They Dug a Pit

Under Attack!

Psalm 57:1-3 ESV

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

    for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

    till the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High,

    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

All day long Monday, pretty much, I was extremely tired, I felt run down, I had little energy, and I kept feeling like I just wanted to go to sleep. My body was aching in various places, and my mind just wasn’t physically alert. And, now that it just turned midnight, and it is now Tuesday, that hasn’t changed. So, I am writing this today totally in the strength of the Lord as he gives me the words he wants me to say, for I have nothing to give in myself.

I have also felt as though I am under attack from the enemy in my body, as I knew the Lord had something for me to write, but my mind just wasn’t able to take it in, and my body wasn’t cooperating, either. So, I just prayed, and I sang songs, and I gave it over to the Lord for him to work in my body and in my mind to accomplish his will and his purposes. And, I just kept saying the name “Jesus.”

So, I am sitting here in front of my computer typing these words totally on faith that God will provide the words.

In The Midst of Liars

Psalm 57:4-5 ESV

My soul is in the midst of lions;

    I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

    whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!

The vast majority of the church, at least here in America, invited the world, big business, and the government to come into the gatherings of the church, and to make themselves at home.

They invited the government to be in a position of authority over the church, via the 501c3 incorporation status. And, they started following the business philosophies and marketing schemes of business people who were disguised as men of the gospel.

Thus, they turned the gatherings of the church into businesses of men, and they began marketing them to the world, appealing to the desires of human flesh in order to draw in large crowds of people.

And, so many of them began to put on a show, and to have stage productions in place of worship services, in order to entertain people. Pastors largely were becoming comedians and actors, performing for the crowds to make them laugh, instead of being men of truth preaching conviction of sin and of our need to die to sin and live to righteousness.

Bible studies were being changed into small groups where they studied books written by mere humans, some of them even introducing false religions and their beliefs and their practices into the church. Or, they watched movies and talked about them in order to connect with the culture. Or they were just “feel good” sessions for social purposes.

And, in order to attract the world to the church, they also had to change the message into something that the world would accept, and that the world would be comfortable with. And, so they diluted the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it more palatable and inoffensive to the world. They basically shortened it and took out the parts that they didn’t like. And, they twisted the truth to where the church would accept the lies as truth.

They turned evil into something good, and good into something evil. They made the enemy of God the hero while they vilified our Savior and his gospel. For they teach God’s grace as a “free pass” to keep on in willful, premeditated and habitual sin against God, and they teach our salvation from sin as some one-time event in our lives which secures heaven for us, regardless of how we live from that day forward.

They have distorted the promises of God to apply them broadly to anyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, while ignoring the criteria for what is required to be the recipient of those promises.

For, eternal life with God is not promised to everyone who professes the name of Jesus. Eternal life is promised to those who are presently believing in Jesus. And, that belief is in who he is, and in what he did for us, and it is in his divine character and will for our lives, too.

And, this belief is a gift from God, and it is divinely persuaded by God. And, since it comes from God, it submits to Jesus as Lord, and it forsakes sin and idols, and it follows Jesus in surrender and in obedience to his commands (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

But, these “lions,” i.e. these liars are teaching a faith in Jesus that doesn’t repent of sin, doesn’t submit to his Lordship, and that doesn’t obey his commands.

So, it leaves the door wide open for them to continue on in their sinful behaviors, hurting themselves and others, while claiming “who they are in Christ” and that God doesn’t see their sin any longer, but he just looks down on them and smiles and he delights in them even in their sin.

My Heart is Steadfast

Psalm 57:6-11 ESV

They set a net for my steps;

    my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

My heart is steadfast, O God,

    my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

    Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!

So, what are the ramifications of all of that was talked about in the section above? This section of this Psalm describes it perfectly!

They set a net for my steps. By teaching the grace of God as free license to continue in habitual sin against God while ignoring God’s requirements for repentance, submission and obedience, it absolutely sets a net for our steps in order to trip us up and to catch us in their net, buying into their lies, and living for the flesh instead of for God.

They dug a pit in my way, hoping I (we) would fall into it. They want us to fall into sin. That is the object of this twisting of truth and this dilution and altering of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, that is because this cheapened and shortened version of the gospel is of Satan, who wants us to fail and to fall, and to not follow our Lord in obedience.

And, the pit they set before us, they have fallen into it, for they are following after their own lies. And, they will also pay the price for their sin because they failed to submit themselves to the Lord Jesus and to die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness (Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8; Gal. 5:16-21).

