If you say you have forgiven someone but cannot have a relationship, then you have not forgiven; it's just words, only words.
There is a new distortion going around, which is that we can forgive someone in our hearts but cannot have a relationship with them. This is not true.
God's purpose for repentance and forgiveness is to reconcile two people.
When we ask God to forgive us He does and the relationship is reconciled. God does not do something different with us that He does not expect us to do with others.
We are not required to forgive those who are not sorry; this does not mean we are bitter; it means the relationship remains broken.
We pray for people, but not all people we have relationships with; some we must avoid because we are walking a very different path with goals to please God, but the other person is not walking that path and will attempt to derail our closeness to God.
God never intended forgiveness to be used as a means of feeling better about ourselves; that would be a selfish goal. Our love for God and others compels us to work toward the harder and more lasting solution.
When we love Christ, we desire the highest good, that is, that a relationship be mended. When it is not possible to mend a relationship because one element of the formula is missing, then we pray for them and move on with our lives.
When someone will not forgive when they are asked, then we leave their choice with them. When someone will not repent when asked, then we move on with our relationship. In either case, until both happen, that is, confession of sin and forgiveness extended, the relationship remains broken.
Please stop saying that you forgive but cannot reconcile; it is unBiblical and flies in the face of God's purpose for both to be applied, two sides of the same coin.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Psychology has twisted scriptures into pretzels, causing the opposite result and truth than God originally intended.
This is what reconciliation based on repentance and forgiveness looks like according to the Scriptures. Read it carefully.
Luke 15:18-20 "I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still in the distance, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him."
Repentance is expressed, forgiveness is extended, and the ultimate result is reconciliation.
Monday, July 6, 2026
Should the Bible be Taught in Government Schools?
In the matter of the Bible being taught in a godless government school system, I have this to say. God can use it inspite of the culture, but it will indoctrnate the children in false concepts and principles.
We already see this in the false way in which forgiveness has been taught, leading people to believe repentance is not necessary to become a Christian.
It does not work to force unregenerate teachers to teach the Bible. They will not teach the truth about it and will even teach it as mythology!
Teaching children to follow the Ten Commandments sends the wrong message; it causes people to think they can be saved by being good enough. Teachers in school will not know how to teach the truth of salvation if they are not born again themselves.
The commandments were given to show us our sinful nature, that we could never follow them, and that we must desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation to walk in the ways of God.
Attempting to change the culture through the Ten Commandments does not teach them the way of Salvation through faith in Christ.
The teachers won't teach the Bible as history because the teachers are not born again themselves and do not understand properly what they are reading. They will teach the stories of the Bible as myths, not absolute truth. This ruins the children for future evangelism. Once a person has been convinced of the false way, they will rarely follow the truth.
I have met many "Christians" who do not know the Bible themselves, only portions of it the way they wish to believe it and this is the way they will teach it.
Christian parents need to get their children out of those government schools and teach the Bible themselves.
My husband was taught the Bible in the Catholic schools he attended, and it was taught as good literature, but stories that were not true.
The sad thing is that most of our Christian culture does not follow the Bible and believes many things that are wrong because they have listened to other teachers instead of seeking Christ for their answers.
Once those who have not sought Christ believe the lies, they can never let go of them. This is what we are dealing with right now. It is better for a person who has never heard the truth to hear it from an authentically born-again believer for the first time. Than to try to convince someone of the truth who has already believed the lie.
Just as God never told us to build large church buildings, He never told us to allow others to teach our children the Bible. The best thing Christian parents could do is to take their children out of those government schools and teach them at home.
Even worse is that children in school will be encouraged to join those large apostate churches that entertain, just to get them going somewhere.
Matthew 23:15-16 "… 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 Woe to you, blind guides!"
Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."
Yes, God can use what man has insisted upon, but that does not mean what is being used is the right thing. I have encountered many Pentecostals who think that if something works, then it is alright to use it.
