“THE LAW”

“Quality of Life Series”

May 12, 2005

 

LEADER:  "Somebody figured it out — we have 35 million laws trying       

                   to enforce Ten Commandments."

Earl Wilson 1907-1987 American newspaper columnist       

FROM:  http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

Are the Ten Commandments as relevant today as they were when Moses first held the tablets in his arms?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #1

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."

Ronald Reagan 1911-2004    40th US President

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #2

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community."

Saint Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 

Italian theologian/scholastic philosopher

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #3

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Law is order, and good law is good order."

Aristotle 384-322 BC
Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #4

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

“Where law ends tyranny begins."

Willilam Pitt 1708-1778 English statesman

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #5

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law."

Dwight Eisenhower 1890-1969 34th US President

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #6

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."

Aristotle 384-322 BC
Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #7

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Our human laws are but the copies, more or less imperfect, of the eternal laws, so far as we can read them."

James Anthony Froude 1818 1894 British historian

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #8

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law."

Martin Luther King Jr 1929-1968

Civil rights leader/Clergyman, Nobel Peace Prize in 1964

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #9

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"We do not need more national development, we need more spiritual development. We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen."

Calvin Coolidge 1872-1933 30th US President

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #10

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"There are times when minds need to turn to simple things. Perhaps for a few of these nights all of us might do well to leave the briefcases at the office and to read again the pages of the Bible, and to re-read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.”

Wheeler McMillin- Author/Editor of Farm Journal

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #11

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity."

Lord Acton Dalberg 1834-1902 British historian

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #12

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"There is but one law for all, namely, that law which governs all law, the law of our Creator, the law of humanity, justice, equity—the law of nature, and of nations."

Edmund Burke 1729-1797 British statesman

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #13

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Let every lover of liberty, every well-wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the revolution never to violate, in the least particular, the laws of the country and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of '76 did to the support of the declaration of independence, so to the support of the constitution and laws, let every American pledge his life, his prosperity and his sacred honor. Let every man remember that to violate the laws is to trample on the blood of his fathers and to tear the charter of his own and his children's liberty. Let reverence for the laws be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap. Let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges. Let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in the legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. In short, let it become the political religion of the nation."

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 16th US President

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #1

By David Brody, Congressional Correspondent EXCERPT

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040702a.asp?option=print

Our nation has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. Our founding fathers believed the Bible to be the word of God. As we remember our nation's history, we want to give you an idea of just how much of our Christian heritage is on display in Washington D.C., our nation's Capitol.

Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it is also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Groups like the ACLU want the name of God and government to be separate but that will be pretty difficult here in our nation's capitol.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #2

By David Brody, Congressional Correspondent EXCERPT

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040702a.asp?option=print

Carrie Devorah is an investigative photojournalist behind a project called "God in the Temples of Government." She has been searching Washington for signs of a godly heritage, and boy, has she found some.

Within a few minutes walk of 17th and Constitution Avenue you bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.

·        The prophet Daniel is actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States building, which is partly funded by Congress.

·        Just down the block, there is an inscription at The Daughters of the American Revolution building. It says, "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair the event. The event is in the hands of God." There is also Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it is a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."

·        The Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the-mill government buildings. But behind one of the corner walls, is a time capsule and inside is, among other things, a Bible. It was put there by archaeologists years ago.

·        The statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed a cross on his boot. That made Devorah wonder.  She said, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion, and every time I look at that, it may be just be a decoration on a boot, but I see it as being a cross and I want it taken off."

·        The Korean Veterans Memorial has a cross and the Star of David, right there on the Korean Wall!

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #3

By David Brody, Congressional Correspondent EXCERPT

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/News/040702a.asp?option=print

David Barton, president of the Christian heritage group, Wallbuilders, says that is so true. Take the U.S. Capitol, for instance.

·        In the Rotunda, four paintings hang on the wall. You have two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol."

·        Besides the Capitol, you will find references to God at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, Senate and House office buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.

·        As we walked into the main reading room of the Library of Congress, there is a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea" shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. And there are also quotes on the wall like this: "The heavens declare the glory of God." And down the hallway in the main lobby, two Bibles are on display.

·        In the National Archives, as our camera panned down from the majestic rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor and right at the top, this: The Ten Commandments, front and center.

·        At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous quote, 'God who gave us life, gave us liberty."

