"12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many."
Everyone, every single person, is guilty before God.
Romans 3:9-10
"9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,"
“There is none righteous, not even one;"
Romans 3:25
"25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;"
"10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
When someone says their is a God, even claiming to be "Christian" but acts as though they care nothing about His principles or cherry picks them to suit their own desires, if really denying Christ.
The modern apostate church violates more of God's principles than they follow because deeply in their heart they do not care what He thinks. They care only about personal "feelings" of safety and prosperity than they care about the very heart of God.
When we use people to gain something for ourselves, then we are also predisposed to using God for our own benefit.
Ever wonder why you prayed and prayed and prayed for something you want but never seem to see that prayer answered? Perhaps you are praying in your own will and not the will of God. Perhaps there is ungratefulness in your heart that causes you to see God as some sort of puppet, you pull the string and He gives you what you want. OR, perhaps you become angry when God doesn't hear your selfish prayers further hardening your heart to His will.
There was a saying in recent years that has become a psychological mantra, full of abomination, that is "it is alright to be angry with God." This is a mantra from hell, how dare anyone think they have a right to be angry with God as though God did something wrong.
Hebrews 10:30-32 "…30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 Remember the early days that you were in the light, when you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering."
Hebrews 12:28-29 "…28 Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. 29 For our God is a consuming fire."
It is sin to be angry with God and it is sin to fall in love with oneself. If we love ourselves, then we accept the sin that is within us. We must love God, accept His judgement and pray for humility to be able to forget about ourselves.
Every human being is born loving themselves far too much, that comes naturally to mankind. The true faith in Christ focuses on Him not self.
The sin nature always has its eyes firmly fixed upon self, it is the Spiritual man who has their eyes fixed on Christ, denying self to serve God.
Hebrews 16:23-25 "23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."
Those who have been teaching love of self above all else for the past 40 years have been a stumbling block to the culture and specifically to Christians. Those who have preached prosperity for self gratification will be judged for their promotion of self.
The most frightening place for anyone to be is in the state of hardened heart. When someone continually resists God and His principles, eventually the Lord will blind them to believe the foolishness they want to believe.
At first we choose to believe things, after continually choosing to believe what we know is merely justification for our sinful stubbornness, then after some period of time we actually begin to believe what we knew was wrong before.
When someone choose to continually believe lies and then is hardened, God then further hardens the heart to the place of no return.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 "…10 and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. 11 For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, 12 in order that judgment will come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness."
Refusing the love of the truth is a choice that can lead to never being able to know the truth again. Frightening!!!!
Let's be clear about the "two state solution" that the world is talking about.
There never has been a "Palestinian state", its a myth. Before Israel was given their land back, the Arabs were offered that land and refused it, they had no interest in that land. After it was returned to Israel some 2000 years after their exile, all of a sudden the Arabs, now known as Palestinians want the land claiming it belonged to them.
God gave the land to Israel, it is theirs, God gave it back to them and He will keep His promise that it will be theirs forever.
The boundaries of the Promised Land, that is the land given to Israel is far bigger than the border in which they live now and it will become that big again one day soon.
“You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.”
[Ezekiel 36:28]
“... the Sovereign Lord says: O My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, My people, will know that I am the Lord ... I will put My Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.”
[Ezekiel 37:12-14]
“... the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.”
[Ezekiel 37:21]
“They will live in the land I gave to My servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever ...”
[Ezekiel 37:25]
“This land will be his possession in Israel. And My princes will no longer oppress My people but will allow the house of Israel to possess the land ...”
[Ezekiel 45:8]
“... Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.”
[Ezekiel 47:14]
“I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.
[Amos 9:15]
“He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his seed after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.”
[Acts 7:5]
“... He overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to His people as their inheritance.”
[Acts 13:19]
Liberalism is not rational, it is based merely on feelings rather than intelligent thinking! There is not one rational or good reason for the indulgence of the baser qualities of man.
Why do liberals love the freedom to divorce, commit abortion and use pornography? Its quite simple, "just because they want it."
Those of us who believe God's way is best could write pages and pages on the problems with indulging the sinful nature. Its easy to show the devastation when one follows their "feelings" rather than noble intentions.
Many years ago as a young and new believer I was mocked by "Church goers" for my disapproval of divorce and remarriage, for my stance against women working outside the home when they had children, as well as the declaration that teaching children to love themselves was a monstrous mistake and much more.
One didn't have to be a student of the Bible to understand these things didn't make sense, even though the Bible showed us they were wrong on so many levels. Somehow I knew these things were not right even before I read the Bible, it was only after I began to read it that I realized God had put it in my heart even before I had proved it through the study of Scripture.
It didn't make sense to me to ruin families by divorce or teach children to ruminate on the love of self, as well as the neglect of families through working mothers.
Yes, there was a day before my time when everyone agreed on these things! Because of the intimidation of the "don't judge" mantra, people began to indulge themselves knowing no one would dare challenge their view of life, since the culture had been deeply brainwashed that everyone should do as they please while everyone else had to accept their decisions without inquiry or dispute.
The mentality of individualism made it a sin to speak truth to those in the body of Christ, after all they should mind their own business. And yet, the Bible clearly told us to admonish one another to greater holiness and judge those in the body for the purpose of helping one another live out the Christian life according to the Scriptures.
Matthew 8:15-16 "15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’…"
Galatians 6:1-2 "1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ."
When we confront one who is in sin we are to do it with a spirit of helping them back to the right path, not accepting the sin or indulging them through words of flattery that only make them feel good about their sin.
James 5:19-20 " 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.…"
Our culture has been so indoctrinated into the idea that we should never confront another person about their lifestyle of sin, that even the believers have bought into this. I cannot tell you the number of times I have been told "don't judge." As though stating the truth and attempting to bring a believer back to truth, was the unkind thing to do.
When we have the love of God we are grieved when a fellow believer is making a serious error in their walk, justifying sin to bring themselves pleasure or relieve emotional pain.
We have all done this from time to time, confessed it and got back on the path again, but now brothers and sisters are encouraged to stay on the ruinous path merely for the sake of temporary feelings. The Church needs to repent from their disobedience in favor of psychological bent and begin to seek God in His Word for their answers.
Eventually "our sins will find us out", those that refuse to confess their sin and return to obedience, will see God's discipline.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, or 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?…"
