HomeARC ML 3201
Living the Lord's Law of Love!--Part 1 Maria #447 CM/FM 3201 3/98
--Summary of the Scriptural Basis for the Law of Love--and What It Means to Us!
By Maria
Required Reading. For Voting Members Only
Table of Contents
What Is the Law of Love?
The Goals of 1998 Depend on Our Living the Law of Love!
Addressing the Sexual Aspect of the Law of Love
Excerpts from "Amazing Grace"
Why Then Are There Sexual Rules in the Charter?
Summary of Points
Where Do You Get the Faith?
What About Adultery?
Spiritual Adultery!
The Lord Will Give You the Grace, the Faith, and the Strength You Need!
Dear Family,
1. God bless you, I love you so very much! During the Birthday Feast for 1998, the Lord spoke to us about various roadblocks to unity and outlined a number of foundation areas which we need to strengthen. One of those is living the Lord's Law of Love more fully. As the Law of Love deals with virtually every aspect of our lives--our physical lives, our spiritual lives, our daily interaction with others, our sexual activities, our ministries and much more--it's a huge subject to talk with you about. But talk about it we must if we are going to make the progress that the Lord is asking us to make.
2. In order to live the Law of Love fully, it's first necessary to understand it. So in this series of GNs I will try to explain the key aspects of the Law of Love--what it is, how it works, its benefits, and why the Lord wants us to live it. I pray that discussing the many angles of this important and fundamental tenet of our faith will help give you more faith and initiative to apply it personally, which will benefit you by bringing more of the Lord's blessings into your life and the lives of others.
3. My prayer is that as you read these GNs, any questions you have about the Law of Love will be answered, any misconceptions or misunderstandings will be cleared up, and any confusion that may have built up over the years will be eliminated.
4. In order to help give a clear picture of the Law of Love, I'll go back into past pubs, as well as include some of what the Lord and Dad have said recently. I'll try to fit the pieces together, like a puzzle, so that when it's completed you'll have a clear picture of it. Because this topic is complex, it won't be possible to explain everything or answer all the questions in just one GN. So please read through the whole series, because something you might not understand so well from reading one GN might be further explained in a later one.
5. This first GN is largely a compilation of material that was published previously, which I hope will serve as a summary of the Scriptural basis for the Law of Love and what it means to us, the children of David. The Law of Love means a lot more than just sex; it's the loving principle that governs all our daily activities, which is something that I hope to explain and emphasize in the first part of this series. Later in this series we will delve more deeply into the aspect of sexual sharing, which you're probably quite interested in. But to begin with, I would like to strengthen the foundation concerning this fundamental Family belief largely as review for many of you.
6. Even if you're quite familiar with this material and feel that you've read it many times over the years, especially you of the older generation, I ask you to please give it your full attention and do all you can to apply yourself, concentrate, and draw as much as possible from the lessons and the Word presented. It's never time wasted to review these important Scriptural principles and basic beliefs of the Family. Doing so will not only strengthen your own faith but also help you be ready to give an answer to those that ask, whether it be the people that you counsel in your Home, young people who may ask you questions, or even outsiders who are curious about these beliefs.
7. Though you older adults will probably be more familiar with many of the excerpts of past Letters that I'll include in this GN, some of you young people may find this material to be quite new. In either case, it should be helpful to have it all together, presented in a concise, consolidated format. I realize that you young people might not be as familiar with some of the older Letters--either because they're not available to read now, or because with the sheer volume of material that there is to read nowadays, it's not easy to find the time to go back and read older Letters. So at the risk of being a little repetitive or giving some of you information that you already know well, I thought it would be advantageous in this GN to present an overall summary of the Law of Love, the Scriptural basis for it, what it means to us today, and answers to a few of the most frequently asked questions.
8. One thing I ask you to bear in mind when reading this series is that it is directed to a very wide audience whose personal situations and circumstances vary considerably. I'm talking to single first generation adults, single young people, older married couples, newly married young people, older ones who are quite experienced in living the Law of Love fully, and senior teens who are just now trying to understand it. Please try to remind yourself of this, because some point that is made might seem to you to be quite hardline or unsympathetic, due to your particular situation--if you're someone who fights jealousy, for example--when on the other hand, someone else might find the same point to be very fitting and encouraging. It's difficult to address in one Letter both people who are experienced and inexperienced, married and single, jealous and not jealous, skeptical and full of faith, so please bear with me and try to keep an open mind!
9. To give credit to whom credit is due, I'd like to mention that Peter helped me with the preparation of this material, spending many hours researching the already published Letters, and helping to discuss and pray with me about how to best strengthen the foundation of the Family in this important area.
What Is the Law of Love?
10. Let's start first with trying to define the Law of Love. In the Letter "Our Beliefs Concerning the Lord's Law of Love," the following definition was given:
11. Generally speaking, the Law of Love is the Godly principle by which our entire lives, as Christians, should be governed. Jesus summed it up very simply in the famous "Golden Rule," giving us the key to our relationships with others: "As you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets" (meaning that loving your neighbor as yourself fulfills God's laws.--Such love is the "law and the prophets" [EDITED: "Mat.7:12"]). Ideally, this loving principle should guide all of our actions with others (ML #2858:2, Lifelines 21).
12. The Love Charter states that one of the responsibilities of Charter members is as follows: "Endeavor to live by the principles of the Law of Love: To love and care for, and interact lovingly and harmoniously with all members of the Home in which they reside, and with Family members at large." It goes on to say: "Dad succinctly explained the Law of Love in the following quote. 'Love doeth thy neighbor no harm,' for 'thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself': This is God's Law of Love! 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' 'Against such love there is no law.' This is the Lord's Law of Love. Obey it, and you can have total love, life and liberty in the Lord. These are God's conditions." (The Charter, Responsibilities of Individual Members, E.)
13. Living the Law of Love is simply living what Jesus said is the law, the great commandment--to love. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets" (Mat.7:12). "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Mat.22:36-40). "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Gal.5:14).
14. This Law of Love that Jesus proclaimed--loving God first, and loving others as yourself--fulfills all the other Biblical law. It means that we are free from all the old Biblical law. For example, if you love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind, then you won't put other gods before Him, nor take His Name in vain. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you won't kill him, steal from him, lie to him, or covet what he has. And the reason you won't do these things is because of love. You don't need the Biblical law to keep you from doing these things; you simply refrain from doing them because to do them would be unloving. This freedom from the Biblical law, based on the Lord's instruction to govern ourselves by loving God above all and our neighbors as ourselves, is the whole concept of the Law of Love in a nutshell.
