When Friends and Family Reject Us

1 John 4:1-3 ESV

 

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”

 

Since we know from reading other Scriptures that many false prophets (teachers, preachers, apostles) are wolves in sheep’s clothing who masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness, we know, too, that this is not speaking here of a verbal confession of who Jesus Christ is.

 

Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and even the demons believe, and they shudder. So, a mere profession or confession of Jesus Christ is not evidence alone that a person confessing is actually from God or that he/she believes at all in what he/she is confessing with his/her lips.

 

What did Isaiah say that God said?

 

“These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men” (Is 29:13; cf. Matt 15:8-9).

 

So, what is a spirit? It can be a demon or an angel or the Holy Spirit. Or it can be the essence of a person, his inner self, or his character. So, if we are to test the spirits, and obviously this is speaking of the spirits within these individuals who are professing to be prophets of God, then part of that test is to examine not only their teaching but their behaviors and practices, too.

 

For, like Isaiah said that God said, there are people who with their lips confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior but who by their lifestyles deny him. Their words and their actions don’t match. They are in conflict one with the other. For, if we believe in Jesus, our lives should bear fruit to that.

 

So, one of the tests is to see if they are living what they are teaching, not that any of us will be absolutely perfect, but it is to see if what they practice matches what they profess. And then we must examine their words against the Scriptures, but in context, for many false teachings come from Scriptures being taught out of context and thus misinterpreted.

 

1 John 4:4-6 ESV

 

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

 

If we are from God, because we are in Christ, by genuine faith in Jesus Christ, because we have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we have been resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, and we are walking (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, then we have the power of God to overcome these who are false.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9]

 

We have the witness of the Holy Spirit living within us speaking to our hearts and letting us know that something is wrong with what these people are teaching. And as we test the spirits to see if they are of God or not, the Holy Spirit will lead us in how to do this. And we must test what they teach against the Scriptures (in context).

 

The power to overcome them involves us first discerning their error and then us not believing what is false, but us believing what is truth. It is not letting them have sway over our lives, but the courage to tell them “No!” when they try to convince us to come to their way of thinking.

 

It is also the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to confront and to expose these false teachers and their teaching and to proclaim the truth, even in the face of much opposition coming from many different sources. It is the courage to do what is right even if everyone else is doing what is wrong.

 

Also, in our day, with so many people, who are believing the lies, following these wolves in sheep’s clothing, we are going to be hated, rejected, persecuted, abandoned, falsely accused, and dismissed as conspiracy theorists, or as hyper-religious, self-righteous, legalistic, and crazy.

 

The words of Jesus will come true. Even family members, friends, neighbors, and others who claim Jesus as their Savior will find us odd, because they are believing the lies that to follow Jesus wholeheartedly is not normal, but that we should be more like the people of the world.

 

And honestly, when strangers reject us, it is a lot easier to endure than when our friends and family reject us because of the seriousness of our walks of faith in Jesus Christ, and because of our commitment to making him our all in all. The saints of old who they study about and appear to admire for their courage and faith they would reject today if they were with them live and in person. They would reject Jesus, too.

 

But we can’t let their rejection or ill treatment of us get us down or discouraged. We must persevere in being who God created us to be, and to keep doing what he has called us to do, even if everyone hates and rejects us, like they did Jesus.

 

Blessed Are You  

 

An Original Work / August 29, 2012

Based off Luke 6:20-49 NIV 1984

 

“Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are poor for God’s kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are hungry, you’ll be satisfied.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who weep now, for you will laugh with joy.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

when men hate and reject you because of Christ.”

 

“Rejoice in that; rejoice in that day

And leap for joy; great your reward.

But I tell you; but I tell you

To love those who hate you; do them good.

Pray for those who; pray for those who

Treat you wrong and say kind things of them.

Do to others; do to others as you would

Have them do; have them do to you.”

 

“If you love those; if you love those

Who love you, what praise is there for you?

Because Christ is; because Christ is kind,

Be merciful, just like He is.

Forgive others; forgive others

Their offense against you; be ye kind.

Hear My words and; hear My words and

Put them into practice, then you’ll be fulfilled.”

 

https://vimeo.com/115046573

No Opportunity to the Devil

Ephesians 4:25-32 ESV

 

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

 

Portals of the Mind

 

As I was reading this passage of Scripture this time, the words that jumped out at me were “Give no opportunity to the devil.” So, what does that mean? Another word for “opportunity” is gateway, and a gateway is an entry, or a door, access, or “portal.” And there are many ways in which we can give the devil entry into our lives, or us entry into his world, if we are not careful.