·        At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation under God," "Bible" and "prayer" are everywhere.

·        In the Senate and House office buildings, there is a plaque that says "In God we trust."

·        At the Washington Monument, our CBN cameras managed to get inside the dark stairway. We found almost 200 carved plaques donated by the states. Many of them show scripture verses from the Bible, and others have sayings like "holiness to the Lord." On the outside aluminum tip, there is a Latin phrase inscribed that says 'Laus Deo,' which means 'Praise be to God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be to God' phrase is not visible. It is actually against the wall, so it is hard to see.

·        At the U.S. Supreme Court, The Ten Commandments are located in a few different places, including above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just do not go together.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Church/State”    EXCERPT

                                From:  the American Center for Law and Justice

                                http://www.aclj.org/Issues/Issue.aspx?ID=36

The Nation's history is replete with examples of acknowledgment of religious belief in the public sector. Our religious heritage is manifested in many ways that openly reflect government sponsorship and yet do not create an "establishment" problem. The employment of congressional Chaplains to offer daily prayers in the Congress is a practice that has spanned two centuries. The government has recognized as national holidays days with undeniable religious significance, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. "In God we trust" is statutorily prescribed as our national motto to be inscribed on our currency. The language "one nation under God" is included as part of the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Congress has directed the President to proclaim a National Day of Prayer each year. It is the current practice in every federal court to open proceedings with an announcement that concludes, "God save the United States and this Honorable court." A portrayal of the Ten Commandments decorates the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court, directly above the bench where the Honorable Justices are seated. As Justice Douglas observed (Zorach v. Clauson), it is only through this accommodation that government can "follow the best of our traditions" and "respect the religious nature of our people."

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Supreme Court Must Uphold Constitutionality of  Ten Commandments”  EXCERPTS

http://www.aclj.org/news/Read.aspx?ID=1240

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), specializing in constitutional law, said today (March 2, 2005) the Supreme Court of the United States has an important opportunity to uphold the history and heritage of our nation by declaring public displays of the Ten Commandments constitutional.  The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in support of the Commandments displays in the Texas and Kentucky cases heard by the court today.

“This is not about endorsing a specific religion, but recognizing the fact that the Ten Commandments have played a vital role in the development of our legal history and heritage,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, who attended the oral arguments and is involved in numerous Commandments cases, including two pending before the high court.  “The Commandments have played a key role in the development of Western law and represent an integral part of the legal underpinnings of our system.  No one denies the religious significance the Commandments hold for many.  But that does not render them unconstitutional.  The high court has repeatedly acknowledged that many of our legal, political, and personal values derive historically from religious teachings.  And the court has long acknowledged that when religion and culture intersect there are traditions and practices that are appropriate.  We’re hopeful the high court determines the Commandments to be not only appropriate, but constitutional as well.”

The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in both the Texas and Kentucky cases. 

The brief states:  “To require its removal from the walls of American courthouses and other public settings because it refers to the God of Israel as a source of fundamental legal obligations would be similar to requiring the removal of the Declaration of Independence because it refers to ‘Nature’s God’ and to ‘the Creator’ and to ‘divine providence’ as the source of the equality of all persons and of the universal rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten    

Commandments” #1 By David Barton  EXCERPTS

 http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

Opponents to the public display of the Ten Commandments offer several grounds for their objections, including that “there is no ‘standard version’ of the Ten Commandments”; that “there is not agreement on exactly what constitutes the Ten Commandments”; and that “the Ten Commandments are not a ‘secular’ moral code that everyone can agree on” and therefore are not appropriate to be included in a display of documents that have helped shape America’s history. In fact, these groups warn that “if the Decalog [sic] was publicly displayed” it “could create religious friction, leading to feelings of anger and of marginalization” and that “these emotions are precisely the root causes of the Columbine High School tragedy.”

Modern critics, while conceding “six or five Commandments are moral and ethical rules governing behavior,” also point out that because the remaining “four of the Ten Commandments are specifically religious in nature,” that this fact alone should disqualify their display. They assert that only one of the two “tablets” of the Ten Commandments is appropriate for public display.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten    

Commandments” #2 By David Barton  EXCERPTS

 http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

Noah Webster, the man personally responsible for Article I, Sec. 8, ¶ 8, of the U. S. Constitution, explained two centuries ago:

“The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow men.”

