All Commandments of Christ: Full List with Explanation.

 

All the Commandments of Christ: The Complete List of Commandments with Explanation and Bible Verses.

All the commandments of Christ: The path to true life.

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)

The words of Jesus Christ are not just wise advice or philosophical reflections. They are the commands of the King, given to His disciples. The Sermon on the Mount, the parables, and the personal instructions of the Savior contain an entire system of spiritual principles, the fulfillment of which leads to true freedom, happiness, and life with God. But do we all know what exactly He commanded?

In this article, we will examine the commandments given by Christ in their fullness — not only the well-known "Beatitudes," but also many other commands that Christ gave to His followers.

Why should we know the commandments of Christ?

Today in the world there are many distortions of Jesus' teaching — from a frivolous "prosperity gospel" to harsh legalism. The most reliable way to avoid mistakes is to return to the direct words of Christ.

The study of Christ's commandments has several key purposes:

1. It is the foundation of discipleship. Jesus said: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple of Christ is one who knows and fulfills His words.

2. It is the path to blessing. "Blessed..." — this phrase begins each of the Beatitudes. Jesus describes the state of true happiness that is achieved through living according to His principles.

3. It is the foundation of spiritual life. As a wise builder lays a house on a rock, so we must build our life on the words of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-25). Only then can no storms or trials destroy it.

4. It is a manifestation of love for God. Love is not just a feeling. It is action. Jesus said: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" (John 14:21). Keeping the commandments is the practical response to God's love.

   The list of commandments given by Jesus Christ

   Based on an analysis of the Gospels, below are the Savior's commandments in their maximum fullness, grouped by theme with explanations for practical application.

   The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

   This is the foundation of Christ's teaching. It is important to understand that each of these commandments is a characteristic of a heart pleasing to God, and it is at the same time a promise of blessing. God looks at the heart of every person, and only the pure in heart will see God, and the fulfillment of these commandments leads to purity of heart.

5. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). This is not about poverty, but about recognizing one's own spiritual bankruptcy before God. A person who admits that without Christ he is spiritually poor — that is, unable to change inwardly on a spiritual level — only such a person is able to receive God's grace so that God Himself may change him through faith in the goodness and mercy of God.

6. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). This is not about tears of pain, but about repentance. Those who grieve over their sins and over the injustice of the world will receive comfort from God and blessing.

7. "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Meekness is not weakness, but strength that is pleasing to God. It is the absence of pride and aggression. Meekness allows a person to accept God's will into his life and to fulfill what God wants.

8. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). This is an intense, all-consuming desire to know the truth in its fullness, to live righteously, and to see God's will for oneself and on the earth.

9. "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Mercy is not only forgiveness, but also active compassion for the needs of others. And as you were merciful to the faults of others, so God will be merciful to you and your faults, and God's mercy is exalted above His judgment, and God is abundant in mercy and wants us to be like Him.

10. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). This is the striving for inner blamelessness, for sincerity and right motives in words and deeds. Purity of heart is achieved through the washing of the word of God — that is, the study of the Word of God and following the word — and also through prayer, that is, close, sincere communion with the Heavenly Father through the action of the Holy Spirit upon you.

11. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Peacemakers do not merely avoid conflicts; they actively build peace between God and people and between people with one another. "Agree with thine adversary quickly" — so Jesus taught.

12. "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake... and when they shall revile you, and persecute you... for my sake" (Matthew 5:10-12). Readiness to suffer for the name of Christ and for righteousness is a sign of faithfulness, for which a great reward in heaven is promised.

    Commandments on personal relationships and holiness

    Jesus does not merely list rules; He penetrates to the very essence, showing that sin begins in the heart.

13. "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Christ shows that inner purity is important because outward behavior is formed from it. Control over the thoughts and motives of your heart is the foundation of holiness, and God looks at the heart and evaluates the thoughts and intents of the heart, because sin is conceived in the heart and only afterward is committed on the physical level.

14. "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee..." (Matthew 5:29). This is not a call to self-mutilation, but a figurative command to be extremely decisive in the struggle against sin. One must cut off everything that leads to sin and block sin at the level of temptation by removing the cause or removing oneself from it.

