Keep yourselves in the love of God

In Jude 1:1-3 it talks about multiplying mercy, peace, and love . Some ways that we can multiply these attributes in our own lives is to be diligent and obedient to the commandments that the Lord has set forth for us. I think the the easiest way to accomplish these things is to love our neighbor as Jesus said we should do. If we truly loved our neighbors (which includes everybody) it would be so easy to have compassion on them, show them mercy when they are in need. Another way to accomplish this is to try and be humble. If we understand that there is more to life then getting ahead of others and know that the real purpose of life is to help other feel loved, we will be able to help those in need around us.
In verse 3 it says "contend for the faith". I doubt that the word contend in this phrase means to argue or battle or fight. Rather I think it is saying that we need to share and defend our beliefs with others. If we were to be pushy and argue what we want others to know, very few will accept what we are saying. Being pushy has probably rarely helped others feel the love of Christ. If we "contend for the faith" we should be loving and kind to others and help them understand our beliefs by our actions rather than by us forcing things upon them.
Jude1:6 talks about the angels that didn't keep their first estate, but what does this mean? In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord is speaking to Jeremiah and says that he knew him before this life and that he ordained him to be a prophet then. This means that before we came to this life we had been chosen for certain things.
In Abraham 3:26 it says those that did not keep their first estate will never have any glory. Those angels in heaven that fell, will not ever have any glory. To me, those that did not keep their first estate are those that fell and were not able to come to Earth. The first estate is the ability to get a body and live on Earth.
Jude 9 speaks about a disputation between Michael the archangel and the Devil about Moses' body. I think the easiest way to interpret this is from the New Testament student manual. It says that Jude was reading from an apocryphal book. Apocryphal mean of unknown validity. So this could be of true validity, or it could not. There were many apocryphal books, but because they weren't correct in everything, they were not included in the bible. Article of Faith 8 says that we believe the bible to be the word of God, but we admit that there could be and probably are some translation errors. So it is unknown what this strange disputation actually was.
Who is going to accompany the Lord during the second coming? In Jude verse 9 it says that Enoch prophesied that tens of thousands of the saints will accompany the Lord during his return. The faithful followers of Christ will be able to join him during his triumphant return.
Surely there have been false prophets, and there will continue to be false prophets. It is important that we do what we can to avoid the evils that will come from their teachings. In Jude 20 it says we need to keep our faith by praying in the Holy Ghost. I interpret this as saying that if we have questions, we need to do what we can to ensure that we have the Holy Spirit with us to help us in our decisions, and then when we have the spirit we need to pray to the Lord and ask for assistance in making our choices. The Lord will never lead us astray from his gospel, so we need to ask him what is truth and what is not.

Teaching

2 Peter 2
Characteristics of false teachers:
-denying the Lord
-speak evil of the truth
-covetousness
-feigned words
-walk after the flesh in lust
-despise government
-presumptuous (boastful)
-selfwilled
-not afraid to speak evil of dignities
-natural man
-speak evil of the things they understand not
-pleasure to riot in the day time
-sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you
-eyes full of adultery
-cannot cease from sin
-beguiling unstable souls
-covetous practices
-forsaken the right way and gone astray
-speak swelling words of vanity
-allure through the lusts of the flesh
-allure through wantonness
-promise liberty, but are servants of corruption
This list helps us avoid false prophets. It can help us identify the false teachers of our days. Even certain movies can be "false teachers". How many movies do we watch that allure through lust, that are full of adultery, that make it look like a good thing, that laugh at truths? There are false prophets all around us....in the DAY time. They don't sneak around in the night. They are right in front of our faces and they trick us every day with their smooth talking and their clever words. They try to make bad look good and good to look bad. They tell us we are close-minded, in bondage, or just too naive. We cannot afford to hear them.

2 Peter 2:20-22
Dangers of returning to the pollutions of the world.
When we know the truth and have sinned, we have the opportunity to repent. This is a great gift. But when we have known the truth and return to our old ways after repenting, then greater condemnation is upon us. It would be better that we had never known the truth. Our former sins will return to us, when we continue to commit those sins. We are in grave danger when we return to our sins.

Living Our Religion

Unit 2: Choice 3. James 3-4 Living Our Religion.

Scriptures: James 1:19; 3:1-13; 4:11; LDS New Testament Institute Manual (p. 410)

Things we Say that are offensive to God:

Boasting

Speaking evil of others and judging them (gossiping)

Speaking evil of the law and judging it

Speaking in a temper

Profanity

Not in control when speaking

Cursing

Hypocrisy

Thing we say that are pleasing to God:

Saying prayers and pledging our troth

Speaking softly

Speaking in Love

Speaking in humility

Speaking good of others

Speaking with meekness of wisdom.

Pure language

Peaceful language

Speaking with thought and control

Blessing and teaching

James 4:1-12

Symptoms of Being in the World:

1-wars and fighting

2- lust and have not

3- kill and desire to have and cannot obtain

4- adultery

Prescription for Being out of or overcoming the World:

Submit yourself to God, resist the Devil.

Draw near to God.

Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts.

Feel remorse and sorrow for sin, endure hardship.

Humble yourself.

Do not speak evil about or judge others.

Works of Righteousness

Paul concluded his epistle to the Hebrews with some brief teachings and statements of counsel.

These are a few of  the counsels he gives:

-How should we treat strangers and those “in bonds”?