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten    

Commandments” #3 By David Barton  EXCERPTS

 http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

This affidavit will demonstrate that, historically speaking, neither courts nor civil officers were confused or distracted by the so-called “various versions” of the Decalogue and that each of the Ten Commandments became deeply embedded in both American law and jurisprudence. This affidavit will establish that a contemporary display of the Ten Commandments is the display of a legal and historical document that dramatically impacted American law and culture with a force similar only to that of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

LEADER:  12 of the first 13 colonies derived their civil laws from the entire 10 Commandments. Rhode Island used only the second tablet of the 10 Commandments. Here are some examples:

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Connecticut”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut-established in 1638-39 as the first written constitution in America and considered as the direct predecessor of the U. S. Constitution -declared that the Governor and his council of six elected officials would “have power to administer justice according to the laws here established; and for want thereof according to the rule of the word of God.”

 In 1672, Connecticut revised its laws and reaffirmed its civil adherence to the laws established in the Scriptures, declaring:

The serious consideration of the necessity of the establishment of wholesome laws for the regulating of each body politic hath inclined us mainly in obedience unto Jehovah the Great Lawgiver, Who hath been pleased to set down a Divine platform not only of the moral but also of judicial laws suitable for the people of Israel; as . . . laws and constitutions suiting our State.  Following each capital law was given the Bible verse on which that law was based.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “Rhode Island”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

In 1638, the Rhode Island government adopted “all those perfect and most absolute laws of His, given us in His holy word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby. Exod. 24. 3, 4; 2 Chron. II. 3; 2 Kings. II. 17.”

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “New Haven Colony”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

In 1639, the New Haven Colony adopted its “Fundamental Articles” for the governance of that Colony, and when the question was placed before the colonists:

“Whether the Scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men in all dut[ies] which they are to perform to God and men as well in the government of families and commonwealths as in matters of the church, this was assented unto by all, no man dissenting as was expressed by holding up of hands.”

LEADER:  On the wallbuilders.com website, 62 specific examples are given pertaining to the individual Commandments.
And many of the framers of the Constitution & Supreme Court Justices are quoted:

                   A few examples:

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “John Adams”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

John Quincy Adams, who bore arms during the Revolution, served under four Presidents and became a President, and who was nominated (but declined) a position on the U. S. Supreme Court under President Madison, similarly declared:

“The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes . . . of universal application-laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws. . . . Vain, indeed, would be the search among the writings of profane antiquity . . . to find so broad, so complete and so solid a basis for morality as this Decalogue lays down.”

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Thomas Jefferson”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

Thomas Jefferson agreed, declaring that “the moral law” is that law “to which man has been subjected by his creator.”

HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Florida Supreme Court”

FROM:  “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” By David Barton 

http://www.wallbuilders.com/resources/search/detail.php?ResourceID=41

In 1950, the Florida Supreme Court similarly declared:

A people unschooled about the sovereignty of God, the Ten Commandments, and the ethics of Jesus, could never have evolved the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. There is not one solitary fundamental principle of our democratic policy that did not stem directly from the basic moral concepts as embodied in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) . . .

LEADER:  There is a group at faithandaction.org that spearheads The Ten Commandments Project, whose mission is to return the Word of God to the halls of government and to the national conversation. At the heart of The Ten Commandments Project is an effort to restore the moral foundations of our American culture through:

http://www.faithandaction.org/DDD10Commandments.htm

·        Presentations to elected and appointed officials (They ask recipients to display and to obey the Commandments. During these ceremonial presentations, the Gospel is shared and there is a time of prayer for our nation and her leaders.)

·        Annual conferral of the Ten Commandments Leadership Award to those who use their considerable stations in life to model and advance an understanding of the Ten Commandments.

·        Distribution of fine products bearing the Ten Commandments in their designs

·        Through the preaching and teaching of the Ten Commandments in pulpits and through printed and electronic media.

Through their efforts, more than 400 plaques of the Ten Commandments can now be seen on display in public offices on Capitol Hill and in other locations in and around Washington, DC.

LEADER:  We’ve looked at the importance of the law in our nation’s   

history and in our spiritual history…let’s look at what the New Testament says about it:

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #14

http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=870

“The law is the light that reveals how dirty the room is, not the broom that sweeps it clean.”