My concern is that too many teachers will teach the wrong things about the Bible, and the children will never discover the truth because the lie sounds so good to them.
God commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel. He never commanded us to recruit unregenerate teachers to teach it for us.
In Acts, God said this: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."
Did you see that? "The hand of the Lord was with them", the hand of the Lord will not be with the unregenerate teachers who themselves have been taught the wrong things most of their lives.
It matters that we do things God's way, just because something appeared to work does not mean it was good to do. We do far more harm to people by doing things our own way.
Galatians 1:7-9 "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!"
God tells us not to listen to those who bring a false gospel or teach a bad doctrine. This applies to allowing anyone to teach these things to others in a school system or church gathering. Government schools are government-run and will not have the same perspective as those who are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions."
I know to many people it sounds good that the government schools should be forced to teach the Ten Commandments, but when we look at all the nuances of that he could be indoctrinating children against the truth while sounding like the truth.
We need to stop pretending this is a Christian nation and admit what we are, which is a nation that worships freedom and pleasure, without regard to the Word of God, and worse angst against God Himself.
Our mandate as born-again believers is to tell the truth to each other and bring the gospel to the unsaved. We are not mandated to make the culture do what we would like them to do; we present the truth, and they choose.
But let's remember, this is a culture that is religious at times but has no interest in pleasing God.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
We already see this in the false way in which forgiveness has been taught, leading people to believe repentance is not necessary to become a Christian.
It does not work to force unregenerate teachers to teach the Bible. They will not teach the truth about it and will even teach it as mythology!
Teaching children to follow the Ten Commandments sends the wrong message; it causes people to think they can be saved by being good enough. Teachers in school will not know how to teach the truth of salvation if they are not born again themselves.
The commandments were given to show us our sinful nature, that we could never follow them, and that we must desire to be changed by Christ into a new creation to walk in the ways of God.
Attempting to change the culture through the Ten Commandments does not teach them the way of Salvation through faith in Christ.
The teachers won't teach the Bible as history because the teachers are not born again themselves and do not understand properly what they are reading. They will teach the stories of the Bible as myths, not absolute truth. This ruins the children for future evangelism. Once a person has been convinced of the false way, they will rarely follow the truth.
I have met many "Christians" who do not know the Bible themselves, only portions of it the way they wish to believe it and this is the way they will teach it.
Christian parents need to get their children out of those government schools and teach the Bible themselves.
My husband was taught the Bible in the Catholic schools he attended, and it was taught as good literature, but stories that were not true.
The sad thing is that most of our Christian culture does not follow the Bible and believes many things that are wrong because they have listened to other teachers instead of seeking Christ for their answers.
Once those who have not sought Christ believe the lies, they can never let go of them. This is what we are dealing with right now. It is better for a person who has never heard the truth to hear it from an authentically born-again believer for the first time. Than to try to convince someone of the truth who has already believed the lie.
Just as God never told us to build large church buildings, He never told us to allow others to teach our children the Bible. The best thing Christian parents could do is to take their children out of those government schools and teach them at home.
Even worse is that children in school will be encouraged to join those large apostate churches that entertain, just to get them going somewhere.
Matthew 23:15-16 "… 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 Woe to you, blind guides!"
Isaiah 29:13 "Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men."
Yes, God can use what man has insisted upon, but that does not mean what is being used is the right thing. I have encountered many Pentecostals who think that if something works, then it is alright to use it.
My concern is that too many teachers will teach the wrong things about the Bible, and the children will never discover the truth because the lie sounds so good to them.
God commanded us to go into the world and preach the gospel. He never commanded us to recruit unregenerate teachers to teach it for us.
In Acts, God said this: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."
Did you see that? "The hand of the Lord was with them", the hand of the Lord will not be with the unregenerate teachers who themselves have been taught the wrong things most of their lives.
It matters that we do things God's way, just because something appeared to work does not mean it was good to do. We do far more harm to people by doing things our own way.
Galatians 1:7-9 "which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!"
