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Faith in Rule, or Faith in the Spirit?

It is said by Jesus Christ, that a proper worship is where the worship is in spirit and in truth ( John 4:23 / Alma 34:38) . It is important to note, that faith is also part of this form of worship to the Lord. Faith, properly administered, will lead a person to exercise the first commandment ( Matthew 22:37-38 ). Proper faith is designed for the expressed purpose to lead you to eternal life. With that faith, where are you to focus it? Is it to the rule or the letter of the law, or is it to the Holy Spirit? ( 2 Nephi 2:28 / Alma 22:15) .

Consider your position of faith with the Lord. Seek and see how proper faith brings us many blessings from the Spirit, because such joys lead us to eternal life. Then ask yourself these questions,

These questions speak of the Spirit of God, for it is only the Spirit that can give life...but what of the rule, the law in which expects our obedience?. Isn't the rule or law enough for us?

The rule provides a means to be obedient, to ensure we maintain a straight focus in our lives and for us to exercise the ordinances and works of the Lord. Yet the "rule alone", cannot bring you to salvation ( Mosiah 13:28 ). In the wisdom of the Lord, with his mind unto eternity, the Law of Moses was used by the Lord, as an example, to show that to follow only the rule, the letter of the word, has no power unto salvation and causes dead works. In the Old Testament, that was the Law of Moses, in the New Testament, that was the Pharisee's. In essence, if a person followed only the rule, law or the letter of the word, would find themselves absent of the Spirit and their salvation would suffer greatly. This may be a bold statement to some, but it is true. Salvation for the individual would suffer if all they focus into their lives is the rule or the law.

Why is this? - It is because the man or woman who follows only the rule or letter of the word, operates only in the extremities of God. Such a person exercises their faith in the extremity of God called a rule, thinking that this is all they need to do. Failing to realize that faith is of the spirit, not of the rule.

The heart is where we begin to find faith and rightly so, because it is the crux of the first commandment ( Matthew 22:37 ). The faith to God requires the state of heart and mind, not a state of rule. The Lord tells us that faith comes from a contrite heart and broken spirit, because it is this kind of faith that the Lord loves ( Psalms 34:18 / DC 20: 37 ) . It is the spirit that gives life, not the letter, therefore faith is of the spirit not of the letter of the law ( 2 Corinthians 3:6 ). If the law or the rule was so powerful, the Pharisee's would be beside Christ, but they were not, for they were against Christ. Why were they against Christ? One of many reasons is that the "rule" gave the Pharisee's "rule" over the people and Jesus Christ threatened it. The Pharisee's worshipped the rule or exercised faith in the rule alone, which in turn worshipped themselves. Jesus changed that by preaching how worship was to the Lord, being in spirit, and to none else. The Pharisee's saw that the worship to the Spirit, was contrary to the worship of rule, therefore against them. How can their authority have control and power over the people if their hearts are unto the Spirit and not unto the rule?

Take a sincere look and see that the rule is an "extremity" of God, having no power by itself, because the extremity called the rule is also called "works" in the scriptures. Have you read the words of James in his epistle, saying that works without faith is dead? ( James 2:26 )?

In the epistle of James, he made it clear that faith is paramount, and that works or faith alone is dead, but faith exercised through works is life (the opposite of death is life). It says that the law alone is dead, faith alone is dead also, but faith through the laws is what leads to life. Is it not true that all of us are judged, in the last days, according to our works?

This is not denouncing the laws of God, for the laws of God we must follow because they provide us a means to subjugate the wilds of the flesh and help discipline the carnal mind as we work to obtain a spiritual mind. To exist as mortal while making the effort to be spiritual is not an easy task, that I assure you. This important distinction between rule and Spirit is given by the Lord to us to see that difference between following only the rule, which was ordered over the flesh and following the Spirit, that which gives order of life unto eternal life.

Ask yourself then, even better, seriously reflect as to where your faith truly sits? Is it in the rule and not in the Spirit, making it first into the rule? Is this not against the first commandment?. If this is so for you, then where is your work unto salvation ( Philippians 2:12 ) going to lead you?

A person must know what to put first in their minds and hearts. ( DC 4:5 / DC 88: 67/ Matthew 6:22 ). The spiritual eye focuses faith and it speaks of the direction of faith, which is faith unto the Spirit of God. For nothing can be done without proper faith, (DC 8:10 / DC 63:11) which is faith properly exercised in the heart and focused to the Spirit of the Lord, that being in spirit and in truth, ( Alma 34:38 / John 4:24 ) . This is not faith unto the rule or the letter, but faith unto the Spirit, and only the Spirit. Worship can only occur in "spirit and in truth", if your faith is focused (singularily) to the Spirit of the Lord. To follow only the rule, is not faith, and is not putting faith into the Spirit of God. This, unfortunately opens the door to pride, as it was with the Pharisee's ( Jacob 2:16 / Proverbs 8:13 ).

Think of it this way. When life brings great upset, that turns your world upside down, and all the efforts to exercise rules fail, what would gain the ear of the Lord?

The answer is getting on your knees, with a broken heart, calling upon the Lord for help because that is all that is left for you to do. That is faith, and that is also the exercise of the rule or law in its proper useage, which is the law of faith, first above all things.

Amen
Mark Warbinek

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