Dr. Phil Williams, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1976

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “A New Law” By Rodney Buchanan EXERPTS

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=32432&ContributorID=3883

As we enter the New Testament we notice substantial differences in what we have read previously in the Old Testament. God’s relationship with his people is changing. Their method of approaching God is very different. All of this was made possible by the sacrifice on the cross of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. God did not change, but through the work of Christ we were changed. This was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah when he wrote: “‘The time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord. ‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” Jeremiah 31:31-33.
In the Old Testament the law was something written on stone tablets. It was something you did. Your relationship with God was based on performance. Obeying the law of God was your duty. In the New Testament the law is written on your heart. It becomes something you want to do, not what you are obligated to do. It becomes a love relationship with God. The Old Testament law changed what you did; New Testament law changes who you are. You become a different person. You are changed from the inside out. The focus becomes the interior life. It has to do with thoughts and motives, desires and intentions, love and surrender.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Romans 6:15

15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #15

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"First, there is the law. It must be obeyed. But the law is the minimum. You must act ethically."

Buck Rodgers Ground Floor IBM Executive/Author/Speaker
from quoting from IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines

LEADER:  Regarding the 35 million laws trying to enforce Ten Commandments:

LEADER:  QUOTE #16

"If we could make a great bonfire of the thousands of laws we have in this country, and start all over again with only the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments, I am sure we would get along much better."

                   FROM:  http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

                                By Coleman Cox - Author

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #17

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law."

David Dinkins New York City Mayor
from Commenting on accusations that he failed to pay his taxes

LEADER:  When we don’t act ethically, are there consequences?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #18

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"Every person has free choice. Free to obey or disobey the Natural Laws. Your choice determines the consequences. Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices."

Alfred Montapert 1906-1997  American motivational writer

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “A Look at the Law” #1  EXERPT

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=40346&ContributorID=1399

Now the first thing that we need to recognize is that the law is necessary, the second thing is that the Christian is not exempt simply because he’s a Christian. Paul tells us in the book of 1 Corinthians 6:12  "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything. We have power to do all things because Christ has the power to forgive all things but let’s not get into that mind set.
Now keeping the law applies to the laws of the land as well as the laws of God, and if you don’t agree with them then you have every right to break them, but society has every right to punish you for it.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #19

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"No man is above the law and no man below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor."

Theodore Roosevelt 1858-1919 26th US President

LEADER:  So there are consequences for lawlessness.

                   Are there also eternal consequences?

                   What about forgiveness…what about grace?

                   Are some of us more guilty than others?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  2 Kings 17:36-37

   36"But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.   37"The statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever; and you shall not fear other gods.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Matthew 5:17-19

17"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.  18"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.   19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  James 2:10

10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

LEADER:  Are we guilty if we just think the act…does that make us less guilty in God’s eyes than those who openly break the commandments?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Matthew 5:27-28

27"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

LEADER:  Is there any of us who have not broken at least one of the commandments…even if only in your heart? 

What did God’s Word say about that?      

If we’re guilty of one, we’re guilty of all.

                   Anybody here in need of some grace?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “A Look at the Law” #2 EXERPT

http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=40346&ContributorID=1399

I am convinced that Christ stated this specifically for all those well intentioned people who are forever saying, "I’m not under law, I’m under grace." Somehow we seem to have gotten the idea that Christ stamped the Old Testament with big red letters that say "null & void." We have drawn the faulty conclusion that the Old Testament no longer matters, that it no longer applies, that it’s just a collection of historical books. Well except for the Ten Commandments, most of us would let those stand at least the two biggies, murder and adultery. And yet Christ plainly said I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.

LEADER:  So if we are under grace, is it OK to forget the law?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “The Law of Perfect Freedom” Mary Lewis  EXERPT   

                                http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=60717&ContributorID=2015

