"Hey Joe!"

Yeah?

Have you heard the news?

Who you talking to? Me? !

Am I in YOUR head? Yes, I'm talking to you!

(Joe looks sheepishly around to see if anyone is noticing him)

Ok, Ok, so now I'm hearing Voices.
I always knew the drugs and alcohol would one day catch up with me.

You can't ignore me by carrying on a conversation with yourself.
I have a lot more time and patience than you might realize.

Ok, so what do you want?

What makes you think I want something?
Actually, I would like to give you something.

Yeah, like a nervous breakdown . . .

No, something like your heart's desire.

WOW! I've found a genie!

Ok, WOW, I get 3 wishes . . . Right? Right? WOW?!!! All right then . . . I want

(So Joe starts the search . . . for worldly riches)

through . . .

Travel ...

Politics ...

Then Religion

(After much disappointment & Misery, He discovers that all is vanity)
- Romans 8:20; Ecclesiastes 1:1 -

What happened? I thought I was suppose

to get rich and famous and . . .

WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO? . . . ME?

Oh, Oh . . . the Voice ! ! !

Well, this time I know what to do!

I've been to church and they told me to say ...

Ah . . . JOE . . .

it's not Satan, this is ME . . . God!

Yea, right, OK, so if it's "God."

Then do a miracle so I know it's really you.

Well . . . let's see . . . how's this for a miracle?
I love you right now, just like you are.

How can you love me the way I am? I'm so imperfect, you know, sinful. I cuss every day, I yell at my family, I am never satisfied, I always want more, bigger, and better. I know that I am suppose to be satisfied with what I have.

So, who told you that these things are sinful?

Well, the church.

And you know . . .

You did . . .

in the 10

commandments . . .

That's funny, I do not recall having that conversation with you.
Do you mean that your religion told you about sin?

Well, yes, but, after all, you said it in your Bible.

Hmmm, well, since you are well versed in the Bible, may I ask you a question or two?

This isn't a pop quiz is it?

Nope, just wondering how much you have read and understood.
I am also curious as to how much you are quoting from what you have been told.

Ask away then.

I mean, I have read through the Bible A COUPLE OF TIMES!
And I have been going to church lately!

Well, you probably know that when Jesus hung on the cross you were forgiven of your sins?

I know that Jesus was crucified, died and resurrected on Easter Sunday morning.
And my sins are forgiven . . .

BUT ONLY . . . If I ask for forgiveness.

Well, that's pretty good. You should also know that Jesus fulfilled the law.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."

Galatians 5:14 tells how the law was fulfilled.
It says, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
You will love your neighbor as yourself."

Oh, I heard somewhere that LOVE was a commandment.
But that is only one. What about the other nine?

Good question.
First things first.
Let's take a look at the Commandment to Love.
Rom. 13:8 tells us to "Owe no one any thing, but to love one another:
for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law."

I'm confused, because I have always been taught
that we were supposed to obey ALL the commandments.

I know you're confused Joe.
Man has always thought if he could obey a bunch of rules that he would please me. But it is FAITH that pleases me. (Heb. 11:6) Look at it this way, has there ever been anyone who could follow ALL the laws?

Well, there was Jesus, YOU know. He obeyed ALL the Laws.

Did he?
Men said that he disobeyed the law when he healed on the Sabbath.
Doesn't the third commandment say to rest on the Sabbath?
He was also called a wine bibber, a glutton, a friend of publicans and sinners. (Mat. 11:19)

Yea, but Jesus was Jesus,
He could do anything He wanted and it was ok.
Men were being mean and accusing him unjustly.

But that is my point.
You see, mankind has always accused and felt accused.
They accused Jesus, they accused each other and the accusations continue even today.
This will happen as long as people try to obey a bunch of self-imposed rules.
I want man to understand that I gave the 10 COMMANDMENTS so people would realize that they sinned. Before I gave the law, men did not know what they were doing displeased me. The law is man's schoolmaster who brings him to Christ, so he might find justification by faith.
But after faith comes, he is no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:24 &25).
You just need to understand that a "schoolmaster" in Jesus' day was the servant who led the young children to the teacher and then LEFT them with the teacher.

Now I'm really confused.
All this time I thought it would make YOU happy if I obeyed ALL the commandments.
After all, the commandments did come from you God.