15. "Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery" (Matthew 5:32). Jesus establishes a high standard of marriage as an indissoluble union, because God joins people in marriage, and what God has joined by His authority, human authority cannot destroy. Divorce is a tragedy that is permissible only in the case of marital infidelity.

16. "But I say unto you, Swear not at all" (Matthew 5:34-37). This speaks of honesty that requires no additional confirmation. The life of a disciple of Christ should be so truthful that his "yea" means "yea," and his "nay" — "nay."

17. "Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39). This is the principle of renouncing revenge and retribution. Christ calls us to overcome evil not by force, but by love and gentleness.

18. "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you" (Matthew 5:44). This is the summit of Christian ethics, which cannot be fulfilled without the help of the Holy Spirit. Love for enemies makes us like the Heavenly Father, because God is good toward the unthankful and the evil.

    Commandments on prayer and fasting.

19. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret" (Matthew 6:6). Prayer is personal communion with the Father, not a hypocritical theatrical performance for people. Praise from God is more important than praise from people.

20. "Use not vain repetitions... for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of" (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer should be sincere, not verbose. What matters is not the number of words, but trust in the Father.

21. "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face..." (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is not a way to show one's religiosity and spiritual feat to others, but a tool for humbling oneself before God. It should be secret and joyful.

    Commandments on wealth and priorities

22. "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21). Jesus warns of slavery to the material. A person's heart is always where his greatest treasures are. By helping the needy and doing good to people, you will lay up treasure in heaven.

23. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). This is the key principle of priorities. When God's Kingdom is first and the truth or righteousness of the kingdom is established in you, then all needs are supplied by God.

24. "No man can serve two masters... Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). A choice must be made as to who will be first in life — God or money. Money or self-love can take God's place and control your behavior and your life, and this is idolatry, since your master is not God but wealth, and it controls you. Serving two is impossible.

    Commandments on relationships with people

25. "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1-3). This is a call not to judge others, especially if you do not know them and what is happening in their lives. God is the righteous Judge, and He Himself will bring judgment if He so decides. Before judging your neighbor, you must deal with your own vices.

26. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7:12). This is the "golden rule" of ethics, which Jesus called the essence of the law and the prophets.

27. "Forgive men their trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15). Forgiveness is not just advice, but a condition for receiving forgiveness from God. One must forgive up to seventy times seven — that is, always.

28. "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). Jesus teaches spiritual wisdom: one should not insist on conveying the truth to those who knowingly reject it and may turn what you say against you rather than accept instruction or reproof.

    Commandments for disciples and followers

29. "Deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). Discipleship requires renouncing one's ego and one's will, and readiness to do God's will and bear hardships for Christ's sake.

30. "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4). This is the commandment of constant union with Christ. As a branch lives only on the vine, so a Christian can bear fruit only in unity with the Lord, being filled with His Spirit and feeding on His Word or revelations.

31. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34). This commandment is "new" because in it a new standard of love is given — the sacrificial love of Christ Himself as an example for us. This love is a testimony to the world.

32. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations..." (Matthew 28:19-20). The Great Commission — to go into the world with the Gospel, making disciples of people from all nations.

33. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7-8). This is a call to persistent, faithful prayer. It will always be heard by the Father.

34. "Enter ye in at the strait gate... for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction" (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus reminds us that the way to life is narrow and requires effort. Most go the easy way of this world which leads to perdition, but the narrow way is indicated by the commandments of the teaching of Jesus Christ.

35. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15-16). Christ calls for spiritual vigilance and teaches us to recognize false teachers who outwardly look very much like servants of God, but are driven by a heart full of sinful motives, and "by their fruits ye shall know them," just as Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light outwardly, but brings death.

36. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). This is a call to continual growth and striving for God's holiness. "Perfect" here means "complete, mature." This is possible only with God and in God.

    How to learn to fulfill Christ's commandments?

    Having studied this list, you may ask yourself: "How can I fulfill all of this?"

37. Realize that you cannot do this on your own without the grace given by God, because He Himself leads you to perfection. The Beatitudes and the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount are not merely a moral code. They are the character and nature of the Holy Spirit. Christ gives new rules, but He also gives a new nature through the Holy Spirit.