 

This is why the Scriptures speak so much on the subject of guarding our hearts and minds, for if we do not, we potentially open a door for Satan to have influence and sway in our lives or for us to enter into his world through a “portal.” Children are particularly susceptible to this for they are so impressionable, so we need to guard the minds of our children, too.

 

Many popular books, movies, cartoons, and videos available to children today dabble in the occult, in witchcraft, magic, spells, crystal balls and something called “portals,” which take the characters to another dimension or to the “other side,” or into another world of some sort, though I admit I am not well versed yet in this subject of “portals.”

 

The Bible condemns witchcraft, magic, sorcery, divination, mediums, conjuring spirits, or anything to do with the occult (Gal 5:19-21; Rev 9:21; Rev 18:23; Rev 21:8; Rev 22:15; Ac 16:16-18; Ac 19:18-20; Jas 3:15). So, we are not to engage in such things, not even in what may appear to be harmless fairytales. For, we can’t give the devil an opening of any kind.

 

And this is not limited to the subject of magic or portals, either, although that is what is particularly on my mind and heart this morning. But anytime we play with sin or think we can handle just a little bit of this or that bad thing, we give the devil an opportunity (opening) into our lives and us into his world, as well.

 

This, too, is why the Scriptures speak often about the mind, and the renewing of the mind, and concerning what we are taking into our minds. For, as the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” What we take into our minds will impact our beliefs, values, morals, attitudes, and behaviors.

 

So, if we are watching movies or videos or TV shows which glorify sin of any kind, or which contain sexually suggestive or explicit material, or which romanticize extra-marital affairs, or which entertain us with what is sinful so that we don’t see sin as bad, but as something fun, then we are giving the devil a portal (gateway) into our minds and hearts.

 

Therefore, Put Away…

 

Beginning with the message of our salvation from sin, we are taught that we must put off sin, that we must forsake it, that it should no longer be what we practice. We are to die with Christ to sin that we might live to Christ and to his righteousness. And then we continue to be taught that this is a daily dying to sin and to self, and a daily walking in obedience to our Lord.

 

But this isn’t just about behavioral modification. This has to do with a change or heart and mind away from living for sin and self to now living to God and to his righteousness. And this change is of the Spirit of God as we surrender our lives to Christ and yield our lives to his control.

 

So, we are not going to be able to put off sinful practices if what we are taking into our minds and hearts only feeds them. We will not be able to control sensual lust if we are watching TV, movies or videos which feed sensual lusts or which glorify or promote sensuality. And we will not control temper, bad attitudes, etc. if we are feeding our minds with the world.

 

So, this whole putting away of what is sinful and putting on what is holy is centered in our walks of faith with the Lord. Are we guarding our hearts and minds against evil? And are we filling our hearts and minds with the word of God and the encouragements of Scripture to us to live holy and godly lives?

 

And are we putting into practice what the word of God teaches us we must do? Or are we vacillating back and forth between obedience and giving way to the flesh, to do what our flesh desires?

 

Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit

 

Jesus Christ died on that cross not just to forgive us our sins and not just to give us the hope of eternal life with God. But he died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died to deliver us from our slavery to sin so we might become slaves of righteousness.

 

So, when we who have died with Christ to sin, and who have been given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for him, ignore his word and his instructions to us, and we choose to go our own way and to deliberately and habitually sin against God, we grieve God’s Spirit.

 

It is a lot like having children who do not listen to our instructions to them and who go their own stubborn way and then end up in terrible situations which are destroying their lives. If we love them, we grieve over their wrong choices and the disastrous results of those choices in their lives.

 

So, just like we want our children to respect and obey us, for their good, our Lord, as a loving parent, desires that we love, respect, and obey him, too, for our own good. For sin is not for our good but for our harm and for the harm of others we sin against.

 

So, this is why he has given us so many instructions on forsaking our sins, putting them off, and on living godly and holy lives, pleasing to God, for this is for our good, and it is for the good of others with whom we have any kind of contact or relationship.

 

But it all comes down to surrender to Jesus Christ. For, as long as we maintain control over our own lives, and we choose how we live and what we watch and listen to, we are going to give the devil opportunity into our lives and us into his world. And that is extremely dangerous!

