The modern church gathering violates more of scripture than it obeys and still calls itself "Bible Believing."
When we believe Christ we love His word, not just to know it intellectually or make excuses about why its alright to sin, but to learn His ways to become holy.
Those who make excuses for sin, perhaps things are so bad that sinning is the only way out in their minds, are justifying sin because they do not trust Christ.
If they trusted Christ then they would be willing to go through the hard stuff to obey Him.
Anyone who believes we cannot always obey because things are too difficult, forgets that Christ was severely treated, tortured and murdered to obey the Father on our behalf. He died for the sins of others that He never committed.
In the case of divorce and remarriage, one cannot always control a spouse in their choices. If a spouse walks out we cannot prevent that. But we can make the choice not to remarry in obedience to Christ.
Luke 16:18
18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery."
When God makes two people one in marriage it is a spiritual glue. He does it when we make the initial commitment in a promise before God and witnesses. That promise being "until death do us part." He makes unbeliever one as well as believers. The unbeliever is not exempt from God's principles, he is dead because he wants to disobey and reject everything about Christ.
When someone divorces a spouse they are breaking that promise. The only solution to breaking a promise is to admit it was broken and return to keeping that promise.
Everyone who is married breaks a promise to their spouse in one way or another at some time or other. We say we will honor and in a moment of weakness we do not honor in our responses. The solution when this happens is to confess the dishonor and begin again to do as we should.
1 John 1:9 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 fail we must confess to be cleansed by God and then make the choice to return to doing the right thing.
God's command in the Scripture pertaining to divorce is that if it happens, no fault of our own, then we are to remain alone or be reconciled. These are the only two options Christ gives us.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11 "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."
God was very clear on this! The Matthew passage which speaks about "except for fornication", is speaking about the betrothal period, a custom of the Jews to have to divorce what we call engagement for unfaithfulness. This passage has nothing to do with marriage.
The Matthew passage has been used and twisted to allow divorce for adultery, causing many people to use it for an excuse to divorce. When they divorce because of adultery, they jump right in to remarry causing an adulterous marriage. They are angry that their spouse committed adultery, while retaining unforgiveness in their heart only to practice adultery themselves by remarrying.
Often divorced people are bitter, they have no hope for reconciliation and no desire to reconcile so they use the Matthew passage as an excuse to get out of the marriage because they no longer love their spouse. Then they commit further adultery by remarrying.
If you think this is a strange stance on divorce and remarriage it is because our culture has been trained and brainwashed to believe the lies of the liberal teachers of our day. In the past, only 80 years ago born again believers knew the scriptures and rejected the sin of divorce and remarriage. It was common that divorced and remarried couple didn't attend church because they knew it was looked down upon. If a divorced person came to a Christian gathering they were supported to remain single.
Now we have half the people in the church gatherings living in adulterous remarriages and many others who are shacking up. Why wouldn't they shack up when they see no difference in the constant divorce and remarrying or just moving in with someone outside of marriage.
The reason this is a hot subject that brings arguments is because people do know it is a sin. The culture as a whole wants to justify what they know to be sin. If someone told me I was sinning by cutting my hair I would not be angry because I am not convicted about it. I just ignore the rules of man that I am convinced are not scriptural.
The culture is growing in "Shack ups" because many see no reason to get married when so many marriages are failing. It is the Christian community that used to bring faith and hope to the unbeliever in the perseverance in God's principles. Even unbelievers had more stable families and marriages because the entire culture saw the benefits of God's commands.
When we are diligent to remain married no matter what, we show how God deals with His children. He never leaves or forsakes us. We teach more to the unsaved community about God by our lifestyle and actions than we do by our words. Yes we must have words too, but if the words do not match the actions then our witness is damaged. The words MUST match the actions to be believed.
2 Timothy 3:16
"16 All Scripture is [a]inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for [b]training in righteousness;"
Those who cherry pick the scriptures with excuses to sin are looking to justify what they know is wrong.
The solution to sinful behavior is to confess it to be cleansed and then return to obedience.
Acts 3:17-26 "17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.
18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.
23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.
25 It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”"
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
May the Lord Take Down All the Idols!
Monday, April 15, 2019
Through it and Back Again!
When you have "been through it and back again" remember that God knows all about it. He knows the struggle and He goes through with us.
Remember too that every trial makes the believer stronger and wiser. It may not "feel" that way at the time of the trial, but when we are through it we see more clearly.
Remember too that every trial makes the believer stronger and wiser. It may not "feel" that way at the time of the trial, but when we are through it we see more clearly.
God never takes us through a trial without a purpose.
Isaiah 41:10 "10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Romans 5:3-5 "…5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
The Believer in Christ has great hope in all situations!!!
Luke 18:10-14
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.”
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.”
The Holy Spirit Reveals Truth to Us!
Matthew 16:14-17
"14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
"14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
15 He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
How to become born again.
Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
Confessing with our mouth does not make us saved, the confessing is the natural expression of the born again experience after becoming born again.
Many people "say" all the time that they are "Christians", I notice though that many never use words like "born again" or "repentance." When we speak of Christ they seem embarrassed or agitated as though they are very uncomfortable with "God talk."
One of the first signs of the born again believer is an interest in the things of God. There is no embarrassment rather there is a desire to know more about Him.
John 14:15-16 "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—…"
When someone becomes born again they are given the Holy Spirit Who comes to live in them. Their desires change into His desires. Their responses to life changes into more humble replies.
The "fighting spirit" of the unsaved is removed from the one who becomes born again. How can anyone retain a fighting spirit when they had to repent, confessing their sinfulness to God to become born again. A broken spirit, one that recognizes their sinfulness will lose the pride that used to dwell within as a constant way of life.
A believer may fight in a weak moment, however the more they grow in the Lord the less they will sense a need to fight or defend their sin. The more they seek Christ the less they will respond willfully or pridefully.
Proverbs 16:18-28
"18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who gives attention to the word will find good,
And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
26 A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his hunger urges him on.
27 A worthless man digs up evil,
While his words are like scorching fire.
28 A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends."
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