Jesus didn't do away with the Law, He fulfilled it. That means that no one can be saved by following it. No one was ever saved by following it. However, when we become born again the "Law Giver" Jesus Christ comes to live in us. We obey it not by compulsion but because we love it.
No one who is born again has to be told not to steal because they don't want to. No born again believer needs to be told not to lie because they don't want to. If they fail temporarily and lie they feel convicted and confess to be cleansed.
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 difference between the Law and Grace is that someone who is born again doesn't need the Law the principles of it become a part of them. Born again believers who come in contact with unbelievers convict those unsaved without even saying a word. The Holy Spirit, the "Law Giver" convicts the unsaved of their sinfulness.
Also, The Law never did save anyone, no one could follow it even if they thought they did. The Law was given to show people their sinfulness. That's what happens when born again believers come in contact with unbelievers. They feel strange around us but don't know why, its the Holy Spirit they are sensing.
John 3:5-6
"5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
2 John 1:9-11
"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works."
Those who fight and argue against the Word of God when it is presented, using human wisdom to defend their sin, are not born again.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Whom Do You Trust?
Those who are trusting in themselves to keep themselves saved have not trusted Christ.
If Christ did not have the power to keep His children sealed in the Holy Spirit then His death on the cross was foolishness and He lied to us when He said;
Ephesians 1:12-14 "12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
God never breaks a promise to those who belong to Him.
Since mankind is desperately wicked as God said we were, then we have no power to keep ourselves in the will of God. He must keep us after we are born again.
If we didn't have the power to die for our own sins, then we don't have the power to be good either. Only Christ had the power to die for the sins of others. Only God has the power to keep His children in His care.
There is no phrase in the Bible that says; "we must do our part too." Nor is there a phrase "He doesn't leave us but we can walk away from Him." This is heretical thinking and comes from scripture taken out of context. All false religions place the onus of salvation on the desperately wicked human being.
When we become born again Christ gives us what we asked for, that is to be cleansed by Him. We did not ask for the power to be able to save ourselves. We asked for Him to save us. When we ask for God to work His will in us, we are not asking Him to give us the power to have our own will.
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."
According to God's Word, we are to ask to be confirmed. We dare not ask for the power to transform ourselves but we ask Him to transform us. How can a desperately wicked human transform himself into anything good, we cannot!
If we cannot transform ourselves, make ourselves into a completely different spirit, from a spirit of wickedness to a spirit of holiness, then we know we cannot be good enough to save ourselves or to keep ourselves, it is not possible.
God wants all the glory all the time. He does not want us to take credit for our own transformation nor does He want us to boast of anything within ourselves.
John 7:17
"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority."
Philippians 4:13
'I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me."
Him Who strengthens me, Him Who changes and transforms me.
The transforming is from God, the teaching is from God, the actions and everything else that is good is from God, nothing from us.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
God's plans, His will!!!! Nothing in the Bible speaks about man's will and plans except in terms of foolishness.
Here is the condition of a man who depends on his own righteousness:
Ecclesiastes 10:13
"The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness."
Can a man who is a fool full of madness do anything good to save himself? NO, and this is the condition of every man or woman who has not trusted Christ.
There are many "nice" unsaved people in the world but who walk in much foolishness because they cannot think any other way than with their fallen minds. They determine things to be good that are bad and things that are bad to be good.
After we are born again we cannot think any other way than with the mind of Christ. Our mind has been changed, there will be temptations from the devil because we are in this body of flesh still. However, we have the power of Christ in us to resist the temptations. If we ignore the Holy Spirit and fall then we have the power to confess and be cleansed to start again in obedience.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
It is only Christ Who can change the heart of a man who has trusted in Him. Even after someone becomes born again, their only righteous thoughts are those imparted to them by Christ.
When Christ transforms us it is He Who does that transforming. We cannot transform ourselves.
This is why anyone who remains sinful and willful without a changed heart but claims to be a Christian is lying, God never changed them because they never trusted Christ. They remain dedicated to making themselves into "self-righteousness" completely dependent on their own fallen flesh and awful proud of it.
Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisee and the Publican
9 And 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 was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, 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 lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
No man can trust in himself and Christ at the same time. In order to trust in Christ, we must stop trusting in ourselves.
Notice in the account of the Pharisee and the Publican, the Pharisee was not praying to God, He was praying to himself. After all, he was the god in his own life.
WE see this all the time in politics now, when unbelievers say; "our prayers are with you", they are speaking of their own words having power, they are praying to themselves. Do not be fooled by this. Just because someone says they pray does not make them born again.
The Pharisee would learn nothing and be nothing good because he was his own god. The only thing the Pharisee accomplished was to continually solidify in His own mind that he didn't need God because he was a god unto himself. These Pharisees were often harsh and mean to those they thought didn't measure up with their human laws added to God's word.
The publican, however, sought God for his righteousness. He knew nothing of himself would do. Only that which Christ did in him would matter.
Hebrews 13:20-21
"20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Notice these words, they are important!!!!:
"Lord Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep equip you with every good for doing His will." There it is "for doing His will. "
Also;
"and may he work in us what is pleasing to Him.
We are not doing these things in and of ourselves, He is doing them in us. AND, He gets all the glory.
Prosperity preachers are teaching the opposite of what God teaches. They are telling people to demand their own will from God. This teaching is devilish full of pride and self-worship.
Romans 11:36
"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
Those who are self-righteous having trusted in themselves will be rejected by God at the judgment. Here is what God says to them:
Matthew 7:21-23 "
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
What is the will of the Father? To trust in Christ, allowing Him to sanctify us for the entire rest of our lives on earth. Then He will take us home to Him when He wills in His time.
So many are working so hard to produce nothing! While the born again believer is trusting Christ for each day.
If Christ did not have the power to keep His children sealed in the Holy Spirit then His death on the cross was foolishness and He lied to us when He said;
Ephesians 1:12-14 "12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
God never breaks a promise to those who belong to Him.
Since mankind is desperately wicked as God said we were, then we have no power to keep ourselves in the will of God. He must keep us after we are born again.
If we didn't have the power to die for our own sins, then we don't have the power to be good either. Only Christ had the power to die for the sins of others. Only God has the power to keep His children in His care.
There is no phrase in the Bible that says; "we must do our part too." Nor is there a phrase "He doesn't leave us but we can walk away from Him." This is heretical thinking and comes from scripture taken out of context. All false religions place the onus of salvation on the desperately wicked human being.
When we become born again Christ gives us what we asked for, that is to be cleansed by Him. We did not ask for the power to be able to save ourselves. We asked for Him to save us. When we ask for God to work His will in us, we are not asking Him to give us the power to have our own will.
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."
According to God's Word, we are to ask to be confirmed. We dare not ask for the power to transform ourselves but we ask Him to transform us. How can a desperately wicked human transform himself into anything good, we cannot!
If we cannot transform ourselves, make ourselves into a completely different spirit, from a spirit of wickedness to a spirit of holiness, then we know we cannot be good enough to save ourselves or to keep ourselves, it is not possible.
God wants all the glory all the time. He does not want us to take credit for our own transformation nor does He want us to boast of anything within ourselves.
John 7:17
"If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority."
Philippians 4:13
'I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me."
Him Who strengthens me, Him Who changes and transforms me.