 

So, let the Lord have your all today. Surrender all to him and let him have control over your life and what you do and watch and listen to. Forsake all your sins, putting them to death daily, and walk according to the Spirit so that you don’t gratify the sinful cravings of the flesh.

 

A Believer’s Prayer

 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

 

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

 

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

 

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

 

https://vimeo.com/114796263

When Each Part is Working Properly

 Ephesians 4:11-14 ESV

 

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

 

Work of the Ministry

 

God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – gave ministers and spiritual gifts and ministries to the church. He gave us godly people who love the Lord, who will speak his messages, who will help us to grow to maturity in Christ, and who will equip (prepare, train) us for the work of the ministry.

 

And “the work of the ministry” is not just something that “ministers” do. It is something that we are all to be doing. For if we are in Christ Jesus, by genuine God-ordained and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which he prepared in advance that we should WALK in them (Eph 2:10; Php 2:12-13; Jas 2:17).

 

We are all to be involved in building up the body of Christ, in helping one another to grow to maturity in Christ. Each one of us has a part in this, for this is why we are given spiritual gifts, to minister God’s love and grace to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

 

But this is missing in today’s modern market-driven churches. It is missing in many traditionally evangelical churches, too. And by “churches,” I don’t mean buildings or institutions of men, but I mean the sheep (people). But sadly, many of those sheep have wandered off and are following other gods.

 

So much of the church today has gone the way of the world and they are not functioning as the church (the body of Christ) is supposed to function. So, if you, individually, or if your congregation is following the Lord in doing what this teaches, expect to be singled out as “odd” or “strange.”

 

But this isn’t how it should be! It shouldn’t be odd or strange for us to all be fully devoted to our Lord. He shouldn’t be just a small part of our lives, but he is to be our life. And we are to be about his business, doing his work, and we should all be sharing the gospel with others for their salvation from sin.

 

Until We All Attain Unity

 

The way the Lord designed his church (the body of Christ, not the buildings) is that each of us is to be a working part, ministering to one another using the gifts given to us by the Spirit and the ministries assigned to us by God. And we are all to be working together to bring about unity IN CHRIST.

 

The church of today largely has this false notion that only certain people are called to “the ministry.” But we are all called to the ministry. We all just have different gifts and functions (parts). But each part is necessary to the proper building up of the body in love, in unity of faith and purpose.

 

And these are spiritual functions, of God, as assigned by him, and as gifted by the Holy Spirit. These are not functions of an institutional church. And the purpose of them is a spiritual purpose, and it is to see everyone professing the name of Jesus to be in genuine fellowship with the Lord.

 

So, whether God has gifted you to be one who encourages others to walk worthy of the Lord, or he has gifted you to teach the Scriptures, or he has given you the gift of writing songs or devotions, or he has gifted you to counsel people, or to believe God and pray for miracles in people’s lives, or to impart God’s word in ways which are relevant to our world today, etc., all of it should have one central purpose, the spiritual growth of the church.

 

The body of Christ is not unified in Christ when only a select few people are allowed to minister to the body’s spiritual growth and maturity, or when certain parts are told, “We have no need of you.” Now there needs to be discernment and godly judgment at work here, but we aren’t supposed to reject members of the body just because they don’t fit in with today’s market-driven church’s marketing schemes.

 

The body of Christ is definitely not working properly or unified in Christ if most of the body is following the world and marketing schemes and the idols of men and false teachings, and so they reject even the idea of the body life and how we are all supposed to function and work together.

 

Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

 

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

 

Speak the Truth in Love

 

We need to be working together as each part does its work because many are being led astray by every wind of doctrine coming from people who are cunning and crafty and who are deceitfully scheming against the people of God, and against the people of this world, by feeding them lies.

 

So, as the body working together, we need to be those who are confronting the lies and the false doctrines of men, who are exposing wolves in sheep’s clothing, and who are sharing the truth of God’s word with each other and with the people of the world.

 

We must be those who love one another so much that we are willing to be hated, rejected, mocked, attacked, and openly rebuked for sharing the truth of the gospel and for sharing Christ and his word as a normal part of our everyday lives, so that others will know Jesus in truth.

 

We must be encouraging one another in our walks of faith and surrender and obedience to our Lord Jesus. And this will call for confronting habitual sin, calling for repentance, and helping one another to walk in holiness, righteousness, and purity of devotion to the Lord Jesus.

