The firestorm that occurs when those who love the Word of God mention divorce and remarriage is shocking. The objections are not coming from unbelievers but from those who claim to be born again Christians.
When we see someone defending the lowest standard, rather than loving the highest standard, we can pretty well guess that they are those who have been divorced and remarried, those who feel a need to defend the sin they do not want to forsake.
God does not wink at sin, He does not "tolerate" it. Eventually it will be dealt with when we go before Him. Some who think they can live as they please, and their pleasure is sin, very likely were never born again.
When God changes us into a new creation He removes the sinful desires and replaces it with a desire to be holy, continuing to grow in that holiness.
There are many of you who are my friends who understand the concept of having had all your sinful desires removed. Others are so brazen that they will fight and argue to defend what God condemns, their sins that the culture accepts. They are more comfortable with unbelievers than they are with true believers.
Those who are born again can relate to the following passage and understand it.
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."
Those who have resisted God's will at every turn, desiring to have their own way while twisting God's Word to pretend it is alright with God, may eventually be able to relate to this following passage;
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Divorce and Remarriage are Sins
God never allows divorce under any circumstances. The confusion over this matter is in Matthew where God says "except for fornication." Matthew was written to Jews who had the custom of betrothal, the betrothal was treated as binding as a marriage even though the couple didn't live together, they often were betrothed to one another from childhood.
The Jewish people required a certificate of divorce from the betrothal or engagement for sexual immorality. This was not speaking about marriage.
The other gospels don't have the exception clause because they were written to Gentiles who didn't have this custom.
IN the KJV of the bible the word "fornication" is used in the Matthew passage, meaning before marriage.
Matthew 19:9 "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
In the account of Joseph discovering that Mary was with child during their betrothal, he was going to "divorce her quietly", because even though he was betrothed to her, he didn't want to hurt her. In those days stoning was the penalty for fornication and adultery. Joseph was not yet married to Mary but was going to "divorce her, from the betrothal or engagement. Joseph was referred to as Mary's husband before they were married during the betrothal.
Matthew 1:18-25 "18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to …"
Matthew 1:19 "And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly."
God does allow separation in cases of severe conflict or abuse, but never divorce. He says that if we divorce we have only two options, to remain single or to be reconciled.
Matthew 7:10 "10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife."
I always wondered why the exception clause was not in the other gospels, when I prayed about it, God opened my eyes. I never believed in divorce for adultery because of the character of God, our permanency in salvation when God made us into a new creation as being a picture of our oneness in marriage when GOD makes us one, we are no longer two. It is a spiritual work of God that we cannot undo. Once we have become one with the Holy Spirit in salvation, that salvation can never be severed.
Then of course there is the matter of which sin is the unforgivable sin. There is only one and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 12:31-32 says, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."
Any man who lusts, God says he has committed adultery. The act is not worse than the thoughts of man although they carry bigger consequences.
Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
We know that divorce for adultery is not true because God equated our thoughts of it the same as if we had done it. God counts our thoughts above the act, because the act cannot happen without the thoughts first.
God wants us to stand by the person He made us one with, until death. We can pray, love, forgive and hope for reconciliation. Anyone who is prideful enough to think they can throw away their spouse for adultery, must consider themselves "sin free." All of us sin, sometimes in big ways, but that does not sever the bond, the glue that God used to make us one.
God told us to remain single after divorce or be reconciled. There were no other choices. Why? Because two people who are made one by God cannot undo what God did, just as we cannot undo our salvation when GOD makes us a new creation.
Divorce is a sin, those who have divorced can repent and obey God by remaining single until God makes a way for them to be reconciled. Reconciling is not always possible because of the pressures of our culture that cause a spouse to seek another person to live with. When that happens, God says it is adultery.
Rom 7:1-3 "Do you not know, brothers and sisters--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that... a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives?.. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive."
Mark 10:2-9 (KJV) And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?" tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, "What did Moses command you?" And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away." And Jesus answered and said unto them, "For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
Luke 16:18 ""Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery."