God tells us not to listen to those who bring a false gospel or teach a bad doctrine. This applies to allowing anyone to teach these things to others in a school system or church gathering. Government schools are government-run and will not have the same perspective as those who are born again by the Holy Spirit of God.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions."
I know to many people it sounds good that the government schools should be forced to teach the Ten Commandments, but when we look at all the nuances of that he could be indoctrinating children against the truth while sounding like the truth.
We need to stop pretending this is a Christian nation and admit what we are, which is a nation that worships freedom and pleasure, without regard to the Word of God, and worse angst against God Himself.
Our mandate as born-again believers is to tell the truth to each other and bring the gospel to the unsaved. We are not mandated to make the culture do what we would like them to do; we present the truth, and they choose.
But let's remember, this is a culture that is religious at times but has no interest in pleasing God.
Matthew 15:8-9 "8 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Sunday, July 5, 2026
What is love according to God?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."
Notice in this passage, God never says to love others only if they measure up to our own idea of perfection.
When we love someone, we are able to see their good character qualities as well as their flaws. If we only choose to see the good side of someone, then we cannot fully love them. The mentality is that unless they are perfect in our own minds, we cannot love them.
Being able to see both the good and the flaws and still love them without our own expectations, this is the true nature of love.
When we cannot admit flaws, it is the same as pretending someone is perfect; this reveals that we are not able to love them if we see anything but perfection.
God loved us while we were still sinners! He knew our flaws fully and addressed them to help us improve; this is love.
Love is not about pretending perfection in those we love; it is about accepting everything about a person, flaws and warts too, which helps us learn their character and their needs.
Admitting the flaws of others while still loving them helps us to see our own flaws that need to be addressed.
Ephesians 4:1-3 "4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. "
It takes patience to interact with others because no one is perfect and everyone has irritating habits.
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer."
When we are able to see our own flaws and needs for improvement, we will be able to be patient with others who struggle with their own defects.
A side note that I have observed over the years is that those who work so hard to put across a perfect persona rarely have much of a personality. They are so tightly wound and bound up with pride that they hide their real selves out of fear others will judge them the way they judge others.
Those who cannot accept others when they have flaws know they have their own defects and don't want to admit it, so they are continually pretending while never confessing to be cleansed.
Most people never change and grow because the only way to do that is to admit flaws, confessing sins to God to be cleansed by Him.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
No one can grow close to anyone else as long as they expect perfection, the perfection they have in their own mind. No one can grow in holiness while they are still playing the role of perfection so that others will elevate them.
The freest person in the world is the one who can admit their own flaws, accept the flaws of others and love them fully anyway.
Romans 5:7-9 "…7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!"
Laying down our lives for others does not require them to be perfect or flawless.
Colossians 1:21-22 "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence."
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst."
When we have been loved so fully by God, we cannot be contemptuous toward others, even in covert ways; our love runs deep, too deep to treat anyone disrespectfully because they are not perfect.
Notice in this passage, God never says to love others only if they measure up to our own idea of perfection.
When we love someone, we are able to see their good character qualities as well as their flaws. If we only choose to see the good side of someone, then we cannot fully love them. The mentality is that unless they are perfect in our own minds, we cannot love them.
Being able to see both the good and the flaws and still love them without our own expectations, this is the true nature of love.
When we cannot admit flaws, it is the same as pretending someone is perfect; this reveals that we are not able to love them if we see anything but perfection.
God loved us while we were still sinners! He knew our flaws fully and addressed them to help us improve; this is love.
Love is not about pretending perfection in those we love; it is about accepting everything about a person, flaws and warts too, which helps us learn their character and their needs.
Admitting the flaws of others while still loving them helps us to see our own flaws that need to be addressed.
Ephesians 4:1-3 "4 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. "
It takes patience to interact with others because no one is perfect and everyone has irritating habits.
Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer."
When we are able to see our own flaws and needs for improvement, we will be able to be patient with others who struggle with their own defects.
