My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Paul was a follower of Jesus. He loved Jesus. He obeyed Jesus. Everything Paul taught was taken from the teachings of Jesus personally or from the Old Testament. Never did he contradict Jesus. The “theology” of Paul comes right out of the Old Testament from which he studied for his eternal life.
“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5.
Listening to the teachings of the churches today, one would think Jesus had died and was buried in the tomb for all time. That Paul was the new “Saviour” of the world and we are to bow down to him. They take his statements and completely twist them to make the teachings of Jesus a lie for salvation. What did Peter say? “There are some things in them (the writings of Paul) that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” 2 Peter 3:16.
There are a lot of “ignorant and unstable” churches out there. The churches teach we are “saved by grace”. That God’s love is “unconditional” and that the Ten Commandments are no longer needed. That we are not able to stop sinning. That we poor humans must continue in sin. Let us listen to Paul and see if he agrees with the “ignorant and unstable” churches, pastors, ministers and teachers.
Romans 6:1 to Romans 7:25
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
Do we continue “in sin”? Well, we must ask ourselves, what is “sin”? Did Paul know what sin was? Since Paul told Timothy to study the Old Testament for his salvation, we must assume, at this point, that Paul knew what sin was. In the Old Testament, sin was the breaking of the Ten Commandments. That concept is carried over into the New Testament by John. He states, “Everyone who sins breaks God’s law, because sin is the same as breaking God’s law.” 1 John 3:4.
Therefore, we have to ask Paul a simple question, if “grace” saves us eternally, as the “ignorant and unstable” churches teach, are we free from the Ten Commandments to go on sinning?
By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Well, I guess that answers that question. Therefore, since we are not to sin, it is obvious that we are not “saved by grace”. So why do the churches teach “saved by grace”? I guess they have slid off the Rock of Jesus Christ and landed on the quicksand of “ignorant and unstable” human theology. After all, Jesus taught “Stop sinning” and “Go, and sin no more”. John 5:14; 8:11. Both Paul and Jesus agree about sin. So why did Jesus and Paul teach Christians not to continue in sin?
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
No, I don’t think so. The “ignorant and unstable” churches have forgotten to teach their members that part. Church members do not know that their old, sinful lives are to be buried with Jesus. If they have been “baptized into Christ Jesus” they would not continue to sin. Why is that Paul?
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Churches do a lot of talking about “newness of life” and “spiritual formation”, but I think they forgot the part about being raised from the dead, sinful, old life and to walk in the newness of life as Jesus walked it: perfect, sinless and commandment keeping. Oops!
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
So what was “a death like His”? Well, in order to be “united with Him in a death like His” we need to know what that death was, right? Why did Jesus die? He died because He refused to sin. He died because He fulfilled His responsibilities to the Law of His Father. He kept the Law, the Ten Commandments, perfectly and therefore, a sinful world could not tolerate Him and put Him to death. In order to be “united with Him in a resurrection like His”, you must be united in the spirit of His death: perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments, even unto death.
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Oops! Churches overlook that text. It doesn’t agree with their theology. It also doesn’t agree with their financial health. We must crucify our old, sinful and rebellious way of living in “order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing”. We must “no longer be enslaved to sin”.
Are you enslaved to sin? If you go to church, you are enslaved to sin! If you listen to your pastor teach you the lie about “saved by grace”, you are a slave to sin! If your church, denomination or the religious programs you listen to and watch are not teaching you to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life, you are enslaved to the sins of their lies!
For one who has died has been set free from sin.
If you are still sinning, you have not died with Christ. You are not a “Christian”. You have no place with Jesus. He is not sitting in your church. He is not in any part of your denomination or institution. Light and darkness cannot dwell together. Either you have been “set free from sin” as a Christian, or you are not a Christian. It is a choice. Decide today if your church, your denomination and this world are more important than dying unto Jesus and living the sin-free life.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Oh yes, the churches love to tell their members that once they are baptized and become a member of “our” church they are “saved” and will “live with Him”. What nonsense. Nothing but lies. In order to “live with Him”, you have to die with Christ. They conveniently forget to tell you that part. It is much easier going through the symbol of baptism than to actually go through the hard work of changing the life.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
If you want to live forever, you must live as Jesus lived: perfect, sinless and commandment keeping. Sin will keep you out of Heaven. You must commit homicide on your old, sinful self and be born again into the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life of Jesus.
For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
As Jesus lived, refusing to sin, “He died to sin”. He said, “No!” to every temptation and sin. If you want to live a life “to God”, then you must do the same. “Once for all” you must stop the sinning. That is why church is deadly. Everyone is comparing themselves by themselves and their church, but no one is comparing themselves to Jesus and the “death He died”. If they did, they would be horror stricken at their sinful lives and fall on their faces and repent from their wickedness. Then they would rise up and live as “He lives to God”: perfect, sinless and commandment keeping.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Yes you must! But do you? Not many consider themselves “dead to sin”. No, they consider themselves “saved by grace” and as long as they go to church or support “good” religious organizations, they feel comfortable and saved in their sins. Unless you live, not for your religion, but “alive to God in Christ Jesus”, you have no eternal life. You must get out of your religious organization and live as Jesus did.
And again, as I have stated many times, “church” isn’t just a brick and mortar place to worship. You can be “going to church” by sitting at home watching “church” programs from religious and independent ministries. However, you are still emotionally in “church”. You are still giving your attention and beliefs to other humans. You are still enslaved to “church”. Many have told me that, “Well, you are an independent ministry.” No, I am a “dependent” ministry on Jesus Christ. I’m not an “offshoot” of any religious church or denomination. I do not represent any religion, church or denomination. Jesus called me personally, as He did Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and John the Baptist, and gave me this message to give to the world. None of this is my doing. I just speak as He commands me.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.
Well, that one statement just did away with all churches, denominations and religions. People belong to their organizations for the “soul” purpose of living in sin. They love their passions way too much to give them up for a “dead” life in Jesus. No, just go to church, go through the rituals and poof, you have eternal life.
