We Don't Obey the Law it is a Part of Us

Many people cannot wrap their mind around that idea that the Law is for the Law breaker. It is not for the believer. Romans 3:19-20

"19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are [a]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for [c]through the Law comes the knowledge of sin."

There is a Law in the land that forbids robbery, those who are Law breakers will rob and need the Law to restrain them because in their heart of hearts they are thieves.

However, the person who has Christ living in them, do not want to steal and would not do such a thing, they would flea from the temptation to do it. These people do not need a Law because they have the will do what is right.

These same people have the Law within them, it is the same Law that condemns the Law breaker. For these people there is no need of Law, because they desire to do right.

Believers are not perfect and sometimes we disobey, then we are convicted by the Law so that we might repent.

James 2:8-13
"8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy [e]triumphs over judgment."

The Law was not there to "follow" it was there to convict so that we would repent, it showed us our sinfulness. In a way it was as if God gave us a mirror (the Law), so that we could take a good look at ourselves and realize our need for the Savior.

No man can keep the Law, God said that quite clearly. We cannot be good after we are born again, it is Christ in us who is good and keeps us.

Philippians 2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." We are not "keeping the Law", but Christ is working in us.

Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

God says that no man can keep the whole Law but at the same time the only solution to our sinfulness it so keep the whole Law. So what is the answer?

The answer is that the Law was given to show us our sin, that we might see our need for the Savior. After we are born again we don't worry about keeping it, because we have no desire to dishonor Christ Who lives in us. 

Many of those who think we must "try" to keep the Law, think one can lose their salvation, because they are feverishly attempting to keep the very salvation they did not earn. What we did not earn we cannot keep.

Christ is our righteousness, He works in us to obey Him. When we stray, He disciplines those He loves.

Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Matthew 26:41 ""Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

It is not our flesh that is saved for eternity, it is our spirit.

Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."

We desire to please the Lord when we become born again, making us deeply grieved when we disobey Him. If we are blind to our own sin then the Lord helps us regain our sight by chastising us to come to where we should be.

Checking With God About Our Holidays

Interesting isn't it, parents don't see this as lying, to teach their children about false beings that do miracles. No wonder so many children are rebelling against their parents. The parents discipline their children for lying while at the same time practicing lying themselves.

Amos 5:21-23
King James Version (KJV)
"21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

22 Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols."

Parents don't understand that lying to children even to spare their feelings, is teaching them to lie. We must tell the truth to our children always, they may be hurt for a short time but they will learn to face truth and work through pain.

God does not lie to us to spare us pain, we should not do it with our children.

Leanness Comes From Rebellion

Too many people use the excuse that they are at a different spiritual level than someone else, thereby allowing them to indulge in things that are not pleasing to Christ.

When we are challenged that something we do does not honor Christ, we are at that point, responsible to go before the Lord and ask Him.

Those who will not take instruction or correction, walk in pride and willfully ignore the messengers of His wisdom.

Each time we ignore warnings, and even defend our ungodly actions, we take one step backward. Rebellion and willful ignorance will cause leanness in our souls.

Psalm 106:15 "So He gave them their request, But sent a wasting disease among them."

Was Solomon Saved!

I believe Solomon was born again. 

God knew what he would do with all the wealth he was given, before He gave it to him. 

I believe the purpose was to show all of mankind what happens when we have much of God's blessing, and begin to justify the things we do because we can pay for it. 

It was the pagan wives that he allowed to come into the palace, that turned his head. 

Remember those were the days that the Holy Spirit did not yet dwell in people as they do now, except at certain times. 

At the end of Solomon's life, he saw the foolishness of his life and wrote a lot in teaching us to avoid attitudes and actions. He saw everything under the sun and called it all "vanity."

Next time we feel compelled to accuse our elders of their failings, perhaps we can remember Solomon and realize, all that he experienced taught him a lot and at the end of his life, he saw that all of it led to nothingness. 

The conclusion was Ecclesiates 12:13;

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."

We do not really learn a lesson well without many failings and pratfalls, that teach us much. 

Those that feel a need to protect continually those who are messing up, are missing the whole point of life, and that is to learn from everything we have to go through. 

We can't learn without hurdles, they teach us what the inside really looks like. Our response to difficult things will show us our own heart and what needs prayer, that, as we confess our failings, God will do the work in us. 

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

If we will not confess openly our failings, then God will have to keep bringing the same difficulties until we see them so clearly they can not be denied.  Do we want to continually experience the same pratfalls over and over again?  Isn't it better to admit and learn and go on to the next lesson?  

Prideful America

Can we take a lesson from God's disapproval of His people, how much more will He punish those who are not His people, those who come against His nation.

