Proverbs 15:3 ESV
3 “The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.”
There is a popular teaching today within the gatherings of
the church which says that once we believe in Jesus to be Lord and Savior of
our lives that God can no longer see when we sin against him. He is blinded to
our sin. All he can see when he looks at us is Jesus and so he smiles and so he
delights in us even if we are deeply engaged in deliberate and habitual sin.
Well let me tell you that the Bible does not teach that. If
you read the New Testament books from Romans to Revelation, in particular, it
will become quite apparent that God does still see when we sin against him
because he had his writers of the New Testament writing about the sin he saw
his people doing (and/or the people who were professing to believe in him).
And he chastised them for their sin, and he warned them that
if they continued in deliberate and habitual sin against him that they would
not inherit eternal life with God but that they would face the wrath of God
instead, even though they claimed to know him. For Jesus said that not everyone
saying to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom of heaven but only the
one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 2:6-8; Rom
6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col
3:5-10; Heb 10:26-31; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
So, the eyes of the Lord are still in every place, keeping
watch on the evil and the good. And yes you can read in the Bible about all the
good that he sees, too, when he looks at us who are following him with our
lives and who are doing his will. He sees those who are dying to sin daily and
who are walking in obedience to his commands and who are loving others with his
love. And he sees those who are suffering for righteousness’ sake, too.
[Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:11-32; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co
6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 12:1-2; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Ac
26:18; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5;
Jas 1:2-4; Matt 5:10-12; Lu 21:12-19; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb
12:3-12; Jn 15:1-11]
Proverbs 15:8-10 ESV
8 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
but he loves him who pursues righteousness.
10 There is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way;
whoever hates reproof will die.”
What this teaches here is taught again in the New Testament
under the New Covenant so this isn’t just Old Testament teaching. No matter
what we are professing with our lips, if we are living in wickedness in deliberate
and habitual sin against God, God does not approve of anything we are willing
to sacrifice to him. He wants our lives on his altar submitted and surrendered
to him walking in obedience to his commands and daily dying to sin and self.
And there is severe discipline for him who forsakes the way
of the Lord, for whoever hates reproof will die in his sin. He will not inherit
eternal life with God. Heaven is not his eternal destiny no matter what he
professes with his lips. For if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin,
i.e. if we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin and not in righteousness and
not in obedience to our Lord then Jesus is going to say he doesn’t know us and
for us to depart.
[Matt 7:21-23; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Co 6:9-10; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6;
1 Jn 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 4:17-24; etc.]
Proverbs 15:29,31-33 ESV
29 ”The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving reproof
will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever ignores instruction despises himself,
but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.
33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.”
I have known people who will, although sin is what they
practice, pray to God fully expecting the Lord to hear them and to answer their
prayers. But the Bible doesn’t teach that the Lord hears and answers the
prayers of those who practice evil. But he does hear and he does answer the
prayers of the righteous, of those who are following him in obedience to his
commands.
But if we are
double-minded, doubting the Lord (Jas 1:5-8), and if we ask with the wrong
motives, to spend what we get on our sinful pleasures (Jas 4:1-10), or if a
husband is not treating his wife with understanding and honor but he is cruel
to her instead (1 Pet 3:7), and if we do not abide in Christ and his words do
not abide in us (Jn 15:1-11), we should not expect that we will receive
anything from the Lord for our prayers will be hindered.
So, not just so God will hear and answer our prayers, but
because we love God and we want to obey him and to serve him, we listen to him.
We do not ignore his instructions to us. And we don’t pick and choose which
ones we will accept and which ones we will reject, either. And the fear of the
Lord is instruction in wisdom. And the fear of the Lord is to honor, obey,
respect, submit to, and surrender our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy
and pleasing to him, which is our acceptable worship of him (Rom 12:1-2).
Give
Me Jesus
Oh,
What Gladness!
An
Original Work / December 2, 2013
Give me Jesus. He’s my Savior.
I’ll walk with Him in His favor.
I’ll abide in His love always;
Follow His ways to the end.
Jesus is the Son of God.
He died upon a cruel cross.
He’s forgiven all my failures
By His mercy and His love.
Give me Jesus – His compassion,
And His mercy; loving kindness.
Let Him teach me how to love Him,
And to please Him. He’s my friend.
Jesus died for all our sin
So we could have eternal life.
He will free you from your bondage
If you trust Him with your life.
Give me Jesus. Let me trust Him.
May I listen to His teachings.
May I follow where He leads me
In His service. He’s my Lord.
Jesus Christ will come again
To take His bride to be with Him.
Oh, what gladness; free from sadness
When I meet Him in the air.
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