“This outward splendor, pomp, and ceremony, that only mocks the longings of the sin-sick soul, is an evidence of inward corruption. The religion of Christ needs not such attractions to recommend it. In the light shining from the cross, true Christianity appears so pure and lovely that no external decorations can enhance its true worth. It is the beauty of holiness, a meek and quiet spirit, which is of value with God.” GC 566. Get out of your church now and take everyone you love with you.
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Is your church or religious organization presenting its “members” to “sin as instruments for unrighteousness”? Every part of your body belongs to God. He created each part. He redeemed each part. He owns each part. You are only leasing the parts of your body from the Creator of the universe. He has the right to demand they be used in a perfect, sinless and commandment keeping manner. But that is not what the churches believe or practice. Most “give” only a little of themselves thinking it will appease God. Just enough to keep Him “happy”. To be almost saved is to be totally lost. Now you understand why there will be only 144,000 righteous people, alive on earth after probation closes, who will be going to Heaven. All others will be destroyed.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Wow! They zoom right past the “for sin will have no dominion over you”. The churches love to quote, “you are not under law but under grace” for their excuse to continue in sin. They whiz-bang right past the preceding verses and land with both feet on the tail end of this text. “See, we can continue in sin because there is no more ‘law’”. Again, as I continue to do, we must keep going back to what Paul knew of the four “laws” for Israel. Remember, Paul was a scholar of the Old Testament.
1. The Moral Law: Ten Commandments
2. The Civil Laws: only for Israel
3. The Health Laws: only for Israel (And all who wish to obey them.)
4. The Temple laws: only for Israel
Only the Moral Law had to do with “sin”. The Moral Law is eternal. The Moral Law is the foundation of God’s throne because it is the foundation of His Heart. The Ten Commandments are the character of God in written form. The Moral Law applies to every single person on the face of the earth. Why? Because God is the creator of every single person on the face of the earth. He is God of the whole world. Therefore, we are “under” the Moral Law of God.
The other three laws were specifically and only for the nation of Israel as a theocracy under God. We must always remember, Paul at no time is doing away with the Moral Law of God. He is explaining to Christians and Jews that the temple and all its services, rituals, traditions, feast days, holy days and ceremonies were all done away with, abolished, “finished” at the cross. They were only instituted for two very specific reason.
1. To point people to the need of a Savior to take away their post sins. Before Jesus, all needed to understand that they could not “cleans” themselves from past sins. The wages of sin is death. But a Savior would come to take their past sins from them if . . .
2. They would look to the Most Holy Place and see the perfection of character God requires and live it. No services, rituals, traditions, feast days, holy days or ceremonies were ever needed by those who refused to sin. That is why Jesus had nothing to do with them.
The temple laws were abolished at the cross when Jesus said, “It is finished”. The plan of salvation by which the temple rites, rituals, traditions, feast days, services and ceremonies pointed, was now completed. That is why the temple curtain was ripped in two from top to bottom. We no longer had to see the temple services, rituals, traditions, feast days, holy days or ceremonies to understand the plan of salvation. Jesus is the culmination of all that.
The “law” Christians were no longer under were the laws of the temple and those that made Israel a nation. Israel had rejected Jesus as their Messiah and chose Caesar as their god. God destroyed the temple first in AD 70 and then in AD 133 He destroyed the nation of Israel. Never again was Israel or the Jews to be thought of as a “nation” under God. Individually they could repent and return to the favor of God if they accepted Jesus as the culmination of all the temple services, rituals, traditions, feast days, holy days and ceremonies. But you could not be accepted by God if you were trying to work your way to heaven through the old laws of the nation of Israel and the temple.
The “grace” of God was revealed in the Old Testament by the sacrifices of the temple. Instead of wiping out the people of earth, the grace of God was revealed in symbol by the Lamb that would one day come and sacrifice His life in exchange for their past sins. Therefore, when Jesus died, we truly moved from being “under the law” of the temple that demonstrated grace, to being under Jesus, the true sacrifice, who exemplified “grace” for the human race.
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Therefore, just because God showed us grace by taking away our past sins, when we have faith in Him, does not give us license to continue in sin. Neither under the grace symbols of the temple nor under the grace reality of Jesus as the true sacrifice are we to continue in sin. The “grace” of God in providing a way of escape from eternal death does not give us permission to keep on living in sin. His grace for the human race started the moment Eve bit into the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil. But His grace does not give us license to continue in sin. “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” Hebrews 10:26.
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Whether before the cross or after the cross, those who presented themselves to God “as obedient slaves” dedicated themselves to live in obedience to God’s Ten Commandments: the moral law. Those who live in obedience to sin by breaking the Ten Commandments would receive death. Those who lived in obedience to the Ten Commandments would lead to eternal life.
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
You see, Paul recognized they had the same problem we are having today. They went to church, but they were still “slaves of sin”. They belonged to the nation of Israel, but they were still “slaves of sin”. They went to the temple and performed all temple laws that were required of them, but they were still “slaves of sin”. Why? Because they were not taught to live in obedience, from the heart, to the Ten Commandments. Why? The church didn’t make money unless you sinned. Same today.
Therefore, Paul was reminding them that none of those services, rituals, ceremonies, traditions could change their hearts. Only by becoming “obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” could they be set free from sin. And what was that “standard of teaching”? The teachings of Jesus to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life. And where did Jesus get His standard of teaching? Old Testament. “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5. By doing that, they were set free from sin and became “slaves of righteousness”.
I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Even though they belonged to the church, performed all the sacrifices, rituals, services and traditions, none of that had anything to do with “righteousness leading to sanctification”. Church-going and belonging to their denomination did nothing to free them from being “slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness”. “Lawlessness”: the breaking of the “Law”. Only the keeping of the Ten Commandment “law” produces righteousness in the heart.
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
How true! They were going to church and thinking of themselves as “saved” by belonging to their denomination, yet, they were “slaves of sin”. They had no righteousness that came from God.