 

This will mean giving out difficult messages that people are not going to want to hear but that they need to hear, too. But we must have the heart of God here. We must hate the things he hates and love the things he loves, and we must weep over the sins of the world and the sinful condition of the church of today.

 

We must be grieved over the worldliness in the church and over the lack of honor and respect given to God. For, if we are not grieved, we will do nothing, and then things will just continue to get worse. We need to feel what God feels and then we can properly minister his love and grace to the body of Christ where it is needed.

 

For, we are to be a people who are sold out to Christ, to follow him wherever he leads us, to say and to do whatever he says for us to say and to do, even if we are hated and rejected for it in return. And this is because we love God and we love his people, and we want what is best for his people.

 

A Believer’s Prayer

 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

 

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

 

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

 

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

 

https://vimeo.com/114796263

I Urge You to Walk

Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV

 

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

 

A Manner Worthy of the Calling

 

All throughout the New Testament, we, who are in Christ Jesus by God-ordained and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, are being encouraged strongly to walk (in conduct, in practice) in a manner worthy (suitable, fitting) of the calling to which we have been called in Christ Jesus.

 

And we are called to holiness, righteousness, purity, uprightness, truth, freedom from slavery to sin, fellowship with Christ, according to his purpose, for his service, and to obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior.

 

And we are to do this with all humility (self-denial) and gentleness (gentle strength) which expresses power with reserve (meekness). But meekness is not weakness. Jesus was meek but he was not weak. So, this involves actions and speaking which are under the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

 

And we are to do this with patience (self-control, steadfastness), bearing (suffering, enduring) with one another in love. And this love centers in moral preference. It prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, pure, honest, and upright. So, love does no willful harm to its neighbor.

 

And in all of this we are to be eager to maintain the unity of the SPIRIT in the bond of peace. So, this is not unity with humanism or with man’s plans and reasonings. This is unity with God and with his will and purpose for our lives. So, we never make compromises with truth to have unity with others.

 

Ephesians 4:17-19 ESV

 

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.”

 

No Longer Walk As

 

When Jesus Christ died on that cross for us it was so that we could die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. So, when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him.

 

We are delivered from our slavery to sin so that we can now become slaves of God and of his righteousness. For, Jesus gave his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) so that we will now honor God with our lives, and so we will live for him and no longer for ourselves.

 

So, if we died with Christ to sin, and if we were raised with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, how can we live in sin any longer? We are not! For, if we continue to live in sin, making sin our practice, we will die in our sins.

 

So, daily we are to be dying to sin and self and putting on Christ and his righteousness. We are to be walking according to the Spirit and no longer living according to the flesh. We are not to live like we did before we believed in Jesus because Jesus set us free from our lives of sin.

 

So, we are to no longer give ourselves over to sensuality, sexual immorality, lying, cheating, stealing, slander/gossip, greed, impurity, and idolatry. These sins (and more) are no longer to be a part of our lives. Now we are to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; Tit 2:11-14; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8]

 

Ephesians 4:20-24 ESV

 

“But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 

The Truth in Jesus Christ

 

This (referring to the previous verses) is not the way you should have learned Christ. But it is the way many people today are learning Christ. For, they are being taught that a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ is enough to save them from their sins and to guarantee them heaven as their eternal destiny, regardless of how they live their lives.

 

But the truth that is in Christ Jesus is that we are to put off our old self. We are to die with Christ to sin. And this involves repentance, which is a turning away from our former way of living for sin and self to now following Jesus Christ with our lives. Repentance is a spiritual U-Turn in our life path.

 

We are to put off our old self, which belongs to our FORMER way of life, because it is corrupt through deceitful desires. And this is the whole purpose for why Jesus died on that cross. It was to deliver us out of our former lives of living in sin to now living to Christ and to his righteousness.

 

And it is our Lord Jesus and his Spirit who renew us in the spirit of our minds, but we have a part in that, too. We can’t be renewed if we don’t want to be renewed, or if we choose to hold on to the corruption that is in our minds. We must put off that corruption and put on righteous living.

 

And this isn’t just about putting off our old lives, but we have to put on our new lives in Jesus, too, which are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus frees us from the old lives of sin, and he renews us in our minds, and he gives us the new lives in Christ Jesus, but we must apply to our lives what he has provided for us.

 

Mighty in Power

 

An Original Work / June 17, 2019

 

Jesus, our Savior, reigneth forever;

Mighty in power, His name we honor.

