There is no cleansing and growing without confession, there are no restored relationships without confession first and the forgiveness that comes after. We must have both elements to see progress for both parties.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Both Confession and Forgiveness are Necessary
We can not grow in holiness without confession of sin. Even the help programs for alcoholism understands the need to own our sins to go forward in forsaking them. When we forgive without requiring a confession of the offenses, we defy the purpose of confession and forgiveness. The confession helps the sinner to feel cleansed and more able to move forward in refusing that sin the next time they are faced a temptation.
There is no cleansing and growing without confession, there are no restored relationships without confession first and the forgiveness that comes after. We must have both elements to see progress for both parties.
There is no cleansing and growing without confession, there are no restored relationships without confession first and the forgiveness that comes after. We must have both elements to see progress for both parties.
Those Who Speak Falsely
2 John 1:10 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;"
When we meet people who bring a false gospel into our relationships, we are to correct them, if they will not stop then they must be ignored them and put away from us. Sadly our culture teaches us that we are never to reject anyone, they may breathe in some of our "Christian air" and by osmosis trust Christ.
2 John 1:10 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;"
Titus 3:10 "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,"
2 Timoth 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
This thinking, our demeanor alone will cause a person to want Christ, is not in line with the principles of Christ. God clearly says that keeping company with unsaved people does not cause them to become believers, it only taints our walk with God and ultimately validates the life by our silence.
Isaiah 26:10
“But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord."
People become born again by hearing the gospel, not because they think we are "nice people." When we speak the gospel boldly, most will not like it, but we must do it anyway. In fact in most cases, no matter how calmly or nicely we speak the gospel the response to it will be hostile.
Luke 6:26 "“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
Luke 10:16 ""The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.""
John 3:36 "John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Romans 2:8 "but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation."
Those who do not want Christ will accuse us of things that are not true while attempting to undermine our character. The only way to please an unsaved rebellious person is to do, be and say everything they want you to, then they will see you as an extension of themselves and therefore acceptable to them. Honor and respect must be earned by validating everything they are and everything they do. Do we see the problem here?
The gospel doesn't validate anything in a human beings life, rather the opposite is true, it exposes our sinful nature and requires change that only Christ can make in us. The rebellious person refuses to listen to anyone let alone submit to God Whom they cannot see, taste or feel.
The important thing to remember is that we need to be immersed in the Word of God, directed by the Holy Spirit and uninfluenced by the culture to remain strong and grow in righteousness and wisdom.
When we meet people who bring a false gospel into our relationships, we are to correct them, if they will not stop then they must be ignored them and put away from us. Sadly our culture teaches us that we are never to reject anyone, they may breathe in some of our "Christian air" and by osmosis trust Christ.
2 John 1:10 "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;"
Titus 3:10 "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,"
2 Timoth 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
This thinking, our demeanor alone will cause a person to want Christ, is not in line with the principles of Christ. God clearly says that keeping company with unsaved people does not cause them to become believers, it only taints our walk with God and ultimately validates the life by our silence.
Isaiah 26:10
“But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord."
People become born again by hearing the gospel, not because they think we are "nice people." When we speak the gospel boldly, most will not like it, but we must do it anyway. In fact in most cases, no matter how calmly or nicely we speak the gospel the response to it will be hostile.
Luke 6:26 "“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets."
Luke 10:16 ""The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.""
John 3:36 "John 3:36
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Romans 2:8 "but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation."
Those who do not want Christ will accuse us of things that are not true while attempting to undermine our character. The only way to please an unsaved rebellious person is to do, be and say everything they want you to, then they will see you as an extension of themselves and therefore acceptable to them. Honor and respect must be earned by validating everything they are and everything they do. Do we see the problem here?
The gospel doesn't validate anything in a human beings life, rather the opposite is true, it exposes our sinful nature and requires change that only Christ can make in us. The rebellious person refuses to listen to anyone let alone submit to God Whom they cannot see, taste or feel.
The important thing to remember is that we need to be immersed in the Word of God, directed by the Holy Spirit and uninfluenced by the culture to remain strong and grow in righteousness and wisdom.