The transforming is from God, the teaching is from God, the actions and everything else that is good is from God, nothing from us.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
God's plans, His will!!!! Nothing in the Bible speaks about man's will and plans except in terms of foolishness.
Here is the condition of a man who depends on his own righteousness:
Ecclesiastes 10:13
"The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness."
Can a man who is a fool full of madness do anything good to save himself? NO, and this is the condition of every man or woman who has not trusted Christ.
There are many "nice" unsaved people in the world but who walk in much foolishness because they cannot think any other way than with their fallen minds. They determine things to be good that are bad and things that are bad to be good.
After we are born again we cannot think any other way than with the mind of Christ. Our mind has been changed, there will be temptations from the devil because we are in this body of flesh still. However, we have the power of Christ in us to resist the temptations. If we ignore the Holy Spirit and fall then we have the power to confess and be cleansed to start again in obedience.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
It is only Christ Who can change the heart of a man who has trusted in Him. Even after someone becomes born again, their only righteous thoughts are those imparted to them by Christ.
When Christ transforms us it is He Who does that transforming. We cannot transform ourselves.
This is why anyone who remains sinful and willful without a changed heart but claims to be a Christian is lying, God never changed them because they never trusted Christ. They remain dedicated to making themselves into "self-righteousness" completely dependent on their own fallen flesh and awful proud of it.
Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisee and the Publican
9 And 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 was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, 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 lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
No man can trust in himself and Christ at the same time. In order to trust in Christ, we must stop trusting in ourselves.
Notice in the account of the Pharisee and the Publican, the Pharisee was not praying to God, He was praying to himself. After all, he was the god in his own life.
WE see this all the time in politics now, when unbelievers say; "our prayers are with you", they are speaking of their own words having power, they are praying to themselves. Do not be fooled by this. Just because someone says they pray does not make them born again.
The Pharisee would learn nothing and be nothing good because he was his own god. The only thing the Pharisee accomplished was to continually solidify in His own mind that he didn't need God because he was a god unto himself. These Pharisees were often harsh and mean to those they thought didn't measure up with their human laws added to God's word.
The publican, however, sought God for his righteousness. He knew nothing of himself would do. Only that which Christ did in him would matter.
Hebrews 13:20-21
"20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
Notice these words, they are important!!!!:
"Lord Jesus the Great Shepherd of the sheep equip you with every good for doing His will." There it is "for doing His will. "
Also;
"and may he work in us what is pleasing to Him.
We are not doing these things in and of ourselves, He is doing them in us. AND, He gets all the glory.
Prosperity preachers are teaching the opposite of what God teaches. They are telling people to demand their own will from God. This teaching is devilish full of pride and self-worship.
Romans 11:36
"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
Those who are self-righteous having trusted in themselves will be rejected by God at the judgment. Here is what God says to them:
Matthew 7:21-23 "
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
What is the will of the Father? To trust in Christ, allowing Him to sanctify us for the entire rest of our lives on earth. Then He will take us home to Him when He wills in His time.
So many are working so hard to produce nothing! While the born again believer is trusting Christ for each day.
Monday, March 30, 2020
The Quarantine that can Cleanse Hearts
Everything Has a Purpose for the Born Again Believer
Good things that are happening because of the virus
1. Bars closed
2. Apostate churches have ceased their gathering
3. Movie theaters closed
4. Fairs and Festivals that are full of debauchery are suspended
5. Play activities that divert from Christ.
6. Secular teachers not in those government schools indoctrinating the children
7. No Easter bunnies and eggs to detract from Christ.
8. Some abortion clinics closed, all should be!
9. Children home with their parents
10. Sadness causing some to turn to Christ for their help
Perhaps you could think of other good things that are happening because of the Virus.
All things have a purpose for born again believers and our strength comes from Christ in us!
1. Bars closed
2. Apostate churches have ceased their gathering
3. Movie theaters closed
4. Fairs and Festivals that are full of debauchery are suspended
5. Play activities that divert from Christ.
6. Secular teachers not in those government schools indoctrinating the children
7. No Easter bunnies and eggs to detract from Christ.
8. Some abortion clinics closed, all should be!
9. Children home with their parents
10. Sadness causing some to turn to Christ for their help
Perhaps you could think of other good things that are happening because of the Virus.
All things have a purpose for born again believers and our strength comes from Christ in us!
Numbers 6:24-26
24 The Lord bless you, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
You Raise Me Up | BYU Vocal Point (Josh Groban A Cappella Cover)
I can do all the things God has given me to do!!!! Christ lives in believers and gives them whatever they need when they need it. Hallelujah
I think of Christ when I hear this song.
Sunday, March 29, 2020
The Person Changed by Christ
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."
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 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:…"
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
2 Corinthians 5:16-18 "…16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 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:…"
What We Need When We Need It
Born again believers, never fear what we will have to endure, God knows about it and will give us what we need when we need it.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Faith During Misery
Faith is most demonstrated going through the trials than never having them. When unbelievers see how calm and trusting we are in the middle of our illnesses or troubles, they will know we have the power of God.
While the world is losing its mind without hope the believers are calmly trusting in Christ. It doesn't mean we are not crying or wincing in pain, it just means we remain faithful to God no matter what. The martyrs can tell us all about enduring their misery while Jesus is on their lips!!!!
Hallelujah!
While the world is losing its mind without hope the believers are calmly trusting in Christ. It doesn't mean we are not crying or wincing in pain, it just means we remain faithful to God no matter what. The martyrs can tell us all about enduring their misery while Jesus is on their lips!!!!
Hallelujah!
Affliction is of God for Our Good and His Glory
Don't forget that God allowed the devil to afflict Job. Believers are not exempt from illness. How they respond in the illness is of more value than if they have not had it at all.
Also, believers should never presume upon God for things they are not sure are His will. Godly people die every day from various things, cancer, car crashes and much more because God is taking them home.
I have had several operations in my day. The doctors who performed them and nurses who cared for me were in the presence of the Holy Spirit while they cared for me. We never know why God wants us to endure something but we know if we have Christ there is a purpose.
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
James 1:2-8
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ..."
Our faith is demonstrated in how we handle trials far more than if God bails us out of them.
It is wise to take proper care of ourselves and follow God's principles in that care, but it is not a guarantee that we will never be sick or have trials.
We are in spiritual boot camp as born again believers. Everything we have been given to endure has a purpose for our growth and as a witness to others of God's power in our lives. We will not become strong if we don't endure hardship.
Many believers around the world have been and will be martyred who will see a special crown for their dedication to Christ even being face with torture and death. When we think with the mind of Christ our focus is more on God's purposes than on the means by which He strengthens us.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Romans 8:28
"28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Also, believers should never presume upon God for things they are not sure are His will. Godly people die every day from various things, cancer, car crashes and much more because God is taking them home.
I have had several operations in my day. The doctors who performed them and nurses who cared for me were in the presence of the Holy Spirit while they cared for me. We never know why God wants us to endure something but we know if we have Christ there is a purpose.
James 1:12
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
James 1:2-8
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ..."
Our faith is demonstrated in how we handle trials far more than if God bails us out of them.
It is wise to take proper care of ourselves and follow God's principles in that care, but it is not a guarantee that we will never be sick or have trials.
We are in spiritual boot camp as born again believers. Everything we have been given to endure has a purpose for our growth and as a witness to others of God's power in our lives. We will not become strong if we don't endure hardship.