15. The reason I'm going into this in such detail is to help to clear up the confusion that the Law of Love only has to do with sex, as some seem to think. Yes, it does have to do with sex, and I'll address the sexual aspect in great detail later, but it's not only about sex. I want to make sure you understand the point that when we talk about living the Law of Love, we're not only talking about the sexual aspect of it, but about all of it--about loving your brothers and sisters and putting that love into tangible, everyday action. It's about sacrificial living, giving of yourself to others, helping those in need, living in unity, and bearing one another's burdens.
16. When speaking about the Law of Love, the Lord said the following:
17. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }The Law of Love is simply loving others unselfishly, without regard for self. It's not only sexual, but it pervades every area of your lives. For in this unselfishness and in this life of sacrificial giving and loving, you not only allow yourselves to help many others, but you allow Me to pour out My blessings upon you. For I bless the unselfish and the sacrificial. I bless those who are humble, and I withdraw some of My blessings from those who insist on their own way.
18. Therefore, by your choosing this unselfish and sacrificial mode of living, which is called the Law of Love, you have opened yourselves up to great happiness from Me, and My blessing upon your lives. And this is not just sexual, for the sexual aspects are a small part of the Law of Love, and they are a small part of My blessings. They are a part of My blessings, but they are a very small part.
19. Sexuality is a minor part of your religion. It's a key part, because it's what arouses the most interest of outsiders and keeps My message in the news, but it's a small percentage of the many ways that people can show love to each other.
20. My Law of Love is first of all that you love Me with all your heart and soul and mind, and second that you love your neighbor as yourself. The greatest way My love is manifested is in the laying down of your life for another. It's in giving your life totally to Me so that I can use it to show My love to others. (End of message from Jesus.)
21. {\b \i (Mama:) }In another prophecy the Lord said:
22. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }Do not label My Law of Love as only sex, for there are so many other aspects that you must also be exercised in. You must learn the gift of encouragement. That is a very major part of My Law of Love. You must learn the gift of comfort, the gift of simplicity, the gift of preferring one another, the gift of doing a little extra for your brother, the gift of sympathy and compassion and of feeling the pain which others suffer. These are all part of the Law of Love. Therefore, while it may cost more to disrobe yourselves physically and share My love by having sex with each other, there are all these other aspects that are all part of loving one another. (End of message from Jesus.)
23. {\b \i (Mama:) }Sex is only one part of the Law of Love. It isn't even the major part. But because it's often the most difficult part, and because it's scandalous to the System, it's often the only thing that people think of when they hear about the Law of Love. But the Lord says that there is so much more to His Law of Love than sex!
24. The Law of Love is the guiding principle of our lives; it's what everything we do should be based on. The Lord says, "You must learn the gift of encouragement. That's a very major part of My Law of Love." And what about comfort, simplicity, preferring one another, doing a little extra for your brother or sister, sympathy, compassion, and feeling the pain which others suffer? These are all important parts of the Law of Love as well.
25. So when the Lord, at this year's Feast, said the Family needed to live the Law of Love more, He wasn't only talking about the sexual aspect of it. He was talking about the totality of it--living in love and harmony with one another, doing no harm to your neighbor, loving your neighbor as yourself--the full application of the Law of Love! He was, of course, also speaking about the sexual side.
26. Some of the confusion, however, about the Law of Love starts with the fact that we use the term "the Law of Love" interchangeably when talking about the totality of the Law of Love and also in the specific or narrow sense of the sexual side of it. As soon as the Law of Love is mentioned, many people automatically think that it's talking about sex and sexual sharing, when that's often not the case.
27. Also, it's understandable that you would think in terms of sexual sharing when thinking of the Law of Love, since Dad used this term repeatedly when presenting the Scriptural argument for FFing, sharing and sexual freedom. He showed from the Gospels of Jesus and the Epistles of Paul that through Jesus' death and resurrection, through His salvation and grace, we are free from the Mosaic Law, and as such are free from the sin of adultery, providing our actions are done in love and harm no one. The law which Jesus gave when He said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Mat.22:39), Dad called the Law of Love.
28. Because the term "the Law of Love" was often used in the Letters in regards to sexual matters, it eventually became synonymous with sexual sharing. However, Dad's usage of the phrase "the Law of Love" was not limited to just sexual matters. In fact, when Peter was researching this point on the ARC he found that in the majority of the Letters where Dad used the phrase, it was not in reference to sex, FFing or sharing. In 65% of the Letters where Dad or I have used this term, it was not in reference to sexual matters! In two out of every three Letters where this term is used, it's talking about something other than sex.
29. Just for your interest, I'll include some of the topics Dad was talking about when he used the term the Law of Love: The Millennium, economic inflation, health rules, rebellion against God, Jesus' new unorthodox movement, the judgment seat of God, paying your bills, getting out of the West, love for God, tithing, forsaking all, exercise and get-out, being on time for appointments, Homes fellowshipping together, dishonesty, shoplifting, salvation, Jesus standing before Pilate, Stephen's martyrdom, Christmas, God's covenants, excommunication, the good Samaritan, Jesus' Second Coming, System parents, Millennial rebels, witnessing, teenagers, parents, the Word, misunderstandings, not working so hard, counseling others, bearing the burdens of others, the Charter, and helping single moms.
30. Of course, if you were to look at the sum total of the times Dad used the term "the Law of Love," then a fairly large percentage of the times would be in regards to sexual sharing, because in some of the Letters explaining either FFing or the Scriptural basis for the Law of Love, he mentioned the term over and over. But by researching the number of Letters (not the number of times) that Dad used this term, we discovered that he only used it in reference to sex in one out of every three Letters. Seeing it in that light, it becomes clear that Dad's perspective of the Law of Love, both intellectually and practically, was that it was much more than just a sexual concept.
31. It would do us all good to try to follow in Dad's footsteps and broaden our perception of the Law of Love so we remember that it isn't only about sex and sharing; it's about every aspect of our lives, including the sexual aspect.
The Goals of 1998 Depend on Our Living the Law of Love!
32. For some of you, even the mention of the Law of Love, and particularly sexual sharing, makes you nervous--either because of past battles with jealousy, misunderstandings, hurts and heartaches, or because of fear of such problems occurring in the future. I understand that it is a touchy, delicate subject. It's strong meat, and therefore Peter and I have thought and prayed about and discussed this subject for months, in preparation for presenting this important information from the Lord and Dad.
