The Advent Truth
What are the first and second greatest commandments? Jesus answered that question plainly:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” And, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

But here’s the part law-haters conveniently leave out: Jesus wasn’t abolishing the Ten Commandments. He was summarizing them.

Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. And what surrounds those verses?

Deuteronomy 5 gives the Ten Commandments, then Deuteronomy 6 explains that obedience flows from wholehearted love for God. Leviticus 19 likewise commands honoring parents, keeping God’s Sabbaths, rejecting idols, refusing to steal, lie, defraud, murder, hate, or covet—and then says, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

So what does loving God look like? The first four commandments show us. What does loving our neighbor look like? The last six commandments show us.

That is precisely why Jesus concluded:

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” — Matthew 22:40

Notice He didn't say, “These two commandments replace the law.” He said the law hangs upon them.

Imagine someone saying, “The whole door hangs on these two hinges,” and responding, “Great! Then throw away the door!”

The two great commandments are the principles upon which God's law hangs. Love doesn't abolish God's commandments; love fulfills them.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” — 1 John 5:3

You cannot use LOVE to abolish the very commandments Scripture says love causes us to keep.

Jesus settled this one.

28 Beleifs # 24
CHRIST'S MINISTRY IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY

There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle that the Lord set up and not humans. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefits of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. At His ascension, He was inaugurated as our great High Priest and, began His intercessory ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. In 1844, at the end of the prophetic period of 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry, which was typified by the work of the high priest in the most holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the ultimate disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent.

Conflict and Courage.
Habakkuk
Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4.
At the time Josiah began to rule, and for many years before, the truehearted in Judah were questioning whether God's promises to ancient Israel could ever be fulfilled....

These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart in the inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” ... And then, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God's love for His trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” With this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God....

The faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God's people today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. “The just shall live by his faith.” ...

We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and apostles have testified—the faith that lays hold on the promises of God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way. The sure word of prophecy will meet its final fulfillment in the glorious advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords.... With the prophet who endeavored to encourage Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message, “The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come.” 36Prophets and Kings, 384-388.

The Advent Truth
If the end times make you anxious, remember the illustration Jesus Himself gave us.

In Matthew 24:8, after describing wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and turmoil, Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” The word translated “sorrows” carries the idea of birth pains.

Birth pains can be frightening. They intensify. They become more frequent. But they aren't meaningless pain—they are announcing that something is about to be born.

Jesus didn't give Matthew 24 to terrify His people. He gave it so that when these things happen, we would recognize where we are and know that He already saw it coming.

Think about what birth pains mean: the closer the pains come, the closer the arrival.

Yes, this world is groaning. Yes, prophecy is moving toward its fulfillment. But God is also preparing a people to meet Jesus.

And while prophecy moves forward, heaven is not looking for an excuse to shut people out. God is doing everything consistent with His character, His Word, and human freedom to bring people IN.

“The Lord is... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9

Every additional moment is mercy. Every conviction is mercy. Every sermon, Bible study, providential encounter, warning, and invitation to repentance is evidence that heaven is still reaching for souls.

So don't spend the final moments trembling over what Satan is doing.

Look at what Jesus is doing.

The same Christ who told us the birth pains would come also said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14:1)

Prophecy isn't telling God's children, “Be terrified.”

It's telling us:

Jesus is coming.
Jesus is preparing His people.
Jesus is still saving souls.
And Jesus will not abandon you now.

The birth pains aren't merely telling us that this world is ending.

They're telling us that something infinitely better is almost here.

The Advent Truth.
CONSCIOUSNESS DOES NOT DETERMINE HUMAN VALUE.

One increasingly common argument says that ending the life of a developing child isn't really taking a human life because the child isn't yet conscious.

But think carefully about that standard.

Since when does consciousness determine whether a human being has the right to live?

A person who is asleep isn't consciously aware of the world around them. A patient under general anesthesia isn't consciously experiencing their surroundings. Someone knocked unconscious in an accident may temporarily have no awareness whatsoever.
Would that make intentionally ending their life acceptable?

Of course not.

That's because our value as human beings isn't created by our current level of consciousness.

And there's another problem: newborn babies don't possess anything close to the developed self-awareness, reasoning ability, memory, or cognitive capacity of adults. If consciousness determines human worth, exactly HOW MUCH consciousness is enough?