But, we have to reject the lies and we have to hold fast to the truth. So, we need to know what the lies are, where they come from, and we need to know the truth, too, in contrast to the lies. And, this comes from reading the Bible, in particular the New Testament, cover to cover, word by word, in context, comparing scripture with scripture to find truth, not to try to prove a lie because the lie sounds better and it tickles itching ears.

For, the lie says we can “believe” in Jesus and have heaven guaranteed us when we die, done deal, never to be taken away, regardless of what we do with Jesus and/or how we live our lives from that moment forward.

And, some take it even further than that by saying we don’t have to turn away from our sins, that we don’t have to obey God, and that we don’t have to surrender our lives to the Lord, making him our master, because they say that is “works-based salvation,” and that it is to be avoided.

But, the truth says we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, be resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, and be transformed of the Spirit of God in our hearts and minds away from living to sin and self to living for God and for his righteousness, in obedience to his commands (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

And, the truth says that if we walk (in practice) according to the flesh, that we are going to die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8).

So, know the truth that will set you free from your bondage to sin, and then live the truth, and you will find salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

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.

copyright status is public domain

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

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They Call it Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ESV

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. NASB

Divine Love

The love that this is speaking of here is not human love, it is divine love. It is not based in feelings, but it is based in God’s divine character and will for our lives. For, it means to prefer what he prefers; to desire what he desires. And, it is about moral preference, too – preferring what is holy, righteous, godly, moral, upright, kind, loving, truthful, faithful, pure and trustworthy.

So, let’s think about that when we consider what it says in John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” NASB

The love God has for us prefers (chooses, desires) what is holy and righteous, which is why he sent Jesus Christ to die on a cross for our sins. He sent him, not just to forgive us our sins, but to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so that we can live godly and holy lives pleasing to him – all in his power and strength at work within us (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Lu. 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).

So, believing in Jesus Christ is not just some emotional experience or some words we mouth after someone else. It is not an intellectual assent to who Jesus is, either. It is death to sin and it is living to righteousness. It is saying “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly passions, and it is living self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. And, it is continuous and ongoing, i.e. it has to do with our daily walks (Tit. 2:11-14).

The fruit, then, of this divine love, will result in the behaviors, thinking, attitudes, speech, and treatment of others that this passage describes. But, if we do not have the love of God living within us, because we refused to die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness, then we are not going to be able to love others with this divine love. And, what will come out will often or frequently end up being the opposite of what these verses describe.

Need for Correct Interpretation

Yet, this is not saying that all those who have genuinely died with Christ to sin and who are living to him and to his righteousness will love with divine perfection. We won’t be fully perfect until Jesus comes back to take us home to be with him. But, lack of perfection should never be used as an excuse for continued willful and habitual sinning against God and against others.

And, also I want to remind us all that we must interpret these verses in the light of the fact of what this love means, not based on our human understanding of what we think love should look like.

For, we can be jealous for others with a godly jealousy, praying fervently for them to have their blinded eyes opened and to let the light of the truth come in. And, we can speak the truth in love to them, because we want them to walk in holiness and righteousness, and we don’t want them to continue in bondage to sin. And, we will be observant of their lifestyles (their habits), not to condemn them, and not to punish them, but in order to help them to freedom in Christ.

And, what this love believes and hopes, too, is based in the truth, not in lies. So, love does not turn a blind eye to sinful lifestyles or to deception. It rejoices in the truth, and it rejoices in lives which have been delivered from the pit of hell who are now walking in God’s holiness and righteousness.

The Perversion of Love

Nonetheless, Satan has perverted God’s love, and he has perverted God’s grace, too, and that has opened the door wide for those professing faith in Jesus Christ to continue living in sin and in immorality, often unchallenged, without guilt, and without remorse.

The door to their pasts and their sinful lifestyles is left wide open, and so it makes it easy for them to return to where they were before they made a profession of faith in Christ, or to continue in sin, because no death to sin or living to righteousness is required in this perverted love/grace.

Thus, it leaves the door (opportunity) wide open to continue living separate (apart) from God, too, and according to the flesh. And, it leaves the door open wide to the continued… or to the revival of former thinking, attitudes and behaviors, resulting from that separateness from God.

For, it shuts God out. It doesn’t listen to what he says, and it doesn’t follow him in obedience to his will and purposes. This perverted love/grace does what it wants when it wants no matter who gets hurt in the process. And, it redefines God’s love and grace to gratify its selfish desires. So, it abandons God’s love and his true grace, to follow after the gods of this world.