But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Are you ashamed of your church-going, sinful way of living? “The end of those things is death”. Get out of your church. Stop sinning, be perfect and begin keeping all the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
The truth they were now receiving, if followed, would set them free from the bondage of sin the church was keeping them in. The truth they were now receiving was setting them free from the bondage of belonging to a denomination and a religion of forms, services, traditions, ceremonies and rituals. The truth they were now receiving would make them “slaves of God”. That truth was the knowledge that all they had to do was keep the Ten Commandments which “leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life”.
At this point in the study, I want you to wake up and see the trajectory of thought Paul is using. He is leading them from “justification” to “sanctification”. The first few chapters were about justification. Now he is leading them to sanctification.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The “wages of sin”, the breaking of the Ten Commandments, “is death”. But when we have faith in Jesus Christ, living in obedience to Him, and Him alone, we receive the “free gift of God”, eternal life. “If you want eternal life, keep the Commandments.” Matthew 19:17. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. “The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.” John 14:21. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.” John 15:10. That is pure sanctification: obedience.
Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?
The “law”, the temple services, rituals, ordinances, traditions, holy days, feast days and sacrifices were “binding on a person only as long as he lives”. As long as they lived for the temple and being a “Jew”, they were obligated to obey those “laws”. Those who became circumcised bound themselves to all the Jewish temple services, rituals, ordinances, traditions, holy days, feast days and sacrifices. But when they died to the temple laws in Christ, they were no longer bound to those temple laws.
We can also put it another way. The Ten Commandments, by which all will be judged, is binding on all who continue to live their old life of sin. It points out their sins. If you are living the Ten Commandment life, then you are no longer sinning, the “binding” judgement of the Ten Commandments will not fall on you. The “binding” wrath of God will not fall on you.
For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
While the temple laws were enforce, the “bride of Christ” was bound by the law to Jesus, the God of the Old Testament, through those symbols, rituals, services, traditions and sacrifices. They pointed to Jesus as their Husband. In the Old Testament, God continually reprimanded Israel for acting like an adulterous woman and leaving Him.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
Now, with the death of their “Husband”, Jesus Christ, the temple and all that went with it also died. They now were to “belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead”. Instead of belonging to the temple system that pointed to Jesus, they now were free from that system and were to be bound to Jesus. The church had kept the people bound to a system that was supposed to teach people how to live the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life. But their eyes were turned away from the purpose of the system and the system became their “husband”. Therefore, they were adulterers and whores. Same today. Revelation calls everyone who goes to church an adulterer and a whore. “The existing confusion of conflicting creeds and sects is fitly represented by the term “Babylon,” which prophecy (Revelation 14:8; 18:2) applies to the world-loving churches of the last days.” PP 124. That means ALL churches, religions, denominations and religious organizations of today.
For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
Those who belonged to the church “system” were “living in the flesh”. The church system gave them what their sinful hearts wanted, a form of righteousness without the substance. It boosted their pride and ego. They could look good while living in their “sinful passions”. The law of the church system, rituals, services, sacrifices, traditions and ceremonies only worked “in our members to bear fruit for death”.
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
But now we are “released from the law” of church services, rituals, traditions, sacrifices and ordinances. They held the people captive to a system that could never save them. Those temple “laws” looked good, felt good and boosted their ego and pride, but they could never save. Now they were to return to the original “way of the Spirit”, the Ten Commandments, and “not in the old way of the written code” of the temple. They were now being taught the truth as it had been taught since the book of Genesis. The church and denomination had completely covered it up. But the truth was now being illuminated again. “‘Return, unfaithful people,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am your Husband.’” Jeremiah 3:14.
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Okay, Paul can get a bit complicated. He was very educated and expected others to be able to follow along, even when he jumped over some parts he thought all should know. He moves quickly from one aspect to another expecting his audience to understand and keep up.
When talking about “law”, you had to be careful to follow Paul as to what “Law” he was talking about. Since the Ten Commandments were housed in the Temple, the Most Holy Place, were they also done away with? Some might think they were. So, Paul had to take the minds of his readers back and separate the Ten Commandments from the Temple laws. Remember, the temple curtain separated the Ten Commandments from the rest of the temple. Is the Ten Commandments sin? “By no means!” Without the Ten Commandments we “would not have known sin”. Again, Paul knew that sin was the breaking of the Ten Commandment “law”. Therefore, he gives us an example of what law he is now talking about. If the Ten Commandments did not tell us “not to covet”, we would not know what “coveting” was.
But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
Therefore, Paul is laying out that even though they went to church and performed all those temple laws of ceremonies, rituals, sacrifices and traditions, they were still producing “all kinds of covetousness” in themselves. Why, the system had buried the “law” of the Ten Commandments under church ceremonies, rituals, sacrifices and traditions. Therefore, the people were dead to the knowledge of sin since they were living apart from the law of God.
I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
Absolutely! Paul was having a great time living apart from the Ten Commandments. He was living in strict adherence to the church laws of rituals, traditions, services, ceremonies and sacrifices. Sin to Paul was the breaking of church law, not God’s law. He was having great fun going around destroying those who refused to make the church system their god. But when Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, Paul’s mind was pricked to the core and the Ten Commandments came flooding into his mind and he realized what a sinner he was. “Sin came alive and I died”. Now he understood what sin was. What never bothered him before now came up in front of him and he saw very clearly his true state as a sinner. Have you come face to face with your sinful state?
The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
You see, he thought he was keeping the Ten Commandments while doing church works. He thought his church membership gave him life. He thought that serving the church was serving God. He had not been taught that it was the Ten Commandments that promised life. Therefore, when Jesus revealed Himself, the purity of the Ten Commandments came up to Paul and He realized that the life he had been living was a church-life filled with lies leading to death. He realized that he was not keeping the Ten Commandments and therefore, he was not serving God and deserved nothing but death.
For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.
Paul now realized that he was a sinner. The church had deceived him and the sins he had been living were exposed by looking at the Ten Commandments through Jesus. Upon deciding to follow Jesus, and the Ten Commandments, his old life was “killed”. He decided to die to his old church-life of services, rituals, sacrifices, holy days, feast days, traditions and ceremonies. All of that had “deceived me”.
