Wednesday, August 18, 2021
The Sinful Flesh!
Our flesh is sinful but our spirit is not, it has been replaced by the Holy Spirit. Therefore the Spirit within us fights against the flesh constantly.
Galatians 5:17
"For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other so that you do not do what you want."
As born-again believers, we hate the sin but are tempted constantly. If we give in to the temptation for even a very short time we are tormented and will confess to be cleansed.
Sin does not have to dominate the life of a believer. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our sin so we will confess. We can ignore Him and suffer the consequences. God will never allow a born-again believer to be comfortable in their sin.
John 3:5-7 "6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous."
The difference between a believer and a non-believer is that the believer hates their sin and does not have a lifestyle of practicing ongoing sin. The non-believer loves their sin, defends it, and does not care if they stop the sin.
Christ said; “if you love me you WILL obey my commands”, that is we will practice a lifestyle of obedience. When we sin we confess to be cleansed. Also, I might add that a believer in Christ finds no pleasure in sin or the ways of the world.
1 John 2:4
If anyone says, "I know Him," but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
You may meet those who would say they are saved by grace so the sin is covered by the blood of Christ. Not true!!!! Our sinful nature is covered by the blood as born-again believers. That means that God does not count our sinfulness against us but He does expect us to obey Him. If someone uses the “covered in the blood” mantra to justify and excuse sin they are probably not born again.
God did not give us the grace to continue in sin, He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us to obey Him.
1 John 3:9
“Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin because God's seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
When we meet a pretender we will often see them using scripture in twisted ways out of context to allow them to feel comfortable in their sin. These people never evaluate their own hearts nor do they want to know what God thinks. We know this because of their defense of sin and refusal to listen to correction.
Another clue about the pretender is their propensity to boast about themselves as well as accuse us of things they are doing and we are not. Their desire to demean us for speaking the truth of scripture is a very big clue they are using religion to evaluate themselves rather than seeking Christ to be cleansed of their own sin. They always have a very high opinion of themselves, flamboyant about their goodness while judging others wrongfully.
One of the traits of those who have a high opinion of their own importance is the capacity to judge others freely even if they know very little about those they judge. They love to pretend someone is a certain way to maintain a sense of superiority over those whom they sit in judgment. Most of their assessments of others are based on what they wish to believe and on the gossip they have heard from others. These people love to gossip and condemn others who do not think the way they think.
Matthew 23:4-6
“4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,”
Luke 16:15
“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
Let us continually evaluate ourselves as we seek God to become holy as He is holy.
1 Peter 1:14-16
“14 As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. 15But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16for it is written: “Be holy because I am holy.”
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
These Days of Agonizing Ignorance
It is agonizing these days to attempt to have a rational discussion with most people.
I never remembered hearing "word salad" when I was a child. Now at age 68 almost 69, I hear incoherent nonsense all the time, as though the minds of people have been twisted unable to understand simple logical Biblical principles. Even the secular community had some Biblical standards without knowing it, they adhered to certain social rules so as not to be unkind.
Word Salad: " unintelligible, extremely disorganized speech or writing manifested as a symptom of a mental disorder."
Many years ago in the 70's someone mocked another family member's hairstyle, in a holiday gathering. The whole room laughed, and out of the mouth of one of the members came flying out the silliest thing I ever heard; this person said "its good to laugh", as though laughing no matter who it hurts or why anyone is laughing doesn't matter, just the laughter itself was the goal.
Without responding the person who was mocked did not laugh. Several questions went through the mind of the mocked one. The first question was "do you laugh at funerals while the attendees are weeping for their loss?" "How about laughing when a child falls down and hurts themselves?" was the second question. Noting that the mocked person was the only one in the room who was rational, realizing that it is only good to laugh when something is funny and does not harm anyone else, she realized that those who mocked and laughed were simple-minded people who do not think beyond their own emotional momentary senses.
How does this work; it's very simple really, when someone makes a joke the room is expected to laugh so they do. They don't think they just laugh. These are called family mobbings, in which it is acceptable for the group to mock and demean those they don't particularly like or whom they think are beneath them.
This target doesn't have to do anything wrong except dress differently, think differently, and walk to their own convictions. This is enough to cause the leaders of the pack to mock knowing all the others will follow them.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (ragingly insane) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
We are seeing more of this mocking, demeaning and disrespect as the culture as a whole promotes personal "self-esteem", meaning anything you wish to do goes as long as you want it. This mentality causes people to become selfish, disrespectful and completely unconcerned about anyone else except themselves.
For years I spoke against the self-esteem teaching because I could see where it led, that is self-absorption of the one who elevated themselves above everyone else all the time.
You might be astonished to learn who the people were that were pushing this self-esteem doctrine. You guessed it, it was the church. Most of the Christians I knew personally believed this lie from the devil, that we should build someones self-esteem.