Many believers around the world have been and will be martyred who will see a special crown for their dedication to Christ even being face with torture and death. When we think with the mind of Christ our focus is more on God's purposes than on the means by which He strengthens us.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Romans 8:28
"28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
The Habitual Sin of the Unsaved
No born again believer remains in habitual sin after Christ has changed them. However, they do sin, this sin does not lose them the Holy Spirit. We are sealed by God as His child.
Anyone who believes they can sin and enjoy it and still claims to be a Christian has never been born again.
Christians hate it when they sin, the Holy Spirit in them convicts them, gives them consequences and disciplines them until they confess to being cleansed and return to obedience.
Remember the Passover, when God said, in order for Him to Passover their house so the people in it will be protected? The blood on the door protected God's children not their deeds. The people in the houses were protected by the blood representing Christ the sacrifice to come.
No one is saved by their own works or kept by their own works, they must be covered in the blood of the Lamb. There was no example of the blood on the posts of the Jews being removed because of anything the people inside were doing.
New Christians have been changed into a new creation by Christ, they do not want to sin, if they do then they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ and they grieve over the sin.
Unbelievers do not grieve over their sin, they do not seek Christ to be cleansed, only believers do that.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
These verses were written to changed born again believers.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
Did you see that James, "old things passed away."
Ephesians 4:30-31 "30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.…"
Born again believers can grieve the Holy Spirit Who lives in them. If we sin after we are born again, Christ in us disciplines us.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
James if you are depending on yourself to be cleansed or for keeping your salvation then you have not trusted in Christ.
Christ has the power to save us, to cleanse us and to keep us He said so and I believe Him.
2 Timothy 2:13 "13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. "
The lie that is going around that God never leaves us but we can leave Him is not found anywhere in the Bible.
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
God made a promise to us when we became born again, that was that He would never leave us. His promises are not predicated on anything we do as born again believers. God knows we mess up at times, those who think they never sin again after salvation are denying Christ and His promises.
If anything we did depended on our salvation then Christ's death on the cross would be foolish. He did it all and He said it was finished.
When we become born again we hate sin, when we fail we hate grieving God. Born again believers do not remain in habitual sin after the have become born again.
The born again believers receive the fruit of the Spirit, which is the fruit of Christ's character when they are changed by God.
That fruit is the character qualities of Christ. They never lose this fruit, it remains, it becomes a part of them.
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.
Those who are pretenders do not have the fruit and born again believers can see who has it and who does not.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [c]know them by their fruits.
This fruit is no works or deeds, they are character qualities that lead to the deeds that Christ works in us.
How do you identify a born again believer or a nonbeliever? Never by what they say to you. We identify them by their love of the brethren, and their hatred for sin. Born again people are grieved when they sin, but the nonbeliever will be defensive when confronted with their sin. They will fight to defend what God hates.
The born again believer will be ashamed of any sin they do, they will confess quickly because they want to be cleansed by God.
1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.…"
"Practice" meaning living a general lifestyle of consistency in obedience to God. Even if a child of God sins they do not remain in it, the conviction of the Holy Spirit in them will torment them until they confess to be cleansed.
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.…"
Anyone who believes they can sin and enjoy it and still claims to be a Christian has never been born again.
Christians hate it when they sin, the Holy Spirit in them convicts them, gives them consequences and disciplines them until they confess to being cleansed and return to obedience.
Remember the Passover, when God said, in order for Him to Passover their house so the people in it will be protected? The blood on the door protected God's children not their deeds. The people in the houses were protected by the blood representing Christ the sacrifice to come.
No one is saved by their own works or kept by their own works, they must be covered in the blood of the Lamb. There was no example of the blood on the posts of the Jews being removed because of anything the people inside were doing.
New Christians have been changed into a new creation by Christ, they do not want to sin, if they do then they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ and they grieve over the sin.
Unbelievers do not grieve over their sin, they do not seek Christ to be cleansed, only believers do that.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
These verses were written to changed born again believers.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
Did you see that James, "old things passed away."
Ephesians 4:30-31 "30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.…"
Born again believers can grieve the Holy Spirit Who lives in them. If we sin after we are born again, Christ in us disciplines us.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
James if you are depending on yourself to be cleansed or for keeping your salvation then you have not trusted in Christ.
Christ has the power to save us, to cleanse us and to keep us He said so and I believe Him.
2 Timothy 2:13 "13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. "
The lie that is going around that God never leaves us but we can leave Him is not found anywhere in the Bible.
Ephesians 1:12-14 "…12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, would be for the praise of His glory. 13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth— the gospel of your salvation— you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession, to the praise of His glory.…"
God made a promise to us when we became born again, that was that He would never leave us. His promises are not predicated on anything we do as born again believers. God knows we mess up at times, those who think they never sin again after salvation are denying Christ and His promises.
If anything we did depended on our salvation then Christ's death on the cross would be foolish. He did it all and He said it was finished.
When we become born again we hate sin, when we fail we hate grieving God. Born again believers do not remain in habitual sin after the have become born again.
The born again believers receive the fruit of the Spirit, which is the fruit of Christ's character when they are changed by God.
That fruit is the character qualities of Christ. They never lose this fruit, it remains, it becomes a part of them.
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.
Those who are pretenders do not have the fruit and born again believers can see who has it and who does not.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will [a]know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will [c]know them by their fruits.
This fruit is no works or deeds, they are character qualities that lead to the deeds that Christ works in us.
How do you identify a born again believer or a nonbeliever? Never by what they say to you. We identify them by their love of the brethren, and their hatred for sin. Born again people are grieved when they sin, but the nonbeliever will be defensive when confronted with their sin. They will fight to defend what God hates.
The born again believer will be ashamed of any sin they do, they will confess quickly because they want to be cleansed by God.
1 John 3:8-10 "…8 The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.…"
"Practice" meaning living a general lifestyle of consistency in obedience to God. Even if a child of God sins they do not remain in it, the conviction of the Holy Spirit in them will torment them until they confess to be cleansed.
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.…"
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Keep Calm and Carry On!
When this Corona mess is all over I would be interested in how the Christians faired through it. I feel no urgency or fear, and hope my brothers and sisters have that same calmness that comes from trusting Christ.
The British in WWII had a saying to bolster the spirits of their people and keep them hopeful. That saying was "keep calm and carry on." There were lots of Christians in Britain at that time, they understood trusting Christ through hardship. I placed this saying on a sign that hangs on our front porch. It is a good saying for every day! We can only remain calm when we know Christ is with us and in us.
After all, if we are to be logical we have to think; "what good will come out of panic and fear"? Will it change anything? Will it bring a good Christians witness to be afraid of what one cannot control? Our trust in Christ will speak volumes to those who may want to know how we maintain hope and peace in times that would normally panic the unbeliever.
Trusting Christ through it all while showing wisdom in how we conduct ourselves may be the thing that God is using to keep us safe as well as a witness to the world of Christ's power in us.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"
1 Peter 5:10
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
The British in WWII had a saying to bolster the spirits of their people and keep them hopeful. That saying was "keep calm and carry on." There were lots of Christians in Britain at that time, they understood trusting Christ through hardship. I placed this saying on a sign that hangs on our front porch. It is a good saying for every day! We can only remain calm when we know Christ is with us and in us.
After all, if we are to be logical we have to think; "what good will come out of panic and fear"? Will it change anything? Will it bring a good Christians witness to be afraid of what one cannot control? Our trust in Christ will speak volumes to those who may want to know how we maintain hope and peace in times that would normally panic the unbeliever.