 

He’s our refuge from all evil.

God our righteous, He’s our fill.

 

He satisfies us with all His blessings.

We magnify Him. Our praise to Him sing.

 

Glory and honor, praise to the Father,

Perfect in wisdom, He is our vision.

 

He delivered us from all sin

So, in Christ, we’d be forgiven.

 

He purifies us. His love will guide us.

He is beside us, holy and righteous.

 

Our Holy Spirit, comfort in sorrow,

Strength in our weakness, hope for tomorrow.

 

He gives courage to be bold in

Witnessing for Jesus Christ.

 

He teaches all things about our Savior.

New life in Jesus, we found His favor.

 

https://vimeo.com/343126112

Shining the Light of the Gospel

Philippians 2:14-16 ESV

 

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”

 

Shine as Lights

 

We are to do all things without grumbling (complaining) and disputing (strife, discord, fighting, hostility). This is not to say that we can’t have a discussion about something of biblical importance, and that we can’t oppose lies or false teaching, or that we can’t contend for the truth of the gospel.

 

For example, on social media, in the blogging world, and on Christian discussion forums, people discuss many different topics, and they don’t all agree. But we can present our beliefs in a way that does not end up in a heated argument with name calling and personal attacks on people’s characters. We can disagree without it turning nasty.

 

And this is so that we may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish. Yet, this is not saying we must be perfect. We are all clay vessels. We are all in the process of being sanctified and made holy, if indeed we are in that process by genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

 

But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for continued, willful, deliberate, and habitual sin, which is often premeditated. For we are to be holy, pure, upright, and godly people. We are not to be guilty of willful and habitual sin and of living for the flesh. We are to be obedient children.

 

We are to be this way, and we are to live like this because Jesus died on that cross to deliver us from our slavery to sin so that we could become slaves of him and of his righteousness. For, he died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life for us (Rom 6:1-23; 2 Co 5:15).

 

Also, it is imperative that we live godly and holy lives, set apart from this sinful world, because we are to shine as lights for the gospel and for Jesus Christ in the midst of a twisted and crooked generation. So, we are to hold fast the word of life, and not compromise with the world.

 

But too many who profess faith in Jesus Christ are just like the world.

 

A Twisted and Crooked Generation

 

We all live in the world, but Jesus has called us out of the world to be his holy people, unlike the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. But many today are teaching a false gospel which does not teach holiness and separation from the world.

 

In fact, they are teaching that we must immerse ourselves in the culture, and to become more like the world so that the people of the world won’t be offended by us; so that the people of the world will not think we are hyper-religious or self-righteous or judgmental.

 

It is the adulterous church in union with lasciviousness which is leading the naïve and the immature to this cheap grace gospel which demands no death to sin, and no living for God and for his righteousness. So, its adherents remain dead in their sins, still bound for hell, while being promised heaven.

 

So, those who are doing this are sucking the blood right out of the gospel. For Jesus shed his blood for us to buy us back for God so that we would now honor God with our lives. His blood was shed to deliver us from our slavery to sin, not to console us in willful and habitual sin (1 Co 6:19-20; Rom 6).

 

So, when they profess that they are now saved from their sins, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and that heaven is their eternal destiny guaranteed, but they have not died with Christ to sin, nor have they surrendered their lives to him, nor are they walking in obedience to him, they aren’t saved.

 

And they aren’t shining as lights in this crooked and perverse generation because they haven’t actually come out of this perverse and wicked generation. Their righteousness is surface only. And they are not holding fast the word of God because they are diluting it or hiding it from sight.

 

The Holy Spirit is not living within them, for they deny him by their lifestyles. They deny him by refusing to die to sin and live to righteousness and to put their all on the altar in submission to Jesus Christ as Lord. And this is not my opinion. This is what the Scriptures teach (Rom 6:1-23; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

If you read their posts on social media, on blogs, or on Christian discussion sites, they aren’t shining the light of the truth of the gospel to the world around them, but they are blending in with the world, acting just like the world, doing and saying the same things the ungodly do.

 

But there are hypocrites, too, who portend the truth of the gospel but who are secretly living in sin. They are like the Pharisees who want to appear righteous and holy on the outside but who are denying Jesus Christ by refusing to turn from their sins and to obey his commands.

 

And there are those who did believe in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, and who walked the walk for a period of time, but then they got caught up in the world, and they returned to the passions of their flesh, and so the Lord is calling them to repent (turn from their sins) and to return to him in truth (See: Rev 2-3).