Many people in the apostate church sit in the pews every week believing they are not sinning as they sit next to their adulterous spouse in remarriages. Those who resolve to remain single are pressured by others in the church to find a spouse, they seem to just hate to see anyone without a spouse. Those who pressure divorced people to remarry will be accountable to God for their lies that come from the mouth of the devil.
Remember God told the truth all the time and gave that truth to us through His Word. Man is a liar, taking those truths of God twisting them to mean what they want to justify their own sin.
Pretenders love to suck others into their lies, they hate to sin alone. They hate to see a righteous man obey God when the culture is against him. May those who have been divorced remain faithful to singleness according to God's Word. May those who are being pressured to remarry after divorce stand up to those who encourage them to disobey God, with God's Word as their authority!
The Jewish people required a certificate of divorce from the betrothal or engagement for sexual immorality. This was not speaking about marriage.
The other gospels don't have the exception clause because they were written to Gentiles who didn't have this custom.
IN the KJV of the bible the word "fornication" is used in the Matthew passage, meaning before marriage.
Matthew 19:9 "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
In the account of Joseph discovering that Mary was with child during their betrothal, he was going to "divorce her quietly", because even though he was betrothed to her, he didn't want to hurt her. In those days stoning was the penalty for fornication and adultery. Joseph was not yet married to Mary but was going to "divorce her, from the betrothal or engagement. Joseph was referred to as Mary's husband before they were married during the betrothal.
Matthew 1:18-25 "18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to …"
Matthew 1:19 "And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly."
God does allow separation in cases of severe conflict or abuse, but never divorce. He says that if we divorce we have only two options, to remain single or to be reconciled.
Matthew 7:10 "10 But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11 (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife."
I always wondered why the exception clause was not in the other gospels, when I prayed about it, God opened my eyes. I never believed in divorce for adultery because of the character of God, our permanency in salvation when God made us into a new creation as being a picture of our oneness in marriage when GOD makes us one, we are no longer two. It is a spiritual work of God that we cannot undo. Once we have become one with the Holy Spirit in salvation, that salvation can never be severed.
Then of course there is the matter of which sin is the unforgivable sin. There is only one and that is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 12:31-32 says, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."
Any man who lusts, God says he has committed adultery. The act is not worse than the thoughts of man although they carry bigger consequences.
Matthew 5:28 "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
We know that divorce for adultery is not true because God equated our thoughts of it the same as if we had done it. God counts our thoughts above the act, because the act cannot happen without the thoughts first.
God wants us to stand by the person He made us one with, until death. We can pray, love, forgive and hope for reconciliation. Anyone who is prideful enough to think they can throw away their spouse for adultery, must consider themselves "sin free." All of us sin, sometimes in big ways, but that does not sever the bond, the glue that God used to make us one.
God told us to remain single after divorce or be reconciled. There were no other choices. Why? Because two people who are made one by God cannot undo what God did, just as we cannot undo our salvation when GOD makes us a new creation.
Divorce is a sin, those who have divorced can repent and obey God by remaining single until God makes a way for them to be reconciled. Reconciling is not always possible because of the pressures of our culture that cause a spouse to seek another person to live with. When that happens, God says it is adultery.
Rom 7:1-3 "Do you not know, brothers and sisters--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that... a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives?.. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive."
Mark 10:2-9 (KJV) And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?" tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, "What did Moses command you?" And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away." And Jesus answered and said unto them, "For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
Luke 16:18 ""Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery."
Many people in the apostate church sit in the pews every week believing they are not sinning as they sit next to their adulterous spouse in remarriages. Those who resolve to remain single are pressured by others in the church to find a spouse, they seem to just hate to see anyone without a spouse. Those who pressure divorced people to remarry will be accountable to God for their lies that come from the mouth of the devil.
Remember God told the truth all the time and gave that truth to us through His Word. Man is a liar, taking those truths of God twisting them to mean what they want to justify their own sin.
