Sanctification means cleansing, 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, that is believers, He is faithful to cleanse us from that sin. Without confession we do not get cleansed and we suffer His consequences for them.
Christians who will not confess sin will remain spiritual babies, unable to deal with life in a Christlike way. They will only have appearances and pretense without substance.
1 John 1:9 "1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The official title of the devil is "The Accuser", so do not be surprised when ungodly people accuse us of things that are not true. Be sure that it is the devil using their minds and their mouths to come against God's people.
Jesus Christ appeared after His death and resurrection to many people before He went into heaven.
God may have visited the remote jungles of South America or other countries. We do not know, but why do we need to know? God has that, no need for us to figure it out.
Just as many people feel a need to figure out who was saved and who was not after the death of those people, they also sometimes feel they need to explain whether or not the remote jungle people have heard or were saved. Why burden yourself with things like this that no one could possibly know!
Keep in mind that the argument that people who have not heard the gospel in remote parts of the world has been used to justify that they were saved simply by not knowing any better.
And yet the Bible teaches that people become born again by hearing and then by choosing through faith in Him.
The "remote areas of the world" argument to explain away the commands of the gospel to preach the word and that one cannot become born again unless they hear the gospel, serves only to undermine the faith of many.
Next time you hear someone use the argument that remote villagers around the world didn't have to hear the gospel to be saved, it might be good to speak the word for there to be clarity.
Romans 10:17
"17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
When we walk by faith we believe God, He said salvation is by hearing and then by faith in Him, that's all we need to know. Why must we stick our nose in His business to know who has died and gone to heave or not.
Romans 10:6-7 " 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”…"
We hear reports of Muslims in Arab countries having visitations of Christ bringing the gospel to them, in areas where there are no missionaries, if we believe this, then the question of the pygmies and cannibals of remote jungles is easily explained. God could have come to them just as He has come to some Muslims who have become born again because of visions.
Just because there are no writings that tell of the fate of the jungle people does not mean they never heard. God is greater than our own ideas of "missionaries sent". He can do the job Himself without humans in places where missionaries have not been sent.
Let's stop trying to do God's job for Him or deciding what He would do. Sure we must speak truth, warn about heaven and hell, even rebuke when necessary, but when someone has passed, our job of speaking so others will hear has ended for that person who is no longer with us. Where he went is God's business.
A.W. Tozer said this:
"The emotions have a wonderful time but the will has been untouched."
Cecil Andrews said this:
"The only thing that effects our will is our understanding."
One cannot be deeply concerned about appearances and superiority, leaning into emotions and still be submitted to Christ.
When we base our doctrine, our desires, or anything else on emotion, we can count on error dominating our lives.
How does appearances and superiority relate to emotions, simple, those elements of prideful people are based on emotions, feelings and desires rather than truth. Being concerned about how others see us rather than our inner substance will in time emerge for all to see.
When someone is satisfied with emotion and appearances, they will be unsatisfied with truth. Truth hardly ever elevates, but often convicts of sin and shames those who are in love with their own fantasy self.
If a person claims to have become a Christian, but the only thing that changes is a few outer activities, the attitude remains the same, ungoldy things don't fall off they are merely hidden from view, then we might be suspect that Christ changed their heart.
When the heart is changed by God, then the ungodly activities fall away. They do not remain as hidden but are no longer a part of the mind and life of the born again believer.
Those who hide their inner desire to be superior often give themselves away eventually, even without knowing, their hidden sin is evident to the discerning eyes.
Even if we are diluted enough to believe we are hiding from people, we can never hide from God. Which leads me to a interesting question; "if we think we can hide from people, isn't that a sign that we also think we can hide from God, or that we do not really believe in God or we would be more concerned about Him seeing us than we are about what people think of us?
Just a thought!
Why did Jesus Christ have to come to die?
The answer is that the penalty for sin was death. Mankind was doomed to death because of the sin that dwells in every person.
Christ loved mankind so much that He came to pay the price for death for mankind because mankind was sinful they could not die for their own sin.
Christ is the Perfect Lamb, He was the only One, because He is God the Son, only He could shed all His blood to pay our debt.
Christ paid the price for the debt of mankind by shedding His own blood, but there is a catch, only those who believe in Him, who know they are sinful and cannot save themselves, will be made into a new creation by Christ.
No person can make themselves into a new creation, no person can pay their own debt by the shedding of their own blood.
Christ died to pay our debt for sin, when we believe in Him and what He did for us, then He changes us into a new creation. He does that, He changes the way we think, we could not do this, He has to do this in us, however, we have to want it.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 " Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:…"
Matthew 26:28 "28 This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. '"
Romans 3:23 "23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,'"
Hebrews 9:22 "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
There are those who say they believed on Christ, became born again but continue to live as though they are being perfect in their own right, according to their own dictates. If one is still trusting in their own goodness, they are not trusting in Christ. These people need to ask God if they were ever born again.
The fruit of the Spirit does not come from our trying, it is a work of Christ in us, He does it!
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
The fruit is not good works although good works will come out of good fruit. The fruit are character qualities. And it is not "fruits" plural, but "fruit" singular. Every believer should have the Holy Spirit, He is the fruit and His qualities should be seen in all believers.
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."