A side note that I have observed over the years is that those who work so hard to put across a perfect persona rarely have much of a personality. They are so tightly wound and bound up with pride that they hide their real selves out of fear others will judge them the way they judge others.
Those who cannot accept others when they have flaws know they have their own defects and don't want to admit it, so they are continually pretending while never confessing to be cleansed.
Most people never change and grow because the only way to do that is to admit flaws, confessing sins to God to be cleansed by Him.
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
No one can grow close to anyone else as long as they expect perfection, the perfection they have in their own mind. No one can grow in holiness while they are still playing the role of perfection so that others will elevate them.
The freest person in the world is the one who can admit their own flaws, accept the flaws of others and love them fully anyway.
Romans 5:7-9 "…7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!"
Laying down our lives for others does not require them to be perfect or flawless.
Colossians 1:21-22 "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy, unblemished, and blameless in His presence."
1 Timothy 1:15 "This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst."
When we have been loved so fully by God, we cannot be contemptuous toward others, even in covert ways; our love runs deep, too deep to treat anyone disrespectfully because they are not perfect.
Looking to Christ and Our Blessed Hope
Luke 18:9-14 "9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How many times have we met people who are so fully impressed with themselves that they treat others as though they are irrelevant, even with contempt, as though they are not worthy of love and respect?
They choose people they think are beneath them, those who do not elevate them as special are often the targets.
Just as the Pharisee was proud of how good he thought he was for following all the rules, these "religious" types think they are special for their lavish lifestyle or their classy clothing style.
Pharisees were the worst of the hypocrites, so much so that God wrote about them in His Word.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,"
Sometimes I wonder how many people attend large buildings they call "churches" to make sure others see them? Is it really about edifying one another in the gathering or is it about being seen by others as special and superior?
God gave us instructions to help us see what authentic Christianity looks like.
Matthew 6:5-7 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard."
We serve God not to please mankind but to please God. He uses us for His purposes and we trust Him because He created us. When we have trusted in Him, we know we have a reward.
Colossians 3:24 "because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
When Christ is our focus in life, people will attempt to distract us from Him. They will place expectations and rules on us that God never gave. They will use intimidation and domination to pressure us to be like them instead of Christlike.
The freest believer is the one who is willing to walk alone with Christ even when no one else goes with them. They love people but they do not need them. They accept and appreciate others who walk with Christ but are content when they are not able to be with them.
Sometimes I yearn to be with believers who are far from me, but in my heart of hearts, I feel a connection even when they are so far away, and I know we will all be together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb soon.
Titus 2:13 "13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
How many times have we met people who are so fully impressed with themselves that they treat others as though they are irrelevant, even with contempt, as though they are not worthy of love and respect?
They choose people they think are beneath them, those who do not elevate them as special are often the targets.
Just as the Pharisee was proud of how good he thought he was for following all the rules, these "religious" types think they are special for their lavish lifestyle or their classy clothing style.
Pharisees were the worst of the hypocrites, so much so that God wrote about them in His Word.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,"
Sometimes I wonder how many people attend large buildings they call "churches" to make sure others see them? Is it really about edifying one another in the gathering or is it about being seen by others as special and superior?
God gave us instructions to help us see what authentic Christianity looks like.
Matthew 6:5-7 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard."
We serve God not to please mankind but to please God. He uses us for His purposes and we trust Him because He created us. When we have trusted in Him, we know we have a reward.
Colossians 3:24 "because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
When Christ is our focus in life, people will attempt to distract us from Him. They will place expectations and rules on us that God never gave. They will use intimidation and domination to pressure us to be like them instead of Christlike.
The freest believer is the one who is willing to walk alone with Christ even when no one else goes with them. They love people but they do not need them. They accept and appreciate others who walk with Christ but are content when they are not able to be with them.
Sometimes I yearn to be with believers who are far from me, but in my heart of hearts, I feel a connection even when they are so far away, and I know we will all be together at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb soon.