Where is the line?

And who gets to draw it?
The Bible gives us a radically different foundation for human value:

"So God created man in his own image..." — Genesis 1:27

Our value comes from WHO created us—not how much we can currently think, understand, communicate, remember, or accomplish.

David said:

"Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb... Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect." — Psalm 139:13,16

Jeremiah was told:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee." — Jeremiah 1:5

And Luke describes John before birth using the Greek word brephos—"baby"—the SAME word used for Jesus after His birth (Luke 1:41,44; 2:12,16).

Before birth and after birth: a developing human life.
Human worth cannot safely be based on intelligence, independence, size, location, development, or consciousness. Once we make human dignity dependent upon possessing certain abilities, human rights stop being inherent and become something the powerful decide who qualifies for.

Human life has value because human beings bear the image of God.

The Advent Truth.
“New covenant” does not mean “no law,” and “a new commandment” does not mean Jesus replaced the Ten Commandments with a vague command to love.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34). What was new? Not the command to love. Leviticus 19:18 had already commanded, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” centuries earlier.

And Jeremiah 31 actually proves the opposite of the “law abolished” argument. God describes the NEW COVENANT Himself:

“I will put MY LAW in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33).

Notice what God does NOT say: “I will abolish My law and replace it with another law.” The difference is where the law is written. Under the new covenant, God writes His law upon the HEART.

Hebrews repeats Jeremiah’s prophecy: “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10; cf. 10:16).

Yes, Jesus said, “This cup is the new testament Abdulaziz Ibn Muhammad in my blood” (Luke 22:20). His blood ratifies the new covenant—but what covenant does Jeremiah say it is? The covenant in which GOD WRITES HIS LAW ON OUR HEARTS.

The problem with the old covenant was never that God’s moral law was defective. Scripture says, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). Hebrews identifies the problem: “finding fault with them” (Hebrews 8:8). The people promised, “All that the LORD hath spoken we will do” (Exodus 19:8), but human strength could not produce obedience.

The new covenant provides what the old covenant experience lacked: forgiveness through Christ, a transformed heart, and God’s Spirit producing obedience from within.

And what does love look like?

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).

Grace doesn’t erase God’s law. Grace writes it deeper.

The old covenant could point to righteousness. The new covenant puts Christ within us to live it.

The Advent Truth.
John 13:34 is one of the most misunderstood verses in Scripture. Many claim Jesus replaced the Ten Commandments with one new command: “Love one another.” But is that what He actually said?

First, loving your neighbor wasn’t new. Leviticus 19:18 had already commanded God’s people, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Jesus said, “As I have loved you.” He was calling His followers to the self-sacrificing, cross-centered love that He Himself demonstrated. The command wasn’t replacing God’s law—it was revealing its fullest expression.

In Matthew 22:36-40, Jesus summarized the law with two great commandments. But notice where He quoted them from. “Love the Lord thy God” comes from Deuteronomy 6:5, and “Love thy neighbour as thyself” comes from Leviticus 19:18. The context of both passages is obedience to God’s commandments. Deuteronomy 6 follows the repetition of the Ten Commandments in chapter 5, while Leviticus 19 repeatedly calls Israel to keep God’s statutes and includes commands that reflect the second table of the Decalogue. Jesus wasn’t replacing the Ten Commandments—He was summarizing them.

What does loving God look like? Worship Him alone. Don’t make idols. Honor His name. Remember His Sabbath.

What does loving your neighbor look like? Honor your parents. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t covet.

Paul agreed. In Romans 13:8-10 he quoted commandments against adultery, murder, theft, and coveting before concluding, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.”

John agreed too. The same apostle who recorded John 13:34 later wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3).

The Bible never pits love against obedience. It unites them.

The world says, “Just love.”

Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

It’s not my opinion, it’s the Advent Truth.

The Advent Truth.
The devil wants you to believe you’ve gone too far. Jesus says, “Come unto Me.”

Maybe you’ve fallen. Maybe you’ve stumbled again. Maybe you’re tired of fighting the same battle. But hear this: the very fact that you’re still fighting is evidence that the Holy Spirit hasn’t given up on you.