The New Testament has a lot to say about “The Law”
And much of what it says is that we are FREE from the Law. So why do we have to dust off the 10 Commandments?
Why can’t we just be free to do what we want and let God forgive us later?  We ARE free from the Law in this sense: We do not have to perfectly obey God’s Law in order to be saved.  We do not have to perfectly obey God’s Law in order to receive God’s favor, His love, His grace, His mercy.  We do not have to perfectly obey God’s Law in order to be in relationship with God.
Because Jesus made it possible for sinners to be forgiven  So He made it possible for sinners, like me, to experience the love of God every day of my life.
We know that when we ask Jesus to forgive us, when we trust Him as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our heart.  And we begin to have new desires we never had before.  Suddenly we WANT to live to please God  We never wanted to do that before.  We just wanted to please ourselves.  But when the Holy Spirit gets working on us, and if we let Him, we WANT to live a life worthy of the calling we have in Christ Jesus - the call to be His son or His daughter. And THAT’s where the LAW comes in. No longer is the Law something we have to DO in order to stay out of trouble. The Law is a guide so we can understand God’s will for us.
Rev. Richard D. Phillips, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia said this:
The law is not over us, to condemn us, but under our feet, to be a guide for our path. In saying that, it is the moral law, as reflected in the Ten Commandments, to which I refer, which we have the pleasure of obeying to the glory of God and out of gratitude for our salvation.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  QUOTE #20

                    http://www.zaadz.com/quotes/topics/laws/

"But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Thomas Morell 1703-1784
English classical scholar, supplied libretti for Handel’s oratorios
from Joshua 22:5.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Joshua 22:5

   5"Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him (B)with all your heart and with all your soul."

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Galatians 2:21

21"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Ephesians 2:8-9

8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Titus 3:1-9 & 14-15 (Godly Living)

   1Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,   2to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.   3For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.   4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,

5He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,    6whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  7so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  8This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.   9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.  

 14Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be )unfruitful.   15All who are with me greet you Greet those who love us in the faith Grace be with you all.

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  John 14:15

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

LEADER:  How do we follow the new law while respecting the old?

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  Matthew 22:36-40

36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'  38"This is the great and foremost commandment.   39"The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  40"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

HAVE SOMEONE READ:  “The Ticket”  By Dwayne Savaya

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2d/ticket.htm

There was a certain man who had worked all his life and was ready for a vacation. He wanted to go to a far away place he had never been before. He thought to himself; you are a good person, you've helped the poor and took care of the needy. So you deserve this trip.

He went to the airport and got in line to get on the plane. In his mind, he felt no need to buy a ticket because of all the great things he has done for people in his lifetime. He thought he had earned this trip. As the line got closer and closer to board the plane, he grew more and more anxious to start enjoying himself on his journey.

It came his turn to pass his ticket in and to the amazement of the ticket collector, he told her he didn't have a ticket because he deserved a free trip.

He went on to explain what a good person he was and how he never hurt anyone or caused anyone any sort of pain, but the ticket collector told him, "you still need a ticket sir"

He told her "I have never stolen from anyone, nor cheated anyone in all my life", but still she stood firm and insisted he could not board the plane unless a ticket was given to her.

He said "I have given money to the poor and fed the needy", but still not being moved the ticket collector said if you want to get on this plane you have to have a ticket. No exceptions.

The man was shocked. He walked away with his head held down low and thought to himself, "I figured if I was a good person, who never hurt anyone and took care of other people, surely I would be able to get a free ride on the plane, but I guess I was wrong".

That is what some people think of Heaven. They think if they are good people, who never hurt anyone and take care of others, they will get a free ride into Heaven. But the bible clearly says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9.

LEADER:  “The Ticket”  CONTINUED By Dwayne Savaya

http://www.sermonillustrator.org/illustrator/sermon2d/ticket.htm

Salvation is a free gift through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. No man can buy his way into Heaven, but Jesus came down to Earth in his own free will to give us Eternal Life. All we have to do is trust him by Faith and accept him into our heart as our Personal Lord and Savior. He has bought our ticket on the cross, but it is up to you to claim it.

 

LEADER:  What a blessing to live in a country with such a rich spiritual heritage… founded on the teachings of the Bible; Our forefathers built our nation and our states’ Constitutions on the principles of the Ten Commandments. 

                   We as Christians live by the law and are saved by grace.

                   May we pray for:

·         Our nation and the attack against our spiritual heritage

·         For revival in our hearts and in our nations

·         And for the opportunity to make a difference

·         And for the opportunity to share the good news of God’s grace.

 

STOP AT 15 TILL FOR

PRAYER REQUESTS AND PRAISES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CUT AND DISTRIBUTE FOR READING:

 

QUOTE #1

"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged."

Ronald Reagan 1911-2004    40th US President

 

QUOTE #2

"Law: an ordinance of reason for the common good, made by him who has care of the community."

Saint Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274  Italian theologian/scholastic philosopher

 

QUOTE #3

"Law is order, and good law is good order."