Titus 2:13 "13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Too Earthly Minded to be any Heavenly Good
For years, I heard from family members how clean sports were and that they taught good sportsmanship and how to work with others.
Sadly, this is the rhetoric that was spoken to make sports appear acceptable to Christians. In my opinion, these were just excuses to justify teaching children to be competitive with others and excel in something to make their parents proud.
Boasting about the activities of the children has been extolled as a virtue in our day.
It is clear that God wants us to do the best we can with the gifts He has given us, however, doing our best to create a good product or to walk circumspectly is far different from competing to be better than someone else.
Perhaps the Bible teaches us to do the best we can at whatever task we have as we also help others excel with our support of them, to do the best they can. It is not about winning over others, it is about helping everyone be their best as they follow the Lord.
In fact, scripture tells us to help others reach their potential, nothing about competing to be better.
Philippians 2:2-3 "…2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves."
James 3:14-16 "But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice."
James 4:16 "As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil."
Galatians 5:26 "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another."
Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs."
1 Peter 5:5-6 "Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."
Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
1 Corinthians 10:24 "No one should seek his own good, but the good of others."
If a team in sports was taught to do the best they can and help their opponent do the best they can, then I might be able to agree it was a good thing, but that wouldn't make any sense in the very nature of competitive sports.
Perhaps it would be better to forget the ball games and teach everyone to serve the less fortunate, take care of the elderly and promote working together for eternal things.
1 Corinthians 3:11-14 "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward."
John 6:27 "27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
There will be those who say we are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good, but I say, those who are heavenly minded will be more earthly good because they will be living out their Christianity that not only cares for others but will bring the gospel to the unsaved, which is an eternal reward for those who become born again and also for those who serve Christ.
Sadly, this is the rhetoric that was spoken to make sports appear acceptable to Christians. In my opinion, these were just excuses to justify teaching children to be competitive with others and excel in something to make their parents proud.
Boasting about the activities of the children has been extolled as a virtue in our day.
It is clear that God wants us to do the best we can with the gifts He has given us, however, doing our best to create a good product or to walk circumspectly is far different from competing to be better than someone else.
Perhaps the Bible teaches us to do the best we can at whatever task we have as we also help others excel with our support of them, to do the best they can. It is not about winning over others, it is about helping everyone be their best as they follow the Lord.
In fact, scripture tells us to help others reach their potential, nothing about competing to be better.
Philippians 2:2-3 "…2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves."
James 3:14-16 "But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice."
James 4:16 "As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil."
Galatians 5:26 "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another."
Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs."
1 Peter 5:5-6 "Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."
Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
1 Corinthians 10:24 "No one should seek his own good, but the good of others."
If a team in sports was taught to do the best they can and help their opponent do the best they can, then I might be able to agree it was a good thing, but that wouldn't make any sense in the very nature of competitive sports.
Perhaps it would be better to forget the ball games and teach everyone to serve the less fortunate, take care of the elderly and promote working together for eternal things.
1 Corinthians 3:11-14 "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward."
John 6:27 "27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”
There will be those who say we are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good, but I say, those who are heavenly minded will be more earthly good because they will be living out their Christianity that not only cares for others but will bring the gospel to the unsaved, which is an eternal reward for those who become born again and also for those who serve Christ.
Expunge the Distortions and Become Holy
The modern church often distorts the truth of God's Word by using a sentence to describe a concept or principle, even commands of God, rather than seeking to understand God's meaning as given in the rest of the Bible.
When a concept, principle, or command is taken out of context, a wrong interpretation is passed on from generation to generation. By the time someone challenges the false belief, the people are so entrenched in it that it becomes a cultural icon, causing people to resist the truth out of hand.
Some of our modern ideas, such as the nature of forgiveness, repentance, divorce and remarriage, hell, not forsaking the gathering of believers, which day to meet, what happens at the gathering, the holidays, and many other things that have been added to Christianity that God never intended or endorsed have reduced Christianity to a paganistic ideolization of phylosophies that fly in the face of God's Word.
