John 14:20-21 "…20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”"
One who lives in habitual sin and will not confess to be cleansed, even justifying it, pridefully fighting to defend it, cannot be born again.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
The Love Gift of Mourning
1 Timothy 1:18-20
"18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."
Paul left these two men to God, warning others about them in order to spare the flock.
2 Timothy 2:15-19 "15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”"
God clearly tells us to warn believers of those who are walking in disobedience. The warning helps others to be more diligent about making sure they are confessing to be cleansed, while continuing to grow in holiness.
Without warnings the people become complacent and even proud of themselves when they should be mourning.
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Those that mourn over their sin will be cleansed and comforted. The mourning is a necessary part of the cleansing that must occur for someone to grow in holiness. Without that mourning there builds pride and hardness of heart.
Sadly in our world today the one who is comforted and encouraged is the one who is prideful and self assured. These people are praised for their "strength" which in God's eyes is weakness. It is the strong who are able to confess to be cleansed. These are the people who are absent of pride.
Pride brings weakness, humility and confession brings strength.
Ecclesiastes 7:4
"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth."
"18 This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."
Paul left these two men to God, warning others about them in order to spare the flock.
2 Timothy 2:15-19 "15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”"
God clearly tells us to warn believers of those who are walking in disobedience. The warning helps others to be more diligent about making sure they are confessing to be cleansed, while continuing to grow in holiness.
Without warnings the people become complacent and even proud of themselves when they should be mourning.
Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Those that mourn over their sin will be cleansed and comforted. The mourning is a necessary part of the cleansing that must occur for someone to grow in holiness. Without that mourning there builds pride and hardness of heart.
Sadly in our world today the one who is comforted and encouraged is the one who is prideful and self assured. These people are praised for their "strength" which in God's eyes is weakness. It is the strong who are able to confess to be cleansed. These are the people who are absent of pride.
Pride brings weakness, humility and confession brings strength.
Ecclesiastes 7:4
"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth."
The Love Warnings
Its not that "we" are so negative with all these warnings, its those people who are acting badly that force people like us to have to speak about it.
Warning others is the kindest and most loving thing we can do. If those who hear the warnings heed the warnings they will spare themselves a lot of heartbreak and perhaps even become born again to be able to trust Christ and gain heaven.
Continually looking on the "bright side" only makes people feel happy temporarily while they are on their way to hell.
Continually looking on the "bright side" only makes believers continue in sin, bringing the wrong message to unbelievers, that believers can sin all they want and God doesn't care.
John 14:15-16 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
A false Christian witness has caused unbelievers to feel entirely comfortable in their sin, leaving them with no desire to find out how to be saved from hell.
Luke 16:27-29 "…27‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so they will not also end up in this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’…"
So many Christians believe they are to remain silent and just let the Holy Spirit tell people. The exciting news is that we have the Holy Spirit within us as believers. That Holy Spirit in us uses our mouth to convey His message to non-believers who will not read the Bible.
When a Christian is sinning and we remain silent we are willing enablers in the sin of that brother or sister. Our world is full of pretenders in the church who care very little about the spiritual well being of the church. Their greatest concern is being seen as a good person and being liked by all those around them. These people are nearly useless for the kingdom of God.
Ezekiel 3:18-19 "18 If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.…"
Warning others is the kindest and most loving thing we can do. If those who hear the warnings heed the warnings they will spare themselves a lot of heartbreak and perhaps even become born again to be able to trust Christ and gain heaven.
Continually looking on the "bright side" only makes people feel happy temporarily while they are on their way to hell.
Continually looking on the "bright side" only makes believers continue in sin, bringing the wrong message to unbelievers, that believers can sin all they want and God doesn't care.
John 14:15-16 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
A false Christian witness has caused unbelievers to feel entirely comfortable in their sin, leaving them with no desire to find out how to be saved from hell.
Luke 16:27-29 "…27‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them so they will not also end up in this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’…"
So many Christians believe they are to remain silent and just let the Holy Spirit tell people. The exciting news is that we have the Holy Spirit within us as believers. That Holy Spirit in us uses our mouth to convey His message to non-believers who will not read the Bible.
When a Christian is sinning and we remain silent we are willing enablers in the sin of that brother or sister. Our world is full of pretenders in the church who care very little about the spiritual well being of the church. Their greatest concern is being seen as a good person and being liked by all those around them. These people are nearly useless for the kingdom of God.