The Appeal

But, divine love, God’s true love, makes an appeal to those who are shutting him out and who are going their own way and who are living apart from God and who are not listening to him or doing what he says. And, it is calling out to them to not shut him out, to not go their own way, and to not think that salvation from sin is freedom to now habitually sin without punishment.

This is true love which confronts sin and which calls for repentance and obedience to Christ, and for commitment to their marriage to Christ, too.

But, so many, many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are not listening to God’s appeals to not desert him, and to not live separately from him. And, they are creating their own gospel, and their own faith, which allows them to live however they want. And, yet they console themselves that heaven is still their eternal destiny. But, that is a lie straight from hell!

So, they are going after what is “easy,” because they don’t like the path of righteousness, because they say it is “too hard.” It is a lot like a man (or a woman) who deserts his (or her) spouse for another lover because it is easier to start over with someone new than it is to work on the present marriage which has already been damaged by continued adulteries, lies, cover-ups, fakery and abuse.

It is a lot like a man (or a woman) who deserts his (or her) spouse for another lover because that other lover (the cheap grace) makes no demands for holiness, righteousness, purity, faithfulness, morality, etc. For, this other lover allows them to continue living in sin, and yet they call that “love.”

But, within this cheap grace gospel, that feels like “love,” is a rat, a very evil rat, which is Satan, but it is his false teachers, too, who are telling you a lie which will end you up in hell if you follow after that lie. They are making you feel like God’s love just removes the punishment of sin and promises you heaven when you die, but it makes no demands for holiness. That is false.

Back to the Beginning

So, we go back to the beginning here where we defined love, where we defined God’s (agape) love that prefers (desires) holiness, purity, godliness and the like. And, so God sent Jesus to die for us to FREE us from our sins so that he can now empower us to live righteously. THIS IS LOVE! Romance is not love. Lust is not love. A lover who lets you live however you want and makes no demands for holiness and faithfulness DOES NOT LOVE YOU!

So, please get this!! It may feel like love, and it may warm you inside, and it may give you goose bumps, and you may feel giddy and tingly. But, if it doesn’t desire God’s best for you, that you walk in holiness and righteousness, free from the control and power of sin over your life, then that is not love. That is hate! And, that comes from Satan who wants you still in bondage to sin but thinking you are going to heaven. That is the ultimate in cruel!! But, they call it love.

The Ninety and Nine

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868

Music by Ira D. Sankey, 1874

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?”

But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine

Has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

Out in the desert He heard its cry;

’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,

That mark out the mountain’s track?”

“They were shed for one who had gone astray

Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”

“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”

“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”

And the angels echoed around the throne,

“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRjmVp4cR8

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Persevering in Faith

2 Thess. 1:3-5 NASB

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.”

I know that I am very thankful for the fellowship of true believers in Jesus Christ who love God, who are walking with him in obedience, and who are called according to his purpose. I am very thankful to God for my brothers and sisters in the Lord with whom I can enjoy such sweet fellowship in Christ, our Lord.

It is wonderful how we can encourage one another in Christ, how we can share scriptures and songs with one another, and how we can build one another up in the faith to maturity in Christ through sharing the teachings of scripture with one another, and through the sharing of how the scriptures are to be or can be applied to our lives today.

And, it is so encouraging, too, that we have our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we can share our burdens, and they with us, and that we can lift one another up in prayer to our Lord, too. For, we all need prayer.

I am encouraged, as well, by reading or hearing the testimonies of other Christians as they share how God is working in their individual lives and what he is teaching them personally, and how they are applying the word of God to their daily lives. I am encouraged by their walks of faith with Christ and by how he is growing them in their faith and commitments to Christ.

And, I am strengthened in my own faith through hearing their stories of faith and determination in times of great trials, and how God is seeing them through their difficult situations they are facing or have faced. I also enjoy the interactions among these followers of Jesus as they share with each other words of encouragement, hope, and healing, in the name of Jesus.

So, to all of you out there who share your lives and your faith and your testimonies for the encouragement, strengthening and building up of the body of Christ in faith, I want to say a special “thank you,” and to let you know that you are making a difference. God be with you!!

2 Thess. 1:6-10 NASB

“For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”

But, not everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ is a true follower of Jesus. Not everyone who says “Lord, Lord,” truly revers Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives. Not everyone who thinks he is saved from his sins is saved from his sins. And, not everyone who is convinced he is going to heaven when he dies is truly on his way to heaven, and not to hell.