33. In recent years we've read numerous letters and testimonies from those of you who've written us personally about your battles and questions. We've also gained a greater understanding of the overall problems related to living the Law of Love fully through the reports of the CROs and discussing this topic with them at Summit '98. Also, in the material for the Birthday Feast of '98, the Lord outlined briefly the problems with living the Law of Love fully in the prophecies that were included in "The Goals for 1998." He said:
34. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} The children of David are strong in truth. Much has been given to them that has not been given to any others. But there is much confusion, many unanswered questions, much negative talking behind closed doors--doubts, murmurs, accusations against this beautiful Law of Love which I have given to the children of David.
35. It is through living the Law of Love fully that the living of the "One Wife" vision is possible. Without strong belief in the Law of Love and understanding of it, how can you believe and understand the "One Wife" vision, the truth of your greater marriage? Therefore much reassurance, instruction, encouragement, and a strong challenge needs to go out to both generations to once again kindle in their hearts and minds faith in the Law of Love and a desire to live the "One Wife" vision.
36. So much of what hinders the unity of the Family today is because of a lack of living the Law of Love and the "One Wife" vision fully. If there were greater love, concern, and faith in these areas, then there would also be greater care for the single mothers and their children, greater sexual freedom, less ostracizing of some, and fewer cliques. There would be a much greater willingness to love without partiality, to help each person to feel a part of the Family, the Home, the love, the unity, the oneness. (End of excerpts of message from Jesus.) (ML #3160:168,171,172, GN 765).
37. {\b \i (Mama:) }Living the Law of Love more fully is crucial to having the unity that the Lord wants us to have in our personal lives, our Homes, and the Family at large. This is an area that we definitely need to grow in. It's an area that has been weakened over the years. It's something we haven't put as much emphasis on, at least not directly, in recent years. But the Lord has made it clear that now is the time that we do need to gain a greater understanding of what the Law of Love means, and how we're to put it into practice in all areas of our lives, including the area of sexual sharing.
Addressing the Sexual Aspect of the Law of Love
38. I can't emphasize enough how vital it is to understand that the Law of Love is what should motivate us in all that we do, and what should be the foundation principle in all of our decisions and interactions with each other. Although the Law of Love governs all of our actions, a large part of this series will deal with the Law of Love in regards to sexual sharing. The fact that the majority of this GN series is dedicated to sexual sharing could mistakenly reinforce the misconception that sexual sharing is the most important part of the Law of Love. For the record, this is not the case.
39. The reason why more time and space will be devoted to the Law of Love in regards to sexual sharing is because that's the area where there are the most questions, misunderstandings or problems that need to be sorted out. The other nonsexual aspects of living the Law of Love have been addressed more extensively in recent years, via such Letters as: "Libby's Homegoing," "Single Moms: Love is the Answer," "How to Have a Happy Home," "The Love Charter!--God's Call to a Love Revolution," "Lessons of Love," "Serve One Another in Love," "A New Day of Love," "Bridging the Gap," "Come Together in Love," and "Call to the Rescue," parts 1 and 2. By comparison, we haven't covered the sexual side of the Law of Love much at all. Therefore, it's an area that the Family is particularly weak in now.
40. As you'll recall, the results of the Family survey for sexual sharing that were included in "Victory Review '97" were not too impressive. In fact, there was an obvious need for much improvement, because according to those polled, 57% of married couples share outside their marriage less than once a year, 33% of singles share only once every three to six months, and 25% of singles share only once every year or less. With numbers like that, it's obvious that some people aren't getting even the minimal amount of sexual fellowship that they need!
41. The sexual aspect of the Law of Love is unique to the Family. It's this side of it that enables us to help and minister to one another in such a deeply personal and intimate way, "laying down our lives for the brethren" (1Jn.3:16). But it's also one of our beliefs which some have difficulty with, so I would like to now address this sexual side of it.
42. Most people don't have any problems about the general concept of the Law of Love; all Christians basically believe in theory the Scriptural doctrine that says you should love your neighbor as yourself. I don't think there's anyone in the Family who has a problem with that, at least not in principle. Of course, when trying to live it, that's a different story. Endeavoring to do the loving thing in each instance throughout every day is extremely difficult. But theologically, I don't think there are many folks who have trouble with it.
43. However, when you come to the sexual side of the Law of Love, that's where the sparks begin to fly! When church Christians hear that we believe that having sex with one another outside of marriage is not a sin, if done in compliance with the rules of the Law of Love and the Charter, they generally are shocked, and often appalled!
44. Why do we believe that we can share loving sex with one another without it being a sin, when most Christians believe such actions to be utterly sinful? I believe one of the best answers to this question is given in "Amazing Grace" (ML #1968, DB 8), a compilation of Dad's writings on the subject. I'm going to include portions of it for you to read. Please don't just whiz through this, but read it slowly and try to grasp its significance--especially you second generation folks.
45. It's important that you understand the Biblical basis for it and the original revelation the Lord gave to Dad on this subject. It's not enough that you know it's okay to have sex with others just because the Charter says it's allowed, or just because sexual sharing is practiced in the Family. You need to understand the spiritual principles behind it. If you're reading this together as a Home and you don't understand some point, then please ask someone to explain it; or if you're reading on your own, then go and ask one of your parents or a shepherd to explain it further if you don't understand. Okay?
46. A good starting place is the following explanation of why we are free from following the Old Testament laws, and even the Pauline laws (those laid out in the New Testament by the Apostle Paul). Here are the quotes I referred to from "Amazing Grace":
Excerpts from "Amazing Grace"
47. [EDITED: "God"] brought the Jews out of their slavery in Egypt, but then they were in bondage to the harsh and rigid rules of Moses--the Law. Then along came Jesus with His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love and truth--our salvation: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn.1:17). He came and showed us that salvation and true righteousness were not by works, but by grace!
48. Thus the early Christians were liberated spiritually, they found spiritual freedom, but they were still somewhat in bondage to some of the old customs, traditions and laws which were hangovers from their Jewish past and background that they couldn't quite shake. Remember, the first Christian church was just coming out of the Jewish church and they almost had to make a compromise, because some of them were still under the bondage of the old Law and weren't able to break completely free.
49. But Jesus Himself never gave them any laws, except the Law of Love! When the self-righteous, hypocritical religious leaders questioned Him, "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?" He replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Mat.22:37-39).