Aristotle 384-322 BC  Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

 

QUOTE #4

 “Where law ends tyranny begins."

Willilam Pitt 1708-1778 English statesman

 

QUOTE #5

"The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law."

Dwight Eisenhower 1890-1969 34th US President

 

QUOTE #6

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst."

Aristotle 384-322 BC  Greek philosopher, student of Plato, tutor of Alexander the Great

 

QUOTE #7

"Our human laws are but the copies, more or less imperfect, of the eternal laws, so far as we can read them."

James Anthony Froude 1818 1894 British historian

 

QUOTE #11

"Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity."

Lord Acton Dalberg 1834-1902 British historian

 

QUOTE #8

"A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law."

Martin Luther King Jr 1929-1968

Civil rights leader/Clergyman, Nobel Peace Prize in 1964

 

QUOTE #9

"We do not need more national development, we need more spiritual development. We do not need more intellectual power, we need more spiritual power. We do not need more knowledge, we need more character. We do not need more law, we need more religion. We do not need more of the things that are seen, we need more of the things that are unseen."

Calvin Coolidge 1872-1933 30th US President

 

QUOTE #10

"There are times when minds need to turn to simple things. Perhaps for a few of these nights all of us might do well to leave the briefcases at the office and to read again the pages of the Bible, and to re-read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.”

Wheeler McMillin- Author/Editor of Farm Journal

 

QUOTE #12

"There is but one law for all, namely, that law which governs all law, the law of our Creator, the law of humanity, justice, equity—the law of nature, and of nations."

Edmund Burke 1729-1797 British statesman

 

“Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #1

Our nation has a very rich and substantial Judeo-Christian heritage. Our founding fathers believed the Bible to be the word of God. As we remember our nation's history, we want to give you an idea of just how much of our Christian heritage is on display in Washington D.C., our nation's Capitol.

Washington D.C. is a city of power and influence, but it is also a city sparkling with the Christian heritage of this nation. Groups like the ACLU want the name of God and government to be separate but that will be pretty difficult here in our nation's capitol.

 

 

 

 

QUOTE #13

"Let every lover of liberty, every well-wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the revolution never to violate, in the least particular, the laws of the country and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of '76 did to the support of the declaration of independence, so to the support of the constitution and laws, let every American pledge his life, his prosperity and his sacred honor. Let every man remember that to violate the laws is to trample on the blood of his fathers and to tear the charter of his own and his children's liberty. Let reverence for the laws be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap. Let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges. Let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in the legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. In short, let it become the political religion of the nation."

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865 16th US President

 

 “Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #2

Carrie Devorah is an investigative photojournalist behind a project called "God in the Temples of Government." She has been searching Washington for signs of a godly heritage, and boy, has she found some.

Within a few minutes walk of 17th and Constitution Avenue you bump into so many references to God that the ACLU very well might have a fit.

·        The prophet Daniel is actually tucked behind some bushes on the property of the Organization of American States building, which is partly funded by Congress.

·        Just down the block, there is an inscription at The Daughters of the American Revolution building. It says, "Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair the event. The event is in the hands of God." There is also Proverbs 22:28 quoted for everyone to see. Maybe it is a message for the ACLU: "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set."

·        The Department of the Interior, it looked like one of your run-of-the-mill government buildings. But behind one of the corner walls, is a time capsule and inside is, among other things, a Bible. It was put there by archaeologists years ago.

·        The statue of General Jose Artigas in the middle of this busy intersection on Constitution Avenue, right on federal government property. As our camera peered in, we noticed a cross on his boot. That made Devorah wonder.  She said, "All it takes is one person to walk by and say I don't believe in God, I don't believe in religion, and every time I look at that, it may be just be a decoration on a boot, but I see it as being a cross and I want it taken off."

·        The Korean Veterans Memorial has a cross and the Star of David, right there on the Korean Wall!

 

 

 

 

“Remembering Our Christian Heritage” #3

David Barton, president of the Christian heritage group, Wallbuilders, says that is so true. Take the U.S. Capitol, for instance.

·        In the Rotunda, four paintings hang on the wall. You have two prayer meetings, a Bible study and a baptism. That's just walking into the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol."

·        Besides the Capitol, you will find references to God at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archives, Senate and House office buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Library of Congress.