Pretenders love to suck others into their lies, they hate to sin alone. They hate to see a righteous man obey God when the culture is against him. May those who have been divorced remain faithful to singleness according to God's Word. May those who are being pressured to remarry after divorce stand up to those who encourage them to disobey God, with God's Word as their authority!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
America Has Lost Honor and Respect
The basis of any quality friendship is mutual respect, honoring one another's personality style as being different but complimentary of our own.
Keep in mind we are not talking about sin in this discussion. We are never to accept sin in anyone, however we can confidently with compassion speak our concerns to a true friend, this ought to be reciprocal. When a friend comes to us with a concern, we ought to be willing to listen to the concern, going to prayer about it and coming back to our friend with an answer. Often we already know the answer, when this is the case, we can speak to the matter immediately, there is no reason to wait.
The key to friendships is a lack of pride or need to be always right.
If we are ruled by a false self, we tend to be overly sensitive and combative when corrected or challenged in any way. When we are genuine and honest we are much more willing to accept criticism when it comes.
We must have a genuine attitude of empathy toward our friends. Speaking truth while treating one another with honor and respect. There can be no friendship when there is no respect. When one person elevates themselves above another, there can only be conflict and destructive superiority.
I found a wonderful study on the matter of honor, that is worthwhile for every believer to read and implement. I feel that this matter of honor and respect has been lost in the American culture. The link to this study is below;
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/RA/k/164/A-Matter-of-Honor.htm
Keep in mind we are not talking about sin in this discussion. We are never to accept sin in anyone, however we can confidently with compassion speak our concerns to a true friend, this ought to be reciprocal. When a friend comes to us with a concern, we ought to be willing to listen to the concern, going to prayer about it and coming back to our friend with an answer. Often we already know the answer, when this is the case, we can speak to the matter immediately, there is no reason to wait.
The key to friendships is a lack of pride or need to be always right.
If we are ruled by a false self, we tend to be overly sensitive and combative when corrected or challenged in any way. When we are genuine and honest we are much more willing to accept criticism when it comes.
We must have a genuine attitude of empathy toward our friends. Speaking truth while treating one another with honor and respect. There can be no friendship when there is no respect. When one person elevates themselves above another, there can only be conflict and destructive superiority.
I found a wonderful study on the matter of honor, that is worthwhile for every believer to read and implement. I feel that this matter of honor and respect has been lost in the American culture. The link to this study is below;
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/RA/k/164/A-Matter-of-Honor.htm
God Will Judge Abortion
For those who think America does not deserve judgment or that God will just dismiss our sin because we say we are sorry, perhaps need to understand that repenting of our sins will not wipe away the judgment that is coming. The blood of 56 million babies through abortion must be avenged. It would not be just for a Holy God to give us a pass on this terrible torturous travesty against the most vulnerable human beings.
Isaiah 59:
2 "1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness."
Isaiah 59:
2 "1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness."
Sin is Sin!!!! It All Matters
Yep, we seem to minimize the sin we engage in while maximizing the sins of others. It's human nature, thinking our sins weren't as bad as the sins of others.
All sin is an affront to God, He cannot be in the presence of any sin at all....none!! Which is the reason we have to be hid behind Christ in order to enter into the Father's presence.
All sin is an affront to God, He cannot be in the presence of any sin at all....none!! Which is the reason we have to be hid behind Christ in order to enter into the Father's presence.
Isaiah 59:2 "2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
No One Can Earn Their Salvation
There are many people who think that we must work to keep the salvation that God gave to us as a free gift, this is simply not true according to Scripture. We are being continually cleansed as God takes us through lessons and difficulties to train us, He never takes away that free gift of salvation, it is entirely based on the shed blood of Christ accounted to us. We did not earn it, nor do we work to keep it.