Trusting Christ through it all while showing wisdom in how we conduct ourselves may be the thing that God is using to keep us safe as well as a witness to the world of Christ's power in us.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"
1 Peter 5:10
"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."
Marriage and Salvation
Marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church. The marriage bond between a man and a woman cannot be severed by man, it's a permanent spiritual glue placed there by God to make two people one until one of them dies.
This is true of salvation for the believer too. When we have been born again God changes us into one with Him. That relationship cannot be severed by anyone.
What God does cannot be undone by man. Neither marriage or salvation.
Mark 10:7-9 "…7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, no man can separate.”…"
The phrase; "let no man" is the old English expressing "no man can." This is important because many people believe marriage can be separated but it cannot. This union cannot be separated no matter what the sin in the lives of the marriage.
No man can separate the oneness of the Holy Spirit with His born again children. We can be disobedient and God will discipline us, but we cannot be severed from the Holy Spirit with Whom we have been sealed.
During the Passover, God told those who belonged to Him, the Israelites, to place the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and over the door. When the Holy Spirit saw this blood it would pass over the house and the house would be safe from the death of the firstborn. There was no measure of whether or not the people inside the dwelling was good enough.
When we become born again we are sealed in the blood of Christ. It is on us and the Spirit lives in us, we are not measured by our good deeds or how good we are as human beings, because there is no good in us. We are passed over for judgement because we have the blood of Jesus Christ over us.
Christ becomes our righteousness, He disciplines us when we stray, He instructs us which way to go and convicts us when we have wrong thoughts or actions. In other words, He is our everything.
However, we can ignore Him but we will see the consequences of our stubbornness through life's hardships. God will bring discipline upon us until we confess to be cleansed. Only those who are born again have an advocate with the Father. Those who are not born again, those who have not trusted Christ do not have an advocate and the Lord does not hear their prayers.
The only prayers of the unsaved that are heard are those of repentance toward God.
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."
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
This is true of salvation for the believer too. When we have been born again God changes us into one with Him. That relationship cannot be severed by anyone.
What God does cannot be undone by man. Neither marriage or salvation.
Mark 10:7-9 "…7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, no man can separate.”…"
The phrase; "let no man" is the old English expressing "no man can." This is important because many people believe marriage can be separated but it cannot. This union cannot be separated no matter what the sin in the lives of the marriage.
No man can separate the oneness of the Holy Spirit with His born again children. We can be disobedient and God will discipline us, but we cannot be severed from the Holy Spirit with Whom we have been sealed.
During the Passover, God told those who belonged to Him, the Israelites, to place the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and over the door. When the Holy Spirit saw this blood it would pass over the house and the house would be safe from the death of the firstborn. There was no measure of whether or not the people inside the dwelling was good enough.
When we become born again we are sealed in the blood of Christ. It is on us and the Spirit lives in us, we are not measured by our good deeds or how good we are as human beings, because there is no good in us. We are passed over for judgement because we have the blood of Jesus Christ over us.
Christ becomes our righteousness, He disciplines us when we stray, He instructs us which way to go and convicts us when we have wrong thoughts or actions. In other words, He is our everything.
However, we can ignore Him but we will see the consequences of our stubbornness through life's hardships. God will bring discipline upon us until we confess to be cleansed. Only those who are born again have an advocate with the Father. Those who are not born again, those who have not trusted Christ do not have an advocate and the Lord does not hear their prayers.
The only prayers of the unsaved that are heard are those of repentance toward God.
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."
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.…"
The Permanency of Salvation
We will never lose our salvation if we are truly born again.
Many years ago, I was taught and believed that we had a choice to get saved or to walk away from that salvation. I had no sense of permanency or security in my walk with My Lord. I questioned whether someday I may do something that God was displeased with and He would no longer love me and cast me aside for whatever that sin was.
I believed this because my life experience was like that. If I did not measure up to someone else’s idea of a “godly” person then I was not in the kingdom. The problem was not sin in my life, it was how I viewed relationships.
Those who were supposed to love me judged my heart regularly without even talking to me. They would not listen when I needed a friend and didn’t care if I recovered. For them it was about winning, they didn’t like the questions so their way of “handling” me was to guilt me into submission without attempting to understand why I had the questions.
I had such a hard time believing that I had the strength to carry on for Him or that I could measure up, after all, my life was fraught with the indoctrination from my childhood that I was of no value to my family or my community.
How could I ever be loved by God, how could He knowing me, love me? I questioned God on numerous occasions, what sin would separate us, how many sins or how big did they have to be to incur the wrath of God, that He would throw me away.
I thought, what kind of God would tell us we could lose our salvation and then not even describe to us the detailed criteria of what can cause us to be thrown away.
Or what kind of God would say "In Him, you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory" Ephesians 1:13-14, and then withdraw it when I had a weak moment.
Most of my human experiences have been this kind of love, measuring up, looking good, doing all the right things that are approved of by those who are superior and you're in, that is if you act the way they do, think the way they do or enhance them in some way.
If you embrace them with honesty or questions they can not answer, you become labeled as unworthy of their love. I can see how many people who have not walked in the Spirit would act in this way. They love to have prominent places and seek out the “beautiful” people who will bring them personal glory.
I believed the teaching that one could lose their salvation because this is what people did if I didn't measure up, they went away and rejected me, so I had the impression that this is what God does too.
I begged God to love me differently than people did, which didn't seem like love at all. One slip up in my character and the people disappeared. They not only disappeared but had no compulsion to come to me to try to save me, to snatch me from the firebrand. My slip-ups were not sin they were the crime of wanting more than a superficial walk with God. I wanted answers to life situations in light of God’s Word, and most people wanted a safe, uncomplicated walk, that enhanced their life pleasurably, elevating them in some way.
Is it possible that our view of God and our interpretation of Scripture come from our observations about people and their responses to us?
I am grateful that God is not like people. His ways are so far above mankind, that we have no ability to understand or carry out His righteousness.
We must have the Holy Spirit to walk with Him and we must possess the Holy Spirit if we are to remain. If the Holy Spirit left us, as people do, and we are saved by our works, then how would we ever get back again to possess the Holy Spirit, our works would not save us to come back.
Oh my, what a dilemma I struggled with before the Lord opened my eyes. I saw no evidence in the Word that the Holy Spirit hopped in and out of people like a jumping jack because we didn’t measure up. What I saw was a merciful and loving God who knows we cannot measure up on our own, so He gave us The Ultimate Helper, the Holy Spirit.
I am convinced without a doubt that we cannot lose our salvation. If we believe that God saved us after we chose and confessed our sin, and that Christ said in Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God," then we have to believe that God is the one who saves and we do not save ourselves through our works.
If we know that we can not save ourselves through our own works then we have to know that we cannot keep ourselves by our works.
When God saves us, He gives us what we desire and that is to be forgiven and to be saved, then He does the work of saving, He does the work of cleansing and He does the work of keeping.
God said 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." God changes us into something we were not before and that we could not make of ourselves.
We are however trapped in this body of death, Our soul has been overtaken by the Holy Spirit of God.
Ephesians 1:13-14 says "In Him, you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
I would like us to take a look at some of the words in this verse, they are; Holy Spirit of Promise, Sealed, Guarantee, inheritance, purchased possession. All of these show that it is a done deal when we have been changed by God.