Stand For Your Marriage!
Our actions prove our heart!
Manipulating others through covert maneuvers shows the inner heart of a person who wants to control rather than bless others. When we do things to people in order to force them to do things our way, then we are selfish lacking a servants heart.
As believers, all that we do, should be out of concern for the well being of those in our life. Nothing else should motivate us except blessing those around us with truth, seeking their good and their desires.
When we have a relationship it should be based on "working out" the matters of life together, this requires communication and concern. When one person seeks to continually have their own way without regard for their spouse, it is hurtful and damaging to the relationship. God never intended for a marriage to be one party getting all they want their way, without regard for the other person.
1 Peter 3:7 "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."
To completely ignore or disregard the desires and feelings of our spouse is to tell them they don't matter or are not worthy of respect and honor. When a spouse gets this message they become discouraged in the relationships and lose trust for their spouse.
It has been my observation recently that many people are experiencing interlopers who attempt to poke their noses into the marriages of others because of their idolization of one person in the marriage while showing contempt for the other. This favoritism is devilish, it seeks to undermine the marriage for the sake of diverting attention from the spouse to the interloper.
I have heard of such a case, where those who interfere in the marriage, attempt to influence the easily manipulated target for their own desires, while covertly picking on the spouse for their own gain.
When we see this happening we need to remove those nosy parkers from our life to protect the marriage. These people target the easily manipulated spouse to make decisions without their husband or wife. The goal of the narcissists who do this is to turn the one spouse against the other so they can maintain control over the marriage.
NO ONE outside a marriage should be allowed to remain in a friendship with a couple who are using these methods to undermine a marriage.
2 Thessalonians 3:11 "For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like BUSYBODIES."
1 Timothy 5:13 "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not."
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "And to aspire to live quietly, and to MIND YOUR OWN AFFAIRS, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,"
Proverbs 20:3 "It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling."
Leviticus 19:16 "You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord."
I think we have sufficient evidence from the word to show that judging someone else's marriage while attempting to interfere by influencing one person against another is sin. Those who recognize the culprits must stand against them to protect the marriage.
Manipulating others through covert maneuvers shows the inner heart of a person who wants to control rather than bless others. When we do things to people in order to force them to do things our way, then we are selfish lacking a servants heart.
As believers, all that we do, should be out of concern for the well being of those in our life. Nothing else should motivate us except blessing those around us with truth, seeking their good and their desires.
When we have a relationship it should be based on "working out" the matters of life together, this requires communication and concern. When one person seeks to continually have their own way without regard for their spouse, it is hurtful and damaging to the relationship. God never intended for a marriage to be one party getting all they want their way, without regard for the other person.
1 Peter 3:7 "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."
To completely ignore or disregard the desires and feelings of our spouse is to tell them they don't matter or are not worthy of respect and honor. When a spouse gets this message they become discouraged in the relationships and lose trust for their spouse.
It has been my observation recently that many people are experiencing interlopers who attempt to poke their noses into the marriages of others because of their idolization of one person in the marriage while showing contempt for the other. This favoritism is devilish, it seeks to undermine the marriage for the sake of diverting attention from the spouse to the interloper.
I have heard of such a case, where those who interfere in the marriage, attempt to influence the easily manipulated target for their own desires, while covertly picking on the spouse for their own gain.
When we see this happening we need to remove those nosy parkers from our life to protect the marriage. These people target the easily manipulated spouse to make decisions without their husband or wife. The goal of the narcissists who do this is to turn the one spouse against the other so they can maintain control over the marriage.
NO ONE outside a marriage should be allowed to remain in a friendship with a couple who are using these methods to undermine a marriage.
2 Thessalonians 3:11 "For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like BUSYBODIES."
1 Timothy 5:13 "Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not."
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "And to aspire to live quietly, and to MIND YOUR OWN AFFAIRS, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,"
Proverbs 20:3 "It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling."
Leviticus 19:16 "You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord."
I think we have sufficient evidence from the word to show that judging someone else's marriage while attempting to interfere by influencing one person against another is sin. Those who recognize the culprits must stand against them to protect the marriage.
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