Ezekiel 3:18-19 "18 If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.…"
A Faithful and True Friend
When you confide in someone about your trials and discover later that they were moles coming to relay your confidences to the very people you spoke about, then this person is not a friend.
We must be very careful with whom we share our heart.
If someone comes to us to tell us what others have said about us, they are not our friends.
Proverbs 16:28-29 "28 A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.…"
Just to define gossip to be clear. Gossip is not sharing with a trusted friend something that is happening to you with others. Gossip is observing something from afar that did not pertain to you and for which you had no direct involvement.
This be clear, it is very important that when we share our trials with people, they are people we can trust with our heart. This trusted person will never go to anyone with our confidences. They will involve themselves only to the extent that they will be praying for us.
Everyone has friends they share secrets with, if the friend is a good one they will never repeat our secrets thoughts to anyone.
We must be very careful with whom we share our heart.
If someone comes to us to tell us what others have said about us, they are not our friends.
Proverbs 16:28-29 "28 A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.…"
Just to define gossip to be clear. Gossip is not sharing with a trusted friend something that is happening to you with others. Gossip is observing something from afar that did not pertain to you and for which you had no direct involvement.
This be clear, it is very important that when we share our trials with people, they are people we can trust with our heart. This trusted person will never go to anyone with our confidences. They will involve themselves only to the extent that they will be praying for us.
Everyone has friends they share secrets with, if the friend is a good one they will never repeat our secrets thoughts to anyone.
Bullies Bring Shame Upon Themselves
I am convinced now that narcissists are driven to appear superior because of shame within themselves.
However, that shame is not necessarily because they were shamed as children. What I have been observing for the past 60 years, has been that shame the narcissist feels is coming from the shame they incur when they treat others badly.
They know they are being rude, mean and judgmental about unimportant or contrived matters. This will cause shame that they must continually deny. When denial doesn't work they move on to excuse making, justification of their wrong and making the person they harmed the blame for the narcissist bad behavior.
I remember a child being careless while carrying a glass of milk. They were foolishly dancing as they went, bumping into a sibling. Of course it made the milk spill. The response of a small child is "look what you made me do when you bumped into me."
Notice that this is a response of a small child, not an adult. A mature adult would say, "that was silly of me, sorry I bumped you."
The mentality of the narcissist is that of a bratty six year old. They cannot self reflect to be able to admit and confess their error. Even the slightest silliest flaw makes them feel like a complete failure. They have heaped up for themselves years of sins against others, each one bringing more shame.
Because so many people were just forgiving them without requirement of brokenness over their sin, they grew worse until their conscience failed to operate any more. The forgiveness made the forgiver feel better about themselves but did nothing to help the bully. This is not love, its just plain selfish.
When we have been battered all our lives by those who made us the scapegoat we will feel shamed a lot about nothing important.
Then too there are those who have spent a lifetime being mean to others, over time they develop some shame for their actions. These sort of narcissists must constantly cover up their shame by more bullying and greater excuses for blaming others.
When sin is not confessed regularly it grows more frequent and intense. When sin is full blown without remorse the conscience becomes seared, unable to think any other way. This is when we see people in their later years no more mature than they were when they were younger bullies. These grown up bullies never confessed anything therefore nothing in them changed.
In the case of "just forgive them" the bully never learns his tactics don't work because they do work for him, and the forgiver does not grow either. The forgiver is continually sweeping things under the rug to be ignored with the pretense that something was resolved when no one change at all.
We must confess to be cleansed and changed. 1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The grown up bully has been practicing all their lives how to lie their way our of things, manipulate the perceptions of others and intimidate anyone who dared to call them out on their behavior.
These bullies have a very deeply ingrained bad habit that they don't even think about. They forget what they do because it isn't important to them. Hurting others is merely a means to the end, that is making them stronger and superior to others, at least in their own minds.
The weakest people on the face of the earth are the bullies. They cannot feel adequate or confident within themselves. They must bring someone else down to lift themselves up. The entire existence is based on who is lower than they.
When we are mature, confident and dependent on Christ we have no need to feel superior to anyone else. Perhaps its because we see all people as sinners in need of a Savior. No one is good enough for anything. No man or woman is special, only Christ is special.
We love people because Christ loved them, but they never are on a throne above God. This allows us to be completely honest and open, no need for boasting except of the Lord.
