A born again believer follows Christ, not the Law. Christ is the Law, when we follow Him Who is the very essence of the Law because He is the Law Giver, then we do not follow the Law from effort of our own, we belong to the Law Giver who gives us the desire to be like Him.
Even though we fall short at times in our flesh, our heart hates when we violate the character of Christ Who lives in us.
Psalm 119:96-98 "…96I have seen a limit to all perfection, but Your commandment is without limit. 97Oh, how I love Your law! All-day long it is my meditation. 98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me."
Those who are born again love the Law, we don't have to make sure we follow it, it becomes a part of us when we are changed by Christ into a new creation.
Those who are working real hard to follow the Law are not trusting Christ, they are trusting in their own ability to be good, but they fail because in order to be holy we must be changed by Christ and given the Holy Spirit Who does His work in us.
Ephesians 2:10
"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
Authentic Forgiveness
RBC Ministries has an answer to the question in their article “Should forgiveness be unconditional?”
People often have the impression that the Bible requires forgiveness to be unconditional. But the Bible doesn’t say that. It tells us that we should “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
While God’s forgiveness is undeserved, it certainly isn’t unconditional. The Lord’s forgiveness is offered only to those who confess their sin and repent (2 Chronicles 7:14; Leviticus 26; Luke 13:3; 1 John 1:8-10).
On the surface, it might seem noble to forgive unconditionally. But unconditional forgiveness is usually motivated more by fear than by love. And because of this, it’s usually destructive.
If a wife continues to forgive a habitually unfaithful and abusive husband unconditionally, her toleration of his behavior will probably result in even more abuse and disrespect.
This kind of “unconditional” forgiveness expresses a determination to cling to the status quo. No matter how bad things are, this woman fears that things will probably get worse if she holds her husband accountable.
Her passive acceptance of his behavior will probably encourage him to continue in his sin. Instead of her forgiveness being a helpful act of love, it is actually a violation of love that will hinder his growth toward Christlikeness.
Taken from Gospel.com
People often have the impression that the Bible requires forgiveness to be unconditional. But the Bible doesn’t say that. It tells us that we should “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
While God’s forgiveness is undeserved, it certainly isn’t unconditional. The Lord’s forgiveness is offered only to those who confess their sin and repent (2 Chronicles 7:14; Leviticus 26; Luke 13:3; 1 John 1:8-10).
On the surface, it might seem noble to forgive unconditionally. But unconditional forgiveness is usually motivated more by fear than by love. And because of this, it’s usually destructive.
If a wife continues to forgive a habitually unfaithful and abusive husband unconditionally, her toleration of his behavior will probably result in even more abuse and disrespect.
This kind of “unconditional” forgiveness expresses a determination to cling to the status quo. No matter how bad things are, this woman fears that things will probably get worse if she holds her husband accountable.
Her passive acceptance of his behavior will probably encourage him to continue in his sin. Instead of her forgiveness being a helpful act of love, it is actually a violation of love that will hinder his growth toward Christlikeness.
Taken from Gospel.com
The Modern Church Mentality
The church can't help in most cases where there are problems because narcissists are in control themselves.
I have been in many gatherings over the years, it was the narcissists who were in control of things in the church in many cases.
The cliques were common and resistant to any correction or pleas for conversation or help in the resolution of a problem.
Those in churches now do not know the Bible, they leave out all the passages about rebuke and removing ourselves from contentious people.
Those who are sinning are coddled while the one who calls out the sin is treated with contempt.
Rather than seeking Christ and His justice the church places pressure on the victim to forgive when the bully is not sorry but the bully is not pressured to confess and stop their sin.
This is backward and counter to God's Word. God calls for rebuke, correction, instruction and admonition for those who are born again believers who are sinning or even just acting incorrectly. We are told to do this daily so that brothers and sisters will not move off into wrong doctrine.
Hebrews 3:13 " 13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Next time someone looks at you sideways for correcting someone who is a believer just quote Hebrews 3:13.
If anyone attempts to call you mean or controlling simply tell them that you did not say this, it was God who said it. If they have any more questions they should go and ask God.
1 Timothy 5:20
"Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning."
2 Timothy 4:2
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
Titus 1:9
"Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."
Titus 2:15
"These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you."
