Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Do Not Give Yourself Titles
God never told anyone to "be a Pentecostal" or "Baptist" or "Lutheran" or "Calvinist", He told us to be followers of Christ. Whenever human beings have given themselves titles they end up devising their own system of religion.
Those with titles are exposing the fact that they follow men and systems, not Jesus Christ.
All of our actions emerge from our thought life. We cannot have actions different from our thought life.
When we rebuke someone for their attitude or actions and their retort to us is; "you don't know my heart" they are operating from the premise that our heart condition has nothing to do with our actions.
It is clear from our actions what is in our hearts. A loving person on the inside could never do unkind things on the outside.
Matthew 15:17-19
"17 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those things defile the person.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, acts of adultery, other immoral sexual acts, thefts, false testimonies, and slanderous statements."
When God shows us our hearts because of our actions we are obligated to self-reflect and confess what does not honor God to be cleansed from that which defiles us.
1 John 1:9-10 "9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
Those who believe they can sin on the outside and still have a clean heart are backward thinking. Just the opposite is true, the heart is what motivates the outward actions.
Psalm 32:5
"Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah"
It is only through confession of sin that anyone can be cleansed from that sin. Without confession the sin not only continues but expands and eventually hardens the hearts of those who are too stubborn to admit their need for cleansing.
Unbelievers cannot be saved without repentance and believers will not grow in holiness without confession of sin.
Those who defend their sin are not born again. Sin is appalling to the born-again believer. If the one who has been changed by Christ falls into sin they are deeply convicted until they confess to be cleansed of it. Only those who have never been born again are at peace with their sin.
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 every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
Those who believe they can sin all they want without consequences do not understand salvation and they do not understand the grace of God.
Romans 6:1-2 "1 What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?…"
Our Family are Those Who Love Christ
Those who love to give themselves titles are disobeying God when He said we are to follow Him. We are not to follow a man or a system named by principles or gifts.
When we give ourselves title it is strong evidence that we walk in pride desiring to be special. No man is special and no man has anything to offer us in terms of salvation or even wisdom.
It is Christ in believers who share His wisdom with one another. No one gets the credit for His wisdom that we share with one another. We are joyful and full of glee at the wisdom of Christ that fellow brothers and sisters share with one another.
We love our brothers and sisters, they are our family not by human blood but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our family that share our blood is only real family if they love Christ.
John 12:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
James 3:16
"16 For where jealousy and [a]selfish ambition exist, [b]there is disorder and every evil thing."
If anyone has lost or never had the love of their bio-family because they love Jesus Christ more than anyone else, then they have a new family, the Family of God saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
Luke 14:26 "
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
Our love for Christ must be so intense that our family will never take priority over Him. We do not grieve over losing someone who hates God, but rather we pray for their salvation. Those who do not love Christ are not our real family, they are the world and the love of God is not in them.
1 John 2:15-17
"Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever."
Our desire is that our bio-family members would repent and become born again by the Holy Spirit, however, until they do they are God's enemy and our enemy too.
We are to love our enemies through prayer and the show of kindness and respect they do not show us, but we are not close friends with them. They cannot be our constant companions because they work against Christ in us.
Matthew 5:43–44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"
May our love for Christ be so great that we have no sad feelings when unbelievers hate us. If there is any sadness it ought to be at their lost condition. Sharing the gospel with them is our mandate from God, being their close friends is not possible.
Isaiah 52:11
"Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD."
When we give ourselves title it is strong evidence that we walk in pride desiring to be special. No man is special and no man has anything to offer us in terms of salvation or even wisdom.
It is Christ in believers who share His wisdom with one another. No one gets the credit for His wisdom that we share with one another. We are joyful and full of glee at the wisdom of Christ that fellow brothers and sisters share with one another.
We love our brothers and sisters, they are our family not by human blood but by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our family that share our blood is only real family if they love Christ.
John 12:34-35 "…34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
James 3:16
"16 For where jealousy and [a]selfish ambition exist, [b]there is disorder and every evil thing."
If anyone has lost or never had the love of their bio-family because they love Jesus Christ more than anyone else, then they have a new family, the Family of God saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
Luke 14:26 "
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."
Our love for Christ must be so intense that our family will never take priority over Him. We do not grieve over losing someone who hates God, but rather we pray for their salvation. Those who do not love Christ are not our real family, they are the world and the love of God is not in them.
1 John 2:15-17
"Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever."
Our desire is that our bio-family members would repent and become born again by the Holy Spirit, however, until they do they are God's enemy and our enemy too.
We are to love our enemies through prayer and the show of kindness and respect they do not show us, but we are not close friends with them. They cannot be our constant companions because they work against Christ in us.
Matthew 5:43–44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 "…16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"
May our love for Christ be so great that we have no sad feelings when unbelievers hate us. If there is any sadness it ought to be at their lost condition. Sharing the gospel with them is our mandate from God, being their close friends is not possible.
Isaiah 52:11
"Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; come out from it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD."
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