing from one thing into another. If that happened, then Jesus isn’t the Messiah.

FC

"The law was added so that the (singular) trespass might increase." Rom. 5:20
If it is true that that the crucifixion of Jesus is a direct benefit even though it is the sin of murder caused by bloodshed then you have the construction of a dichotomy. Commiting a sin to resolve sin. I have NOT said that the law has been changed from one thing to another neither does the Bible. What it does say is that the law has had an addititon made to it to complete it. For if the addititon to the law had not been made then the sin of crucifying Jesus would allow a direct denefit by the commision of a sin. Expecting to obtain a direct benefit by disobeying God is the exact same principle Satan tempted Eve with and it is the exact same principle Caiaphas used to justify Jesus' crucifixion. "It is a good idea for one man to die to save the nation."

 

[childeye]

The knowledge of sin the law is revealing is the confessing that we have become corrupt and cannot fulfill the law. Born again of the Spirit of Christ we go on to better things than the law. The law is the bare minimum, while charity returning good for evil, praying for your enemies, caring for the weak and helpless is far above thou shalt not steal. Mercy is greater than an eye for an eye form of justice.

 

[Eventide]

Amen to the OP.. the Law is a infinitely powerful witness to the truth of the gospel of God concerning His Son !

 

[Former Christian]

Theodore A. Jones

“What it does say is that the law has had an addititon made to it to complete it.â€

An addition to the Law would be a change. There has been no addition to the Law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law. He did not complete it. He didn’t change the Law. If Jesus changed the Law in any way, then he isn’t the Messiah.

Ro 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
(KJV)

This is the purpose of the Law that Rom 5:20 alludes to.

Ro 5:20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
Ro 5:21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(NIV)



“the sin of crucifying Jesus would allow a direct denefit by the commision of a sin. Expecting to obtain a direct benefit by disobeying God is the exact same principle Satan tempted Eve with and it is the exact same principle Caiaphas used to justify Jesus' crucifixion. "It is a good idea for one man to die to save the nation." â€

That’s quite a hobby horse you’re a ridin there. You emphasize an experience that stops at the physical crucifixion. The crucifixion isn’t just this,

Ac 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
(KJV)

It has a purpose that goes far beyond what is true above,

Ro 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Ro 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Ga 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Ga 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby

Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

(KJV)


And it’s also this,

Lu 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Lu 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Joh 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

(KJV)

Why haven’t you experienced these things? Check your own experience before you accuse others of following Satan.

FC

 

[Former Christian]

Childeye

“The law is the bare minimum, while charity returning good for evil, praying for your enemies, caring for the weak and helpless is far above thou shalt not steal. Mercy is greater than an eye for an eye form of justice.â€

You haven’t read the Law or the Old Testament with an open mind if you think that caring for the weak and helpless, if you think that mercy, is not a part of the Law. The Law is contained in the first five books of the Old Testament. The rest of the Old Testament, from the Histories through the Prophets is an experiential commentary on the Law. The idea that Jesus changed the Law, making it something more is a fallacy. He fulfilled that part of the Law pertaining to him. The Tabernacle ritual. The rest of the Law continues to be a guide for us to live a godly life. The Law hasn’t Changed. What has changed is the realization of the Law in Christ who kept it perfectly, and our ability to understand and live according to the Law ourselves through the Holy Spirit by virtue of our being in Christ. The true disciple of Christ is the one who keeps his commandments, and the commandments that Jesus kept are the same commandments that God gave in the Law. We are to be conformed to Jesus Christ. Apart from a realization that the Law is a part of the reality that is Jesus Christ, one can’t be conformed to the image of Christ.

De 24:21 When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
(KJV)

Ps 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
(KJV)



Mt 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth
(KJV)

This is the only place that “eye for an eye†is mentioned in the whole Bible. For a good reason. Jesus said “you have heardâ€. He doesn’t say it’s a part of the Law. And indeed it is not. What is in the Law is this,

Mt 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
(KJV)

Lu 6:29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

Le 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
(KJV)

Pr 20:22 ¶ Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
Pr 24:28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.
Pr 24:29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
(KJV)

Lam 3:30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
(KJV)


Even as Paul says,

Ro 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Ro 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Ro 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
(KJV)

De 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
De 32:43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
(KJV)

FC