When we realize that He changes us when we get saved, He makes two people one in marriage and He remains faithful to Israel in all His promises. All of these works are His and constant with His character. We cannot undo our salvation, and we don't want to. We cannot undo our marriage and if we are saved, we don't want to. God is a God of faithfulness even when we are not. God remains faithful to Israel. In fact in these last days the tribulation will be God's way of bringing Israel back to Himself.
We do sin after salvation because God said that no one is righteous no not one, this is why God had to seal us with His Holy Spirit, to keep us. It is a salvation by works and inconsistent to say that we can't save ourselves but we can do enough good works to keep ourselves. Christ can not come off the cross, He said it is finished. HE will not ever go back to the cross, because "it is finished."
Now the problem is that we see people who claim to be saved and have walked away, but God said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
It is clear that many people who claim to be saved will look so good that others looking on will not realize that they are not saved and never have been.
In this passage, God says "I NEVER knew you." They were never changed into a new creation even though they looked so good on the outside.
We do however sin, we are not sinless but we sin less, because God said that He is in the process of sanctification until the day we die.
This is why God said in 1 John 2 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
An unsaved person does not have an advocate with the Father, only His children do. If we see someone living a lifestyle of sin without conscience about it, then they not saved. They may go to church, pray in front of people and put on a good act of being a Christian, but never belonged to Christ.
We will never lose our salvation, if we are truly born again.
Ephesians 1:13-14 settles the matter for me along with all the other evidence that God is only good. A depraved and hopeless unsaved person could never do enough good to merit heaven.
Isaiah 64:6
"6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."
No one is good, only Christ. Then it makes good sense that the only Good One could do good in us.
If sin could lose us our salvation then this passage would be foolish:
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
If sin would lose us our salvation then why would God discipline those He loves. He does it to bring His children back to obedience.
God also said to me; 1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
God does not throw His children away, He disciplines them if they do not obey Him any sin left is burned off but the rewards will be less if there has been unconfessed sin.
My God told me, "I will never throw you away because you do not measure up, you could never measure up. When you fall I will pick you up and bring you back"
I remember the story of the lamb who wanders off from his shepherd. The shepherd does not let him go to fall over cliffs and die; he goes after him and breaks the legs of the lamb. He breaks his legs and then carries him so that the lamb learns to depend on the shepherd and will not continue to wander away after that. God sometimes breaks our legs as believers, but he never throws us away as people do. He is pure love and knows the propensity of man to wander.
Do we love people as God loves us or do we love people the way humanity does, with disinterest in one another? Associating only with those we think “measure up.” Do we do the easy thing focusing on feelings and fun, rather than the hard work of rebuke and discipline praying for and hoping that our loved one will be restored? God does walk away from rebellious pretenders who do not love Him and are stubborn, but He never walks away from His lambs.
Many years ago, I was taught and believed that we had a choice to get saved or to walk away from that salvation. I had no sense of permanency or security in my walk with My Lord. I questioned whether someday I may do something that God was displeased with and He would no longer love me and cast me aside for whatever that sin was.
I believed this because my life experience was like that. If I did not measure up to someone else’s idea of a “godly” person then I was not in the kingdom. The problem was not sin in my life, it was how I viewed relationships.
Those who were supposed to love me judged my heart regularly without even talking to me. They would not listen when I needed a friend and didn’t care if I recovered. For them it was about winning, they didn’t like the questions so their way of “handling” me was to guilt me into submission without attempting to understand why I had the questions.
I had such a hard time believing that I had the strength to carry on for Him or that I could measure up, after all, my life was fraught with the indoctrination from my childhood that I was of no value to my family or my community.
How could I ever be loved by God, how could He knowing me, love me? I questioned God on numerous occasions, what sin would separate us, how many sins or how big did they have to be to incur the wrath of God, that He would throw me away.
I thought, what kind of God would tell us we could lose our salvation and then not even describe to us the detailed criteria of what can cause us to be thrown away.
Or what kind of God would say "In Him, you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory" Ephesians 1:13-14, and then withdraw it when I had a weak moment.
Most of my human experiences have been this kind of love, measuring up, looking good, doing all the right things that are approved of by those who are superior and you're in, that is if you act the way they do, think the way they do or enhance them in some way.
If you embrace them with honesty or questions they can not answer, you become labeled as unworthy of their love. I can see how many people who have not walked in the Spirit would act in this way. They love to have prominent places and seek out the “beautiful” people who will bring them personal glory.
I believed the teaching that one could lose their salvation because this is what people did if I didn't measure up, they went away and rejected me, so I had the impression that this is what God does too.
I begged God to love me differently than people did, which didn't seem like love at all. One slip up in my character and the people disappeared. They not only disappeared but had no compulsion to come to me to try to save me, to snatch me from the firebrand. My slip-ups were not sin they were the crime of wanting more than a superficial walk with God. I wanted answers to life situations in light of God’s Word, and most people wanted a safe, uncomplicated walk, that enhanced their life pleasurably, elevating them in some way.
Is it possible that our view of God and our interpretation of Scripture come from our observations about people and their responses to us?
I am grateful that God is not like people. His ways are so far above mankind, that we have no ability to understand or carry out His righteousness.
We must have the Holy Spirit to walk with Him and we must possess the Holy Spirit if we are to remain. If the Holy Spirit left us, as people do, and we are saved by our works, then how would we ever get back again to possess the Holy Spirit, our works would not save us to come back.
Oh my, what a dilemma I struggled with before the Lord opened my eyes. I saw no evidence in the Word that the Holy Spirit hopped in and out of people like a jumping jack because we didn’t measure up. What I saw was a merciful and loving God who knows we cannot measure up on our own, so He gave us The Ultimate Helper, the Holy Spirit.
I am convinced without a doubt that we cannot lose our salvation. If we believe that God saved us after we chose and confessed our sin, and that Christ said in Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God," then we have to believe that God is the one who saves and we do not save ourselves through our works.
If we know that we can not save ourselves through our own works then we have to know that we cannot keep ourselves by our works.
When God saves us, He gives us what we desire and that is to be forgiven and to be saved, then He does the work of saving, He does the work of cleansing and He does the work of keeping.
God said 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." God changes us into something we were not before and that we could not make of ourselves.
We are however trapped in this body of death, Our soul has been overtaken by the Holy Spirit of God.
Ephesians 1:13-14 says "In Him, you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."
I would like us to take a look at some of the words in this verse, they are; Holy Spirit of Promise, Sealed, Guarantee, inheritance, purchased possession. All of these show that it is a done deal when we have been changed by God.
When we realize that He changes us when we get saved, He makes two people one in marriage and He remains faithful to Israel in all His promises. All of these works are His and constant with His character. We cannot undo our salvation, and we don't want to. We cannot undo our marriage and if we are saved, we don't want to. God is a God of faithfulness even when we are not. God remains faithful to Israel. In fact in these last days the tribulation will be God's way of bringing Israel back to Himself.
We do sin after salvation because God said that no one is righteous no not one, this is why God had to seal us with His Holy Spirit, to keep us. It is a salvation by works and inconsistent to say that we can't save ourselves but we can do enough good works to keep ourselves. Christ can not come off the cross, He said it is finished. HE will not ever go back to the cross, because "it is finished."