38. Study them systematically. There are books and reading plans that will help you delve into Christ's commandments, and let God Himself lead you in this, feeding you with revelations from heaven.

39. Build your life on His words. As Jesus said, a wise man builds his house on the rock. This means not only hearing Christ's words, but also putting them into practice. Then no storms of life will be able to destroy your life (Matthew 7:24-27).

40. Remember the main goal. The path of the commandments is not a way to earn salvation, but a path to unity with God and to "seeing God" with a pure heart. By fulfilling His commandments, we show our love for Him and enter into the fullness of life that He promised us.

    Conclusion

    Christ's commandments are not an outdated set of rules, but a relevant guide for life today. They point the way to true happiness, purity of heart, and eternal values. Begin to study them right now, and your view of life, of your relationship with God and with people, will change forever.

    May your life become that house built on the solid rock of Christ's words!

Who Is the True Messenger of God? A Biblical Study on Muhammad and Jesus.

Is it possible to clearly determine, through the Holy Scriptures, who is the true messenger of the Most High? Let's examine this based on what the Most High Himself has said.

Believers in Allah, according to Islamic doctrine, claim that Muhammad is the final prophet and messenger of Allah, to whom the Holy Book, the Quran, was given through the angel Gabriel. They assert that the Most High gave a new and final law that will remain valid until the Day of Judgment. According to this belief, the laws of other prophets were temporary and were abrogated by God with the beginning of Muhammad's prophetic mission. Muslims accept the Torah (Taurat), the Psalms (Zabur), and the Gospel (Injil) as divine revelations, but they do not recognize their commandments and teachings as currently binding, arguing that these books have been corrupted by humans (tahrif).

However, Muslims themselves cannot prove that the angel who spoke with Muhammad was sent by the Most High.

What does the Most High say about how He frees people from sin and through whom He does it? Let's examine this in order, from the beginning.

The story of humanity's fall is written in the Bible, in the book of Genesis, chapter 3. It tells how the first humans, Adam and Eve, violated the command of the Most High and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. THE TRUTH IS THAT THE MOST HIGH IMMEDIATELY REVEALED HOW HE WOULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND HOW HE WOULD DELIVER HUMANITY FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN.

God announced from the beginning what would happen in the end and how He would save people from the slavery of sin; the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible are irrefutable proof of this.

Isaiah 46:10 (NIV): I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'

Let's see what the Most High said about how He would solve the problem of humanity's fall. Does He say anything about the law and teachings given to Muhammad?

Adam and Eve sinned and lost God's glory, and they tried to fix the problem by their own efforts, making clothes for themselves from fig leaves.

Genesis 3:7 (NIV): Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

But then we read that this was not acceptable to God, and that He Himself provided Adam and Eve with garments made from animal skins.

Genesis 3:21 (NIV): The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

From this, we see that because of human sin, an innocent animal was killed, because according to the law of the Most High, the wages of sin is death, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The Most High shows that the problem of the fall can only be solved by God Himself, and that man is incapable of solving it on his own. God Himself provided the sacrificial animal that covered the nakedness of the people, which points to the fact that God Himself would decide who would pay for humanity's sins and He Himself would choose the sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.

The sacrificial Lamb was chosen and destined by God before the creation of man, because the Most High knows from the beginning what will happen.

Who is this sacrificial Lamb chosen by God who would become the offering for the sin of all humanity? Let's read about this in the same book of Genesis. Observe what the Most High says to the serpent (Satan), who deceived Adam and Eve and led them into rebellion against God.

Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV): So the LORD God said to the serpent... 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

The Most High announces a war: Satan (the serpent) and his offspring (his army, all beings under his influence) would fight against the woman and her offspring. That Offspring, born of the woman, would crush Satan's head, destroying his work in the world and solving the problem of humanity's fall.

Who would solve the problem of the fall and be the sacrifice chosen by the Most High? Who is that woman who would receive the Seed of God? Who is that man who was not born of an earthly father, but had God as his Father? Who is the one who would destroy the works of the devil, crushing his head?