There are two kinds of shame, the shame that others heap on us when we are a scapegoat and the shame others bring upon themselves for the wicked behavior of a lifetime.
The greatest blessing we can bring to a bully is to speak the truth, refuse to forgive until they are broken and watch God work. It is lack of faith to believe we will become bitter simply because we expect a bully to repent. It is not bitterness it is obedience to God.
Isaiah 26:10-11 "10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. 11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people, and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!…"
Jeremiah 8:9
"The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom do they really have?"
Proverbs 15:18
"18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But the slow to anger calms a dispute."
Sometimes the strife a hot tempered man stirs up is strife in his own heart.
If we love people we speak truth and only forgive when there is repentance.
However, that shame is not necessarily because they were shamed as children. What I have been observing for the past 60 years, has been that shame the narcissist feels is coming from the shame they incur when they treat others badly.
They know they are being rude, mean and judgmental about unimportant or contrived matters. This will cause shame that they must continually deny. When denial doesn't work they move on to excuse making, justification of their wrong and making the person they harmed the blame for the narcissist bad behavior.
I remember a child being careless while carrying a glass of milk. They were foolishly dancing as they went, bumping into a sibling. Of course it made the milk spill. The response of a small child is "look what you made me do when you bumped into me."
Notice that this is a response of a small child, not an adult. A mature adult would say, "that was silly of me, sorry I bumped you."
The mentality of the narcissist is that of a bratty six year old. They cannot self reflect to be able to admit and confess their error. Even the slightest silliest flaw makes them feel like a complete failure. They have heaped up for themselves years of sins against others, each one bringing more shame.
Because so many people were just forgiving them without requirement of brokenness over their sin, they grew worse until their conscience failed to operate any more. The forgiveness made the forgiver feel better about themselves but did nothing to help the bully. This is not love, its just plain selfish.
When we have been battered all our lives by those who made us the scapegoat we will feel shamed a lot about nothing important.
Then too there are those who have spent a lifetime being mean to others, over time they develop some shame for their actions. These sort of narcissists must constantly cover up their shame by more bullying and greater excuses for blaming others.
When sin is not confessed regularly it grows more frequent and intense. When sin is full blown without remorse the conscience becomes seared, unable to think any other way. This is when we see people in their later years no more mature than they were when they were younger bullies. These grown up bullies never confessed anything therefore nothing in them changed.
In the case of "just forgive them" the bully never learns his tactics don't work because they do work for him, and the forgiver does not grow either. The forgiver is continually sweeping things under the rug to be ignored with the pretense that something was resolved when no one change at all.
We must confess to be cleansed and changed. 1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The grown up bully has been practicing all their lives how to lie their way our of things, manipulate the perceptions of others and intimidate anyone who dared to call them out on their behavior.
These bullies have a very deeply ingrained bad habit that they don't even think about. They forget what they do because it isn't important to them. Hurting others is merely a means to the end, that is making them stronger and superior to others, at least in their own minds.
The weakest people on the face of the earth are the bullies. They cannot feel adequate or confident within themselves. They must bring someone else down to lift themselves up. The entire existence is based on who is lower than they.
When we are mature, confident and dependent on Christ we have no need to feel superior to anyone else. Perhaps its because we see all people as sinners in need of a Savior. No one is good enough for anything. No man or woman is special, only Christ is special.
We love people because Christ loved them, but they never are on a throne above God. This allows us to be completely honest and open, no need for boasting except of the Lord.
There are two kinds of shame, the shame that others heap on us when we are a scapegoat and the shame others bring upon themselves for the wicked behavior of a lifetime.
The greatest blessing we can bring to a bully is to speak the truth, refuse to forgive until they are broken and watch God work. It is lack of faith to believe we will become bitter simply because we expect a bully to repent. It is not bitterness it is obedience to God.
Isaiah 26:10-11 "10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD. 11 O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people, and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!…"
Jeremiah 8:9
"The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom do they really have?"
Proverbs 15:18
"18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
But the slow to anger calms a dispute."
Sometimes the strife a hot tempered man stirs up is strife in his own heart.
If we love people we speak truth and only forgive when there is repentance.
Christ Paid for Sin But Not to Continue in it!