Now the problem is that we see people who claim to be saved and have walked away, but God said in Matthew 7:21-23, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
It is clear that many people who claim to be saved will look so good that others looking on will not realize that they are not saved and never have been.
In this passage, God says "I NEVER knew you." They were never changed into a new creation even though they looked so good on the outside.
We do however sin, we are not sinless but we sin less, because God said that He is in the process of sanctification until the day we die.
This is why God said in 1 John 2 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
An unsaved person does not have an advocate with the Father, only His children do. If we see someone living a lifestyle of sin without conscience about it, then they not saved. They may go to church, pray in front of people and put on a good act of being a Christian, but never belonged to Christ.
We will never lose our salvation, if we are truly born again.
Ephesians 1:13-14 settles the matter for me along with all the other evidence that God is only good. A depraved and hopeless unsaved person could never do enough good to merit heaven.
Isaiah 64:6
"6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."
No one is good, only Christ. Then it makes good sense that the only Good One could do good in us.
If sin could lose us our salvation then this passage would be foolish:
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
If sin would lose us our salvation then why would God discipline those He loves. He does it to bring His children back to obedience.
God also said to me; 1 Corinthians 3:14-16 "…14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?…"
God does not throw His children away, He disciplines them if they do not obey Him any sin left is burned off but the rewards will be less if there has been unconfessed sin.
My God told me, "I will never throw you away because you do not measure up, you could never measure up. When you fall I will pick you up and bring you back"
I remember the story of the lamb who wanders off from his shepherd. The shepherd does not let him go to fall over cliffs and die; he goes after him and breaks the legs of the lamb. He breaks his legs and then carries him so that the lamb learns to depend on the shepherd and will not continue to wander away after that. God sometimes breaks our legs as believers, but he never throws us away as people do. He is pure love and knows the propensity of man to wander.
Do we love people as God loves us or do we love people the way humanity does, with disinterest in one another? Associating only with those we think “measure up.” Do we do the easy thing focusing on feelings and fun, rather than the hard work of rebuke and discipline praying for and hoping that our loved one will be restored? God does walk away from rebellious pretenders who do not love Him and are stubborn, but He never walks away from His lambs.
Changed Hearts
The Spirit does what the law can not do, Change Hearts...
Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Again with the "Don't Judge" Mantra....Growing Weary of This Lie
God never said not to judge, He commanded us to judge righteously. We are to judge everything according to God's Word. We can depend upon Christ in us to tell us the truth about people, His warnings are all over in His Scriptures.
Romans 16:17-18
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Ephesians 5:11
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
1 Timothy 5:20
"As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."
In order to rebuke someone, we must be able to discern them. Repeating God's judgment about them is the command.
God made it clear throughout scripture that we must be able to tell the difference between the authentic believer and the pretender.
These days the antichrist will use great swelling words and flattery to deceive the people into believing they are of God when their god is the devil.
Trump has been given to us by God, not to save our country but to show believers how easily they will fall in line with anyone who will flatter them or claim to be one of them.
The use of the term "prayer" has been perverted at this time in history to mean "our thoughts cause things to happen." Norman Vincent Peale, Trump's mentor, and favored preacher taught adamantly that the mind is what has the power. He taught that it doesn't matter which god you believe in as long as you believe hard enough you will get what you want. Trump is a very smart man since he doesn't care which god he needs to choose to get that voting block of Christians back to the poles, he will use it.
The Pentecostals who surround Trump are false prosperity preachers who have many false teachings, diverting from the word of God frequently to entice people to think they can have whatever they want by just speaking it. These Pentecostal preachers fall right in line with the philosophy of our president.
Pentecostals operate more on feelings and sight than they ever do on faith or truth. Their experiences determine their truth. Satan has lots of experiences that look good to entice these types.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "…13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.…"
Our president is doing some good things, but that does not make him a Christian. In order to be a Christian one must believe in Jesus Christ alone, no power of the mind and no prosperity gospel.
There I have said it, I know the very "Christians" who claim to be so, will be angry and defame me for exposing their idol. And he is an idol if he cannot be objectively evaluated without someone becoming angry.
It is clear how easily so many "Christians" will fall in line when the antichrist does lying miracles and claims to be Christ.
Because these people do not know their Bibles they will believe this lying snake. Because they say; "don't judge" continually they fail to judge according to the Bible this satanic being who claims to be their special leader. If they are doing it now with any human being it is evident that they will do it with the ultimate snake.
Romans 16:17-18
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Ephesians 5:11
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
1 Timothy 5:20
"As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."
In order to rebuke someone, we must be able to discern them. Repeating God's judgment about them is the command.
God made it clear throughout scripture that we must be able to tell the difference between the authentic believer and the pretender.
These days the antichrist will use great swelling words and flattery to deceive the people into believing they are of God when their god is the devil.
Trump has been given to us by God, not to save our country but to show believers how easily they will fall in line with anyone who will flatter them or claim to be one of them.
The use of the term "prayer" has been perverted at this time in history to mean "our thoughts cause things to happen." Norman Vincent Peale, Trump's mentor, and favored preacher taught adamantly that the mind is what has the power. He taught that it doesn't matter which god you believe in as long as you believe hard enough you will get what you want. Trump is a very smart man since he doesn't care which god he needs to choose to get that voting block of Christians back to the poles, he will use it.
The Pentecostals who surround Trump are false prosperity preachers who have many false teachings, diverting from the word of God frequently to entice people to think they can have whatever they want by just speaking it. These Pentecostal preachers fall right in line with the philosophy of our president.
Pentecostals operate more on feelings and sight than they ever do on faith or truth. Their experiences determine their truth. Satan has lots of experiences that look good to entice these types.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 "…13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.…"
Our president is doing some good things, but that does not make him a Christian. In order to be a Christian one must believe in Jesus Christ alone, no power of the mind and no prosperity gospel.
There I have said it, I know the very "Christians" who claim to be so, will be angry and defame me for exposing their idol. And he is an idol if he cannot be objectively evaluated without someone becoming angry.
It is clear how easily so many "Christians" will fall in line when the antichrist does lying miracles and claims to be Christ.
Because these people do not know their Bibles they will believe this lying snake. Because they say; "don't judge" continually they fail to judge according to the Bible this satanic being who claims to be their special leader. If they are doing it now with any human being it is evident that they will do it with the ultimate snake.
The Subtlety of Deception
So many years ago I was using the Ray Comfort series to teach salvation and evangelism to my youth group girls. I was so interested in the way he was bold and the good things he was saying about trusting in Christ I completely missed the subtle teaching of "works-based" salvation.
He teaches that one must believe and turn from their sin. The Bible doesn't teach this. I was interpreting his words Biblically but he was meaning them unbiblically. He was saying turn from our sins in terms of salvation but I thought he was saying the result of trusting in Christ would be that we are changed by Christ. Sometimes we hear what we expect rather than what was actually said, as I did so many years ago.
Comfort teaches to trust Christ AND turn from sin.
The Bible teaches to trust in Christ, believing in Him. That's all.
Here's the problem, why we get confused. God says to repent from sin. It does not mean turn from sin, it means to change our mind about our sin and about Christ. When our mind is changed to be compliant toward Him, then He comes to live in us and He changes us.
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."
As human beings, we are unable to change ourselves into a new creation. Christ must do that for us, but we have to want it. We cannot earn our way to heaven on any level, it's all about Christ.