In whom are all these images shown by God from the beginning united? This is what God reveals through His prophet, and how it was later fulfilled.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV): Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23 (NIV): "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").

Luke 1:26-35 (NIV): In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Interestingly, the Quran also tells us that Mary was a virgin and that she conceived a son from the Most High.

· Quran 66:12: And [the example of] Mary, the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into it [i.e., her garment] through Our angel [Gabriel]. And she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

· Quran 3:45,48: [And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]... And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel."

· Quran 21:91: And [mention] the one who guarded her chastity, so We blew into her [garment] through Our angel [Gabriel], and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.

The Quran states that Jesus was born of "Our Spirit" ("We blew into her from Our Spirit"). The Spirit of God entered Mary as an incorruptible seed, and she conceived from the Spirit of God. It is clear WHO "blew" into Mary "from Our Spirit" – WHO PLACED that incorruptible SEED into Mary... and that SEED is from the Most High Himself. That is why it is written in the Gospel of Luke 1:35: ...The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Jesus, born of Mary, is called the Son of the Most High because the SEED for his birth was given by the Most High.

IN SUMMARY, WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB PROMISED BY GOD AND THE OFFSPRING WHO WOULD CRUSH THE SERPENT'S HEAD IS JESUS CHRIST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN.

JESUS CHRIST, WHEN HE WAS CRUCIFIED ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY, FULFILLED WHAT THE MOST HIGH HAD PROMISED, BECOMING THE SACRIFICE THAT GOD HIMSELF PROVIDED TO DESTROY SIN.

1 Peter 1:18-20 (NIV): For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Ephesians 1:3-4 (NIV): Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

The Most High knows from the beginning what will happen in the end.

Isaiah 46:10 (NIV): I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'

Both Jesus Christ and Muhammad are descendants of Abraham. Why is this important? Because the Most High called Abraham His friend, and because Abraham obeyed His commands, God promised Abraham that through one of his descendants, He would bless all humanity. The Most High would accomplish a great blessing by saving people from the slavery of sin through that Descendant or Seed of Abraham.

Genesis 22:18 (NIV): and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.

Let's find out who this Seed of Abraham is, through whom the Most High would bless all the nations of the earth.

Abraham had two sons. The older, Ishmael, was born of the slave woman Hagar; and the younger, Isaac, was born of Abraham's wife Sarah.

1 Chronicles 1:28 (NIV): The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.

From Ishmael came many Arab peoples, and it is believed that Muhammad is a descendant of Abraham through Ishmael. Through Isaac came the Jewish people and, ultimately, Jesus Christ.

God Himself specified through which of Abraham's sons He would bless all nations and through which line that Seed would come.

Genesis 21:9-12 (NIV): But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."

So we see that the Most High declared His will, saying that the Seed would come through the line of Isaac, while Ishmael was excluded from this specific inheritance.

Later, God renews the promise directly with Isaac, confirming that because of his obedience, the blessed Seed would come through him.

Genesis 26:4-5 (NIV): I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.

The apostle Paul also writes about this:

Galatians 3:8,16 (NIV): Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."... 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

Thus we have discovered that the Most High accomplishes the salvation of all nations through the Seed of Abraham, which came not through his firstborn son Ishmael, but through Isaac, and that this Seed is Jesus Christ.

The fact that an angel spoke to Muhammad, claiming to be sent by God, does not prove that he actually was. The message of that angel does not correspond to what the Most High said from the beginning. God, being omniscient and knowing the future, announces through His true prophets what is to come. In the Bible, there are no prophecies about the introduction of a new law or new teaching through Muhammad. In contrast, the coming of Jesus Christ as Messiah and Savior is confirmed by all the prophets of the Old Testament through hundreds of prophecies that were literally fulfilled in Him.

There are many angels, and among them are fallen ones.

The appearance of an angel to Muhammad is not a unique case. For example, there is the well-known religious movement of the Mormons: in 1823, an angel named Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith, also claiming to be sent by God to give the true teaching.

There is also the Unification Church (Moonies), founded in the 20th century in Korea. Its founder, Sun Myung Moon, claimed that Jesus Christ, Buddha, and other religious figures appeared to him, who could be considered heavenly messengers.

