Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Man's Ways Promote Sin, God's Ways Resolve Problems
Someone said, "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." This is true, I have met many Christians who say they believe the bible but will come up with their own idea of what God meant and disregard the portions that explain away their own idea.
For example, the modern idea that we should forgive when someone is not sorry for our own emotional health. The Bible does not say such a thing. Here is what God says;
Luke 17:3-4 "…3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Most Chrisians today completely miss the phrase in the passage in Luke, "if your brother sins, rebuke him," and the other phrase that says; ""if he repents forgive him." They completely disregard the "if" statements because they go against the cultural psychological teaching that says to forgive because someone might be mean because they are hurting themselves.
Notice that we hear forgive those who are not sorry, but we never hear a statement to the one who offended to repent. So in other words, the one who offends others is coddled while the one who was offended was punished for not forgiving someone who didn't even want it because they didn't think they did anything wrong.
I have met many Christians who support divorce and remarriage, even if they have not done it themselves. Even after Christ said the following;
"Mark 10:11-12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. / And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married, I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
Malachi 2:14-16
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith."
There are many more principles like this that Christians violate, doing what is the easy thing and allows them to feel superior but in fact, are against God's ways. His ways are harder at times because they bring about lasting and real change. Man's ways allow sin to grow merely to feel better.
God's ways are about growth and strength and dedication. Man's ways are about personal comfort and pleasure, which do very little to help people in spiritual and emotional growth. God's ways are sacrificial and helpful; man's ways are selfish and useless.
Just something to think about!!!!!
For example, the modern idea that we should forgive when someone is not sorry for our own emotional health. The Bible does not say such a thing. Here is what God says;
Luke 17:3-4 "…3Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Most Chrisians today completely miss the phrase in the passage in Luke, "if your brother sins, rebuke him," and the other phrase that says; ""if he repents forgive him." They completely disregard the "if" statements because they go against the cultural psychological teaching that says to forgive because someone might be mean because they are hurting themselves.
Notice that we hear forgive those who are not sorry, but we never hear a statement to the one who offended to repent. So in other words, the one who offends others is coddled while the one who was offended was punished for not forgiving someone who didn't even want it because they didn't think they did anything wrong.
I have met many Christians who support divorce and remarriage, even if they have not done it themselves. Even after Christ said the following;
"Mark 10:11-12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. / And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married, I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
Malachi 2:14-16
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith."
There are many more principles like this that Christians violate, doing what is the easy thing and allows them to feel superior but in fact, are against God's ways. His ways are harder at times because they bring about lasting and real change. Man's ways allow sin to grow merely to feel better.
God's ways are about growth and strength and dedication. Man's ways are about personal comfort and pleasure, which do very little to help people in spiritual and emotional growth. God's ways are sacrificial and helpful; man's ways are selfish and useless.
Just something to think about!!!!!
Matching Pitch with Christ
Emotions are not based on rational thinking. We have them frequently, and it's alright, but they must always be measured according to God's truth in His Word, the Bible. We should never follow our emotions; we can admit them, but ignore them when they do not match pitch with God's Word.
Often, emotions are driven by pride, causing those who have them to misjudge others and even excuse themselves in disobedience.
Some say, "follow your heart", which translates into following our feelings. They also say, "follow your gut", which is another way of saying pay attention to your feelings.
When we are in Christ, we can sense things that are good or things that are off. This wisdom from God is always based on His Word and principles.
Those who are not born again will follow their hearts' desires that are opposed to God's Word. Their heart is not inclined toward truth but entirely inclined toward personal safety and pleasure.
As believers, our pleasure is gained from accomplishing something that is within God’s will. For unbelievers, their pleasures are always associated with fleshly gratification. Even their interpersonal relationships are based on how someone else can enhance them, much more than a desire to be a blessing to others.
Let’s remember, too, that even the good deeds the unbeliever does for others are based on the need to be praised or acknowledged for what they have done. It is really more about themselves than the others they serve.