Jude 1:24 "24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"
Romans 8:39 "nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
No believer who has trusted Christ and been changed into a new creation goes to hell over disobedience. God chastises those He loves, but we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise, our sin is covered in the blood of Christ.
God disciplines those who belong to Him, but He never throws them into hell over disobedience.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
"10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Hebrews 12:8 "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
"20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."
No one is saved or kept by their own works, it is all Christ Who saves us, seals us, cleanses us, disciplines us when we disobey and keeps us safe until He comes for us.
1 John 5:18
"We know that no one who is born of God practices sin; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him."
Our Spirit is sealed and saved forever, however our body is still in the flesh, still struggles with sin.
Galatians 5:7-26
"7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.
12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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.”
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."
Our flesh sins, so God was speaking to believers when he said this:
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
When we as believers confess our sin, God forgives us and continues the cleansing process until the day we die. Our bodies cannot go to heaven as they are because they are sinful flesh, but our Spirit goes to God at our death. Later God will raise up our bodies but will change them. Our Spirit is already the new creation, it has been changed, but we are trapped in this sinful body that will be changed when it is risen from the dead.
Our spirit desires to obey God but our sinful flesh continues to torment us with temptation. The key to this dilemma is to ignore our desires for the flesh, pray for deliverance from it, while saturating our minds with the mind of Christ through Scripture reading and prayer. The more we pray, read the Word and walk with Christ the less we will give into the flesh, even our desires change, the things we used to enjoy become repulsive to us.
Walking in the Spirit after becoming born again is a battle, if we think we don’t sin, we will not engage in the battle, but rather walk through life in pride a much easier target for the enemy. Pride always lowers our defenses, leaving us vulnerable to the wiles of the devil.
Never assume you are so good you will never fall like other people have, God warns us about this.
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
Those with the greatest chance of sinning are those who walk in pride elevating themselves above others.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Guard your heart, pray for the Lord to remove all arrogance that might lower your defenses against sin.
Jude 1:24 "24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,"
Romans 8:39 "nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
No believer who has trusted Christ and been changed into a new creation goes to hell over disobedience. God chastises those He loves, but we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise, our sin is covered in the blood of Christ.
God disciplines those who belong to Him, but He never throws them into hell over disobedience.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
"10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Hebrews 12:6 "FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
Hebrews 12:8 "If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons."
2 Corinthians 1:20-22
"20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,
22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."
No one is saved or kept by their own works, it is all Christ Who saves us, seals us, cleanses us, disciplines us when we disobey and keeps us safe until He comes for us.
1 John 5:18
"We know that no one who is born of God practices sin; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him."
Our Spirit is sealed and saved forever, however our body is still in the flesh, still struggles with sin.
Galatians 5:7-26
"7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.
12 I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
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.”
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another."
Our flesh sins, so God was speaking to believers when he said this:
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
When we as believers confess our sin, God forgives us and continues the cleansing process until the day we die. Our bodies cannot go to heaven as they are because they are sinful flesh, but our Spirit goes to God at our death. Later God will raise up our bodies but will change them. Our Spirit is already the new creation, it has been changed, but we are trapped in this sinful body that will be changed when it is risen from the dead.
Our spirit desires to obey God but our sinful flesh continues to torment us with temptation. The key to this dilemma is to ignore our desires for the flesh, pray for deliverance from it, while saturating our minds with the mind of Christ through Scripture reading and prayer. The more we pray, read the Word and walk with Christ the less we will give into the flesh, even our desires change, the things we used to enjoy become repulsive to us.
Walking in the Spirit after becoming born again is a battle, if we think we don’t sin, we will not engage in the battle, but rather walk through life in pride a much easier target for the enemy. Pride always lowers our defenses, leaving us vulnerable to the wiles of the devil.
Never assume you are so good you will never fall like other people have, God warns us about this.
Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
Those with the greatest chance of sinning are those who walk in pride elevating themselves above others.
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Guard your heart, pray for the Lord to remove all arrogance that might lower your defenses against sin.