50. He then shocked them by continuing to say, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Mat.22:40). They had thousands of religious laws, but Jesus told them that they now only needed two: Love God and love others!--That's all! He said, "In this is the whole Book!"
51. Jesus said that this one simple law--love--is all the Law as well as all the Prophets! That's pretty broad coverage! That takes in the entire Old Testament, "the Law and the Prophets!" Jesus said that's the whole works, the whole Bible, that's all the Law--love! In other words, if you love God and you love others, what do you need with any other laws? You're not going to hurt anybody, you're not going to be selfish, you're not going to do anything that will hurt anybody else!
52. Therefore Jesus' Law of Love frees us from the old law and is all-encompassing, all-absorbing, all-fulfilling and completely above and beyond any other law! God's only Law is Love, and as long as something is done in love with real, unselfish, even sacrificial love, God's love, then it is absolutely lawful in God's eyes. No matter whether it seems a sin in the eyes of the church or immoral in the eyes of man, it is still absolutely innocent in the eyes of God if it's according to love!
53. The Bible says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love; and against such (love) there is no law" (Gal.5:22,23). Against pure love, the love of God, the unselfish, sacrificial love of God and your fellow man, there is no law of God!
54. Jesus said, "I am not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill it!" (Mat.5:17). And by fulfilling it, He ended it; therefore we are no longer required to keep the Laws of Moses of the Old Testament! "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" (Rom.10:4).
55. God's grace through Jesus' Law of Love is the end of the old law! Paul preached sermon after sermon and wrote letter after letter showing that the old Law was finished, it was done with, period! The Mosaic Law is done away with for the Christian who is living under grace and under the Law of Love! "Now we are delivered from the Law, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law!" Now "all things are lawful" to those who are living under God's Law of Love! (Rom.7:6; Gal.3:13; 1Cor.6:12).
56. The Ten Commandments are no more to the followers of Jesus! Hallelujah! God only has one law now: The Law of Jesus, the Law of Love, "to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself" (Mat.22:36-39). Of course, this infuriated the Jews of Jesus' day and their religious leaders, who said of His doctrine, "This is against Moses and against the Law!" (Acts 6:13,14; 21:28).
57. This was the most raging controversy between Jesus and the Jews! It was also the most raging controversy between St. Paul and the legalists, the "concision," the converted Jews who said, "Yes, we now believe in Jesus, but we still have to keep all the old Law; we still have to keep the Ten Commandments, the Mosaic Law, the Sabbath, etc." (Phil.3:2).
58. And we still have many Christians today who are just like those legalistic concision members of the Early Church. They're not completely enlightened. They're still partly in the dark. They don't realize that Jesus is enough, that His light is sufficient, that His love is all we need. The trouble with them is they're so ingrained with that old "Judeo-Christianity" that they're still preaching the Mosaic Law with one hand while preaching Christ with the other!
59. But according to Jesus Himself and every book of the New Testament, God's children today are no longer under the Laws of Moses! We are under grace and under love! For us, the old Law is gone forever! Thank God! We now only have to keep God's Law of Love, His only law--love! For the Laws of Moses are no more to the believer in Jesus! We now only have the Law of Jesus, God's only Law--love!
60. There is now no other law, no Mosaic laws, no church laws!--Those laws don't exist as far as we're concerned!
61. For those who are filled with His Spirit of Love, love is the only rule! "For if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law!" (Gal.5:18). "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well" (Jam. 2:8).
62. "Whatsoever you do in word or in deed, do all to the glory of God!" (Col.3:17; 1Cor.10:31). That's our rule, God's rule. What are the greatest commandments?--"Love God with all your heart, love your neighbor as yourself!" If it lives up to those rules, then it's for the glory of God; and if you love the Lord and you love your neighbor and it's for love, and in love, and has good loving results, praise God!
63. Therefore whatsoever you do in the unselfish sacrificial love of Jesus is right and lawful! Whatever you do in love is the law--and that's all, that's it! God's only law is love! We are totally, utterly free of the old Mosaic Law! We are delivered from the old Mosaic Law and no longer bound by it--we are free! Now all things are lawful to us in love, praise God! As long as it's done in love, it keeps God's only Law of Love!
64. Knowing this, realizing this, and practicing this, of course gives us a lot of freedom. But in another way, His Law of Love is the most binding law of all!--Because God's Law of Love not only says you can't steal, can't kill, can't do this, can't do that, etc., but that you've also got to love everybody!--Which is one of the hardest things of all to do!
65. So in many ways the Law of Love is even stricter than the Mosaic Law. The Ten Commandments said that we were just to do that which was just and righteous, but under Jesus' Law of Love we are to do more than justice and righteousness, we are to have love and mercy.
66. Love is more than righteousness, and mercy is greater than justice! So the Law of Love is greater, and we are to be more kind and more forgiving. In the Mosaic Law there was virtually no forgiving and it was "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth!" (Exo.21:24; Lev.24:20). The Law said that if you knock out my eye or my tooth, I'm allowed to knock out yours!
67. But Jesus says, "Do unto others what you want them to do to you" (Mat. 7:12)--not just whatever they do to you, but what you want them to do to you.--This is love. Jesus went right down the line in Matthew [EDITED: "chapter 5"] and said, "In the Law it is written so-and-so, but I say unto you"--and told them something entirely different! He said, "But I say unto you, love your enemies, forgive them!" (Mat.5:38-44).--That's the Law of Love!--Which shows it's even greater and stricter than the old Mosaic Law!
68. Jesus' law is much stricter, much more difficult to keep--in fact, impossible! If the old Law was impossible, Jesus' Law is even more impossible! That's why He says, "Without Me, you can do nothing!" (Jn.15:5). But He also says that we "can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us" (Phil.4:13).--For "His grace is sufficient for us, His strength is made perfect in our weakness!" (2Cor.12:9). (ML #1968:9-17, 21-25, 27-35).
69. {\b \i (Mama:)} Do you understand what Dad was teaching us here with all these Scriptures? We are free from all of the religious laws in the Bible through the Lord's salvation and through living His Law of Love. This is why we don't need to keep the Mosaic Law and other church laws. Of course, this doesn't mean that we're free from all of society's laws. If you break a law in the country you live in, you can't just tell the police officer or the judge that you're above their law because you live the Law of Love! Dad is talking about Biblical laws that we're free from, and there were hundreds of rules under the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. The books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are just full of them! Of course, we do practice some aspects of the Mosaic Law just because of common sense--and as a part of love. We don't kill, cheat, lie and steal because it's not loving. Nor do we eat unclean foods or live in unhealthy ways, because that defiles the temple of our bodies the Lord has given us and hinders our loving others.