For, many people are following after man-made religion which is spiritually dead, for it is void of the Spirit. Many people, too, have latched on to a cheap grace gospel which does not produce holy lives committed to Christ, but which permits them to keep on in their sinful lifestyles, living for the flesh and for self-pleasure and for self-gratification.

And so their “faith” is in what is empty and useless to them, and which will not deliver on its promises. And, that is because they have abandoned true faith in Jesus Christ for a cheap substitute.

It is kind of like a man or a woman choosing porn over genuine intimacy and faithfulness to his or to her spouse. Or, it is like someone going after another lover in place of one’s spouse, because that “other lover” makes no demands for faithfulness, fidelity, honesty, morality or purity at all. So, that “other lover” appeases the sinful cravings of the flesh, which is what makes him or her so attractive and desirable to the flesh.

But, man-made religion that is void of the Holy Spirit of God, and that is based in the teachings and philosophies of mere humans, and which is contrary to God’s Word and to His gospel, is “strange fire.”

And, this includes teaching that may seem biblical, on the surface, but that denies the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God, and which centers more in the dogmas of men rather than in the fullness of the living and active Word of God being lived out in our daily lives in all practicality.

The More Critical

But, the more critical is this cheap grace gospel which is permeating the church of today, which is promising people heaven while it permits them to continue to live like hell. It gives off the impression that it is the true gospel of God’s grace. But, God’s grace instructs us to say “NO!” to worldly and fleshly passions and desires, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14; Eph. 4:17-24).

But, in trouble with God are those who follow after man-made religion, whether it be the dogmas of men absent of the life of the Spirit of God, or whether it be this cheap grace gospel which permits the flesh to keep on living and ruling, and which refuses to put the flesh and sin to death.

They will have to “pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” because they refused to bow to Jesus Christ as truly Lord (owner-master) of their lives, and because they refused to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And, what is that gospel which they refuse to obey? It is that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. It is that true faith in Jesus Christ submits to Christ as Lord and it walks with him in obedience. It is that genuine faith in Jesus Christ produces in us death to sin and living to Christ and to his righteousness – all in the power of God’s Holy Spirit living in us (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 2:24).

2 Thess. 1:11-12 NASB

“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

We need to be in prayer for one another, that we would be strengthened in our walks of faith. We need to pray for one another to walk in faithfulness to our Lord and to not get sidetracked by the things of this sinful world. We need to lift one another up in prayer to the Lord so that we would live lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord, praiseworthy of the calling we have received from God, which is to holiness and righteousness, and to the obedience of faith.

We need to pray for those who are following the Lord in sharing the message of the gospel, and the truth of God’s Word for his people, and who are confronting the lies of Satan, that they would be fruitful and that God would be glorified through the ministries to which he has called them.

And, we need to be praying for all people to come to faith in Jesus Christ, especially those who give lip service only to God, but who continue to live to gratify the sinful cravings of the flesh. We need to pray for their eyes to be opened to the truth and that the veil of darkness (the lies of Satan) be lifted, so that they can see the true Light, and so that they can follow the true Light.

And, if we are going through hardships and persecutions for our faith and our testimonies for Jesus Christ, and if we are being opposed by those who are following after men, rather than God, we need to be encouraged that God is still God, and that he is working all things for our good. So, we need to not be afraid or to get discouraged, but we just need to trust Him.

Trust His Heart

Songwriters: Babbie Y. Mason / Eddie Carswell

All things work for our good

Though sometimes we don't see

How they could

Struggles that break our hearts in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways are not our own

So when your pathway grows dim

And you just don't see Him,

Remember you're never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When you don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWk8DRwDYDc&feature=youtu.be

Love for Enemies

Matthew 5:43-48 NASB

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Satan, Our Adversary

What or who is an enemy? He is an adversary who contends with or who opposes or resists us. He is one who fights strongly against us in order to defeat us and to bring us down. He is someone openly hostile towards us, driven by a personal hatred, bent on inflicting some type of harm to us. He is not someone who merely disagrees with us, but who is out to destroy us.

The Bible teaches that Satan is our adversary who “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). But, we are to resist him, standing firm in our faith. But, in order to do that, we need to know how to recognize him for who he is, and we need to know his tricks and his schemes and his lies so we can resist him, and so we don’t end up following him and resisting the Spirit of God, instead, which is what many are doing.

So, we need to be in the scriptures, studying them in context, comparing scripture with scripture, praying for the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. And, we need to not be following after the teachings of mere mortals. For, not everyone has the mind of Christ, and not everyone teaching the scriptures is doing so under the authority of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, we need to test everything against the scriptures in context.