Sadly, when this happens, the people follow more unbiblical cultural things than they do Biblical truth. In adding so many untrue ideas, they have little left of true Christianity. They have developed a "religion" that no longer resembles the faith in Christ or His Word, the Bible.
These wrong beliefs shape how people view Christ, salvation and even how one lives their lives. They shape entire cultures that claim to be Christian but have no desire to know the truth. They live according to their own false truth and are resistant to God.
Just recently, a "pastor" attacked a person on the street for heckling him and threatening his family verbally. Many in the cultural Christian camp applauded this as though it was the right thing to do, when it in fact violated much scripture for the conduct of any Christ follower.
,
When the culture has been inculcated with Darwinistic psychology and standards of pagan religions we will miss the mark in the Christian life. And, perhaps those who do this, without interest in God's heart and mind, were never born again.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Not everyone who has been deceived by false doctrine is unsaved, but most are not born again. This brings us to the tasks for born again believers, that is to warn people who have been decieved that they may not be saved even though they attend a church gathering, and to rebuke those who appear to be saved but are allowing the culture to guide them instead of God's Word.
The challenge is for each one to ask God to reveal truth to them, without the input of any other person, that Christ would show them. The prayer might include the request to show them nothing but truth untainted by men, so that they would be cleansed of the cultural traditions that have distorted God's Word.
Our walk with Christ is a witness to the world; the last thing we should want is to distort God's principles making people feel comfortable in their lost state.
Ephesians 5:15-20 "15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;"
When a concept, principle, or command is taken out of context, a wrong interpretation is passed on from generation to generation. By the time someone challenges the false belief, the people are so entrenched in it that it becomes a cultural icon, causing people to resist the truth out of hand.
Some of our modern ideas, such as the nature of forgiveness, repentance, divorce and remarriage, hell, not forsaking the gathering of believers, which day to meet, what happens at the gathering, the holidays, and many other things that have been added to Christianity that God never intended or endorsed have reduced Christianity to a paganistic ideolization of phylosophies that fly in the face of God's Word.
Sadly, when this happens, the people follow more unbiblical cultural things than they do Biblical truth. In adding so many untrue ideas, they have little left of true Christianity. They have developed a "religion" that no longer resembles the faith in Christ or His Word, the Bible.
These wrong beliefs shape how people view Christ, salvation and even how one lives their lives. They shape entire cultures that claim to be Christian but have no desire to know the truth. They live according to their own false truth and are resistant to God.
Just recently, a "pastor" attacked a person on the street for heckling him and threatening his family verbally. Many in the cultural Christian camp applauded this as though it was the right thing to do, when it in fact violated much scripture for the conduct of any Christ follower.
,
When the culture has been inculcated with Darwinistic psychology and standards of pagan religions we will miss the mark in the Christian life. And, perhaps those who do this, without interest in God's heart and mind, were never born again.
Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Not everyone who has been deceived by false doctrine is unsaved, but most are not born again. This brings us to the tasks for born again believers, that is to warn people who have been decieved that they may not be saved even though they attend a church gathering, and to rebuke those who appear to be saved but are allowing the culture to guide them instead of God's Word.
The challenge is for each one to ask God to reveal truth to them, without the input of any other person, that Christ would show them. The prayer might include the request to show them nothing but truth untainted by men, so that they would be cleansed of the cultural traditions that have distorted God's Word.
Our walk with Christ is a witness to the world; the last thing we should want is to distort God's principles making people feel comfortable in their lost state.
Ephesians 5:15-20 "15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;"
Friday, July 3, 2026
Living by Faith and not by Man-made Rules
In Acts chapter 20, we are told that the Christians met on the first day of the week, which we call Sunday. Notice, though, that there is no command to do this, only a statement that this is the day they chose. This was not referred to as a "Christian Sabbath", nor was it called a day of rest.