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Now Paul recognized that nothing but the Ten Commandment Law was “holy and righteous and good”. The Ten Commandments was the defining factor in what sin was and is, not church. Nothing the church did could ever replace the Ten Commandments to point out sin and destroy sin in the life. Church only makes sin acceptable, which was now unacceptable to Paul.
Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
Paul recognized it wasn’t the Ten Commandments that was bringing death, no, it was the church that was producing sin in him that was bringing “death to me”. The Ten Commandments simply explained what sin was “in order that sin might be shown to be sin”. Now that Paul knew what sin was, he loathed the church. He loathed all the ceremonies, services, traditions, sacrifices, holy days, feast days and rituals that had taken his attention off the keeping of the Ten Commandments. Now that the Ten Commandments were shining bright in his mind, sin “became sinful beyond measure” and he refused to sin.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
When we read the word “spiritual” in the New Testament, think “righteous” or “holy”. The law, the Ten Commandments, are spiritual, holy and righteous. They are the character of God. God is “spiritual”, righteous and holy. But the human race was “sold under sin” by the disobedience of Adam and Eve.
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
The Spirit of God is striving with each and every heart. We do not understand our own actions because we know what is right by the striving of the Spirit of God upon the heart. But our sinful natures keep getting in the way. Even inmates know what they are doing is “wrong”, yet they can’t stop themselves.
Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
And so it is. Because we know that what we do is “wrong”, we recognize and “agree with the” Ten Commandments “that it is good”.
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Therefore we recognize that there is a power inherent within us, sin, that is compelling us to lie, cheat, steal, covet, commit adultery, go to church for our egos, hoard our stash and other selfish sins. Inmates are very aware of the sin that dwells within them. Today, we might call that which “dwells within me”: habits.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Yep, there comes a time when we recognize that “nothing good dwells in me”. We go to church and have the desire to “do what is right”, but we lack the “ability to carry it out”. Why? Because we were sold into sin by our first parents. Sin is in our DNA. We go to church and pretend to be Christians, yet we still have no “ability to carry it out”.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
If you have ever been addicted to anything, you understand that statement. Most go to church because they have a desire to do good. But the church is not teaching them God’s “good”. They are addicted to church no differently than a drug addict is addicted to drugs. It is all idol worship. Therefore, “the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing”. We keep on going to church, but we are still slaves to sin.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
The majority of church people do not understand that. Most don’t recognize “sin that dwells within me”. Their sins have become so common and acceptable they don’t see them as sin. No different than Paul when he went to church. Killing, hurting and destroying was church sanctioned. Church members look at inmates and point fingers, then pat themselves on their backs thinking that since they go to church they are saints.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
But if they would get out of church, kneel before Jesus, reading His Word with a sincere desire to know the sins in their lives, God would reveal it.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
Many who go to church “delight in the law of God” in their “inner being”. They talk about them, hang them on their walls, memorize them and feel pretty good about themselves.
. . . but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
The “law” of sin which reigns in the kingdom of Lucifer “dwells” in every member of the human race who has not turned their lives over to Jesus. The conflict between the “law” of God and the “law” of sin is raging in hearts. However, keep in mind, Paul is not talking about himself here as a Christian. He is talking about himself when he belonged to his church. When he was a proud member of his religion and denomination. The church was not able to be his savior.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
As he looked back upon his experience in the church, he realized he was a “wretched man” and wanted someone to “deliver me from this body of death”. Many an addict cries out with the same prayer. Many in prison want to be delivered from the body of sin that is destroying their lives. But the answer did not lie, nor does it lie, in church or human theories, 12 step programs or any other self-help programs. There is only one source from which salvation can come.
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
We may be trapped in a body that wants to serve the “law of sin”, but we thank “God through Jesus Christ our Lord” that He alone can save us, through our will, to “serve the law of God with my mind”. As a man thinks, so is he. When we put our mind to serving God, we no longer “serve the law of sin”. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7.
The “flesh” does serve the law of sin. The body of flesh does get old, it is decaying and will eventually die. But even though the flesh serves the law of sin in the body, yet, our minds, our souls, our eternal lives will be bound up in Jesus as we live in obedience to His Ten Commandments which leads to eternal life. He will give us the power to work with our will in obedience to the Ten Commandments.
INMATE LETTERS
Dear Jesus Christ Prison Ministry,
We were blessed by your testimony and inspired by your work and thus take a moment to greet you in the peace of Jesus. We wanted to share with you some of the blessings that God has bestowed. May it be of help in whatever area has a greater need. We would appreciate that if you have a newsletter, we be added to its list.
Noah & Abi, WA (Non-inmates)
Dear Brother Ron,
Wow! What an amazing book this is. Thank you so much for all the work you did putting together this book. I am 62 years old and have spent 27 flat years behind prison walls here in Texas. Before receiving my current sentence of thirty years for drug possession with intent to deliver over 400 grams, I was proud of my time done behind prison walls. Yes, very stupid, I now realize. At my age, with a fresh thirty piece, I knew that something has to change. That something was “ME!”. I’m sure you are aware, as I am, that once you get sentenced, all those so-called friends begin to fade and fall off. I can no longer supply their needs so no sense in wasting their time with me, right? Right! Anyway, here I am alone now. So I decided that I need to change my thinking and my way of life. Shortly after getting locked up, I noticed a few other inmates sitting together at a back table in the dorm, away from the TV. So, I wondered what they were up to. One guy got up, walked over to my bunk and introduced himself. He asked if I would like to join them. I got up and followed him back to the table. I listened to them talk and then they prayed together and broke up with handshakes and an invite back the next day. I walked away with thrill bumps on my arms and a smile on my face. Well, let me tell you what has changed. Wow! I received your “Change Your Life Biblically” workbook. I started reading it early on Saturday morning, the Sabbath day. I read every word of volume I. And again on Sunday. Wow! All this time I thought I was a Christian because I read my Bible and went to church. Now I know after reading your book that not only have I been fooling myself, but these preachers have been wrong in their teachings and a lot of the other inmates are being deceived a lot. I have not been faithful in following the Ten Commandments. Nor have I honored the 7th day (Sabbath) Saturday as holy. So, to say what I have learned from volume I of your book, well, 5 pages would not begin to tell you all I have learned, or will continue to learn as I plan on re-reading this volume over and over until I know I’ve learned and understood all that I can.