We have Human Enemies

But, Satan is not our only enemy, although he is the one behind all those who oppose Christ and his gospel. We do have human beings who will treat us as though they are our enemies. And, so they may persecute us, speak evil against us, try to trip us up with our words, or they may try to shame us into following them instead of following Christ, or they will try to destroy us.

But, we are not to get even with them or to trade ‘tit for tat.’ But, we are to love them. But, this love is God-like (agape) love, not human love. So, it prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy, pure, righteous, godly, moral, upright, honest and faithful. It is a love that surrenders to the sovereignty of God, and which submits to his purposes. It embraces God’s will and prefers to live through Christ in his holiness and righteousness. And, it follows him in obedience to his commands.

It is not based in how we feel at the moment or on how likeable someone else is, nor is it based in how they treat us. And, it is not just being “nice” to people so they will like us, either.

So, we will do what is in the best interest of our enemies, not what will get us liked by them in return. We will consider what they truly need, not necessarily what they want. And, we will do good to them as God defines “good,” i.e. what is physically, spiritually and morally beneficial to them, not what will coddle them in their sins. So, we will speak the truth in love to them because that is what they truly need.

So, loving our enemies doesn’t mean we never “make waves” or that we don’t offend them with the truth of the gospel. It doesn’t mean we remain silent when we need to speak out. It doesn’t mean we back down and refuse to speak the truth so that they don’t get upset with us or so that they don’t end up speaking evil against us. We don’t compromise with them, either, just to make peace, if the compromise means backing down on the essentials of our faith and practice. That would be hating, not loving.

Pray for Them

Not only are we to love those who strongly oppose us, with the love of Christ, but we are to pray for them. So, what do we pray? I believe we need to pray God’s best for them, that they turn their hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ, that they surrender their wills to the will of God, that they leave their lifestyles of sin behind them, and that they follow the Lord in obedience.

I believe we should pray that God will do in their lives whatever is necessary to lead them to faith in Jesus Christ so that they can be delivered out of their slavery to sin, and so that they can have peace with God and the assurance of eternal life with God. And, so that they can be in relationship with Almighty God and walk in fellowship with him. And, so that they can know his love, his grace, his promises, his provisions, and his strength, guidance, help and peace which surpasses all human understanding.

Christ-like in what We Do

For, we show ourselves to be the children of God (or not) by what we do, and by how we live, and by how we treat others. The scriptures say that they will know we are Christians by our love, by how we love each other and others with God-like (agape) love which prefers what God prefers, and which loves others as God loves us and gave himself up for us that we might be delivered out of our slavery to sin and that we might walk in his holiness.

And, this means treating others as truly God treats us. And, how does he treat us? He is compassionate towards us but he is not tolerant of sin. He is gracious in providing a way for us to be delivered out of our bondage to sin, but he doesn’t coddle us in our sin. He is forgiving, but only as we surrender our lives to him, repent of our sins, and choose to walk with him in obedience, although scripture teaches us we must forgive, I believe, whether or enemies ever repent of their sins against us or not, for we need that.

We should not show love to only those who love us, or who love us back. But, we are to demonstrate the love of God even to those who hate us and who do evil against us, even if they never love us back.

Regardless of how we are treated, our response should always be the same. We should allow the love and the grace of God to shine through us so that the whole world can see.

But, again, this is not human love based in feelings or in making others feel good about themselves. This is a love that lays down our reputations in order to see others go free from their slavery to sin. So, it will risk being hated in return in order to speak the Word of Truth which can save human lives from hell and which can lead them to eternal life with God. For, this is the ultimate in sacrificial love to give of ourselves to lead them to life eternal with God.

So, when we are hated for righteousness’ sake, and we are rejected, and persecuted, and mistreated, we need to commit our lives into our Lord’s hands, and we need to trust him that he knows what is best for us and that he is going to work all things for the good of us who love and who obey him.

Trust His Heart

Songwriters: Babbie Y. Mason / Eddie Carswell

All things work for our good

Though sometimes we don't see

How they could

Struggles that break our hearts in two

Sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us

His ways are not our own

So when your pathway grows dim

And you just don't see Him,

Remember you're never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken

God is too good to be unkind

So when you don't understand

When don't see His plan

When you can't trace His hand

Trust His Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWk8DRwDYDc&feature=youtu.be

Holy or Strange Fire?

