Seek Good, and Not Evil

“Seek good, and not evil,

    that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

    as you have said.

Hate evil, and love good,

    and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14-15 ESV)

This was written by the prophet Amos of the Old Covenant in the Old Testament, in the Scriptures. And it was addressed to “the house of Israel,” who were God’s chosen people. Although they were his people via being physical descendants of Abraham, they were not living like they were his people. For they perverted the law and they exercised oppression and they were corrupt in their judgments and they did not practice righteousness.

And they hated reproof, and they abhorred him (God and/or the prophet) who speaks the truth. And they trampled on the poor and were full of injustices. Multitudes were their transgressions and great were their sins. And they were those who afflicted the righteous, who took bribes, and who turned the needy away. In other words, they were a bad lot, and so God declared his judgments against them (see Amos 5:1-27).

And this can be paralleled over to much of the church today, at least here in America, in many respects. As the church we are the body of believers in Jesus Christ. But not everyone who has made a profession of faith in the Lord Jesus is living like they believe in him and that they worship him. Many are still living for the flesh, still living in deliberate and habitual sin – many without conscience and while also abhorring any rebuke.

Many who profess faith in Jesus Christ in America today have a very shallow faith which is not consistent with the teachings of the Scriptures, if taught in context. Many pervert the commandments of our Lord under the New Covenant, and/or they pervert God’s requirements that we obey his New Covenant commandments and that we not walk in sin if we want to have the hope of salvation from sin and the promise of eternal life with God.

Many professers of faith in Jesus pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality and selfish gain. They have convinced themselves, thus, that God/Jesus does it all for them and that nothing is required of them other than a cursory profession of belief in Jesus. And they are convinced that salvation and eternal life are guaranteed them regardless of how they live. So they continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God “as their right.”

They presume upon God all forgiveness of all sins and the guarantee of heaven when they die, but while they still live for themselves, doing what they want to do, and while oppressing and mocking and chastising those who are telling them the truth of what the gospel teaches. Many of them boldly declare that they do not have to repent of (forsake) their sins and that they don’t have to obey God, for they call that “works salvation.”

If you try to share with them the truth of the gospel that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught, in context, then you may be called one who teaches “works salvation,” or you may be called “legalistic” or “self-righteous,” or “mean” or “hateful” and “unloving” and “negative.” And people are being trained that when they hear certain (biblical) words that they are to tune those words out and regard them as legalistic or negative.

And so they will shut you out, for they do not want to receive reproof, and they mostly do not want to hear the truth that they do not want to believe. And so you might find yourself being persecuted and rejected and cast aside by others who call themselves “Christians,” including by many pastors who are also buying into the lies and who are teaching what is false. One pastor told me that he was warned about people like me with strong convictions.

So, this is an encouragement (exhortation) to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who are still living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, and against other humans, and who have shut out the truth they do not want to hear. Seek good and not evil that you may live, and so that the Lord will be with you as you claim him to be. Hate evil and love good. Establish justice, forsake your sins, obey the Lord, and surrender your all to him.

For if you don’t, and you choose your sins over obedience to the Lord, and your own way in place of his way, and your truth versus his truth, and worldly thinking, believing, and behaving in place of righteousness and holiness and godly living, you will die in your sins. You will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what your lips profess. But don’t believe me because I said it. Believe Jesus and his NT apostles. Believe the Scriptures.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018

Your bond is broken with your Lord and Savior

And your testimony is separate from Him.

Your words not matching your actions today.

Repent of your sin and bow down and pray.

Live what you testify in truth always.

Purity’s lacking in your life and witness,

For you profess one thing, but other you do.

Not moral, spiritual. Still of the flesh.

Not living in truth to what you confess.

Lying about it puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice, ‘tis true of you.

Masquerade righteousness – none of it true.

Your heart is not given to your Lord God.

Because of how you live, you are a fraud.

Turn from your sin and give your life to God.

https://vimeo.com/287303934