·        As we walked into the main reading room of the Library of Congress, there is a bronze statue of Moses holding The Ten Commandments. On the ceiling, a painting called "Judea" shows a young Israeli woman raising her hands in prayer to God. And there are also quotes on the wall like this: "The heavens declare the glory of God." And down the hallway in the main lobby, two Bibles are on display.

·        In the National Archives, as our camera panned down from the majestic rotunda, we found a bronze medallion on the floor and right at the top, this: The Ten Commandments, front and center.

·        At the Jefferson Memorial, God's name is mentioned numerous times, including the famous quote, 'God who gave us life, gave us liberty."

·        At the Lincoln Memorial, words like "Nation under God," "Bible" and "prayer" are everywhere.

·        In the Senate and House office buildings, there is a plaque that says "In God we trust."

·        At the Washington Monument, our CBN cameras managed to get inside the dark stairway. We found almost 200 carved plaques donated by the states. Many of them show scripture verses from the Bible, and others have sayings like "holiness to the Lord." On the outside aluminum tip, there is a Latin phrase inscribed that says 'Laus Deo,' which means 'Praise be to God.' They actually have a replica of the tip inside. But the 'Praise Be to God' phrase is not visible. It is actually against the wall, so it is hard to see.

·        At the U.S. Supreme Court, The Ten Commandments are located in a few different places, including above the judge's courtroom bench. Yet even with all these references to God in our federal buildings, there are some judges out there who say God and government just do not go together.

 

“Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” #2

Noah Webster, the man personally responsible for Article I, Sec. 8, ¶ 8, of the U. S. Constitution, explained two centuries ago:

“The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables; one comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God-the other, the duties we owe to our fellow men.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Church/State”   

The Nation's history is replete with examples of acknowledgment of religious belief in the public sector. Our religious heritage is manifested in many ways that openly reflect government sponsorship and yet do not create an "establishment" problem. The employment of congressional Chaplains to offer daily prayers in the Congress is a practice that has spanned two centuries. The government has recognized as national holidays days with undeniable religious significance, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. "In God we trust" is statutorily prescribed as our national motto to be inscribed on our currency. The language "one nation under God" is included as part of the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Congress has directed the President to proclaim a National Day of Prayer each year. It is the current practice in every federal court to open proceedings with an announcement that concludes, "God save the United States and this Honorable court." A portrayal of the Ten Commandments decorates the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court, directly above the bench where the Honorable Justices are seated. As Justice Douglas observed (Zorach v. Clauson), it is only through this accommodation that government can "follow the best of our traditions" and "respect the religious nature of our people."

 

“Supreme Court Must Uphold Constitutionality of

 Ten Commandments” 

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), specializing in constitutional law, said today (March 2, 2005) the Supreme Court of the United States has an important opportunity to uphold the history and heritage of our nation by declaring public displays of the Ten Commandments constitutional.  The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in support of the Commandments displays in the Texas and Kentucky cases heard by the court today.

“This is not about endorsing a specific religion, but recognizing the fact that the Ten Commandments have played a vital role in the development of our legal history and heritage,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, who attended the oral arguments and is involved in numerous Commandments cases, including two pending before the high court.  “The Commandments have played a key role in the development of Western law and represent an integral part of the legal underpinnings of our system.  No one denies the religious significance the Commandments hold for many.  But that does not render them unconstitutional.  The high court has repeatedly acknowledged that many of our legal, political, and personal values derive historically from religious teachings.  And the court has long acknowledged that when religion and culture intersect there are traditions and practices that are appropriate.  We’re hopeful the high court determines the Commandments to be not only appropriate, but constitutional as well.”

The ACLJ filed amicus briefs in both the Texas and Kentucky cases. 

The brief states:  “To require its removal from the walls of American courthouses and other public settings because it refers to the God of Israel as a source of fundamental legal obligations would be similar to requiring the removal of the Declaration of Independence because it refers to ‘Nature’s God’ and to ‘the Creator’ and to ‘divine providence’ as the source of the equality of all persons and of the universal rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

 

“Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” #1

Opponents to the public display of the Ten Commandments offer several grounds for their objections, including that “there is no ‘standard version’ of the Ten Commandments”; that “there is not agreement on exactly what constitutes the Ten Commandments”; and that “the Ten Commandments are not a ‘secular’ moral code that everyone can agree on” and therefore are not appropriate to be included in a display of documents that have helped shape America’s history. In fact, these groups warn that “if the Decalog [10 Commandments] was publicly displayed” it “could create religious friction, leading to feelings of anger and of marginalization” and that “these emotions are precisely the root causes of the Columbine High School tragedy.”