When Christ changes us our entire WAY of thinking changes to the mind of Christ. This is why it is so confusing when we meet "Christians" whose mind thinks the same way it did before they were Christians. Their words are coming out as being in the Christian club but their heart remains stubborn, disrespectful, prideful, unteachable and rebellious.
God said we shall know them by their fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is strongly evident in someone who once lived sinfully but now live holy, not perfectly because we are all trapped in this fleshly body. Because we are born again we hate sin and struggle with it when it wells up in us. The heathen who is not born again does not struggle with sin, they like it and they defend it.
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."
An authentically born again believer can discern easily the fruit or the lack of fruit in someone.
Most people today who say they are Christians rarely use the name of Jesus Christ, are embarrassed about hearing it and have little or no change in their hearts. They are attempting to change to be like those in their church gathering, but it is superficial while their heart remains unchanged. They even claim to believe the Bible but follow very little of what is in it, even defending their disobedience against it, making excuses for their sin and the sin of their friends.
When someone is defensive toward sin and rejects the Word of God as mere suggestions, we know this person cannot be born again.
Hostility, argumentativeness, stubbornness toward the Word, gossip, slander, and many other evil attitudes and practices are not present in the born again believer, but they are in those who are pretenders.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
It is easy to see how we can miss important clues when listening to preachers. They say other good things that overwhelm the underlying half-truth. We must pray about preachers and their methods and delivery to be able to hear from the Holy Spirit.
One day as I was praying the Lord exposed Ray Comfort to me. He used another preacher to point out that phrase Comfort uses, that is; "believe and turn from sin." This is subtle but huge because it places the onus on the believer to makes sure he doesn't sin anymore to maintain his salvation.
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.…"
You cannot save yourself by attempting to be good. Our best good deeds are filthy rags to God. It is only Christ in us Who is good, His blood is covering our sinfulness while He is working on us to grow in holiness.
If someone is not growing in holiness something is wrong.
1 Peter 2
As Newborn Babes
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
Born again believers are not perfect but they desire to grow in holiness. The kindness of the Lord brings discipline so that His children will reflect more and more His character.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.”
7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Hebrews 12:8 "…8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. "
Did you notice this? If you are not disciplined by God then you do not belong to Him, because God disciplines those He loves.
Hallelujah!!!!
He teaches that one must believe and turn from their sin. The Bible doesn't teach this. I was interpreting his words Biblically but he was meaning them unbiblically. He was saying turn from our sins in terms of salvation but I thought he was saying the result of trusting in Christ would be that we are changed by Christ. Sometimes we hear what we expect rather than what was actually said, as I did so many years ago.
Comfort teaches to trust Christ AND turn from sin.
The Bible teaches to trust in Christ, believing in Him. That's all.
Here's the problem, why we get confused. God says to repent from sin. It does not mean turn from sin, it means to change our mind about our sin and about Christ. When our mind is changed to be compliant toward Him, then He comes to live in us and He changes us.
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."
As human beings, we are unable to change ourselves into a new creation. Christ must do that for us, but we have to want it. We cannot earn our way to heaven on any level, it's all about Christ.
When Christ changes us our entire WAY of thinking changes to the mind of Christ. This is why it is so confusing when we meet "Christians" whose mind thinks the same way it did before they were Christians. Their words are coming out as being in the Christian club but their heart remains stubborn, disrespectful, prideful, unteachable and rebellious.
God said we shall know them by their fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is strongly evident in someone who once lived sinfully but now live holy, not perfectly because we are all trapped in this fleshly body. Because we are born again we hate sin and struggle with it when it wells up in us. The heathen who is not born again does not struggle with sin, they like it and they defend it.
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."
An authentically born again believer can discern easily the fruit or the lack of fruit in someone.
Most people today who say they are Christians rarely use the name of Jesus Christ, are embarrassed about hearing it and have little or no change in their hearts. They are attempting to change to be like those in their church gathering, but it is superficial while their heart remains unchanged. They even claim to believe the Bible but follow very little of what is in it, even defending their disobedience against it, making excuses for their sin and the sin of their friends.
When someone is defensive toward sin and rejects the Word of God as mere suggestions, we know this person cannot be born again.
Hostility, argumentativeness, stubbornness toward the Word, gossip, slander, and many other evil attitudes and practices are not present in the born again believer, but they are in those who are pretenders.
Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."
It is easy to see how we can miss important clues when listening to preachers. They say other good things that overwhelm the underlying half-truth. We must pray about preachers and their methods and delivery to be able to hear from the Holy Spirit.
One day as I was praying the Lord exposed Ray Comfort to me. He used another preacher to point out that phrase Comfort uses, that is; "believe and turn from sin." This is subtle but huge because it places the onus on the believer to makes sure he doesn't sin anymore to maintain his salvation.
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.…"
You cannot save yourself by attempting to be good. Our best good deeds are filthy rags to God. It is only Christ in us Who is good, His blood is covering our sinfulness while He is working on us to grow in holiness.
If someone is not growing in holiness something is wrong.
1 Peter 2
As Newborn Babes
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."
Born again believers are not perfect but they desire to grow in holiness. The kindness of the Lord brings discipline so that His children will reflect more and more His character.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.”
7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Hebrews 12:8 "…8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. "
Did you notice this? If you are not disciplined by God then you do not belong to Him, because God disciplines those He loves.
Hallelujah!!!!
The Demise of the Dough Boy
SAD NEWS - Please join me in remembering YET ANOTHER great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71. Dough Boy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children, John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the Oven. Services were held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
The State of the Modern Christian Home
Most Christian homes I know of had fathers who never spoke of God in the home. They went to church but didn't instruct their own children.
Some husbands even resisted the wife's suggestion to read the word and pray together as a family. These women were wanting to train their children in the Lord but were dismissed by the father who claimed to be Christian. We have met disobedient Christian women too but the influence of the father carries the weight of influence with the children.
The fathers wanted to play and watch television to entertain the children but resisted spiritual guidance for the family. It is clear to me that if the father will not train the children in the Word the children will go his way and resist the mother's teaching.
If there is no father in the home then the children will be bitter and deliberately follow the way of the world. Of course, there are exceptions to these things but they are rare.
The father leads either for God or against Him. The leadership is not something a husband tries to do it is automatic, whatever the father does will be followed by the children.
If the father is superficial and argumentative the children will become that way too. The influence of the father is far greater than the mother. When the children grow up the father will be favored for his happy fun and the mother will be remembered as the one who was not so much fun for her desire to live according to the Bible.
Even when the mother attempts to train the children in the way of the Lord, they will reject her if the father negates her, in favor of following a father who is disobedient.
I have also known fathers who instructed the children in the wrong way, dismissing much of scripture while claiming to be Christians. This is why we have the superficial apostate Christianity of today. Fathers had a form of religion but negated the Bible often through his own actions and attitudes.
If you see a "Christian" family whose children reject God or say they are "Christian" but negate the Bible, you will notice that the father played Christian more than he lived the life. He attempted to entreat the children to love him through play and fun instead of standing fast for the word of God.
This is the same phenomenon in the church today. The leaders are attempting to entertain the congregation so they will like the leaders. It's not about Christ, it's about the leaders becoming popular.
The leaders in churches today are acting like disobedient fathers who want the love of their children more than they want their children to love God. The similarities are staggering.
If you have been a father who attempted to gain the love of your children more than wanting them to love God, please repent, your admission of what you did will go a long way in God's work in your adult children's lives.