From this, we conclude that not every appearance of an angel means that the angel is sent by the Most High. The apostle Paul warns us about this:

Galatians 1:8 (NIV): But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!

The Most High fulfilled what He promised from the beginning. We must follow this truth, because truth and salvation are in Christ, and his teaching grants eternal life.

Ephesians 3:11 (NIV): according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Any distortion of the doctrine given by Christ and His apostles, even if presented by an angel, brings a curse and leads away from the truth, eternal life, and the Most High God.

Is a Person Saved by Doing Good Works? God's Righteousness vs. Self-Righteousness | Bible Study.

Is a person saved who does many good deeds, for example, constantly helping children with cancer and paying for their treatment, or caring for the terminally ill in a hospice?

Many Christians today are confused and have been deceived by false teachers, moving away from salvation by grace—that is, through the direct action of God Himself and His Spirit. They trust more in themselves and their own strength, hoping to attain righteousness and salvation through good works or through the works of the Law of Moses, which is fundamentally impossible.

The Apostle Paul faced this very issue and wrote that there are two kinds of righteousness: true righteousness (or righteousness granted by God through a person's faith) and false righteousness that a person thinks they can obtain through what they themselves do or through the efforts of their flesh—for example, large sums of charitable donations, restrictions on eating certain foods, observing religious rituals, or even abstaining from marriage.

Many do not understand what true righteousness is or how to obtain it, and therefore they try to make themselves righteous.

Romans 10:3 (NIV): "Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness."

There is a righteousness that God Himself gives. There is a false righteousness that people establish, which is based on human effort.

What is the true righteousness that comes from God through faith?

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV):

26"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

27"And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."

In these verses, we see that it is God Himself who changes a person's inner nature or spirit. God Himself removes the old spirit from a person and gives a new Spirit, or as it is written: "my Spirit"—meaning God gives His Holy Spirit, and His Spirit influences the person.

FOR A PERSON TO ACT ACCORDING TO GOD'S WILL, GOD HIMSELF MUST CHANGE THEIR INNER NATURE OR SPIRIT, REMOVE THE OLD SPIRIT THAT CARRIED SIN, AND GIVE THE PERSON THE SPIRIT OF GOD, WHICH CARRIES THE NATURE OR ESSENCE OF GOD HIMSELF. AS A RESULT, THE PERSON IS TRANSFORMED AND BECOMES DIFFERENT IN THEIR INNER NATURE, AND THIS SPIRIT FROM GOD CAUSES THE PERSON TO STRIVE TO FULFILL GOD'S STATUTES AND COMMANDS.

We see that it is God Himself who makes a person righteous because a person cannot, by their own power, change their inner nature or spirit, nor free themselves from the old spirit in which sin dwells.

How does God remove the old spirit or sinful nature?

This happens only through faith in the Savior whom God Himself provided.

Galatians 6:14-15 (NIV):

14"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

15"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation."

The Apostle Paul emphasizes that what matters is becoming a new creation or a new being of God who has the Spirit of God in their heart, and not just relying on one's own efforts and good works, because without faith in Christ, they mean nothing.

Through the preaching of the Gospel, believers receive the new birth and are born of God, and the Spirit of God begins to give them a mindset pleasing to God, thereby changing their behavior and making them righteous people who fulfill God's will more and more until they become like Christ in everything.

2 Corinthians 3:3-6 (NIV):

3"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

4"Such confidence we have through Christ before God."

5"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God."

6"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

You become like Christ only through the action of the Holy Spirit in you, and that is the action of God's grace, and it happens by your faith in God and your reliance on Him.

As an example, let's look at how God saved a good and kind man, the Roman army centurion Cornelius, who did many good works. Although God valued him, all these good works did not save Cornelius.

Acts 10:1-2 (NIV):

1"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment."

2"He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly."

We see that Cornelius was very pleasing to God because of what he did:

· Devout and God-fearing: means he was a believer, he honored God, and followed His commands.

· He gave generously to the needy.

· He prayed to God regularly.

But all these good deeds did not guarantee this man's salvation.