 

Philippians 2:17-18 ESV

 

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.”

 

As a Drink Offering

 

So, if you are living a holy life in the power of God’s Spirit, and if you are shining the light of the gospel to the world, and if you are holding fast the word of God (the whole counsel of God) in this crooked generation, you are going to be opposed, sometimes strongly.

 

You will be hated. You will be ignored. You will be mocked, and criticized, and falsely accused. You will be called names, and your character will be attacked. You will be rejected and abandoned and discarded like trash. And you won’t have many friends, because people won’t want to be with you.

 

But if we really love the Lord, and if we really love his people and the people of this world (including professers of faith in Jesus Christ), then we are going to oppose the lies, and we will speak the truth in love, because many are dying and going to hell on a false promise of eternal life with God.

 

So, just know that if you live in sin, and you make sin your habit deliberately, without regard for God and for what he wants for your life, and so you are not living in obedience to him, it doesn’t matter what you profess with your lips, you will die in your sins. You will not inherit eternal life with God.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10]

 

A Believer’s Prayer

 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

 

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

 

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So, I’d live eternally.

 

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

 

https://vimeo.com/114796263

Work Out your Own Salvation

Philippians 2:5-8 ESV

 

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

 

When I read this passage of Scripture, immediately the Lord Jesus brought this song to mind:

 

Earthly pleasures vainly call me

I would be like Jesus;

Nothing worldly shall enthrall me

I would be like Jesus

 

Be like Jesus this my song

In the home and in the throng;

Be like Jesus all day long!

I would be like Jesus.

[By James Rowe]

 

For, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We are to be being conformed to the likeness of Christ, like his character. We are to be likeminded with him with the same heart and love as he has, too (Eph 4:17-24; Rom 8:29; Rom 12:1-2).

 

But we still live in flesh bodies. Even though we have been delivered from our slavery to sin so that we can now be slaves of God and of his righteousness, we still have a propensity to sin. So, like Jesus said, we must daily die to sin and self, and follow our Lord in obedience (Lu 9:23-26).

 

Thus, becoming like Jesus is a process of a lifetime and none of us will arrive fully in that until the day Jesus returns to take us home to be with him forever. However, the “process,” and lack of total perfection, are never to be used as an excuse for continuing in deliberate and habitual sin.

 

For, we are to humble ourselves as Jesus humbled himself, and we are not to be selfish, but we are to minister to the needs of other people. And we are to deny self, die to sin daily, and follow Jesus in obedience to his commands (New Covenant).

 

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV

 

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

 

To bow the knee to Jesus Christ is to surrender our lives to him, and it is to submit to his Lordship over our lives. This means we give up control of our own lives and we now let Jesus be our master. Now our desire is for him to do his will, and not to go against him.

 

What this means for us is that Jesus Christ is not just a part of our lives, or someone we spend a few minutes with each day in a time of devotions. He is our life, for we died, and we let him take over. So now he gets to call all the shots. If he says “Speak,” we speak. And if he says, “Go,” we go.

 

We don’t ignore him when he says, “Stop!” We don’t keep going forward in our own stubbornness. We don’t say to him, “I know Lord, but…” We surrender to his will. We don’t go against his will. And we don’t stop up our ears when the Spirit says, “Don’t do that! Don’t go there!”

 

For, if all we do is give lip service to him, or we treat the name “Lord” as a mere title given him, but we don’t surrender, and we don’t bow the knee, then we can profess him as Lord all we want, but he isn’t our Lord. For if he is Lord, he is owner-master of our lives and we serve him, not ourselves.

 

Philippians 2:12-13 ESV

 

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

 

Now, not everyone today who professes the name of Jesus is one who is obeying Jesus Christ. Many are being taught, in fact, that they don’t have to obey the Lord or surrender their lives to him, or turn from their sins. For, they say that is works-based salvation.

 

And that is because they are listening to human beings over the Scriptures, because many of them are not reading the Scriptures, but they are relying on other humans to tell them what the Scriptures say. Some of them are relying on “memes,” too, on social media.

 

But the Scriptures do not teach us, who say we believe in Jesus Christ, that we can opt out of honoring our Lord, obeying him, submitting to him, and surrendering our lives to him. They do not give us an out from repenting of our sins, either.

 

For, Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross that we would now honor God with our lives, and that we would die with him to sin and live to his righteousness, and that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15).