70. Now let's continue on with the "Amazing Grace" quotes and see what Dad says about why we are free to enjoy sex with one another. Dad says:
71. As the Apostle Paul said, for the loving, liberated followers of Jesus, "All things are lawful to us, but not all things are expedient!" (1Cor.6:12). We have been freed from the bondage of the old Law and the condemnation of sin by the liberating Law of Love in Christ Jesus, and if what we're doing is in love and not hurting any innocent party, then it is perfectly legal according to God's Law of Love.
72. Of course, most churches and churchy Christians today would say, "Well, all things may be lawful under Christ's Law of Love--except, ahem, anything to do with sex!"--Because the churches have declared almost everything that has anything to do with your body or sex or self or pleasure as illegitimate, illegal, immoral, and irreligious!
73. But "all things" being lawful for His loving, believing, Law-of-Love-following children includes sexual freedoms also!--As long as what we're doing is done in the unselfish, sacrificial love of God! According to the Scriptures, there is no longer any law against sex that is done in love, God's love, and hurts no one: It is not sin, neither adultery, nor fornication!
74. After all, what was the idea and purpose of the old Mosaic Law against adultery? Even behind the old Laws there was the love of God and His desire to keep people from hurting each other and damaging each other either physically or otherwise, even their feelings. So if we're keeping God's Law of Love, then we'll try not to hurt anybody. We'll do our best to try to live in love, to help people without hurting them.
75. And although the church has been going by Paul's rules and their own traditions for ages, God has finally broken through in the Spirit to us with His Last-Day message! We are God's last Church, the last step in God's progress toward total freedom for His Church, and the last chance to prove that the ultimate Church can be trusted with total freedom in this last generation!
76. We are in a new day, a new time, and God has given us His Word for this day and this time! And just like the Early Church and the dawning of the Christian era was a total change, and totally outdated, outmoded, and overthrew the legalism and bondage of the Mosaic era, so we today are having to cast away all of the old legalistic traditions, conventions and holier-than-thou self-righteousness of the church system today. It's like a whole new dispensation of grace!
77. We have had special, direct revelations from the Lord which have shown us that some of these activities which most Christians would call sin or sinful are covered under grace and the love of God! Therefore we have totally broken with the churches' traditions and preconceived ideas about God and misconceptions of morality. We have turned completely around and are going in a different direction, no longer their way but God's way, and we are free to enjoy to the full the beauties and wonders of His creation with all of its pleasures, which He Himself created for our enjoyment!
78. Through Jesus and His salvation and the freedom of His Spirit, by the grace of God, we have regained the liberty and the freedom of the Garden of Eden!--And that's the only way anyone can really get back to such freedom--the original freedom, sinlessness, perfection, liberty and openness of the Garden--by first getting back to perfect fellowship and a relationship with God and belief in His Word, faith in Him and in His creation (ML #1968:38-41, 53-56).
Why Then Are There Sexual Rules in the Charter?
79. {\b \i (Mama:)} Dad clearly made the point that we are free from the law through love, and as such, we are free to love one another sexually, without sin, as it is no sin if it is done in love. We are free to share love one with another without sin because we're living under the fullness of the Law of Love, both the widely accepted interpretation of the Law of Love by Christianity in general and the full freedom as the Lord revealed it to Dad.
80. You might wonder, if "all things are lawful" and we are free from the law, then why do we need to have the sexual restrictions included in our Love Charter? Why is it that Dad says we're free from the law, yet we still have some laws (the strict rules of the Charter) regarding sexual interaction that we must follow?
81. It's because we are imperfect beings who, as much as we might try to fully live in love, fall short of the mark. Dad recognized this when he first wrote about the sexual aspect of the Law of Love. He proposed guidelines that he felt were sufficient at the time, but which proved not to be, as they were not specific enough. In "The Law of Love" he said:
82. As in marriage and all other social relationships with each other, God's laws of love are still the same:
1) Is it good for God's work?
2) Is it good for His Body? [EDITED: "the Church"]
3) Is it good for you?
Does it glorify God, His Body, and edify your own soul? Does it help someone and harm no one? Does it help you or someone else to do a better job for the Lord? Do you even need it for your own good?
83. These are questions you will have to answer yourself and before God and others, and you may need counsel in answering them.
84. Any variation from the norm of personal relationships, any substantial change in marital relationships, any projected sexual associations should have the willing consent of all parties concerned or affected, including the approval of leadership and permission of the body. If this is lacking in any quarter and anyone is going to be harmed or unduly offended, then your action is not in love nor according to God's law of love! (ML #302C:13,14).
85. {\b \i (Mama:) }A few years later he withdrew the restrictions of approval of leadership and permission of the body. But as the years went by, other restrictions were put in place, some of which were then embodied in the Love Charter.
86. In the Letter "An Answer to Him that Asketh Us," the Lord explained why the restrictions were needed. I'll include a portion of that prophecy and some of my original commentary as well.
87. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} Because the truth of God, the freedom of the Heavenly realm, is too broad for the mind of man and for the heart of man, so are there restrictions put so that man can operate within the bounds of the heart of man. For the heart of man is wicked and evil. And though I abide in the heart of those that love Me, that have received Me, yet there is a constant struggle to yield to Me. So I have put the bounds on these freedoms as protection--protection of others and protection of self--that you, My children, can move freely within the bounds, bounds which are much broader than those who do not receive My truth.
88. I have set wider boundaries for you to operate in because of your belief and your receptivity to My truth, so you can move within these bounds in love without sin. For great is your faith in that you have believed the Words that I spoke to your Father David, and you have received these truths from Heaven. Thus I have widened your bounds, and you are free. You are free as children of the King to roam freely within the bounds that I have set--wide bounds. Whereas those that receive not My full truth operate within much stricter bounds. If they cross over their bounds, because of their little faith, it is sin.
89. The bounds that I have set, because I have set them, are the boundaries, and you are to go no further. To go further is sin, for these are the boundaries that I have set. I have set these boundaries that these things would not be a testimony against you. I have set these boundaries in wisdom and in love.