For Cornelius to receive salvation, along with his family and loved ones, God arranged for the Apostle Peter to come to his house and tell him that God saves people through the Savior Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:3-6 (NIV):

3"One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, 'Cornelius!'"

4"Cornelius stared at him in fear. 'What is it, Lord?' he asked. The angel answered, 'Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God."

5"Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter."

6"He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.'"

Despite the fact that Cornelius was a devout man and did many good things, he still needed, for his salvation, to believe in Jesus Christ so that he could be born again and become a new creation in Christ, so that God could replace his spirit and remove the sinful spirit from his heart, and instead give him His Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:21-22 (NIV):

21"Peter went down and said to the men, 'I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?'"

22"The men replied, 'We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say. '"

God even used His angel to convince Cornelius to call Peter to his house so that Peter could tell him about Jesus Christ and how God saves people through Christ.

Acts 10:33-48 (NIV):

33"So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us. "

34"Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism"

35"but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right."

36"You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."

37"You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—"

38"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,"

40"but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen."

41"He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."

42"He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. "

43"All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. "

44"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message."

45"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles."

46"For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,"

47"'Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.'"

48"So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days."

Faith in Christ the Savior and the new birth from God through this faith are strictly necessary for a person to enter the kingdom of God and inherit eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV):

8"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—"

9"not by works, so that no one can boast."

God Himself saves people through Christ, and no one will be able to boast that they saved themselves through good works or anything else.

A person cannot overcome the sinful nature by their own strength; only the power and might of God's Holy Spirit ensure victory over the power of sin.

If it were possible for people to be saved through good works or the works of the Law of Moses, then Jesus Christ would have had no need to come into this world and die a martyr's death for the sins of people.

God Himself saved you, and good works appear as a consequence of God having transformed you and given you a new Spirit that compels you to do works pleasing to God.

Sin enslaved all of humanity through Adam. When God created Adam, all of humanity was created in him and placed in him. When Adam sinned and chose to follow the serpent (Satan), all of humanity sinned in him and was sold as a slave to sin, subjected to Satan, because he is the ruler of the kingdom of sin and darkness. Adam chose rebellion against God and submission to Satan. This is clearly written in the Holy Scriptures.

Romans 5:12-19 (NIV):

12"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—"

13"To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law."

14"Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come."

15"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!"

16"Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."

17"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"

18"Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people."

19"For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."

Through one man, Adam, Satan took dominion over all humanity; likewise, through one man, Jesus Christ, God frees people by faith from the slavery of sin and makes them His children, who have one Spirit with God.

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 (NIV):

21"For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man."

22"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

23"But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him."

Likewise, liberation from death will occur when Christ returns: just as through Adam all became mortal, so through Christ all who believe in Him will obtain immortality and eternal life.

The action of the Holy Spirit from a person's heart ensures that the person acts righteously. It is the Spirit of God who teaches the person and gives them a full and deep knowledge of the truth, and frees them from all error.

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV):

11"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people."

12"It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,"

13"while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"

14"who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."

The grace of God, that is, the action of His Holy Spirit, is aimed at making a person stop sinning and begin to do good works pleasing to God, and ultimately become like Christ.

1 John 5:18 (NIV): "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them."

1 John 3:9 (NIV): "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God."

We see that a sinless life is only ensured by God Himself, through the influence of His Holy Spirit. And it is precisely by the Holy Spirit living in the heart of the born-again believer that all sinful manifestations in the believer's life are suppressed and destroyed.

Here is a list of the main sins that manifest in people:

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV):

19"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;"

20"idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions"

21"and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Next are listed the character qualities that the Spirit of God produces in believers:

Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV):

22"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,"

23"gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

24"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

25"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

26"Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Romans 8:12-14 (NIV):

12"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it."

13"For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."

14"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God."

Believe in God and rely on the saving grace He gives you, which ensures your salvation, freedom from all consequences of Adam's fall, and your spiritual growth. This is the action of God's Holy Spirit in you, and also through you for the good of others.

Satan's Oldest Trick: Distorting God's Word | Bible Study (KJV).

 Both in ancient times and today, Satan uses the same simple method to fool believing people. This method is to distort the word of God, or to add to it, or to take away from it.