Psalm 97:10-12 NASB

“Hate evil, you who love the Lord,Who preserves the souls of His godly ones;He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.Light is sown like seed for the righteousAnd gladness for the upright in heart.Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones,And give thanks to His holy name.”

Last evening my husband and I were watching a documentary, of sorts, on a particular subject of interest. When the video had finished, I noticed off to the side that there was a video of John MacArthur – a renowned preacher in evangelical Christianity here in America. In the video, he was being asked a set of questions which had been asked of him by a select group of professing Christians whom he had trashed – condemned, criticized, censored, and judged strongly in his book, “Strange Fire” (1). So, we watched that, as well.

I will state up front that I have not read John MacArthur’s book, so my comments here will be based solely on the Q&A discussion (link to video provided below), and on the Word of God and what it teaches, and as I am being led by the Holy Spirit in what to say here.

Evidently, the book is a strong condemnation against the charismatic movement (Pentecostal movement) as a whole. And, one of the criticisms against John’s book, given by those whom he was judging, was that he was painting with a broad brush, and that he was clumping all charismatics together in his censorship. It appears that he did do that in his book.

But, it isn’t just the charismatics who are being trashed here. It is all believers in Jesus Christ who believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit and of the anointing of God on their lives in ministry, and who believe all the gifts of the Spirit are still alive and active and are being used of God still today. His comments are directed at all of us. And, I don’t identify myself with any particular movement. I am just a child of God doing the will of God.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 NASB

But, are there abuses and false teachings and false prophecies going on within the charismatic movement? Absolutely! And, that is a serious issue! And, it is one that needs to be addressed. I agree! But, this is not unique just to them. There are abuses and false teachings and false teachers among the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Lutherans, the Episcopalians, and the Christian & Missionary Alliance, too.

One of his criticisms of the charismatic movement was the amount of immorality that was rampant within the movement. But, that is not peculiar only to them. With the cheap grace gospel permeating much of today’s evangelical churches, immorality is running rampant throughout all of Christianity, at least here in America, even among the strict conservative churches which preach repentance, obedience, holiness and sanctification.

Nonetheless, scripture says…

“‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,And your young men shall see visions,And your old men shall dream dreams;Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,I will in those days pour forth of My SpiritAnd they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18 NASB

So, as I was listening to this Q&A, and I was taking notes on what was being said, I heard the term “cessastionism,” so I looked up its meaning:

Cessastionism: “The concept, amongst most Christians, that the works of the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, and miracles) ceased at some point in history” (yourdictionary.com).

I disagree with that theology, but I don’t have time in this writing to discuss that subject in massive detail. So, I will share a few scriptures here which I believe speak to the contrary. But, that theology is one of the big foundations behind why MacArthur feels the way he does about all who believe in the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and who believe all the gifts are still valid, and that they are being used of God still today.

In this discussion, he stated that the people in the charismatic movement live in a paradigm outside of scripture, and that they are not submitted to the true and accurate interpretation of scripture, although later on he indicated that there were a few on the fringes of the movement who were submitted to the truth of scripture. That is a very broad brush, indeed.

And, then he went on to say that communion with the Holy Spirit occurs through the Word of God, in understanding, applying, and obeying it, and that communion with the Holy Spirit is not induced by people playing on our emotions. I agree with that, but still that is a pretty narrow point of view.

For, MacArthur doesn’t really believe we can hear the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts except through the study of scripture, but within the confines of his theological leanings. He leans very heavily on theology and on the great theologians of the faith for his Christian heritage and for his understanding of scripture and even for his guidance and inspiration for his sermons.

He said, “What do I do when I want to prepare a message? I go read a dead person in my family,” referring to the great theologians of the faith of years gone by who are now dead. He goes to them for his sermons. He didn’t say he prayed to God, or that he sought the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit in what he should preach, but that he consulted with the dead, instead, i.e. with the writings of mere mortals long gone.

“Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NASB

Here is the bottom line, I believe, in this whole matter. Good things of God, which are truly of God, of the Spirit of God, and which are supported scripturally, in context, in truth, are being twisted, abused, misused and misrepresented across evangelical Christianity, but not just in the charismatic movement.

And, where they are being misused, they often give a bad reputation to what is legitimately of God, and of the Spirit of God. And, thus people will often reject them as false because of the misuse. But, just because some people misuse them doesn’t mean they are not valid.

