"The old covenant was in the flesh; the new is in the heart, by the Spirit. If your circumcision is only in the flesh, you are yet carnal. But if your circumcision is of the heart, you are spiritual. "
Larry Kiser from "The Circumcision of the Church"
Next time someone uses the excuse that we are under grace to justify remaining in sin, remind them that when we become born again our heart is changed.
We now walk by the Spirit Who lives in us because our heart desires righteousness. When there is an excuse made to be able to sin in this age of grace, it is a sure sign that the one making the excuse remains fleshly, rebellious and determined to have their own way. Many of these people are not born again, the reason we see little to no fruit in their lives.
The outer shell exhibits some decent qualities but the inner man is still full of sin and self.
To reject God's commands in favor or our own mind and our own ways, is to reject Christ Himself. To claim to be a Bible believer while defending sin as a normal course of life is to blaspheme God. Christi is the Word, His Words of the Bible are the very essence of Him. When we demean, reject or twist to suit ourselves, His words, we are devaluing Him.
It is possible for a believer to sin, even act stubborn at times, but it is not possible for the born again believer to remain in sin without a conscience toward it. Born again believers can be in error about what is sin, but the Holy Spirit will speak loudly to them or go into silence if they continue to ignore Him. If a born again believer can no longer hear the Holy Spirit then the Holy Spirit will bring life experiences of discipline to get the attention of the one who is stubborn.
God circumcises our hearts to bring us back into obedience to Him.
Romans 2:25-29
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."
Pretending to love God while blatantly and rebelliously remaining in sin is evidence that one may not have been born again. I do not say that all those who are in sin are unsaved, some are feeling the consequences of that sin right now but have not yet confessed to be cleansed.
However, many who are in sin while claiming to be Christian have never been born again, they remain lost and on their way to hell. Each person must ask God which of these is their camp. Then each one must repent or confess their sin and ask to be changed by Christ. One must be changed into a new creation to be saved and the other must confess their sin to be cleansed for further growth in holiness.
As believers we grow in direct proportions to how often we self reflect to be pleasing to God. Those who keep close accounts of their heart attitudes and ask to be cleansed will grow in holiness. Those who refuse to confess their sin will remain spiritual and emotional babies, sometimes all of their lives.
When we love Jesus Christ it is harder to disobey than to obey because we love the ways of God. There is always a question when someone loves their sin and even become angry defending it, when someone dares to expose the sin as sin.
I lose facebook friends all the time who become angry when I write about some favored sin they love. They even become enraged at the suggestion that their sin is a sin at all.
We are living in apostate times when many will say Lord, Lord, but were never of Him.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
In fact, We are living in the times of the remnant. A remnant in quilting vernacular is very small often referred to as the "residue." What is left over when most of the fabric is gone.
Does anyone else feel as I do?
Ezra 9:8
"But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage."
Deuteronomy 4:27 This happened to the Jews but we can glean from it a feeling that is present in those of us who want to honor and obey Christ.
"The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left FEW IN NUMBER among the nations where the LORD drives you."
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