12
Ang kahubaran ng kapatid na babae ng iyong ama ay huwag mong ililitaw: siya'y kamaganak na malapit ng iyong ama.
Levitico 18:12
Doctrine of Life # 2
2. That religion is a way of life, and that its life is the doing of good, is something everyone sees who reads the Word and on reading it acknowledges it.
We find in the Word the following declarations:
Whoever...breaks...the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ...I say to you, ...unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19-20)
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7:19-20)
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord, ” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name..., and in Your name done many wonders?” But then I will declare to them, “I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)
...everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, I will liken to a prudent man who built his house upon the rock.... But everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. (Matthew 7:24, 26)
(Jesus said:) “...a sower went out to sow. ...some seed fell on the hard road; ...some...on stony places...; some...among thorns...; and some...on good ground....
“He who received seed on the good ground, that is, who hears the Word and pays attention, (is) someone who therefore bears and produces fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
(When Jesus said this, He cried out, saying, ) “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:3-9, 23, 43)
[2] ...the Son of man will come in the glory of His Father..., and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27)
...the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it. (Matthew 21:43)
When the Son of Man comes in His glory..., then He will sit on the throne of His glory.... (And He) will say to (the sheep) on His right hand, “Come, you blessed...(and) inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”
Then the righteous will answer..., saying, “...when did we see You (so)...?
(But) the King will answer and say..., “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of...My brethren, you did it to Me.”
(And the King will say the like to the goats on the left hand; and because they did not do these things He will say, ) “Go ye from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his messengers. (Matthew 25:31-46)
[3] ...produce fruits worthy of repentance.... Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Luke 3:8-9)
(Jesus said, ) “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord, ’ and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, ...is like a man who built a house (and) laid the foundation on rock.... But he who hears and does not do is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation....” (Luke 6:46-49)
(Jesus said, ) “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21)
(Then) you will begin to stand...and knock at the door, saying, “Lord, Lord, open for us.” (But) He will answer and say to you, “I do not know you, where you are from.... Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:25-27)
[4] This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, (but) men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. ...everyone who does evil hates the light..., lest his deeds be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, (since) they have been done in God. (John 3:19-21)
...and they shall come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5:29)
We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. (John 9:31)
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:17)
If you love Me, keep My commandments.... He who has My commandments and does them, it is he who loves Me..., and I will love him and manifest Myself to him..., and (I) will come to him and make (My) abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words. (John 14:15, 21-24)
(Jesus said, ) I am the...vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; but every branch that produces fruit He prunes, that it may produce more fruit. (John 15:1-2)
In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and become My disciples. (John 15:8)
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.... ...I chose you...that you should...bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.... (John 15:14, 16)
[5] (The Lord said to John, ) “ To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘...I know your works.... ...I have this against you, that you have left your first charity. ...repent and do the first works, or else...I will...remove your lampstand from its place....’ ” (Revelation 2:1-2, 4-5)
“...to the angel of the church of the people of Smyrna write, ‘...I know your works...’ ” (Revelation 2:8-9)
“...to the angel of the church in Pergamum write, ‘...I know your works.... Repent....’ ” (Revelation 2:12-13, 16)
“...to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘...I know your works and charity..., and (your) last (works) more than the first.’ ” (Revelation 2:18-19)
“...to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘...I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, when you are dead. ...I have not found your works perfect before God.... ...repent.’ ” (Revelation 3:1-3)
“...to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘...I know your works.’ ” (Revelation 3:7-8)
“...to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘...I know your works.... ...repent....’ ” (Revelation 3:14-15, 19)
...I heard a voice from heaven saying..., “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” ...says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors; their works follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
...a book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged...in accordance with the things which were written in their books..., all according to their works. (Revelation 20:12-13)
Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12)
[6] So, too, in the Old Testament:
...repay them according to their work and according to the doing of their hands. (Jeremiah 25:14)
(Jehovah, whose) eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works. (Jeremiah 32:19)
I will punish him according to his ways, and repay him his works. (Hosea 4:9)
...Jehovah... according to our ways, according to our deeds, has dealt with us. (Zechariah 1:6) And in many other places [we are told] that the people were to obey the statutes, commandments and laws. As for example:
You shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does them, he shall live through them. (Leviticus 18:5)
You shall observe all My statutes and... My judgments, in order to obey them. (Leviticus 19:37, cf. 20:8, 22:31) The blessings [enumerated] if they obeyed the commandments, and the curses if they did not (Leviticus 26:4-46).
The children of Israel were commanded “to make a fringe on the edges of their garments,” so as to “remember all the commandments of Jehovah and obey them” (Numbers 15:38-39).
And so on in a thousand other places.
[7] That works are what make a person a person of the church, and that he is saved in accordance with them, is something the Lord also taught in His parables, many of which involve the idea that people who do good are accepted, and that those who do evil are rejected. See, for example, the parable of the husbandmen in the vineyard in Matthew 21:33-44; of the fig tree that did not produce fruit in Luke 13:6-9; of the talents and minas which were to be used in trade in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:13-25; of the Samaritan who bound up the wounds of the man injured by thieves in Luke 10:30-37; of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31; and of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12.
Luke 18
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He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
2
saying, "There was a judge in a certain city who didn't fear God, and didn't respect man.
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A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, 'Defend me from my adversary!'
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He wouldn't for a while, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,
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yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.'"
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The Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.
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Won't God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them?
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I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
9
He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others.
10
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
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The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
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I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.'
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But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
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I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
15
They were also bringing their babies to him, that he might touch them. But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
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Jesus summoned them, saying, "Allow the little children to come to me, and don't hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
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Most certainly, I tell you, whoever doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, he will in no way enter into it."
18
A certain ruler asked him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
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Jesus asked him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good, except one--God.
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You know the commandments: 'Don't commit adultery,' 'Don't murder,' 'Don't steal,' 'Don't give false testimony,' 'Honor your father and your mother.'"
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He said, "I have observed all these things from my youth up."
22
When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me."
23
But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.
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Jesus, seeing that he became very sad, said, "How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!
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For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."
26
Those who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?"
27
But he said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
28
Peter said, "Look, we have left everything, and followed you."
29
He said to them, "Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or wife, or brothers, or parents, or children, for the Kingdom of God's sake,
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who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the world to come, eternal life."
31
He took the twelve aside, and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.
32
For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.
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They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again."
34
They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn't understand the things that were said.
35
It happened, as he came near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the road, begging.
36
Hearing a multitude going by, he asked what this meant.
37
They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.
38
He cried out, "Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!"
39
Those who led the way rebuked him, that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "You son of David, have mercy on me!"
40
Standing still, Jesus commanded him to be brought to him. When he had come near, he asked him,
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"What do you want me to do?" He said, "Lord, that I may see again."
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Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you."
43
Immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, praised God.