Michael, TX
Hello Brother Ron,
I recently received your book which brings me great joy to start reading it. I have made some hard choices over the past years. Leaving behind the gang life was my beginning to become a better person.
Juan, CA
Hello,
First off, thank you greatly for letting me participate in this program. It is completely different, yet it all comes from the same sacred Divine book for all to see. I just received my second newsletter from you. Real good stuff in it. You know, the Judgment really got me thinking, only cause at first I thought you were mistaken. As you may know, everyone has the concept that once one dies we automatically go to heaven or hell. The problem, judgment has not passed yet, so therefore, those who lived accordingly are still waiting to be admitted into heaven. It’s very interesting how you make a comparing of a criminal court setting and how God will judge us. It’s funny cause we can easily understand it, but yet, we completely miss the full obvious picture. It is so easy to see that the majority are not staying true to the Lord. They need to challenge all they’ve been taught by their church. If we are serious about life with Christ, then we would review your teachings and make the proper changes.
Anthony, TX
Dear Ron,
I just received your book, CYLB about 2 weeks ago and have just leisurely been reading it and the pamphlets you have sent to me. When I first came to the page that said “write a five page letter on what you have learned so far”, I thought there is no way I can ever write five pages over just twenty pages of text. I would have to read the whole book. Then I got to thinking of your words, “What I have learned”. Over this past two weeks since I have been reading, I have learned and changed a lot. I have already changed my life through reading your book and setting goals that I can follow. I’ve learned how to stay away and off drugs simply by saying “No” and replacing that time I would have spent getting high with something good and productive, like reading your book. I so much have enjoyed your book so far. Can’t wait to receive more publications from your ministry. I mean, the lesson on love alone was one that I should have had literally decades ago and one I will not ever forget. Again, thank you for your publication and know that you have truly touched one more soul on your road.
Vernon, KY
Hello Ron,
I haven’t stopped studying or given up. What happened was, I was sentenced and sent to a reception center to be processed. When I went through reception, they took everything but my Bible. I was hoping you could send me another workbook. Thank you so much for sharing the blessing of the workbook with me.
Andrew, FL
Hello,
I was recently given this little slip with your information from a fellow brother in Christ. He has the “Change Your Life Biblically” workbook and says it is amazing and wanted me to have the opportunity to have it and change my life biblically also. I want to say “Thank you” for your ministry and let you know I will give your address and info out to other people.
Aaron, TX
JCPM,
My friend told me to write, that you would send me the “Change Your Life Biblically” book. I would really like that book. I love the Lord and want to learn as much as I can.
Darrell, NC
Ron,
All right, look, I don’t know where to begin. I’m a Native American. We are not allowed to do anything outside of our religion: Bible study, Catholic Services, etc. So, when I received your brochure today, I’m at a loss of words. I’m not sure who or how I got put on your list or what made you send it to me. I will admit, I’ve been struggling lately and actually started praying to Jesus to help me, show me, teach me. This was within the last couple of weeks. Then I get this “Jesus Christ Prison Ministry” booklet. I’m trying to figure out . . . I don’t know. Is this Him answering me? I may or may not get into trouble with this Bible thing, but I don’t care. It feels right, like a calling, an urge. This is the first time I’ve reached out to anything like this. I’m sending $100.
Forrest, MN
TESTIMONIES FOR GOD’S CHILDREN
My Dear Family in Christ,
The older I get, the greater the need for physical labor and exercise. However, the harder it is to put that need into action. Some of us, even with our many handicaps and difficulties, keep pushing our old bodies to keep physically active. But physical activity isn’t just for physical health. Keeping the body active keeps the mind and spirit active. Joe was mentioning the other day how hard it is to clean out of his mind the fiction he used to read. He is now working at cleaning his mind through physical work, exercise and reading godly material. We truly do need to keep our minds and bodies active for God. The following was written for “students” who spend many hours a day in study. However, we are all to be students in God’s school for eternal life. Let us all put into practice the following advice.
Physical Labor for Students
With the present plan of education a door of temptation is opened to the youth. Although they generally have too many hours of study, they have many hours without anything to do. These leisure hours are frequently spent in a reckless manner. The knowledge of bad habits is communicated from one to another, and vice is greatly increased. Very many young men who have been religiously instructed at home, and who go out to the schools comparatively innocent and virtuous, become corrupt by associating with vicious companions. They lose self-respect and sacrifice noble principles. Then they are prepared to pursue the downward path, for they have so abused their consciences that sin does not appear so exceeding sinful. These evils, which exist in the schools that are conducted according to the present plan, might be remedied in a great degree if study and labor could be combined. The same evils exist in the higher schools, only in a greater degree; for many of the youth have educated themselves in vice, and their consciences are seared.
This admonition is not just for “worldly” schools. Our “Christian” schools have become nothing more than dressed up worldly schools. This includes those institutions that claim to keep the Sabbath day holy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our churches, schools, medical institutions and denominations are losing their children to the devil. All under the guise of “Christian” education.
Many parents overrate the stability and good qualities of their children. They do not seem to consider that they will be exposed to the deceptive influences of vicious youth. Parents have their fears as they send them some distance away to school, but flatter themselves that, as they have had good examples and religious instruction, they will be true to principle in their high-school life. Many parents have but a faint idea to what extent licentiousness exists in these institutions of learning. In many cases the parents have labored hard and suffered many privations for the cherished object of having their children obtain a finished education. And after all their efforts, many have the bitter experience of receiving their children from their course of studies with dissolute habits and ruined constitutions. And frequently they are disrespectful to their parents, unthankful, and unholy. These abused parents, who are thus rewarded by ungrateful children, lament that they sent their children from them to be exposed to temptations and come back to them physical, mental, and moral wrecks. With disappointed hopes and almost broken hearts they see their children, of whom they had high hopes, follow in a course of vice and drag out a miserable existence.