Jesus is still your High Priest. He still presents His blood before the Father on behalf of those who come to Him in repentance (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2). As long as there’s breath in your lungs, there’s still an invitation to receive His grace.

Yes, we’re living in serious times. Prophecy is being fulfilled. The world is growing darker. But if all you do is stare at the storm, fear will consume you. Keep your eyes on the One who walks on the water.

Revelation repeatedly says, “To him who overcomes…” The Greek idea isn’t describing someone who never falls. It’s describing the one who keeps overcoming—the one who refuses to quit. Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” The righteous are not those who never fall; they’re the ones who, by God’s grace, keep getting back up.

So when Satan whispers, “Stay down. God is finished with you,” answer him with the promises of Christ. Repent. Get back up. Keep walking. Keep trusting. Keep surrendering.

Victory isn’t found in your strength. It’s found in abiding in Jesus.

If you need prayer, you’re welcome to leave a comment (keeping in mind it’s a public forum), or send me a private message or email instead.

Don’t quit now. We’re almost home.

THE ADVENT TRUTH
The debate over Junia has become one of the most common arguments used to justify women serving as pastors. But before anyone builds an entire doctrine on Romans 16:7, we should slow down and ask: What does the text actually say?

First, we don’t even know with absolute certainty that Junia was female. The earliest Greek manuscripts were written in all capital letters without accent marks. Those manuscripts do not distinguish between the feminine Junia and the masculine Junias. The accents that identify the name as feminine were added centuries later. Many scholars believe the name is feminine, while others argue it could be masculine. The point is simple: the evidence isn’t so clear that this verse should overturn the broader testimony of Scripture.

Second, even if Junia was a woman, Romans 16:7 still does not prove she held the office of pastor or elder. The Greek phrase can legitimately be translated either as “well known to the apostles” or “outstanding among the apostles.” Both renderings have scholarly support.

Third, the word apostolos simply means “one who is sent.” In the New Testament it is used in more than one way. Jesus is called an Apostle (Hebrews 3:1). The Twelve were apostles. Paul was an apostle. Barnabas is called an apostle (Acts 14:14), and Epaphroditus is literally called “your apostle” in Philippians 2:25 (though many English versions translate it “messenger”). The word does not always refer to the governing office established by Christ.

Finally, Romans 16 never calls her an elder, overseer, bishop, or pastor. When Scripture specifically gives the qualifications for those offices in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, it lays out a consistent pattern.

A single debated name, a debated translation, and a debated use of the word “apostle” are not enough to overturn the clear pattern of Scripture. Sound doctrine is built by harmonizing all the evidence—not by allowing one difficult verse to reinterpret the rest of the Bible.

The Advent Truth.
Galatians 5:18 is one of the most abused verses in Scripture:

“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

Many assume that means Christians no longer have to obey God’s commandments. But keep reading.

The very next verses list “the works of the flesh”: adultery, fornication, idolatry, hatred, murder, drunkenness, and more (Gal. 5:19-21). On what basis are these called sins if God’s moral law no longer applies?

Paul answers that himself.

In Romans 7:7 he asks, “Is the law sin? God forbid.” Then he explains, “I had not known sin, but by the law.” He even gives the tenth commandment as his example: “Thou shalt not covet.”

Paul’s definition of sin hasn’t changed. The law reveals what sin is.

So what does “not under the law” mean?

Romans 6:14-15 gives the answer. Paul says believers are “not under the law, but under grace,” and immediately asks, “Shall we sin?” His response is emphatic: “God forbid.”

Clearly, “not under the law” cannot mean we’re free to break it. It means we’re no longer under its condemnation because Christ has paid our penalty.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t abolish God’s law; He writes it in our hearts (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10). Ezekiel 36:26-27 says God gives us His Spirit so that we will walk in His statutes. The Spirit empowers obedience—it never excuses disobedience.

In fact, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) is a perfect description of the righteous life God’s law has always pointed toward. Love fulfills the law (Rom. 13:8-10), not by replacing it, but by producing genuine obedience from the heart.

Grace saves us from sin’s penalty. The Spirit saves us from sin’s power. Neither gives us permission to continue living in sin.

If being led by the Spirit meant God’s commandments no longer mattered, then the Spirit would be leading people to violate the very law He inspired.

That’s impossible.