I agree with John MacArthur that there is a massive number of people today in evangelical Christianity who are basing their faith in Jesus Christ on their emotions or on their experiences rather than on the truth of scripture, but not just among the charismatics. I agree that there are many abuses of the Spirit of God and of the Word of God existing within today’s church. And, I agree that immorality is running rampant. So, I empathize with him.

But, I believe he is “throwing out the baby with the bathwater.” I believe he is discarding, suppressing, and quenching many legitimate workings of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives by putting God in a box that is based in the theologies of men, but that is not fully supported scripturally.

And, it appears, from the things he stated in this Q&A, and in other sermons I have heard of his, that his faith is based primarily in the theological teachings of human beings and in their interpretations of scripture, rather than from the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit leading him into all truth and in giving him the words to speak to the people.

And, strange fire is that of men, not of the Spirit of God, and holy fire is that of the Spirit of God, and not of men.

Although I agree with a lot of what John MacArthur teaches, for he does teach on repentance, obedience, holiness and sanctification, and he does teach against the abuses of scripture and against the abuses of faith, too, it appears to me that he is quenching the moving of the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts and lives by limiting God to the confines of his theological viewpoints.

And, I believe he is injuring the faith of many legitimate followers of Christ who are following the scriptures, and who are walking in obedience to Christ. And, he may be turning many of them away from hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit who is leading them in where to go, and in what to say, and to whom, by convincing them that they are in error.

But, I agree with him that we must test the spirits, even within our own selves, to make certain we are hearing clearly from God, and to make certain what we are hearing others say is clearly from God and in line with scripture. So, we must be those who test all things against scripture.

But, if you are one of the injured, via men in our pulpits who are putting out the Holy Spirit’s fire, then be encouraged that God is still on the throne.

Broken and Contrite 

An Original Work / May 13, 2012

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,

With humble heart and crushed in spirit.

I bow before You, I implore You,

Heal my broken heart, I pray.

Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master,

You are the King of my heart.

Lord, purify my heart within me;

Sanctify me, whole within.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully

The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.

I pray You give me grace and mercy,

Strength and wisdom to obey.

Father God, my heart’s desire,

Won’t You set my heart on fire?

Lord, cleanse my heart of all that hinders

My walk with You, now I pray.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,

My heart cries out for understanding.

I want to follow You in all ways,

Never straying from Your truth.

Holy Spirit, come in power,

Fill me with Your love today.

Lord, mold and make me;

Your hands formed me;

Live Your life through me, I pray.

https://vimeo.com/118841304

(1)       Strange Fire Q&A: Answering the Critics (Selected Scriptures)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vbpBzW3jpw

*Caution: This video may contain ads

For your discernment: False Teachers Exposed: by Justin Peters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptN2KQ7-euQ

*Caution: This video may contain ads

Take Refuge in God

Psalm 31:1, 11-13 NASB

“In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

Let me never be ashamed;

In Your righteousness deliver me…

Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,

Especially to my neighbors,

And an object of dread to my acquaintances;

Those who see me in the street flee from me.

I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

For I have heard the slander of many,

Terror is on every side;

While they took counsel together against me,

They schemed to take away my life.”

In today’s world, this describes the persecuted church. And, she is being persecuted because of her faith in Jesus Christ, and because of her stand on the truths of scripture, and because she is also proclaiming those truths in opposition to the lies. And, so she is being strong-armed (pressured), via various manipulative and cruel means, into changing her stance, and into recanting her testimony, and into supporting the lies, instead.

But, it isn’t just the faithful of God who are being persecuted. It is all who will not bow to the beast New World Order, and who won’t be strong-armed into submission to the beast world system, whether it be governments of various nations or corporations or whatever. For some are being threatened with punitive measures if they will not conform to the New World Order.

Many are having their livelihoods threatened. Many are being smeared with lies and slandered for no fault of their own, but just because they are standing for what is right and because they are saying “No” to the beast world system, and its one world order, and its one world religion.

But, it isn’t just people or governments or corporations who won’t bow to the beast who are being persecuted, but it is the gospel itself which is under persecution, and which is being slandered, discarded, twisted, and rejected. For, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being accused of being false teaching and works-based salvation, and it is being accused of being legalistic, judgmental, and intolerant. For, the truth is being promoted as lies, and the lies are being promoted as truth.

So, for the persecuted follower of Christ, this is a prayer for deliverance from an oppressive enemy force. This is a prayer seeking deliverance from all adversaries. This is a prayer seeking the truth to be revealed and for the lies to be exposed so that the follower of Christ can be free from accusation and can be exonerated, and for their life on earth to be saved out of the hands of their enemies.