We are living in a time when the church is apostate and will no longer listen to sound doctrine. They not only will not listen but they will be hostile to those who desire to obey the Word of God.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
Those who speak truth from the word of God will be cut off in mid-sentence, raged at, mocked and even isolated from friends and family.
Those who are apostate will tell you it isn't possible for you to know the truth because you are not a seminary graduate. The truth is that most seminary grads are indoctrinated by the liberal and apostate schools they attend. Many of them will not listen when confronted with truth because they consider themselves superior to those who never attended these schools.
Christ never had a degree, the apostles never had a degree in theology, however, what they did possess is the Holy Spirit who teaches every born again believer.
John 16:13-14 "13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
I am happy that there is a remnant of believers who are realizing that these coveted degrees are nothing, if not dangerous. The seminaries were started by men whose intentions were seemingly good to educate men for the ministry. However, over the years with the changing times, these institutions followed the culture rather than the Bible and without consulting the Holy Spirit. Many men who attend these institutions are not born again, they are relying on their education to be their truth and their god. There is much arrogance that dwells in the hearts of many who love their elevated status and sadly many church attendees feed this narcissism by assuming these educated men are special and above others.
God never commanded godly men to start seminaries, He commanded them to pray and seek the Word relying on the Holy Spirit for their truth.
So many things the church does today come straight out of the Catholic playbook, the one man paid pastor system, the holiday rituals, the idea that only the hierarchy of the church can know the truth, divorce, and remarriage that has been treated as a right instead of sin.
Many people who attend churches today depend on the "pastor" entirely for their teaching. They do not read at home, after all, in their mind, they have all they need with what the man in the pulpit tells them to believe. When the man in the pulpit meets someone who disagrees with him, he will not listen, even turning others against the one who corrects him.
A young preacher in a Baptist church years ago actually said to me that he must protect his pulpit. I informed him that there were no pulpits in the first-century church and there wasn't a one-man paid position. "Pastoring" is a gift not a position or a title. And there should be several men who have this gift in one gathering. No one keeps center stage, all are equal and all have authority to preach and teach.
Anyone who desires to know Christ must look into the Word of God to find their truth. They must be willing to set aside all the rituals they were taught to embrace Bible truth. It will cost the authentic believer friends and family, most people in our time will not accept the Bible or the Holy Spirit as evidence of truth.
Joshua 1:9 " 9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
I have been in many gatherings over the years, it was the narcissists who were in control of things in the church in many cases.
The cliques were common and resistant to any correction or pleas for conversation or help in the resolution of a problem.
Those in churches now do not know the Bible, they leave out all the passages about rebuke and removing ourselves from contentious people.
Those who are sinning are coddled while the one who calls out the sin is treated with contempt.
Rather than seeking Christ and His justice the church places pressure on the victim to forgive when the bully is not sorry but the bully is not pressured to confess and stop their sin.
This is backward and counter to God's Word. God calls for rebuke, correction, instruction and admonition for those who are born again believers who are sinning or even just acting incorrectly. We are told to do this daily so that brothers and sisters will not move off into wrong doctrine.
Hebrews 3:13 " 13But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Next time someone looks at you sideways for correcting someone who is a believer just quote Hebrews 3:13.
If anyone attempts to call you mean or controlling simply tell them that you did not say this, it was God who said it. If they have any more questions they should go and ask God.
1 Timothy 5:20
"Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning."
2 Timothy 4:2
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."
Titus 1:9
"Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."
Titus 2:15
"These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority Let no one disregard you."
We are living in a time when the church is apostate and will no longer listen to sound doctrine. They not only will not listen but they will be hostile to those who desire to obey the Word of God.
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "…2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.…"
Those who speak truth from the word of God will be cut off in mid-sentence, raged at, mocked and even isolated from friends and family.
Those who are apostate will tell you it isn't possible for you to know the truth because you are not a seminary graduate. The truth is that most seminary grads are indoctrinated by the liberal and apostate schools they attend. Many of them will not listen when confronted with truth because they consider themselves superior to those who never attended these schools.
Christ never had a degree, the apostles never had a degree in theology, however, what they did possess is the Holy Spirit who teaches every born again believer.