Modern critics, while conceding “six or five Commandments are moral and ethical rules governing behavior,” also point out that because the remaining “four of the Ten Commandments are specifically religious in nature,” that this fact alone should disqualify their display. They assert that only one of the two “tablets” of the Ten Commandments is appropriate for public display.

 

 “Affidavit in Support of the Ten Commandments” #3

This affidavit will demonstrate that, historically speaking, neither courts nor civil officers were confused or distracted by the so-called “various versions” of the Decalogue and that each of the Ten Commandments became deeply embedded in both American law and jurisprudence. This affidavit will establish that a contemporary display of the Ten Commandments is the display of a legal and historical document that dramatically impacted American law and culture with a force similar only to that of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

 

“Connecticut”

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut-established in 1638-39 as the first written constitution in America and considered as the direct predecessor of the U. S. Constitution -declared that the Governor and his council of six elected officials would “have power to administer justice according to the laws here established; and for want thereof according to the rule of the word of God.”

 In 1672, Connecticut revised its laws and reaffirmed its civil adherence to the laws established in the Scriptures, declaring:

The serious consideration of the necessity of the establishment of wholesome laws for the regulating of each body politic hath inclined us mainly in obedience unto Jehovah the Great Lawgiver, Who hath been pleased to set down a Divine platform not only of the moral but also of judicial laws suitable for the people of Israel; as . . . laws and constitutions suiting our State.  Following each capital law was given the Bible verse on which that law was based.

 

“Rhode Island”

In 1638, the Rhode Island government adopted “all those perfect and most absolute laws of His, given us in His holy word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby. Exod. 24. 3, 4; 2 Chron. II. 3; 2 Kings. II. 17.”

 

“New Haven Colony”

In 1639, the New Haven Colony adopted its “Fundamental Articles” for the governance of that Colony, and when the question was placed before the colonists:

“Whether the Scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men in all dut[ies] which they are to perform to God and men as well in the government of families and commonwealths as in matters of the church, this was assented unto by all, no man dissenting as was expressed by holding up of hands.”

 

“John Adams”

John Quincy Adams, who bore arms during the Revolution, served under four Presidents and became a President, and who was nominated (but declined) a position on the U. S. Supreme Court under President Madison, similarly declared:

“The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes . . . of universal application-laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws. . . . Vain, indeed, would be the search among the writings of profane antiquity . . . to find so broad, so complete and so solid a basis for morality as this Decalogue lays down.”

 

“Thomas Jefferson”

Thomas Jefferson agreed, declaring that “the moral law” is that law “to which man has been subjected by his creator.”

 

“Florida Supreme Court”

In 1950, the Florida Supreme Court similarly declared:

A people unschooled about the sovereignty of God, the Ten Commandments, and the ethics of Jesus, could never have evolved the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. There is not one solitary fundamental principle of our democratic policy that did not stem directly from the basic moral concepts as embodied in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) . . .

 

QUOTE #14

 “The law is the light that reveals how dirty the room is, not the broom that sweeps it clean.”

Dr. Phil Williams, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1976

 

Romans 6:15

 

QUOTE #15

"First, there is the law. It must be obeyed. But the law is the minimum. You must act ethically."

Buck Rodgers Ground Floor IBM Executive/Author/Speaker
from quoting from IBM’s Business Conduct Guidelines

 

“A New Law”

As we enter the New Testament we notice substantial differences in what we have read previously in the Old Testament. God’s relationship with his people is changing. Their method of approaching God is very different. All of this was made possible by the sacrifice on the cross of Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God. God did not change, but through the work of Christ we were changed. This was predicted by the prophet Jeremiah when he wrote: “‘The time is coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord. ‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’” Jeremiah 31:31-33.
In the Old Testament the law was something written on stone tablets. It was something you did. Your relationship with God was based on performance. Obeying the law of God was your duty. In the New Testament the law is written on your heart. It becomes something you want to do, not what you are obligated to do. It becomes a love relationship with God. The Old Testament law changed what you did; New Testament law changes who you are. You become a different person. You are changed from the inside out. The focus becomes the interior life. It has to do with thoughts and motives, desires and intentions, love and surrender.

 

QUOTE #17

"I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the la