The same method by which Satan, the serpent, fooled Adam and Eve is still in effect today, and he is attacking Christians with it again: "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said..." (Genesis 3:1).

God gave us His Word and teaching through Christ, and this teaching cannot be distorted by any human additions or subtractions.

John 17:8 (KJV): "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me."

Many believers have not learned from the example of Adam and Eve and fall for the serpent's deception as well. Throughout the thousand-year history of Christianity, a huge number of human teachings and traditions of elders have been introduced into Christian doctrine, while others have thrown out parts of the doctrine as unnecessary, thinking that God gave them something superfluous. They are stepping on the same rake as the scribes and Pharisees of Christ's time on Earth, and in essence, they are just like those HYPOCRITES who teach people to follow human doctrines.

People consider themselves smarter than God, so they begin to add their own human commandments to His teaching. They present themselves as worshipers of God, but they distort His commandments and teachings, which shows that in their hearts they do not respect God at all and are hypocrites, pretending to be His followers and admirers.

Matthew 15:3-8 (KJV):

3 But he answered and said unto them,Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

4 For God commanded,saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

5 But ye say,Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

6 And honour not his father or his mother,he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

7 Ye hypocrites,well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Mark 7:6-7 (KJV):

6 He answered and said unto them,Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me,teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

God, who in His wisdom created the entire universe, gave through Christ an absolutely perfect and ideal teaching to which nothing needs to be added and from which nothing needs to be taken away. This teaching saved people in the time of Christ and His apostles, and in our time, this teaching is sufficient for salvation. All human teachings, traditions, and decrees that people add to the doctrine given by God lead to problems and sin, to arguments and divisions in Christianity.

Isaiah 28:13 (KJV): "But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

The apostles also had to fight against those who tried to add their own commandments, decrees, and traditions to the teaching of Christ. The apostles of Christ urged the disciples to strictly follow only the teaching that came from God through Christ and to reject human teachings.

2 John 1:9-11 (KJV):

9 Whosoever transgresseth,and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

10 If there come any unto you,and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV):

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

7 Which is not another;but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But though we,or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before,so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2 Corinthians 4:2 (KJV): "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV): "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe."

If a believer is wise, he will check what is preached to him against the teaching of Christ and the apostles, just as the noble Bereans did—the disciples to whom Paul and Silas preached in Berea, a Greek city.

Acts 17:11 (KJV): "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

Satan distorts doctrine with the goal of sowing divisions among Christians, and he does this precisely on the basis of those human teachings that are introduced into Christianity.

Romans 16:17-18 (KJV):

17 Now I beseech you,brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ,but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Today, Christianity is divided into many churches and denominations, and human teachings and the distortion of Christ's doctrine are largely to blame. Satan has managed to divide the body of Christ, and now in the body of Christ (His church) there is no complete unity. Some teach one thing, others another, and heresies and human teachings that promote division flourish contrary to God's will.

Isaiah 28:13 (KJV): "But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken."

Orthodox churches, in particular, have been drawn by Satan into this snare, as they have accepted a huge number of traditions of elders that often contradict God's commandments.

For example, Jesus Christ gave a perfect teaching, and in it, He clearly taught about prayer: that one must pray exclusively to God. However, in Orthodox churches, they teach prayer to deceased saints and even to angels. This is a purely human teaching, as it does not align with the teaching of Christ. It leads to God losing communion with His children; instead of building a relationship with the Heavenly Father, Christians pray to the dead—something Jesus never taught.

Such prayers to deceased saints carry the danger that people begin to honor the dead saints more than God, which is the sin of idolatry. Many pray more to the Virgin Mary than to God, thereby placing her above Him. These people are fooled by Satan through sentimental human teachings; they have become idolaters.

Matthew 15:6 (KJV): "...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

Entire services are dedicated to angels and deceased saints, directly violating the commandment that says: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" (Matthew 4:10 / Luke 4:8). These people serve the creation instead of the Creator, and because of this sin, they receive a reprobate mind.

Romans 1:25-32 (KJV):

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie,and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections:for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men,leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29 Being filled with all unrighteousness,fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30 Backbiters,haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

31 Without understanding,covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

32 Who knowing the judgment of God,that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.