James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
1 John 1:8-10 "…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…"
This is the criteria for relationships to be restored, with God and with our fellow man.
We do no revenge, we do not act rudely, but we have the option of refraining from fellowship with those who continue their sin without remorse toward it.
Romans 12:2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
We cannot be transformed by the renewing of our mind if we are not reading the Word, living by it and confessing sin to be cleansed of it.
We confess to be cleansed and for relationships to be restored. Those who will not confess will not be cleansed nor will the relationships between people be restored without it.
People are changing and growing less and less as our culture removes all consequences for bad behavior and rudeness. If we are walking in the Spirit we will be controlled by the Spirit, then we will do no revenge, nor will we respond in kind to those who have no manners. However, we are called to remove ourselves and pray for them. We can also be praying that the Lord keep us from bad behavior and rudeness.
Those who are not walking in the Spirit will influence us if we are in their company too often.
1 Corinthians 15:33 " 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
If we want to walk in a Christlike manner, then we must read the Word, pray a lot and surround ourselves with those who love the Lord and are also walking uprightly. No one will be perfect, but there is a lifestyle of Spiritual walking that is not based on fleshly trying, but rather it is based on deep communion with Christ to become as He is. I know a few people who love Christ so much that being with ungodly people is a little like having a sand pebble in the eye, it is very irritating and hard to spot, if one were not discerning.
We can love people, speak of the Lord to those who do not know Him, however they cannot become our constant close companions. As we have seen in many churches today, the ungodly have come into the church, affected the worship in ungodly ways while intimidating people into softening the message of Christ so much that the gatherings are no longer obeying the Word of God to placate (avoid making them angry) those who do not love Him.
A false gospel of "happiness and pleasure" has entered most gatherings because of the unsaved who come and influence those who are weak and rebel against the stronger believer who speak truth.
We are now faced with more rebellion against God in the churches than there are devoted followers of Christ. This is also the reason so many authentic believers have left the formal church gatherings, God is calling them out.
There are some small gatherings that are obeying Christ, but so few they are hard to find.
Matthew 24:12
"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold."
2 Thessalonians 2:3
"Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,"
1 Timothy 4:1-3
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."
Revelation 3:14-22
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. read more.
'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"
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