90. As I lead you step by step, so did I lead your Father David step by step. So did he too learn the need for boundaries, and so did he set boundaries for your safekeeping and protection. So stay within the boundaries of God and sin not, for he that oversteps the boundaries sins in My sight. For these are the boundaries of God, the boundaries that your David has set forth by the wisdom of God. Remain within the boundaries and you are free; step without [EDITED: "outside"] the boundaries and you sin. (End of message from Jesus.)
91. {\b \i (Mama:)} I thought it was very interesting how the Lord pointed out that the boundaries He has set for us are much broader than those set for most other Christians because of our faith and our acceptance of the freedoms that He offers to us. Because most other Christians don't accept these freedoms, their boundaries are smaller.
92. For example, because of our faith, we can enjoy sexual fellowship with another consenting adult outside of marriage, without sin. Whereas if a Christian who doesn't believe as we do were to do the same thing, for him it would be sin. The Bible brings this principle out clearly when it says, "Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned [EDITED: "condemned"] if he eat [EDITED: "or commits any other act that he's doubtful about"], because he eateth [EDITED: "acts"] not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom.14:22-23).
93. Although the Lord has given us in the Family much freedom, there are, nevertheless, some restrictions. The Lord says clearly here that He, through Dad, has set some boundaries for us. He goes on to say that if we cross over those boundaries it is sin. What are those boundaries? The boundaries that Dad put in place concerning sex were:
1) No sexual contact between adults and minors.
2) No male-with-male sexual activity.
3) No sex with outsiders.
4) No sex with new members until after their first six months in the Family.
5) Any sexual activity between [EDITED: "consenting voting members"] must be done according to the Law of Love.
94. These rules are all precisely reiterated in the Love Charter. What the Lord is saying is that if you break these rules, cross these boundaries, you are sinning. He said these boundaries were set up by Him: "The bounds that I have set, because I have set them, are the boundaries, and you are to go no further. To go further is sin, for these are the boundaries that I have set."
95. What is it that gives us faith? The Word, right? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom.10:17). So if the Word gives you faith for something, like it does for us to have sexual fellowship with other consenting adults [EDITED: "voting members within their age bracket"], then you can engage in those activities without sin. However, when the Word says that you cannot do something, then you cannot have the faith to do it, because you would be acting in disobedience to God's Word. So to cross the boundaries the Lord through His Word has set up, is sin (ML #3016:79-87, Lifelines 22).
Summary of Points
96. I hope that reviewing this material helps you to understand that:
* By living and obeying the Lord's Law of Love, we are free from all other Biblical laws.
* Through Jesus' fulfillment of the law, we are freed from the Laws of Moses, and therefore consenting parties within their age bracket are free to share sexually with one another without sin, providing they do so in accordance with the Law of Love and share within the appropriate age bracket as outlined in the Charter. (The guidelines of the Charter regarding sexual activity can be found in the Offenses Warranting Excommunication, D, and the Sex and Affection Rules, which explain that members age 16 and up can have sexual contact within certain age groups.)
* Because we are imperfect beings, it is necessary to have these boundaries (as written in the Charter) in order to protect ourselves and others from harm.
* To step over these boundaries is sin.
* The boundaries for us are much wider than for those Christians who believe that having sex with anyone other than your marriage partner is sin. Thus we can share sexually without sin, because of our understanding of the Scriptures and our faith; while for a Christian who doesn't believe as we do, the same act would be a sin.
Where Do You Get the Faith?
97. Let's talk about this last point a bit more. What we're saying is that we can do things without sin, which if others were to do the same, it would be sin for them. Why is that? Here's what Dad said on this point in the Letter "Doubts":
98. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence (or faith) toward God" (1John 3:21). In other words, if you have such strong faith in the Spirit and in the Word that you know what you're doing is right, and you feel convinced in your own heart that what you're doing is the right thing because of the Word and the Holy Spirit, you can do things that some other Christians can't even do, that they would feel condemned about doing!
99. I knew a man who said he couldn't be a Christian because he had to work on Sunday. See, he was being condemned by his own ignorance, because he didn't know that working on Sunday was no sin! The church had taught him the lie all his life that working on Sunday was a sin, that Sunday was the Sabbath! In the first place, Sunday isn't even the Sabbath, and in the second place, we don't have to observe the Sabbath anymore! So it was no sin for him to work on Sunday, and I tried to convince him of that.
100. But because of his ignorance of the Word, his own heart and conscience condemned him. Because the churches had taught him that, he thought it was wrong, so it was wrong for him; it was a sin for him! If you're doing something you think is wrong, then it is wrong for you, it is a sin for you. He thought it was wrong, so it was a sin for him. Because he was convinced in his own heart that it was wrong, he couldn't have the faith for it.
101. People have to operate the way their faith goes. They have to follow their faith, and they cannot operate outside of the limitations of their faith or they go beyond their faith for things they don't have faith for, and then to them it is sin. And that's what [EDITED: "Paul"] says further down in this Chapter [EDITED: "Romans 14"]:
102. "I am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean!"--14th verse. Remember this, Romans 14:14, and watch out! Because if you think it's wrong, then to you it is wrong, and you'd better not do it! That's why you need the Word to clarify some of these points, to prove that some of these things are right.
103. "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin"--if you haven't got the faith for it, then it is a sin for you, if you don't believe properly (ML #604:5-8,13-15,17).
104. {\b \i (Mama:) }So because we have faith in the Word, in what Jesus said about the Law of Love, and because of the revelation which was given to Dad that when the Lord said we are free from the law that it included sexual freedom, then for us to exercise that freedom is no sin. Do you understand? It's important that you do, because as Dad said above, if you don't understand it from the Word, which is where your faith for this will come from, if you think that sharing sexually with others is a sin, then to you it is a sin!
105. This is one of the reasons I'm spending so much time on making the case from the Word that if done in love and faith, it isn't sin, because I want you to understand from the Word that you are free to partake of sexual sharing without sin. Why? Because the Word says so, which is what gives us faith for it; and because we do it in faith, it is no sin.
What About Adultery?
106. I've had a number of young people write and ask me, "Isn't sexual sharing with a married person committing adultery?" Some have brought up the story of Jesus with the woman who was caught in the act of committing adultery, and pointed out that Jesus said to her, "Go and sin no more." They say that since Jesus said that she shouldn't sin anymore, that He was in effect saying that adultery was a sin. That's exactly right! It was a sin for her because she was under the Mosaic Law. But we are not under the Mosaic Law, so for us it isn't sin, providing we are acting in accordance with the guidelines and restrictions of the Law of Love.