And yet, our cultural society declared that all stores and businesses would be closed on that day so that it would be a day of rest. The only day of rest mentioned in the Bible was Saturday, the Sabbath for the Jews.
There was no command in the church age dispensation to take a day of rest. We can if we want or we don't have to if we don't want.
Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest, He lives in every born again believer who no longer observes the Jewish holidays or sabbaths.
Romans 14:4-6 "4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"
As we can see, so many of our traditions incorporated Jewish Old Testament observances that were done away with when Christ rose from the dead.
Jesus Christ observed the Jewish Sabbath when He was still on the earth before He died and rose from the dead. After that, there was a new dispensation for the church in which we no longer observed the Laws of the Old Testament, which were works-based.
The focus after Christ rose became a faith-based observance not predicated on religious rituals or physical objects. We now worship in "Spirit and in Truth."
Ephesians 2:8-10 "…8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
We are not earning our salvation with our own works, but rather we are saved because Christ is doing the work in us. It's all His work.
When Christ does the work in us, He is glorified! When we try to do our own works to appear spiritual, we are glorified.
Romans 4:4-5 "Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. / However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness."
Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
2 Timothy 1:9 "He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began."
Modern Christianity focsus on building up the pride in the congregation, doing works in their own flesh without ever asking Christ to transform them to glorify Him.
Authentic Christianity is when we trust in Christ, believe His Word and seek Him to transform us into His likeness. Do you see the difference there, in our own strength, according to our own pride, we try to be good so we can impress others and God.
But when God works in us as we seek Him, He is glorified, and the more we are led by Him, the less the world will like us. We do not seek to be accepted by people; we seek to be acceptable to God.
1 Corinthians 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Stop trying to be accepted by family, friends and neighbors and begin to obey Christ, no matter how others may see us.
Philippians 3:9 "and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith."
Galatians 3:10-11 "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
Hallelujah! When we are in Christ we are free indeed!
And yet, our cultural society declared that all stores and businesses would be closed on that day so that it would be a day of rest. The only day of rest mentioned in the Bible was Saturday, the Sabbath for the Jews.
There was no command in the church age dispensation to take a day of rest. We can if we want or we don't have to if we don't want.
Jesus Christ is our Sabbath rest, He lives in every born again believer who no longer observes the Jewish holidays or sabbaths.
Romans 14:4-6 "4Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.…"
As we can see, so many of our traditions incorporated Jewish Old Testament observances that were done away with when Christ rose from the dead.
Jesus Christ observed the Jewish Sabbath when He was still on the earth before He died and rose from the dead. After that, there was a new dispensation for the church in which we no longer observed the Laws of the Old Testament, which were works-based.
The focus after Christ rose became a faith-based observance not predicated on religious rituals or physical objects. We now worship in "Spirit and in Truth."
Ephesians 2:8-10 "…8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
We are not earning our salvation with our own works, but rather we are saved because Christ is doing the work in us. It's all His work.
When Christ does the work in us, He is glorified! When we try to do our own works to appear spiritual, we are glorified.
Romans 4:4-5 "Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. / However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness."
Titus 3:5 "He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
2 Timothy 1:9 "He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began."
Modern Christianity focsus on building up the pride in the congregation, doing works in their own flesh without ever asking Christ to transform them to glorify Him.
Authentic Christianity is when we trust in Christ, believe His Word and seek Him to transform us into His likeness. Do you see the difference there, in our own strength, according to our own pride, we try to be good so we can impress others and God.
But when God works in us as we seek Him, He is glorified, and the more we are led by Him, the less the world will like us. We do not seek to be accepted by people; we seek to be acceptable to God.
1 Corinthians 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Stop trying to be accepted by family, friends and neighbors and begin to obey Christ, no matter how others may see us.
Philippians 3:9 "and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith."
Galatians 3:10-11 "All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
Hallelujah! When we are in Christ we are free indeed!
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