Jeremiah 11:14
"14 “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster."

It was God's way to cause evil empires to come against His people to induce them to repent. It was also His way that they be punished, who came against them.

We are both, an evil nation and coming against Israel. Where does this leave us? We are in danger of great calamity and overthrow, but still shake our fist in pride crying out "God bless America."

How silly and how foolish of us. We need to stop this prideful mentality that we will get our country back because we think we are so worldly powerful. The best thing we could do is to fall to our knees in repentance, tears and wailing begging God to forgive us, asking nothing of Him, but to be forgiven.

Conversation Controllers

Conversation Controllers

I know of people who snap at others in a disagreement, at the beginning of the disagreement before there is even time to discuss the matter, this is manipulation to intimidate for the purpose of having the upper hand at the onset. It is not love to do this.

These people care more about winning than he/she does about discussing to come to an understanding. Those who will not listen to someone else long enough to hear the whole matter, are selfish, not desiring truth, but only to control the conversation. This person has no love for others to understand them, but only loves himself/herself.

Proverbs 15:32

^“32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.”

Another technique these people use is to talk so long and loud that no one can interject into the conversation. They hold the floor as long as they can until others are discouraged and frustrated. 

There is only one way to handle such people, and that is to walk away and avoid them in the future. As long as they are self absorbed and unwilling to hear others, it will not be possible to reason with them. The acquaintance is completely one sided, making it impossible to have a decent and loving relationship.

Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

Galatians 5:22-23

“²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

 

Galatians 6:8

“⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

 

James 3:14-16

“¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”

 

Luke 9:23-24

“²³ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his ^[a]life will lose it, but whoever loses his ^[b]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”

 

When we realize that God can see all that we are doing all the time, we might not be so quick to be rude to others while elevating self. 

 

Proverbs 15:3

“The eyes of the LORD are in every place,  watching the evil and the good.”

 

2 Chronicles 16:9

“⁹ For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”

 

We are running into more and more of these ungodly attitudes of self elevation, mainly because many baby boomers raised their children on self esteem and few if any rules.  Many children were allowed to make their own rules and after becoming adults, they were resistant to having to submit to anyone, even family.  God mandated that we submit one to another in a spirit of helpfulness and love.

 

Ephesians 5:20-26

“²⁰ Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

 

Lastly, pray for these people, they are insecure and are missing much of life and personal relationships. They have not yet learned that getting our way all the time, while walking over others to do it, will not bring happiness. It only brings heartache to him/her self and destroys good that could occur.

Debate Often Only Leads To More Ungodliness

I was asked today why I don't allow "debate" on my facebook. There is some debate, but I am not interested in debating anyone.

When God has told us the truth about a matter and we desire to teach it to others, then there can be no debate about it.

Some of the things that God has told me about are; Divorce and Remarriage and the eternal security of the believer.

There is no need for debate on these things, God has clearly stated His position, all we have to do is read His Word to find the answers.

If someone wants to add clarification to what has been written or correct using Scripture, then I am open to that, I am not, however, open to arguing back and forth indefinitely when it is clear we cannot come to an agreement.

John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

There is a movement afoot to muddy the waters by declaring that no one is right and no one is wrong. All ideas are equal in our culture, so there is anger when someone is bold enough to say, "I know the truth."

Our culture wants us to be unsure of what we believe, but God wants us to know the truth and stay to it no matter who comes against us.

1 John 2:27
"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

All the things that God has revealed to me because I spent many hours in prayer about them, cannot be changed by more debate. There are lots of things I have yet to learn, when God shows me the answer on those things, then I will not be moved on what He tells me.

The formalized church is fostering this attitude of acceptance of all ideas, at the very least they are ignoring what they don't like in favor of humanized unity, not the unity that comes through Christ, but unity based on intimidation to pacify the majority.

When the majority is wrong, then the minority is ignored and ridiculed, even run out, at times declaring through gossip, that they are trouble makers and sheep stealers.

We must ask God to show us truth and when He does, we are not to waver.

Ephesians 4:14
"As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;"

1 Corinthians 15:58
"58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

If we are in Christ, men have input into our lives through God's design, but they do not determine truth or our actions. God uses them to help us, but they are not the ultimate authority over us, Christ is and He will speak loudly to anyone who wants to hear.

James 1:5
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

Yes, listen to wise men that God brings to you, then take what you hear to God, searching His Word to see if what they say is true.

Acts 17:10-11
"10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."

Rather than "debate", we need to engage in prayerful discussion with everyone seek the answers from the Word. This is true fellowship!

Those who desire only to win the argument, refusing to seek the Lord in prayer are double minded and stubborn.

James 1:6-8
"6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."