107. When he was asked this question Dad answered, "She was still under the Mosaic Law, but even then the Lord forgave her!--We are not!--We are only under Christ's Law of Love!--'Against such there is no law!'--Not even adultery!" (ML #1566:64).
108. I think it's worth taking the time to firmly nail down why it isn't adultery for us to share sexually. Let's look at a few things Dad has said on this subject:
109. There is no more adultery for us who live under God's only Law of Love! If what we do is in love, "against such there is no law" (Gal.5:22-24). "All things are lawful unto me, and to the pure, all things are pure!" (1Cor.10:23; Tit.1:15) (ML #2835:20).
110. As far as we're concerned and as far as the Bible says, for us there is no such thing any more as adultery! There is no such thing any more as a Biblical law against adultery, as long as whatever is done is done in love, because the Law of Love supersedes all other laws! (ML #647:39).
111. We're no longer under the laws on adultery and all the rest, so how can we break them? How can you break the Mosaic Law when you're not under it?--When you're just under the Law of Love?--And love doesn't need any law! "Against such there is no law," against love. (Gal. 5:22,23). We are free! We've been liberated from the Law of Moses, we're free! "He that the Son has set free is free indeed!" (Jn.8:36). And what's the other one on freedom? "If ye continue in My Word ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (Jn.8:31-32). Isn't that what we've taught you? Haven't we continued in the Word? Isn't that why you enjoy this freedom?--Every kind of freedom, including sexual freedom, as long as it's in love! (ML #2134:46,47).
112. Of course, I'm not saying that there's no more adultery in the world today; the world is rife with adultery among the unsaved or the unbelieving--and even Christians who are still in bondage! But in our society of the Family, if we're living and operating in love, in God's love, how can there be any such thing as adultery, which literally means corrupting and polluting?--That's what adulterating something means. Our sexual freedom does not adulterate, it does not poison, it does not pollute or corrupt anybody or anything, because we have sex in love. Our sexual sharing is done in "faith, which worketh by love" (Gal.5:6). (ML #2835:33).
113. Of course we don't commit adultery! We're not adulterating anything! We're not polluting anything! We're all one Family! We're all married to each other and it's all in love and we wouldn't think of doing anything to hurt anybody. Our form of sexual sharing is not adultery, but is good and Godly! And we need more of it, because it binds us together and we learn how to give and sacrifice, as well as how to enjoy each other. Praise the Lord! The Mosaic Law is not made for us, because we wouldn't think of doing anything against God's Law of Love. At least I hope none of the Family would! (See 1Tim.1:9.) So there is no more adultery for us who live under God's only Law of Love! (ML #2878:38,39).
114. {\b \i (Mama:) }That makes it pretty clear, doesn't it? For us, if we're acting in accordance with the Law of Love, there is no adultery, because we're not under the Laws of Moses; we're free by the law that Jesus gave, the Law of Love. We're free because we believe the Word, because we believe what Jesus said, and because we believe what the Lord revealed to Dad about the full extent of the freedoms the Lord has given. As Dad stated, "It all boils down to whether you're going to believe in Moses or Jesus!--Whether you're going to insist that we keep the dead laws of Moses and the prophets of yesterday, or the living love-law of Jesus and His Apostles of today!" (ML #592:31).
115. So we aren't bound by the Mosaic Law! Of course, this is providing that your sexual sharing with others is done in love and is not hurting anyone. If not, you are operating outside the boundaries of the Law of Love, and in that case it is a sin. If you're not following the guidelines of having the willing consent of your mate, of hurting no one, and doing all things in love, then it is a sin for you. But you're not guilty of disobeying God's laws if whatever you're doing, you're doing in love. And if you know you're acting in love and in accordance with the Lord's counsel in this series of GNs and the Charter, then you can go ahead by faith, according to God's Word, and you don't need anything else.
Spiritual Adultery!
116. I want to bring up just one more point about adultery. Many Christians condemn us because we have the faith to claim our sexual freedom under the Law of Love. They call it adultery when clearly it isn't, at least not for us. But while they castigate us for what they call adultery, most of them are truly committing adultery, spiritual adultery. When talking about this, Dad said:
117. Although Jesus condemned physical adultery for those still under the Law, the Lord and the prophets condemned spiritual adultery as the worst of all!--The wickedness of spiritually committing adultery with the Devil and his idols and materialism! The Lord says, "I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes, which go awhoring after their idols! Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of this world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God!" (Eze.6:9; Jam.4:4). (See also Psa.106:39; Eze.20:30-32; Jer.3:6-10.)
118. The Lord even depicts the world materialistic System as "the great whore with whom the kings of the Earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the Earth are made drunk with the wine of her fornication!" (Rev.17:1-2). Spiritual adultery and fornication with the idolatrous and whorish System of this world is an abomination that most self-righteous Christians never even give a second thought about, yet they're so quick to self-righteously condemn us for the perfectly pure sexual liberties that are ours under the Lord's Law of Love! (ML #2835:30,31).
119. These people in the world and even in the churches who condemn us and accuse us of an "adulterous lifestyle" are themselves guilty of spiritual adultery! You'd better watch out that you're not guilty of spiritual adultery also. You say, "What is spiritual adultery, Dad?" It's running around and fucking the idols of this world when you're supposed to be the Bride of Christ! You can even do that walking through a shopping center if you don't watch your mind and your step! What do people worship today? Do they actually still worship the idols of ancient days? Some people do in some countries. But what have you seen people worship mostly in this supposed advanced civilization?--Car, money, home (ML #2878:41,43).
120. {\b \i (Mama:) }The Lord confirmed this in a prophecy about the Law of Love when He said:
121. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:) }Yours is a high calling--the highest calling--to be My servants in an adulterous and wicked generation. I say unto you, what is their adultery? Their adultery is that they have gone awhoring after other gods, and they have neglected their first Husband [EDITED: "the Lord"], and gone after the rudiments of the world. But it is not adultery if you love your brethren. Because in that you have loved the least of these, My brethren, you have done it unto Me. (End of message from Jesus.)
122.' {\b \i (Mama:)} The Lord is telling us here what He considers real adultery!--That God's children--most Christians in the world today--have left Him, the One Who is supposed to be their First Love, and put many other gods before Him!--The gods of materialism, education, intellectuality, sports and physical fitness, outward appearance, a good reputation and favor in the eyes of man. This is adultery in His eyes!