Yes, but remember Joe, I gave the 10, before Jesus. The New Testament tells us that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by believing in Jesus Christ, and that by believing he is justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
because no amount of "good" works will excuse him before God. (Gal 2:16)

Let me see then, that means . . .
hmmmmmm . . .
Wow, that means that I don't have to obey all the commandments then!
WOW!

Whoa . . . Joe . . . I don't believe you are understanding me.

What do you mean Lord?
I have tried all my life to figure out what you were saying in the Bible.

In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said, "You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." And the second is like it, "You will love your neighbor as YOURSELF. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Ok . . .
I think I've got that!
I do love others.
So . . .?

Man must first learn to Love HIMSELF. You see, it is impossible to love your neighbor if you do not love yourself. If you love yourself, you will love others. And this means that you will automatically demonstrate your love for God and you will obey the other commandments when you love. You will not covet, you will not cheat or kill . . . do I need to go through the list of commandments? They are all still in the Bible. If you need a reference they are in the book of Deuteronomy 5:7-21.

Hello, Joe, are you listening to me? Hello? . . . . .

Huh? What?

Oh, Sorry God, I thought you were going through the whole list.

Oh, that's the reason for the matchsticks . . .
I don't blame you for falling asleep, the list is rather tiresome and long.
You see, the problem is that man can not obey a bunch of rules to become righteous,
Jesus became your righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21).

Look at what it says in Romans 4:5, "But to him that works not,
but believes on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness."
Next, take a look at Romans 6:6-8:17.

God!
That is way too much to read,
would you please, just this once,
summarize it for me?

Ok, but try to stay awake.

It's like this, Joe, when Christ was crucified, you were crucified with him.
When He died, you died and when he resurrected you did the same.
This means that He did it not only FOR you, but he did it AS you.
The Apostle Paul taught, "If one died FOR ALL, then ALL died." (2 Cor. 5:14).
The Weymouth Translation says, "For the love of Christ overmasters us,
the conclusion at which we have arrived being this
THAT ONE HAVING DIED FOR ALL, HIS DEATH WAS THEIR DEATH." (2 Cor. 5:14).

The "for" in this context is important
because it comes from the Greek word "huper,"
which literally means "For/AS."
This signifies that Jesus not only became a "substitutionary sacrifice" for you
but He also died AS YOU.

Understand Joe, you were not there in the flesh, but just the same, it was you on that cross.
When I saw Jesus hanging there I saw you.
Romans 6:6 tells you, "Knowing this, your old self was nailed to the cross with Him,
in order that your sinful nature might be deprived of its power,
so that you should no longer be the slave of sin."

Ok, so that means that we can do anything we want because we are not under the law,
but under grace?
GREAT!
I think I'm gonna like this.

NO SIN ! ! !

Come on Joe, do you really think that I am saying you can do anything you want?

Remember who you are talking to?

I am saying that the law had rule over man until Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, the law was crucified with him. Up until that time, man had tried to obey all the rules and commandments but found that no matter how hard he tried, he failed to be righteous. (Gal 2:16). You see, I have already told mankind that when Jesus was crucified the law was also crucified. And if anyone thinks that obeying10 commandments is what makes them righteous they need only look at Galatians 2:21, where Paul says,

"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

If you continue reading you will see that I am not saying that it is OK to do anything you want,

"For, brethren, you have been called to liberty;
only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
but by love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
You will love your neighbor as YOURSELF." (Gal 5:13 & 14)

Now, do you understand what is pleasing to Me, Joe?

You love me when I love people and I try to obey your rules?

It's funny, sometimes the simple things are the hardest to understand. Picture This:

It is NOT what you do or don't do that makes you righteous.

Your righteousness was purchased for you by Jesus Christ.
Paul said in Galatians 2:21, "I DO NOT FRUSTRATE THE GRACE OF GOD:
FOR IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES BY THE LAW, THEN CHRIST IS DEAD IN VAIN."

And you know, Joe, that Christ did not die in Vain.

Yes God, that much I do know!

This means that Jesus did it all. The only thing that I want you to do now is to accept the fact that I love you just like you are.

But God, how do I DO that?

It will happen when you learn that my love is unconditional. This does NOT give you a license to sin, but it means that Sin no longer has hold over you. You are FREE to NOT sin. When you show love TO OTHERS you show love toward ME . I know you can't do this by yourself, but you do not have to do anything. It is in my spirit that you are already found perfect and complete, lacking nothing. My spirit is LOVE.