All unbelievers believe they will be rewarded for their good deeds apart from God. They believe that if they perform enough good deeds, they will earn heaven and the praise of others.
Believers in Christ know they cannot do enough good deeds to wipe out their sinful nature. They know that trusting in Christ is the only way to gain heaven, that He paid the debt of sin we owed. He did that for us, and only trusting in Him for our salvation will gain us heaven.
What does it mean to trust in Christ? When we trust in Christ for salvation, that is only the beginning of our walk; after that, we trust in Him for everything else throughout our walk. There are those who think they can say they trust in Christ but continue to attempt to gain heaven through their own works; this is one who is a pretender. They say one thing and do another.
Trusting Christ in us is a daily and continual act for everything.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."
The minute we try to figure out our own way of obeying Christ apart from His principles is the day we walk in self-righteousness.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit."
When we seek Christ in everything, we do not worry because He knows better than we what is needed and when it is needed.
Psalm 37:3-5
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it."
So the key to trusting in Christ and obeying HIm is to delight in Him, love His Word, and pray for understanding that the Holy Spirit will guide in everything if we want Him to guide us. He will remain silent and allow us to flounder when we become willful to walk in our own ways.
We humans tend to follow diligently those whom we love. If we love Christ, we will love His ways and adjust our attitudes and actions to align with Him.
John 14:14-16 "14 If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
Notice the key to good communication with Christ, obeying Him will mean we are asking for His will in everything, and He will give us what we ask because it is His will!
Loving Christ means we will want what He wants, not our own will but His.
Matthew 6:9-13 "9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’"
Often, emotions are driven by pride, causing those who have them to misjudge others and even excuse themselves in disobedience.
Some say, "follow your heart", which translates into following our feelings. They also say, "follow your gut", which is another way of saying pay attention to your feelings.
When we are in Christ, we can sense things that are good or things that are off. This wisdom from God is always based on His Word and principles.
Those who are not born again will follow their hearts' desires that are opposed to God's Word. Their heart is not inclined toward truth but entirely inclined toward personal safety and pleasure.
As believers, our pleasure is gained from accomplishing something that is within God’s will. For unbelievers, their pleasures are always associated with fleshly gratification. Even their interpersonal relationships are based on how someone else can enhance them, much more than a desire to be a blessing to others.
Let’s remember, too, that even the good deeds the unbeliever does for others are based on the need to be praised or acknowledged for what they have done. It is really more about themselves than the others they serve.
All unbelievers believe they will be rewarded for their good deeds apart from God. They believe that if they perform enough good deeds, they will earn heaven and the praise of others.
Believers in Christ know they cannot do enough good deeds to wipe out their sinful nature. They know that trusting in Christ is the only way to gain heaven, that He paid the debt of sin we owed. He did that for us, and only trusting in Him for our salvation will gain us heaven.
What does it mean to trust in Christ? When we trust in Christ for salvation, that is only the beginning of our walk; after that, we trust in Him for everything else throughout our walk. There are those who think they can say they trust in Christ but continue to attempt to gain heaven through their own works; this is one who is a pretender. They say one thing and do another.
Trusting Christ in us is a daily and continual act for everything.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight."
The minute we try to figure out our own way of obeying Christ apart from His principles is the day we walk in self-righteousness.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit."
When we seek Christ in everything, we do not worry because He knows better than we what is needed and when it is needed.
Psalm 37:3-5
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it."
So the key to trusting in Christ and obeying HIm is to delight in Him, love His Word, and pray for understanding that the Holy Spirit will guide in everything if we want Him to guide us. He will remain silent and allow us to flounder when we become willful to walk in our own ways.
We humans tend to follow diligently those whom we love. If we love Christ, we will love His ways and adjust our attitudes and actions to align with Him.
John 14:14-16 "14 If you ask Me for anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—…"
Notice the key to good communication with Christ, obeying Him will mean we are asking for His will in everything, and He will give us what we ask because it is His will!
Loving Christ means we will want what He wants, not our own will but His.
Matthew 6:9-13 "9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’"
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