  We should be hospitable to strangers because they could be “angels” that we are unaware of. Basically, we should just be kind and loving to everyone. We should also remember those that are in bonds…as if we were in bonds with them. I think this could include prayers for others, mourning those that mourn, comforting those that stand in need of comfort, etc.

-How is marriage looked upon?

He teaches that marriage is honorable.

-What warnings are given about covetousness?

He says that we need to be content with what we have and the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.  Our conversations must be without covetousness.

-What is “that same yesterday, and to day, and forever”?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

-How are we sanctified?

We need to offer the sacrifice of praising and giving thanks to God and doing good in His name and then we will be sanctified.

-How do we respond to those who rule over us?

We should be obedient and submit ourselves to those who rule over us. We should also pray for them.

-Who did Paul ask the people to pray for?

Paul says, “Pray for us”.  In this we pray for the missionaries, apostles, and prophets.

Jesus Christ is Greater Than Angels

In the Bible Dictionary under Epistle to the Hebrews: Analysis of Hebrews it talks of the Superiority of Jesus.

1-      It says he is greater than the angels. His words are greater than the words of Angels. Servants vs. Son.

2-      He is greater than Moses. Again, Servant vs. Son.

3-      As a high priest of Melchizedek, He is superior to the high priests of the law of Moses (Melchizedek priesthood is greater than Aaronic.)

Hebrews 1. Three truths Paul taught about the Savior Jesus Christ.

1-      Jesus Christ is God’s Son, the heir of all things and he made all the worlds.

2-      Jesus is the express image of Heavenly Father

3-      Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten. He is greater than the angels.

The following scriptures explain reasons the Son of God came to this earth to experience mortality.

Hebrews 2:7-18- Jesus Christ came to earth to suffer death of us. He was made lower than the angels so that he could taste of death for every man.

He came to earth so that we may all become sanctified through Him. He died so that the Devil could be destroyed and so that we could be delivered. He came to experience mortality and be tempted so that he could succor us when we go through those things as well.

Hebrews 4:13-16- Though without sin, he came here and was tempted of ALL things. He knows exactly what we are going through.

Alma 7:11-15- He came to take upon him all pains, temptations, afflictions, and suffering of man. He came and took upon death so that he could loose the bands of death. He took upon all infirmities so he would know how to succor us. He took upon our sins so that we might be clean through repentance and keeping our covenants.

D&C 122:8- He came to earth to descend below all things.

I know Jesus Christ is my Savior. He is the only begotten Son of the Father. He is greater than all things, but he came to this Earth to descend below all things. He suffered all manner of pain and afflictions so that he could take away our pains, illnesses, sins and all manner of our sufferings. Through him we can be whole and we can be clean. Through Him, we can live again and we can become like Him.

Live as Saints Should Live

In Romans, 13:11 it says, "...now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."
What must we continue doing to work out our salvation?
We must repent, keep the commandment and endure to the end. (Ezekiel 3:20, D&C 14:7)
In Romans 12-13, Paul gives counsel that leads us to salvation. The counsel that he gives includes:
    12:1- keep your self morally clean and give service
    12:2- follow the will of God and not the world
    12:9- love with a sincere heart, only do that which is good
    12:13- give to those in need, be hospitable
    12:16- be humble
    12:21- choose the right, avoid sin
    13:1- be obedient
    13:3- have love and respect for those over you
    13:8- love one another
    13:9- thou shalt not commit adultery, shalt not kill, shalt not steal, shalt not bear false witness, shalt not covet. Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.
Romans 14:1-13, 15:1-3
   In these verses, Paul gives some cautions about judging.....
We shouldn't judge because we all have a master to stand or fall to. He will be the judge of us. We shouldn't judge our brother because we will all stand before Christ at the judgement seat.
People may have different opinions and practices, but it is most important to remember that we should love and serve one another. We are given strengths to help others with weaknesses. We are all children of God.
  Some additional insight comes from D&C 38:25-27. It reads, "25 And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself. 26 For what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter of them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto one: Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other: Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there-- and looketh upon his sons and saith I am just? 27 Behold this I have given unto you a parable, and it is even as I am. I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.
  We need to love one another. We are all children of God. We should be unified in love. God loves us all and he wants to bless all of us. If we love and serve one another we will be blessed and God will have mercy on us.
Paul refers to the members of the church in his day as "Saints". This we must be as we seek to gain salvation. Saints do those things which Paul taught (humility, loving your neighbor, obedience, keeping the commandments). I hope we can all strive to follow Paul so that we may receive the mercy of God when we come before the judgment seat.

Baptism

Romans 6:1-13
     Before one is baptized, he must repent. His sins must be dead. Baptism symbolizes the death and resurrection of Christ. Our sins are dead and we are "buried" with him as we are immersed in water. Then we are "raised up" out of the water just as Christ was raised from the dead. Considering this symbolism this is why we are baptized by complete immersion rather than by sprinkles of water.
   These versus teach about how we can maintain the "newness of life". Romans 5:10-11 says, "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. LIKEWISE reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It then goes on in saying that we should not let sin reign over our bodies or to yield ourselves unto unrighteousness, but to yield ourselves unto God.

   Mosiah 3:19 states: "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."  Ideally at baptism, the part of us that would die would be the natural man.
   Romans 6:14-23
      We are servants to whomever we yield ourselves to. If we are obedient to sin we are servants of sin. When we are unclean, we are servants of uncleanness.When we are righteous, we are servants of righteousness....ultimately servants of God. When we are servants of righteousness, we are then free from sin.
    The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. The true source of freedom is being a servant of God. It is then, that we can receive eternal life.