John 16:13-14 "13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
I am happy that there is a remnant of believers who are realizing that these coveted degrees are nothing, if not dangerous. The seminaries were started by men whose intentions were seemingly good to educate men for the ministry. However, over the years with the changing times, these institutions followed the culture rather than the Bible and without consulting the Holy Spirit. Many men who attend these institutions are not born again, they are relying on their education to be their truth and their god. There is much arrogance that dwells in the hearts of many who love their elevated status and sadly many church attendees feed this narcissism by assuming these educated men are special and above others.
God never commanded godly men to start seminaries, He commanded them to pray and seek the Word relying on the Holy Spirit for their truth.
So many things the church does today come straight out of the Catholic playbook, the one man paid pastor system, the holiday rituals, the idea that only the hierarchy of the church can know the truth, divorce, and remarriage that has been treated as a right instead of sin.
Many people who attend churches today depend on the "pastor" entirely for their teaching. They do not read at home, after all, in their mind, they have all they need with what the man in the pulpit tells them to believe. When the man in the pulpit meets someone who disagrees with him, he will not listen, even turning others against the one who corrects him.
A young preacher in a Baptist church years ago actually said to me that he must protect his pulpit. I informed him that there were no pulpits in the first-century church and there wasn't a one-man paid position. "Pastoring" is a gift not a position or a title. And there should be several men who have this gift in one gathering. No one keeps center stage, all are equal and all have authority to preach and teach.
Anyone who desires to know Christ must look into the Word of God to find their truth. They must be willing to set aside all the rituals they were taught to embrace Bible truth. It will cost the authentic believer friends and family, most people in our time will not accept the Bible or the Holy Spirit as evidence of truth.
Joshua 1:9 " 9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Good Doesn't Need Fixing!
I once told a person who expressed frustration that her friends were calling her negative for warning people about truth; here's what I said;
"What is good and healthy doesn't need fixing, its the wrong things that need to be exposed to discover a solution."
So many people want to "feel" good but when we feel good we learn far less than when we face the ugly truth that motivates us to solve problems.
Looking only at the good will cause people to miss the wonderful solutions that come from exposing what is wrong.
When someone cuts their finger and blood is gushing forth, they do not stand there and say; "blood is such a pretty color." My guess is that they say something like: "oh my goodness its a cut" and then rush to the sink to rinse it or to the doctor to have it sewn closed. Both solutions for an open wound are going to hurt but will spare the finger to return to a healthy state.
There is plenty of joy in the world to ponder, but it cannot be only this, we must face both the joy and the hardship truthfully.
Our world is becoming more addicted to happiness than truth. This causes those who are addicted to refuse to look at problems. So, guess what they do.......they see the problems and call them good just so they do not have to face them at all. Some of you will be able to relate to this, others will watch it pass right over their heads.
Exposing sin out of love for a friend can save their life. But allowing the friend to continue without rebuke is enabling and even participating in their sin. Here's what God says about it.
Ezekiel 33:5-6 "Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one is taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’"
James 5:16-20 "16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Proverbs 27:4-6 "Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
Proverbs 12:26
"One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."
"What is good and healthy doesn't need fixing, its the wrong things that need to be exposed to discover a solution."
So many people want to "feel" good but when we feel good we learn far less than when we face the ugly truth that motivates us to solve problems.
Looking only at the good will cause people to miss the wonderful solutions that come from exposing what is wrong.
When someone cuts their finger and blood is gushing forth, they do not stand there and say; "blood is such a pretty color." My guess is that they say something like: "oh my goodness its a cut" and then rush to the sink to rinse it or to the doctor to have it sewn closed. Both solutions for an open wound are going to hurt but will spare the finger to return to a healthy state.
There is plenty of joy in the world to ponder, but it cannot be only this, we must face both the joy and the hardship truthfully.
Our world is becoming more addicted to happiness than truth. This causes those who are addicted to refuse to look at problems. So, guess what they do.......they see the problems and call them good just so they do not have to face them at all. Some of you will be able to relate to this, others will watch it pass right over their heads.
Exposing sin out of love for a friend can save their life. But allowing the friend to continue without rebuke is enabling and even participating in their sin. Here's what God says about it.
Ezekiel 33:5-6 "Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one is taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’"
James 5:16-20 "16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.
19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Proverbs 27:4-6 "Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
Proverbs 12:26
"One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Saturday, February 29, 2020
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