Even though Christ had to shed every last drop of blood to pay for the sin, the church still treats sin as nothing to be concerned about. I don't get it, when someone buys an expensive house or car they take care to keep it in good order. But Christians now do not see see as "exceedingly sinful" or they would be grieved about it, not excusing it as under grace.
Under grace has nothing to do with continuing sin. Continuing sin is still ugly to God and He will stop hearing our prayers when we wink at sin.
Romans 6:1-2 "1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…"
God calls all believers to warn one another about their sin when they do it.
2 Timothy 4:1-3 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.…"
Those who support sin in others in any way are themselves sinning.
1 Timothy 5:21-22 "21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality. 22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure."
Ephesians 2:1-10 "2 And you WERE dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you ONCE walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all ONCE lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and WERE by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we WERE dead in our trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
When God works on us to become holy, does anyone really think He is going to endorse or ignore sin in us. Not at all, He works in us to cleanse us and remove us from sin.
"WERE dead in trespasses and sins" and "You ONCE walked", these phrases mean that we no longer walk in a lifestyle of continuing sin. The walking in sin is past when we become born again.
Anyone who endorses sin by indulging in the lives of those who refuse to stop sinning, is partakers in the sin of those they support.
Ephesians 5:7-8 "7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
Brothers and sisters, there are no more excuses to sin willfully, we have the Holy Spirit to call upon to turn from sin and to be cleansed.
There has been no repentance from sin if one remains in it. Repentance involves a change of mind toward sin, a hatred for it. When we repent this mindset results in a turning from sin and beginning in obedience again.
John 14:15-16 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
The Advocate, that is the Holy Spirit has not been placed in believer to stand by and watch them sin, winking His eye as though its no big deal.
Ephesians 4:30 "30 And l do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
As long as someone remains in sin they are grieving the Holy Spirit. Just because our sins are covered in the blood does not mean we should remain in them continually grieving the Holy Spirit. God hates this mentality. Anything that grieves the Holy Spirit grieves the very heart of God.
Why would any born again believer not care about grieving the heart of God?
Genesis 6:6
"The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
Psalm 78:40
"How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!"
Psalm 139:24
"And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."
If we love the Lord Jesus with all our heart we will not want to grieve Him by continuing in sin.
Those who use "grace" as an excuse for sinning or accepting it in others, are more connected to this world and their relationships than they are to Christ.
Under grace has nothing to do with continuing sin. Continuing sin is still ugly to God and He will stop hearing our prayers when we wink at sin.
Romans 6:1-2 "1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…"
God calls all believers to warn one another about their sin when they do it.
2 Timothy 4:1-3 "1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.…"
Those who support sin in others in any way are themselves sinning.
1 Timothy 5:21-22 "21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality. 22 Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands and thereby share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure."
Ephesians 2:1-10 "2 And you WERE dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you ONCE walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all ONCE lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and WERE by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we WERE dead in our trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
When God works on us to become holy, does anyone really think He is going to endorse or ignore sin in us. Not at all, He works in us to cleanse us and remove us from sin.
"WERE dead in trespasses and sins" and "You ONCE walked", these phrases mean that we no longer walk in a lifestyle of continuing sin. The walking in sin is past when we become born again.
Anyone who endorses sin by indulging in the lives of those who refuse to stop sinning, is partakers in the sin of those they support.
Ephesians 5:7-8 "7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
Brothers and sisters, there are no more excuses to sin willfully, we have the Holy Spirit to call upon to turn from sin and to be cleansed.
There has been no repentance from sin if one remains in it. Repentance involves a change of mind toward sin, a hatred for it. When we repent this mindset results in a turning from sin and beginning in obedience again.
John 14:15-16 "15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
The Advocate, that is the Holy Spirit has not been placed in believer to stand by and watch them sin, winking His eye as though its no big deal.
Ephesians 4:30 "30 And l do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
As long as someone remains in sin they are grieving the Holy Spirit. Just because our sins are covered in the blood does not mean we should remain in them continually grieving the Holy Spirit. God hates this mentality. Anything that grieves the Holy Spirit grieves the very heart of God.
Why would any born again believer not care about grieving the heart of God?
Genesis 6:6
"The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
Psalm 78:40
"How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!"
Psalm 139:24
"And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."
If we love the Lord Jesus with all our heart we will not want to grieve Him by continuing in sin.
Those who use "grace" as an excuse for sinning or accepting it in others, are more connected to this world and their relationships than they are to Christ.
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