Parents are so driven to see their children “succeed” in this world, they do not realize that they have failed in gaining eternal life. Heaven is only a fairy-tale. It isn’t real in our homes, schools, churches or denominations. It is all about pride, world, money and being accepted.
But there are those of firm principles who answer the expectation of parents and teachers. They go through the course of schooling with clear consciences and come forth with good constitutions and morals unstained by corrupting influences. But the number is few.
Some students put their whole being into their studies and concentrate their mind upon the object of obtaining an education. They work the brain, but allow the physical powers to remain inactive. The brain is overworked, and the muscles become weak because they are not exercised. When these students graduate, it is evident that they have obtained their education at the expense of life. They have studied day and night, year after year, keeping their minds continually upon the stretch, while they have failed to sufficiently exercise their muscles. They sacrifice all for a knowledge of the sciences, and pass to their graves.
Young ladies frequently give themselves up to study to the neglect of other branches of education even more essential for practical life than the study of books. And after having obtained their education, they are often invalids for life. They neglected their health by remaining too much indoors, deprived of the pure air of heaven and of the God-given sunlight. These young ladies might have come from their schools in health, had they combined with their studies household labor and exercise in the open air.
Health is a great treasure. It is the richest possession mortals can have. Wealth, honor, or learning is dearly purchased, if it be at the loss of the vigor of health. None of these attainments can secure happiness, if health is wanting. It is a terrible sin to abuse the health that God has given us; for every abuse of health enfeebles us for life and makes us losers, even if we gain any amount of education.
In many cases parents who are wealthy do not feel the importance of giving their children an education in the practical duties of life as well as in the sciences. They do not see the necessity, for the good of their children’s minds and morals, and for their future usefulness, of giving them a thorough understanding of useful labor. This is due their children, that, should misfortune come, they could stand forth in noble independence, knowing how to use their hands. If they have a capital of strength they cannot be poor, even if they have not a dollar. Many who in youth were in affluent circumstances may be robbed of all their riches and be left with parents and brothers and sisters dependent upon them for sustenance. Then how important that every youth be educated to labor, that they may be prepared for any emergency! Riches are indeed a curse when their possessors let them stand in the way of their sons and daughters’ obtaining a knowledge of useful labor, that they may be qualified for practical life.
Now we see why the devil is hard at work producing video games, legalizing drugs, making it “cool” to drink and use tobacco. Churches are his favorite place to destroy souls. Under the cover of “Christianity”, sin is not confronted in our lives.
Those who are not compelled to labor, frequently do not have sufficient active exercise for physical health. Young men, for want of having their minds and hands employed in active labor, acquire habits of indolence and frequently obtain what is most to be dreaded, a street education—lounging about stores, smoking, drinking, and playing cards.
Young ladies will read novels, excusing themselves from active labor because they are in delicate health. Their feebleness is the result of their lack of exercising the muscles God has given them. They may think they are too feeble to do housework, but will work at crochet and tatting, and preserve the delicate paleness of their hands and faces, while their care-burdened mothers toil hard to wash and iron their garments. These ladies are not Christians, for they transgress the fifth commandment. They do not honor their parents. But the mother is the one who is most to blame. She has indulged her daughters and excused them from bearing their share of household duties, until work has become distasteful to them, and they love and enjoy delicate idleness. They eat, and sleep, and read novels, and talk of the fashions, while their lives are useless.
From “lounging about stores, smoking, drinking, and playing cards”, we are now lounging about TV, video games, sport centers and churches. But the end results are the same.
Poverty, in many cases, is a blessing; for it prevents youth and children from being ruined by inaction. The physical as well as the mental powers should be cultivated and properly developed. The first and constant care of parents should be to see that their children have firm constitutions, that they may be sound men and women. It is impossible to attain this object without physical exercise. For their own physical health and moral good, children should be taught to work, even if there is no necessity so far as want is concerned. If they would have pure and virtuous characters they must have the discipline of well-regulated labor, which will bring into exercise all the muscles. The satisfaction that children will have in being useful, and in denying themselves to help others, will be the most healthful pleasure they ever enjoyed. Why should the wealthy rob themselves and their dear children of this great blessing?
Nothing in the above teaches us to “go to church” for the good of our children. Get them out and working, not playing soldier in Pathfinders or Boy scouts. Children, from the earliest ages need to be taught useful labor, starting in the home.
Parents, inaction is the greatest curse that ever came upon youth. Your daughters should not be allowed to lie in bed late in the morning, sleeping away the precious hours lent them of God to be used for the best purpose and for which they will have to give an account to Him. The mother does her daughters great injury by bearing the burdens that they should share with her for their own present and future good. The course that many parents pursue in allowing their children to be indolent and to gratify their desire for reading romance is unfitting them for real life. Novel and storybook reading are the greatest evils in which youth can indulge. Novel and love-story readers always fail to make good, practical mothers. They are air-castle builders, living in an unreal, an imaginary world. They become sentimental and have sick fancies. Their artificial life spoils them for anything useful. They are dwarfed in intellect, although they may flatter themselves that they are superior in mind and manners. Exercise in household labor is of the greatest advantage to young girls.
Physical labor will not prevent the cultivation of the intellect. Far from it. The advantages gained by physical labor will balance a person and prevent the mind from being overworked. The toil will come upon the muscles and relieve the wearied brain. There are many listless, useless girls who consider it unladylike to engage in active labor. But their characters are too transparent to deceive sensible persons in regard to their real worthlessness. They simper and giggle, and are all affectation. They appear as though they could not speak their words fairly and squarely, but torture all they say with lisping and simpering. Are these ladies? They were not born fools, but were educated such. It does not require a frail, helpless, overdressed, simpering thing to make a lady. A sound body is required for a sound intellect. Physical soundness and a practical knowledge of all the necessary household duties will never be hindrances to a well-developed intellect; both are highly important for a lady.