And Joe, remember, it all boils down to this. . .
DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF?
For you can only love others as much as you love yourself.

But God, I don't love myself very much. Can you show me HOW I can love ME?

First you need to know that I love you enough to give myself for you.
I laid down my life for/as you.

Most people do not realize that I was in Jesus as he hung on the cross. (2 Cor. 5:18 & 19).
I could have called down thousands of angels to stop what was going on,
but instead I purposed the crucifixion.

I have loved you from the very moment I conceived you.
I have always loved you, and I will always love you.
There is NOTHING that can separate you from my love. (Rom 8:35-39).

But I was told that I could do things that would make you send me to Hell.

I mean, that I could be so bad that there would be no way you could love me.
And I figure that if you could send me to Hell obviously you could not love me . . .
at least NOT UNCONDITIONALLY love me.

What you have been told is NOT true.
You can NOT be so bad that I can not love you. For you see, I am Love.
The Bible tells you how much I love you in 1 John 4:7-9, "Beloved, let us love one another:
for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.
In this was manifested the love of God toward us,
because God sent his only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through him."

THIS LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL.

You Can't buy it, nor can you earn it.
This means that I love you right now, just the way you are.
You will start loving yourself when you accept my unconditional love for you.
And when you love yourself, you will love others. (Rom. 5:5-8).
And if you love others, then you will NOT lie, cheat, steal or kill.
For those things will harm others and yourself.

Get the idea?

Hey God, wait a minute, if this is all true, then it really is Good News. I can see that if we just love we will do good things and be nice to other people. It makes sense that when we really show that we love others we are obeying the 10 commandments.

But I want to know WHY we have been told we have to do all kinds of things to please you? After all, it is very clear that Jesus told us that love is the fulfillment of the 10?

Well, it does take a lot of work to try to follow all the rules that man has added to my Commandments. And you are right when you realize that when you obey the one commandment,
Love, then all the others fall into place.
One would think that man would want to take the easiest way out,
but the hardest thing for man to accomplish is self love.

It is when you love yourself that you will love others,
and if you love others you will not covet, you will not lie, steal or cheat.

WOW! I think I'm beginning to understand.

I found where Jesus said "If ye keep my commandments,
ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept
my Father's commandments, and abide in his love."
Then He tells us what his commandment is. He says, "This is my commandment,
that ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:10-12)

You will also find 1 John 4:10-11 tells you, "Herein is love, not that you loved me,
but that I loved you, and sent my Son to be the propitiation for your sins.

If I so loved you, Joe, you should love one another likewise."

Man has always felt the need to earn my love rather than to accept it as free gift.
You cannot earn my love or salvation . . . it is a GIFT . . . it is FREE.

Alright God, I get the point.

. . . IT'S FREE! . . .

YOU just don't understand . . .

It's just that I don't love ME.
I have always loved you,
but I don't find many good things
to love about myself.
You see, God, it's like I said before . . .

I SIN EVERYDAY.

Now you're beginning to understand.
It IS difficult to love yourself if you feel like you continually fail at being "GOOD" and obeying a bunch of laws.

Remember. I tell you that THE LAW MAGNIFIES SIN.
Joe, you have to accept the fact that my grace is sufficient for you. I have told you even if you COULD do everything perfectly, you still would not be judged as innocent. No one can keep the whole law. The just live by FAITH. (Matt. 19:16-22; Gal. 3:11)

You have to believe that I love you just the way you are. This is exactly what I have been leading up to. If you have learned nothing else, this is

THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON.

So, it is not how much you love me, it is only that I love you, right now, just the way you are.
When you accept this you will automatically love yourself which will allow you to love others.

Remember what I told you earlier?

Yes, I am finally starting to remember. It is by first accepting your unconditional love that I will start loving myself. Then I will love others, and by showing love to your creation, I am showing you love. (1 John 4:20 - 5:2).
I think that I am beginning to understand, but God . . .

Joe, I have given you enough to think about for a little while, why don't you digest this news and ask me some more questions when this settles down in your spirit. I know that you have many questions. But first study what I have just shared with you and you will find that it will all come together. Give it a little time, don't just blindly follow the religious doctrine made by man. Continue to ask questions.
Study what I have shown you so far to see if what I say is true.

I will explain more later . . .