Refusing to Pay Taxes is Sin
I felt led to write a little about the constant complaining about taxes that I hear. I know many people who spend much time discussing the unjust tax system. While I agree with them that it is unjust, I still hold to the Scriptural mandate to pay the taxes. There are those who think it is alright with God to cheat on their taxes or refuse to pay them when they are unjust. Here's what God says in reference to paying taxes;
Mark 12:17 "And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.:
As long as we avoid the taxes legally, there is no problem to pay as few as the law allows through deductions. However if our focus is on money to such a degree that we are engaging in illegal activity to keep or gain money, we are materialistic and it has become our idol.
The next thing we can throw in this mix is the lack of faith, thinking we have to wheel and deal illegally for monetary gain. We can obey God in paying taxes, while trusting that He will provide our needs.
It has been my experience that those who continually whine about taxes not only have the money to pay them but also everything else they need. These people have food, clothing, a place to live and much more, even while they are paying their taxes. Let's not forget they also have a job or they wouldn't be paying any taxes. The focus on taxes to the extreme tells me there is a greedy element that lacks gratefulness for all the other things we have been provided.
While it is true that taxes are not fair, we can agree that this world is not fair on many fronts, not just taxes. Everything is handled in this world in an unfair manner. If our mantra is going to be "unfair" then we will have to whine and cry about everything.
When we focus on one aspect of the culture that is unfair, we miss the bigger picture of God's provision every day. Gratefulness is accepting what God has given us, enjoying it and willingly paying our taxes knowing it will not thwart God's provision no matter how unfair those taxes may be.
The media leans continually on the side of sin, refusing to give righteousness equal time. Those who trust Christ, are generally maligned, ignored or mocked on a regular basis, it is not fair, but it is our world, we should come to expect it knowing that we will be delivered from it all in the end, while admitting it will get worse.
Personally I accept all this injustice as being a part of end times prophesy. I stand against it legally when God calls me to it, but am never driven to rise up against it in an illegal way, nor should any believer!
James 13:1-4 "13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."
We are free to call things what they are, there is no sin in that, however if we find ourselves cogitating on the injustice far too often, then we move from honesty into the realm of defiance.
Mark 12:17 "And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.:
As long as we avoid the taxes legally, there is no problem to pay as few as the law allows through deductions. However if our focus is on money to such a degree that we are engaging in illegal activity to keep or gain money, we are materialistic and it has become our idol.
The next thing we can throw in this mix is the lack of faith, thinking we have to wheel and deal illegally for monetary gain. We can obey God in paying taxes, while trusting that He will provide our needs.
It has been my experience that those who continually whine about taxes not only have the money to pay them but also everything else they need. These people have food, clothing, a place to live and much more, even while they are paying their taxes. Let's not forget they also have a job or they wouldn't be paying any taxes. The focus on taxes to the extreme tells me there is a greedy element that lacks gratefulness for all the other things we have been provided.
While it is true that taxes are not fair, we can agree that this world is not fair on many fronts, not just taxes. Everything is handled in this world in an unfair manner. If our mantra is going to be "unfair" then we will have to whine and cry about everything.
When we focus on one aspect of the culture that is unfair, we miss the bigger picture of God's provision every day. Gratefulness is accepting what God has given us, enjoying it and willingly paying our taxes knowing it will not thwart God's provision no matter how unfair those taxes may be.
The media leans continually on the side of sin, refusing to give righteousness equal time. Those who trust Christ, are generally maligned, ignored or mocked on a regular basis, it is not fair, but it is our world, we should come to expect it knowing that we will be delivered from it all in the end, while admitting it will get worse.
Personally I accept all this injustice as being a part of end times prophesy. I stand against it legally when God calls me to it, but am never driven to rise up against it in an illegal way, nor should any believer!
James 13:1-4 "13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."
We are free to call things what they are, there is no sin in that, however if we find ourselves cogitating on the injustice far too often, then we move from honesty into the realm of defiance.
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