 

The whole purpose of our salvation from sin is that we honor God with our lives and that we surrender our lives to him, and that we die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. For, Jesus died to deliver us from our slavery to sin that we might be slaves of him and of his righteousness.

 

So, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. So, it isn’t us working in our flesh to earn our salvation, but it is us doing the work God prepared in advance that we should walk in those works (Eph 2:10).

 

It is God working in us and through us as we yield control of our lives over to him and as we allow him to do his work in our lives. So, it is us working under the power and control of God’s Spirit, and this not of our flesh. But it is us honoring, respecting, and obeying our Lord, as we should do.

 

Only Hope

 

By Jonathan Foreman

 

I give you my destiny

I'm giving you all of me

I want your symphony

Singing in all that I am

At the top of my lungs

I'm giving it my all

 

So, I lay my head back down

And I lift my hands and pray

To be only yours I pray

To be only yours I pray

To be only yours

I know now you're my only hope

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gnS7ZEbEqU

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The Cruelty of Tenderness

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Nothing can be more cruel than the tenderness that consigns another to his sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community

 

Sin Not Taken Seriously

 

We live in an era within the gatherings of the church where, for a large part, sin is not being taken seriously. In fact, many are teaching a gospel message which is intended to ease the human conscience and to pacify the sinner in his sin rather than to free him from his bondage to sin.

 

Many are teaching a gospel message which tells the sinner that all he must do is “believe” in Jesus Christ and his sins are forgiven, and that he now has heaven guaranteed as his eternal destiny, no matter how he lives his life from that moment forward. But “believe” is not defined.

 

Many church leaders are telling their people, “Stay in your own lane,” and “Don’t confront people in their sin.” For, they are marketing the church to the world and so they don’t want to do anything to offend the people of the world, for they want them to keep coming back to their gatherings.

 

But Proverbs 27:5-6 NIV says this:

 

“Better is open rebuke

    than hidden love.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

    but an enemy multiplies kisses.”

 

This is basically what Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated in the quote above. For, we can be too “nice” to people to the point to where we will not talk about sin or repentance or judgment or obedience to Christ, and to where we will just let them flounder in their sins with no hope of deliverance.

 

People call this being “nice” or “polite,” but when we ignore people’s habitual and deliberate sins, and we say nothing because we don’t want to offend them, or we don’t want to “hurt their feelings,” who are we really thinking about? Ourselves! We are more concerned with them liking us than we are with whether they are set free from their bondage to sin.

 

And this is what this cheap grace gospel does, for it makes no demands for repentance, obedience to Christ, or submission to Christ as Lord (master). And it gives the false hope of eternal life with God based on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ where no true change of heart ever took place.

 

And then it tells them that their sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed them, so it doesn’t matter how much they sin. And it tells them that if they begin to feel guilty about sinning that they should just claim “who they are in Christ.” But they may not even be “in Christ.”

 

For, the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches death to sin and living to righteousness as required for deliverance from slavery to sin and for eternal life with God. For, it says that we are slaves of the one we obey, and if it be sin, it will end in death, but if obedience, it leads to righteousness.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Eph 4:17-24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10]

 

Therefore, It is Loving

 

Therefore, it is loving to speak to others about their slavery to sin, and to call them to repentance and to obedient faith in Jesus Christ. As well, it is loving and compassionate to confront another Christian with his/her habitual and deliberate sins against God, and against others, and to call him/her back from the path of sin. For, if we live in sin, we will die in our sins.

 

So, let’s remember what the Scriptures teach on this subject:

 

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Gal 6:1).

 

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas 5:19-20).

 

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you” (1 Co 5:1-2).

 

“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:21-23).

 

But so many people have this idea that it is unloving and unkind to speak to others about their sin and to call them to repentance. And they have this idea of love that it just means doing for others or to others what will make them feel good about themselves and us, too.

 

But Bonhoeffer is right. A gospel which teaches compassion to the exclusion of teaching on sin, judgment, repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ, is not loving at all. It is the most cruel for it leaves its adherents still bound in their sin while holding on to a false hope of salvation from sin.

 

And if we are more concerned with people liking us than we are concerned about them being consigned to their sin for eternity, and so we say nothing, or so we say only what tickles itching ears and makes people feel good, then that is cruel, indeed. And it is totally selfish on our part.