All the powers of the mind should be called into use and developed in order for men and women to have well-balanced minds. The world is full of one-sided men and women who have become such because one set of their faculties was cultivated while others were dwarfed from inaction. The education of most youth is a failure. They overstudy, while they neglect that which pertains to practical business life. Men and women become parents without considering their responsibilities, and their offspring sink lower in the scale of human deficiency than they themselves. Thus the race is fast degenerating. The constant application to study, as the schools are now conducted, is unfitting youth for practical life. The human mind will have action. If it is not active in the right direction, it will be active in the wrong. In order to preserve the balance of the mind, labor and study should be united in the schools.
Provision should have been made in past generations for education upon a larger scale. In connection with the schools should have been agricultural and manufacturing establishments. There should also have been teachers of household labor. And a portion of the time each day should have been devoted to labor, that the physical and mental powers might be equally exercised. If schools had been established upon the plan we have mentioned, there would not now be so many unbalanced minds.
Now we have removed the dairies, the grain fields and orchards and put in soccer fields, football fields and basketball courts in and around our educational facilities. Our gyms are no longer places for Bible study and prayer, but sports. How far we have fallen.
God prepared for Adam and Eve a beautiful garden. He provided for them everything that their wants required. He planted for them fruit-bearing trees of every variety. With a liberal hand He surrounded them with His bounties. The trees for usefulness and beauty, and the lovely flowers which sprang up spontaneously and flourished in rich profusion around them, were to know nothing of decay. Adam and Eve were rich indeed. They possessed Eden. Adam was Lord in his beautiful domain. None can question the fact that he was rich. But God knew that Adam could not be happy unless he had employment. Therefore He gave him something to do; he was to dress the garden.
If men and women of this degenerate age have a large amount of earthly treasure, which, in comparison with that Paradise of beauty and wealth given the lordly Adam, is very insignificant, they feel themselves above labor and educate their children to look upon it as degrading. Such rich parents, by precept and example, instruct their children that money makes the gentleman and the lady. But our idea of the gentleman and the lady is measured by the intellect and the moral worth. God estimates not by dress. The exhortation of the inspired apostle Peter is: “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” A meek and quiet spirit is exalted above worldly honor or riches.
When Joe first arrived here at the ministry, at the age of 87, he was in bad health. He confessed to lying around watching TV and eating garbage. Within a year of being here at the ministry, he learned what a shovel was and his health improved. Now he is in excellent health at the age of 90.
The Lord illustrates how He estimates the worldly wealthy who lift up their souls unto vanity because of their earthly possessions, by the rich man who tore down his barns and built greater, that he might have room to bestow his goods. Forgetful of God, he failed to acknowledge whence all his possessions came. No grateful thanks ascended to his gracious Benefactor. He congratulated himself thus: “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” The Master, who had entrusted to him earthly riches with which to bless his fellow men and glorify his Maker, was justly angry at his ingratitude and said: “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Here we have an illustration of how the infinite God estimates man. An extensive fortune, or any degree of wealth, will not secure the favor of God. All these bounties and blessings come from Him to prove, test, and develop the character of man.
Men may have boundless wealth; yet if they are not rich toward God, if they have no interest to secure to themselves the heavenly treasure and divine wisdom, they are counted fools by their Creator, and we leave them just where God leaves them. Labor is a blessing. It is impossible for us to enjoy health without labor. All the faculties should be called into use that they may be properly developed and that men and women may have well-balanced minds. If the young had been given a thorough education in the different branches of labor, if they had been taught labor as well as the sciences, their education would have been of greater advantage to them.
A constant strain upon the brain while the muscles are inactive, enfeebles the nerves, and students have an almost uncontrollable desire for change and exciting amusements. And when they are released, after being confined to study several hours each day, they are nearly wild. Many have never been controlled at home. They have been left to follow inclination, and they think that the restraint of the hours of study is a severe tax upon them; and since they do not have anything to do after study hours, Satan suggests sport and mischief for a change. Their influence over other students is demoralizing. Those students who have had the benefits of religious teaching at home, and who are ignorant of the vices of society, frequently become the best acquainted with those whose minds have been cast in an inferior mold, and whose advantages for mental culture and religious training have been very limited. And they are in danger, by mingling in the society of this class and by breathing an atmosphere that is not elevating but that tends to lower and degrade the morals, of sinking to the same low level as their companions. It is the delight of a large class of students, in their unemployed hours, to have a high time. And very many of those who leave their homes innocent and pure become corrupted by their associations at school.
I have been led to inquire: Must all that is valuable in our youth be sacrificed in order that they may obtain a school education? Had there been agricultural and manufacturing establishments connected with our schools, and had competent teachers been employed to educate the youth in the different branches of study and labor, devoting a portion of each day to mental improvement and a portion to physical labor, there would now be a more elevated class of youth to come upon the stage of action to have influence in molding society. Many of the youth who would graduate at such institutions would come forth with stability of character. They would have perseverance, fortitude, and courage to surmount obstacles, and such principles that they would not be swayed by a wrong influence, however popular. There should have been experienced teachers to give lessons to young ladies in the cooking department. Young girls should have been instructed to manufacture wearing apparel, to cut, make, and mend garments, and thus become educated for the practical duties of life.
For young men there should be establishments where they could learn different trades which would bring into exercise their muscles as well as their mental powers. If the youth can have but a one-sided education, which is of the greater consequence, a knowledge of the sciences,—with all the disadvantages to health and life,—or a knowledge of labor for practical life? We unhesitatingly answer: The latter. If one must be neglected, let it be the study of books.
I pray to God that we will be able to find donors with the means willing to help us put that paragraph to work here at the ministry.
There are very many girls who have married and have families who have but little practical knowledge of the duties devolving upon a wife and mother. They can read, and play upon an instrument of music; but they cannot cook. They cannot make good bread, which is very essential to the health of the family. They cannot cut and make garments, for they never learned how. They considered these things unessential, and in their married life they are as dependent upon someone to do these things for them as are their own little children. It is this inexcusable ignorance in regard to the most needful duties of life which makes very many unhappy families.