They mistook teaching confidence for self esteem. Building someone's confidence involves showing them what is wrong with them so they can be graciously confident. Instead of teaching the right ways of acting they praised people so often they no longer cared about right from wrong, they only cared that they were praised, desiring to be special all the time to everyone.
This mentality leads to rejection of those who correct them as well as anyone who does not hold them in high regard.
The teaching of respect, honor and kindness was now gone from the culture. Young people were snarling at older people at the slightest correction. The young people no longer able to evaluate themselves in truth continued to build pride, even defending it when they have acted very badly.
Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
Our culture has destroyed the hearts and minds of the young people by building their self-esteem, that is their pride and guess what? They are less confident than they would have been had they been corrected and grew in knowledge and skills. We have more self-esteem now, less confidence and young people who think they are producing something good even when they put out a piece of garbage. They are lazier and entitle than we have seen before. They praise themselves, something God abhores.
Proverbs 27:2-3 "2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.…"
" Did You Notice You almost Cannot Convince Anyone of Anything in these Last Days,? NOAH must have gone INSANE,. only 8 Got on the ARK.. They can Hear a Fire and Brimstone Sermon on Hell and it does nothing. Their Cup is full, Their hearts are far from the things of God. Another Spirit has Captivated them and is walking them to Destruction. They think they are walking toward a Heaven that is OK with Sin. They Love a JESUS that has no moral absolutes. They really are their own God. This is the Great Falling Away in these Last Days."
" And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,,.."
Romans 1:27-29
Read full chapter
Monday, August 16, 2021
Don't Believe The Devil | NO MORE FEAR (An Inspirational and Motivationa...
Confession is Best for the Soul!
The more we confess with each mess up (sin) the more we grow in holiness and the less we mess up (sin). We are weak sometimes but hate that we offend God.
There is a saying; "we are not sinless but we sin less" after we are born again. There is a sad thing with some people who are full of pride and think they are working their way to heaven by their own goodness. Of course, we know they have a much higher opinion of themselves than God has of them. Those who believe they are superior to others are lying to themselves and to God. No one deserves to be saved, we all deserve death, every single one. No one is righteous except Christ Who lives in those who have trusted in Him.
The person who believes they are better than others is in a much worse place than a sinner who has confessed to be cleansed by Christ. No matter how big the sin is, it is forgiven and forgotten by God but the superior-minded person remains in their sin, even unsaved and going to hell.
No one can come to Christ to be changed by Him if they are not broken over their sinfulness. There are many people who attend church gatherings week after week who believe they are living righteously but in fact, are not even born again.
Revelation 3:16-18 “16 So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.”
Romans 7:23-25
23 But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
As born-again believers, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation. However, we are trapped in this body of death, this sinful flesh that we must battle constantly.
Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him, ]you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,
14 who is the first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
We are either giving in to the flesh or we are obeying the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
We will not see perfection in ourselves until God takes us home where all things are made new. Notice when we die our bodies do not go to heaven. This is because they are corrupted by sin but our Spirit has been changed by Christ into a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17
“17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
When we worship we worship in Spirit and in Truth because our bodies are dead in its corruption. Our Spirit is willing but our flesh is weak.
Romans 8
Deliverance from Bondage
8 Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
John 4:23 “23 But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.”
That time is now, the church age in which believers have been given the Holy Spirit Who worships on our behalf as we pray in the flesh, He prays to the Father for us so that the prayer is in the Father’s will. "
Romans 8:34 “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
1 John 2:1 “2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
John 14:16 “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”
Our Helper is the Holy Spirit Who remains with us FOREVER.
Those who walk in rebellion against God’s Word claiming their sin is alright with God through justification in their circumstances, are not born again.
Born again believers are not perfect but they do not practice a lifestyle of rebellion against God’s Word.
Here is how we can discern an authentically born again believer;
The born again believer hates sin, when they mess up they confess to be cleansed and are growing in holiness.
1 John 3:5-7…5 But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.”
There is a difference between one who defends sin and remains in it and the one who defends righteousness and confesses when they sin in order to be cleansed.
1 John 1:9 “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
God will not cleanse from sin the one who refuses to admit they are sinning. He will not force anyone to confess and He will not give to the unrepentant sinner the grace and blessings He extends to His children.
Believers who will not obey God, walking in their flesh rather than in the Holy Spirit will see loss when they arrive at their eternal home.
1 Corinthians 3:14-16 “14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?.”
May each one reading this evaluate ourselves to see if we are in the faith. May we all seek to please God and not ourselves. May we humble ourselves enough to ask God to show us where we fail and cleanse us from that failure.
Everyone who claims to be born again is not above praying this prayer or so free from sin they can count themselves as having arrived at perfection.
If we want to grow in holiness the Holy Spirit will reveal areas of weakness, if someone does not want to evaluate themselves God will leaven them in their sinful state and growing worse as their heart is hardened. Do not be this person!
Sunday, August 15, 2021
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)