 

So, we need to be those who speak the truth in love, both to those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ and to those who profess Christ as their Lord and Savior. But we need to do so in the power and strength and compassion of the Holy Spirit, and never in our own flesh.

 

Thus, please know this: If you sow to please the flesh, from the flesh you will reap destruction. But if you sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit you will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10).

 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

 

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

 

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

 

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

 

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

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A Life Surrendered to Christ

Jesus was with his twelve disciples. It was during the Passover feast. It was just before the time of his arrest and crucifixion. He washed his disciples’ feet, and then he told them that one of them would betray him.

 

Without saying Judas’ name, he let them know it was Judas who would betray him, but they didn’t understand what he was saying. And then, after Judas left, Peter declared that he would lay down his life for the Lord. And Jesus told him, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!”

 

Then Jesus comforted his disciples by telling them that when he left the earth and went back to the Father that he was going to prepare a place for them, and that he would come back and take them to be with him, so that they could be where he was.

 

Then he talked with them about who he is, and he told them that he would send them the Holy Spirit. And, then he said this:

 

John 15:1-6 ESV

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”

 

Abide in Him

 

Jesus, at this point, was speaking to just the eleven disciples, for Judas had already deserted and had gone off to betray the Lord to his death. When he said that they were clean, he meant that spiritually they were clean because of the words he had spoken to them and because of their belief in him.

 

But they must abide in him – endure with him, remain steadfast in faith, and continue in him and stand with him. For, it was of necessity that they bear fruit (outgrowth, results, evidence) showing themselves to be his disciples. And they could not do that unless they would abide in him.

 

In other words, the actions (works, deeds) we show forth resulting from our faith in Jesus Christ must be from God and not from ourselves. It must be the result of lives surrendered to Jesus Christ – repentant, obedient, and submissive to Christ as Lord. This is certainly not saying that we will be perfect, but that we should bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

 

We should no longer walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the flesh, but we must walk according to the Spirit, in walks of holiness and purity of devotion to our Lord, making obedience and not sin our practice. For, if what we practice is sin, we will not inherit eternal life with God (Gal 5:16-21).

 

And this takes me back to the beginning of this chapter. If we do not bear fruit (actions revealing our faith to be genuine), we are taken away. Where? Vs. 6 tells us that anyone who does not abide in the Lord, and thus does not bear fruit consistent with a genuine walk of faith in Christ, he/she is thrown into the fire and burned, which is the same as not inheriting eternal life.

 

Those of us who do bear fruit, because we are abiding in the Lord, are pruned so that we will bear more fruit. This is the Lord’s divine correction, discipline and training he provides for us so that we will remain in him and in his word. This pruning helps us to grow to maturity in Christ.

 

John 15:7-11 ESV

 

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

 

Prove We are His

 

If we abide in him. If we continue steadfast in our faith in him, in honoring him as Lord of our lives, in showing him due respect, and in obeying his commands to us, as a matter of practice, and if his word lives within us, not just in our intellect, but in application of its truths to our lives, then he will hear and will answer our prayer requests.

 

And this is because we will have the mind of Christ, and we will desire what he desires, and we will want to do his will. So, we aren’t going to ask for anything contrary to his divine will and purpose for our lives. We will ask for what we know is consistent with what we know to be his will.

 

Not only that, but we will prove ourselves to be his disciples. For our actions speak louder than words. We must not be just hearers of the word, but we are to be doers of the word. We must put the word of God into practice in our daily lives in doing what it teaches us (as applicable).

 

Jesus summarized the law and the prophets into two commandments: to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Although the New Testament spells out for us in detail regarding what we are to not do (to put off) and what we are to do (put on), if we are loving God and others as we ought, it will take care of all that is spelled out.

 

For, we won’t cheat on, lie to, lie about, commit adultery against, gossip about, steal from or murder anyone deliberately and habitually, in order to do them harm, if we are loving them and if we are loving God. And we won’t continue living in sin while ignoring the Lord if we are loving him.

 

The Scriptures teach that if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. But if we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. For God is going to judge us by what we do, not just by what we profess (Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10; 1 Co 6:9-10).

 

So, to abide in Christ and to have his word abide in us so that we bear much fruit, and thus show ourselves to be the Lord’s disciples, it requires of us that we deny self, daily die to sin and to self, and that we follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. For, our lives must be surrendered to Him.

 

A Believer’s Prayer

 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

 

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

 

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

 

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

 

https://vimeo.com/114796263