Mothers who have been mistreated in this way, having been dismissed and ignored, even despised for your desire to raise the family in the Lord, will see a reward one day, even if their family never loves them. They will have a crown and approval of Christ saying:
Matthew 25:23 "23 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ "
Remember ladies and some gentlemen who had disobedient wives, we are not responsible for results we are only responsible for obedience. And, remember too that we never know who our faithfulness influenced. It's not over for our children until they are dead.
Then, remember too that sometimes there are two faithful parents who worked together to serve the Lord in raising their children in the Word, whose children chose to defy what they were taught. That is not on the parents, it is the children who made their own choices.
Also, remember that Adam and Eve had no imperfect parents to do things incorrectly, they had only God. He was the perfect parent and yet look at what they did.
We are not animals who respond to stimuli, we are human beings who hear words and see actions and make our own choices.
Next time you hear someone accuse you or others of being a bad parent because your children chose a wicked lifestyle, remind them that we are just the imperfect messengers and it is God Who must bring the increase.
God will work in our children's lives but we may not live to see the result. Some people do not come to the Lord until they are older, but if they do choose Christ after we are gone, we will see them in heaven.
Keep praying, stay hopeful and obey God, leave all the rest to Him.
Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Do not be so arrogant as to think YOU were the one to make your children do what is right. Know that you told the truth, you spoke to them and they made their own choice, all the rest is up to God.
Some husbands even resisted the wife's suggestion to read the word and pray together as a family. These women were wanting to train their children in the Lord but were dismissed by the father who claimed to be Christian. We have met disobedient Christian women too but the influence of the father carries the weight of influence with the children.
The fathers wanted to play and watch television to entertain the children but resisted spiritual guidance for the family. It is clear to me that if the father will not train the children in the Word the children will go his way and resist the mother's teaching.
If there is no father in the home then the children will be bitter and deliberately follow the way of the world. Of course, there are exceptions to these things but they are rare.
The father leads either for God or against Him. The leadership is not something a husband tries to do it is automatic, whatever the father does will be followed by the children.
If the father is superficial and argumentative the children will become that way too. The influence of the father is far greater than the mother. When the children grow up the father will be favored for his happy fun and the mother will be remembered as the one who was not so much fun for her desire to live according to the Bible.
Even when the mother attempts to train the children in the way of the Lord, they will reject her if the father negates her, in favor of following a father who is disobedient.
I have also known fathers who instructed the children in the wrong way, dismissing much of scripture while claiming to be Christians. This is why we have the superficial apostate Christianity of today. Fathers had a form of religion but negated the Bible often through his own actions and attitudes.
If you see a "Christian" family whose children reject God or say they are "Christian" but negate the Bible, you will notice that the father played Christian more than he lived the life. He attempted to entreat the children to love him through play and fun instead of standing fast for the word of God.
This is the same phenomenon in the church today. The leaders are attempting to entertain the congregation so they will like the leaders. It's not about Christ, it's about the leaders becoming popular.
The leaders in churches today are acting like disobedient fathers who want the love of their children more than they want their children to love God. The similarities are staggering.
If you have been a father who attempted to gain the love of your children more than wanting them to love God, please repent, your admission of what you did will go a long way in God's work in your adult children's lives.
Mothers who have been mistreated in this way, having been dismissed and ignored, even despised for your desire to raise the family in the Lord, will see a reward one day, even if their family never loves them. They will have a crown and approval of Christ saying:
Matthew 25:23 "23 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ "
Remember ladies and some gentlemen who had disobedient wives, we are not responsible for results we are only responsible for obedience. And, remember too that we never know who our faithfulness influenced. It's not over for our children until they are dead.
Then, remember too that sometimes there are two faithful parents who worked together to serve the Lord in raising their children in the Word, whose children chose to defy what they were taught. That is not on the parents, it is the children who made their own choices.
Also, remember that Adam and Eve had no imperfect parents to do things incorrectly, they had only God. He was the perfect parent and yet look at what they did.
We are not animals who respond to stimuli, we are human beings who hear words and see actions and make our own choices.
Next time you hear someone accuse you or others of being a bad parent because your children chose a wicked lifestyle, remind them that we are just the imperfect messengers and it is God Who must bring the increase.
God will work in our children's lives but we may not live to see the result. Some people do not come to the Lord until they are older, but if they do choose Christ after we are gone, we will see them in heaven.
Keep praying, stay hopeful and obey God, leave all the rest to Him.
Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Do not be so arrogant as to think YOU were the one to make your children do what is right. Know that you told the truth, you spoke to them and they made their own choice, all the rest is up to God.
EMERGENCY IN MADRID - Doctor in Madrid PLEADS WITH WORLD for dying elde...
Spain is predominantly Catholic, the people of Spain need Jesus Christ.
This is what is happening in Spain right now. May these people find Jesus Christ before they pass. If you think this cannot happen here, think again. We live in a narcissistic world that has been trained for two generations that people are nothing more than animals for earth's use. When there are too many of us we must be exterminated to preserve the earth, according to those who despise God. The world needs Jesus Christ, He is the only hope for any individual who is facing all of this. If you think it can't get worse, it can and will. Read the book of Revelation as you ask God to show you hope in this wicked world. There is hope in Jesus Christ, and only in Him.
Friday, March 27, 2020
The appearances of aliens are demons causing illusions.
When someone has a bad trip on LSD they will see spiders all over them, they will feel their bites too, but the spiders are not there. This is because these bad trips are demonic illusions, but the sensations are absolutely real but between the ears in the head.
God said that in the end times great and huge stinging scorpions will sting people, it will be so painful and miserable people will want to die but will not be able to.
Those scorpions will be devils attacking the people. Remember the person was hunched over because the demons had afflicted this person.
When the demons were cast out the person stood up straight again. Devils can inflict physical pain just as they did with Job.
When we hear of people who have been abducted by aliens they are adamant that they were taken away from their home and tortured in some way. These people really felt this and saw things but they never left their beds, it was all illusion in their heads.
These alien sitings are nothing more than demonic illusions, that's why they can move so erratically and appear to disappear.
These demonic manifestations will increase in the last days. People will believe they saw and experienced things that were never actually there.
God said that in the end times great and huge stinging scorpions will sting people, it will be so painful and miserable people will want to die but will not be able to.
Those scorpions will be devils attacking the people. Remember the person was hunched over because the demons had afflicted this person.
When the demons were cast out the person stood up straight again. Devils can inflict physical pain just as they did with Job.
When we hear of people who have been abducted by aliens they are adamant that they were taken away from their home and tortured in some way. These people really felt this and saw things but they never left their beds, it was all illusion in their heads.
These alien sitings are nothing more than demonic illusions, that's why they can move so erratically and appear to disappear.
These demonic manifestations will increase in the last days. People will believe they saw and experienced things that were never actually there.
Homegoing Soon!
These are the end of the end days. From now on things become strange and frightening to those who are not born again.
We are born again so we know what's coming and we are not afraid. Jesus Christ will give us all we need to endure when we need it and He will take us out before the wrath of the Father on the earth.
Hallelujah Jesus Christ is our King and He lives to come and get us soon.
We are born again so we know what's coming and we are not afraid. Jesus Christ will give us all we need to endure when we need it and He will take us out before the wrath of the Father on the earth.
Hallelujah Jesus Christ is our King and He lives to come and get us soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)