The impression that work is degrading to fashionable life has laid thousands in the grave who might have lived. Those who perform only manual labor frequently work to excess without giving themselves periods of rest; while the intellectual class overwork the brain and suffer for want of the healthful vigor the physical labor gives. If the intellectual would to some extent share the burden of the laboring class and thus strengthen the muscles, the laboring class might do less and devote a portion of their time to mental and moral culture. Those of sedentary and literary habits should take physical exercise, even if they have no need to labor so far as means are concerned. Health should be a sufficient inducement to lead them to unite physical with mental labor.
Moral, intellectual, and physical culture should be combined in order to have well-developed, well-balanced men and women. Some are qualified to exercise greater intellectual strength than others, while others are inclined to love and enjoy physical labor. Both of these classes should seek to improve where they are deficient, that they may present to God their entire being, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him, which is their reasonable service. The habits and customs of fashionable society should not gauge their course of action. The inspired apostle Paul adds: “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.”
Too late. Our churches, our schools, our medical institutions and our denominations have all “conformed to this world”. None are being transformed for Heaven.
The minds of thinking men labor too hard. They frequently use their mental powers prodigally, while there is another class whose highest aim in life is physical labor. The latter class do not exercise the mind. Their muscles are exercised while their brains are robbed of intellectual strength, just as the minds of thinking men are worked while their bodies are robbed of strength and vigor by their neglect to exercise the muscles. Those who are content to devote their lives to physical labor and leave others to do the thinking for them, while they simply carry out what other brains have planned, will have strength of muscle but feeble intellects. Their influence for good is small in comparison to what it might be if they would use their brains as well as their muscles. This class fall more readily if attacked by disease; the system is vitalized by the electrical force of the brain to resist disease.
Men who have good physical powers should educate themselves to think as well as to act, and not depend upon others to be brains for them. It is a popular error with a large class to regard work as degrading. Therefore young men are very anxious to educate themselves to become teachers, clerks, merchants, lawyers, and to occupy almost any position that does not require physical labor. Young women regard housework as demeaning. And although the physical exercise required to perform household labor, if not too severe, is calculated to promote health, yet they will seek for an education that will fit them to become teachers or clerks, or will learn some trade which will confine them indoors to sedentary employment. The bloom of health fades from their cheeks, and disease fastens upon them, because they are robbed of physical exercise and their habits are perverted generally. All this because it is fashionable! They enjoy delicate life, which is feebleness and decay.
“Men . . . should educate themselves to think as well as to act, and not depend upon others to be brains for them.” That just tossed out our churches and our denominations. Out goes the Sabbath School Lessons. We need to open our Bibles and begin learning from God how to “think as well as to act” as God wants us to.
True, there is some excuse for young women not choosing housework for employment, because those who hire kitchen girls generally treat them as servants. Frequently their employers do not respect them and treat them as though they were unworthy to be members of their families. They do not give them the privileges they do the seamstress, the copyist, and the teacher of music. But there can be no employment more important than that of housework. To cook well, to present healthful food upon the table in an inviting manner, requires intelligence and experience. The one who prepares the food that is to be placed in our stomachs, to be converted into blood to nourish the system, occupies a most important and elevated position. The position of copyist, dressmaker, or music teacher cannot equal in importance that of the cook.
The foregoing is a statement of what might have been done by a proper system of education. Time is too short now to accomplish that which might have been done in past generations; but we can do much, even in these last days, to correct the existing evils in the education of youth. And because time is short, we should be in earnest and work zealously to give the young that education which is consistent with our faith. We are reformers. We desire that our children should study to the best advantage. In order to do this, employment should be given them which will call the muscles into exercise. Daily, systematic labor should constitute a part of the education of the youth, even at this late period. Much can now be gained by connecting labor with schools. In following this plan the students will realize elasticity of spirit and vigor of thought, and will be able to accomplish more mental labor in a given time than they could by study alone. And they can leave school with their constitutions unimpaired and with strength and courage to persevere in any position in which the providence of God may place them.
Because time is short, we should work with diligence and double energy. Our children may never enter college, but they can obtain an education in those essential branches which they can turn to a practical use and which will give culture to the mind and bring its powers into use. Very many youth who have gone through a college course have not obtained that true education that they can put to practical use. They may have the name of having a collegiate education, but in reality they are only educated dunces.
There are many young men whose services God would accept if they would consecrate themselves to Him unreservedly. If they would exercise those powers of the mind in the service of God which they use in serving themselves and in acquiring property they would make earnest, persevering, successful laborers in the vineyard of the Lord. Many of our young men should turn their attention to the study of the Scriptures, that God may use them in His cause. But they do not become as intelligent in spiritual knowledge as in temporal things; therefore they fail to do the work of God which they could do with acceptance. There are but few to warn sinners and win souls to Christ, when there should be many. Our young men generally are wise in worldly matters, but not intelligent in regard to the things of the kingdom of God. They might turn their minds in a heavenly, divine channel and walk in the light, going on from one degree of light and strength to another until they could turn sinners to Christ and point the unbelieving and desponding to a bright track heavenward. And when the warfare is ended, they might be welcomed to the joy of their Lord.
Young men should not enter upon the work of explaining the Scriptures and lecturing upon the prophecies when they do not have a knowledge of the important Bible truths they try to explain to others. They may be deficient in the common branches of education and therefore fail to do the amount of good they could do if they had had the advantages of a good school. Ignorance will not increase the humility or spirituality of any professed follower of Christ. The truths of the divine word can be best appreciated by an intellectual Christian. Christ can be best glorified by those who serve Him intelligently. The great object of education is to enable us to use the powers which God has given us in such a manner as will best represent the religion of the Bible and promote the glory of God.
We are indebted to Him who gave us existence, for all the talents which have been entrusted to us; and it is a duty we owe to our Creator to cultivate and improve upon the talents He has committed to our trust. Education will discipline the mind, develop its powers, and understandingly direct them, that we may be useful in advancing the glory of God. We need a school where those who are just entering the ministry may be taught at least the common branches of education and where they may also learn more perfectly the truths of God’s word for this time. In connection with these schools, lectures should be given upon the prophecies. Those who really have good abilities such as God will accept to labor in His vineyard would be very much benefited by only a few months’ instruction at such a school. 3T 151-160