123. If we're living the Law of Love, if our actions regarding sexual relations are done in love, then we are not guilty of physical adultery, but we should all keep a real check on our relationship with the Lord to make sure we're not guilty of spiritual adultery. Amen?
The Lord Will Give You the Grace, the Faith, and the Strength You Need!
124. I pray that this first GN of this series has helped to give you a better understanding and review of the Scriptural basis for the Law of Love, has answered some of your questions, and has shown you the importance of living the Law of Love more fully. There are many other aspects of this complex subject which we will cover in the rest of this series, so if all of your questions aren't answered yet, hang in there and please be sure to read the rest of the series!
125. As we continue in the next GNs to talk further about the Law of Love, I hope that you won't feel nervous or fearful, or start getting worried about the future or what this all means for you personally in regards to your marriage or your relationship with your steady boyfriend or girlfriend. Sometimes when you haven't been thinking much about sharing and the sexual side of the Law of Love, just the thought of it can be pretty scary. You can feel your heart start beating faster, your tummy kind of tenses up, and you wonder, "What is the Lord going to say? What is He going to expect of me? Do I really have what it takes?"
126. I want to tell you that the Enemy is going to try to come in right at the beginning to try to make you resistant, nervous, upset, worried or fearful. So please resist the attacks and temptations of the Enemy, and just let the Lord, through His Word, give you the faith, encouragement and strength you need. Before any of you conclude that you don't have the faith to live the Law of Love fully, first give the Lord's Words time to work in your heart. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
127. Don't worry and fret and try to figure out what the Lord is going to say and what He's going to ask of you, and if you're going to be able to take it. Just relax! I know many of you may not feel that you have the strength or the faith to live the Law of Love fully. Maybe you've put the whole subject of sexual sharing on the back burner and you're very happy to keep it there. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you had a rather negative, resistant reaction to even reading the part in "Goals for 1998" where the Lord encouraged us to live the Law of Love fully.
128. It's very possible that many of you felt that our living the Law of Love fully, at least in regards to sexual sharing, was part of the past and you didn't want it to come up again! But please understand that this is an important part of our living the Word fully. It's our responsibility to the Lord and Dad to continue to not only accept and believe the meat of the Word, but also to be willing to live it. It's also a very special, unique and supremely effective tool that the Lord wants to use to bring about the unity that we need. He's been speaking time and time again about the importance of unity, and He's made it clear that the unity we now have is not enough. As we go into the Endtime days ahead, we need greater, deeper, more heartfelt unity, and this is something that only the Lord can give us. As He said in "Keynote to the 1998 Birthday Feast":
129. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} The greater the darkness of this world that surrounds you, the greater must be My blessing, and therefore the greater must be your unity. The unity you've had in the past and in recent years, and the unity you have now, are not enough for the days that are to come. For gross darkness will cover the Earth, and though you're called and chosen to be a light in the midst of this darkness, you will not have the power of My Spirit that you need unless you grow in unity.
130. You must grow in unity. You must grow in oneness. You must become truly One Wife if you are to succeed in the mission that I've set before you.
131. As you learn more of the unity that I desire, you may feel that the cost is great. But I say to you, beware, and be not foolish in your judgment. The price you pay for the unity that I seek is nothing compared to what you will lose if you refuse to seek and find such unity. (End of message from Jesus.) (ML #3158:77,80,81, GN 766).
132. {\b \i (Mama:) }Peter and I are not bringing up the subject of the Law of Love just as an exercise to help us all to brush up on one of the basic beliefs of the Family. We're not writing and preparing these Letters just to put forth information, but as I said earlier, we have desperately prayed about it and are completely convinced that this is an area the Lord wants us, as a Family, to grow in.
133. Before closing this GN, I want to share with you a couple of paragraphs from a message that I hope will encourage your faith and show you that even though you might feel quite weak in yourself and you might feel that your faith is very small for living the Law of Love fully, especially regarding sexual sharing, the Lord feels otherwise. He sees you in a much different light; He has the faith for you. As long as you believe, accept, and are willing to try, then He will do the rest, because you're the special, called-out avant-garde, the children of David!
134. You've made it this far, you've hung on this long, and that is a great testimony of your strength. So even if you're weak and wavering and even quite destabilized at the thought of the Law of Love coming more to the fore, the Lord will give you the grace and faith and strength as you follow Him step by step, as He promises in the following message:
135. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} My Law of Love is that which sets apart the children of David from My other children. Not only is it radical, free and unconventional, but it's difficult, and it's only for the strongest. It separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. It separates the soldiers from the civilians, and even separates the avant-garde, the elite troops, from the regular troops.
136. You fear that you'll never be able to live and practice these meaty doctrines; but I tell you that you can and that you are able, for I will be able through you. The fact that you've not given up, that you've not turned your back on My service, and that you've not turned your back on the Words and teachings of David proves that you are a strong soldier and that you belong here, in the elite troops. And if you belong here, if this is your destiny and your mission, then believe Me that I will make it possible for you to finish the training and that you will pass the grade and graduate with honors. It's tough, it takes time to graduate from officers' training, but once you do, you've gained something that nobody can take away from you! I know it's hard, I know it's painful. You feel like you want to give up trying and like you're not going to make it, but I want you to make it!
137. The new weapons that I give you for this new day are the weapons of loving Me intimately, of hearing My voice, and of unity with your Family. These weapons will enable My children to fully live My Law of Love and to bring down My full blessings. I know that you love Me, and I know that you believe My Words and My voice, but you must learn to fully use these weapons to gain the victories that you need.
138. As you love Me, as you spend time loving Me and becoming filled with Me, thus will I be able to fill you with My love, My seeds, My truths, My thoughts, My views, and thus will you be able to see things as I see them. When you can see things the way that I see them, then although your natural man may struggle and buck against it, you'll be able to fight, knowing that you're doing the right thing, and knowing that I will give you the strength for it. (End of excerpts of message from Jesus.)
139. {\b \i (Mama:) }Please be encouraged, knowing that the Lord has kept you this long and He will continue to keep you. He'll give you the grace and help you as you take the steps of faith to follow His Word. Thank you, my precious ones, for your faith in the Lord and His Words. I admire you and am so thankful for you!
Much love and prayers,
Mama
140. P.S. To facilitate your explaining the Scriptural principles of the Law of Love to the people you're witnessing to, please see "The Law of Christ," Word Basics, page 248.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