But, we must know this. There are no guarantees in this life that we will be delivered from persecution other than through death. I am not saying it won’t happen, but that our Lord told us we would be hated and persecuted as he was, and he was delivered over to death. Yet, sometimes the Lord does bring us relief on this earth, and he does exonerate us in this life. But, if he doesn’t, we still need to trust him.

But, he will deliver us from the persecution taking us out. He will give us all the strength we need to endure, and the wisdom to know how to respond to our persecutions and to our persecutors. And, he will give us inward peace that surpasses all human understanding, and he will fill us with his joy even when we are being severely persecuted for our faith. We just have to keep trusting the Lord, and keeping standing on the truth no matter what.

Psalm 31:6, 13-18, NASB

“I hate those who regard vain idols,

But I trust in the Lord…

For I have heard the slander of many,

Terror is on every side;

While they took counsel together against me,

They schemed to take away my life.

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,

I say, ‘You are my God.’

My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;

Save me in Your lovingkindness.

Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You;

Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

Let the lying lips be mute,

Which speak arrogantly against the righteous

With pride and contempt.”

Well, I don’t believe we should hate anyone. We can hate what they do. We can hate what they stand for. But, we must love and forgive them. But, forgiveness does not turn a blind eye to nor does it tolerate sinful rebellion, especially as it regards doing harm to others, especially to the innocent. So, we can forgive our persecutors, but that doesn’t mean we make allowances for them to continue in their sin, or that we approve their sin, or that we make compromises with them in order to make peace with them.

Instead, if possible, we should lovingly confront them with their sins, if we have knowledge of specific wrongdoing, and we should call them to repentance and to obedience to Christ, and to being reconciled with those whom they have injured and with God.

For many live as enemies of the cross, just doing what their evil hearts desire. They are gluttonous, living in willful rebellion against God, addicted to sin. They are sluggards who have no qualms against sinning against others or against enticing others to sin with them. And, they have no problems taking advantage of others without conscience, either.

And, the sad reality of this is that we are not just talking about people out in the world. We are talking about people and pastors and church leaders within the gatherings of the church who are living like this, taking advantage of others for their own sinful pleasures, who are being abusive, and who are covering up their sins with lies, even lies against those they are sinning against.

Many of them are false teachers who are bringing the gospel into disrepute, who are convincing people to reject the true gospel in favor of a cheap grace gospel that makes no demands for repentance, submission or obedience, and which gives free license to continue in sinful practices without guilt. And, thus they are leading people straight to hell while promising them heaven.

And, then there is the cheap grace gospel itself which is luring people into sinful rebellion against God and into living immoral lifestyles. It is very seductive and manipulative and deceptive in its claims that you can be “saved” from your sins, be guaranteed eternal life with God, but that you can continue living in sin without it impacting your eternal life with God.

So, this again is a prayer for deliverance, not just from persecution, but from deception, and from temptation to be lured into sinning against God. For, the cheap grace gospel and its creators are very much interested in destroying our lives so that we go to hell while being convinced we are going to heaven. So, we as the people of this world need to have our eyes opened to this deception so that we are not taken captive by charming deceivers.

And, this is a prayer for the liars and their lies to be exposed for what they are and for the truth to come out so that the veil of deception is lifted from people’s eyes, so that they will believe and follow the truth, and so that their lives will be saved for eternity. And, this is also a prayer that the lies being spread about the Lord’s servants and messengers also be exposed so that his servants and witnesses might be exonerated.

Psalm 31:23-24 NASB

“O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!

The Lord preserves the faithful

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

Be strong and let your heart take courage,

All you who hope in the Lord.”

So, the encouragement here is for all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ to truly love our Lord by walking in obedience to his commands and by walking with him in holiness and righteousness. It is for us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to our Lord. And it is for us to be faithful to our Lord in all our ways, too, and to not give the devil a foothold in our lives in any way.

And, this is also a warning to all who are living in sinful rebellion against God, who are continuing in sinful addiction, living to please the flesh, who are being spiritually lazy, and who are inviting immorality into their lives due to their own negligence and their own openness to temptation to sin.

We are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction, but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8; cf. Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

So, know the truth which will set you free. Reject the lies of Satan, and believe the truth of the gospel which says we must die with Christ to sin and live with Christ to righteousness if we want to have eternal life with God.

The Ninety and Nine

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868

Music by Ira D. Sankey, 1874

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?”

But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine

Has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

Out in the desert He heard its cry;

’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,

That mark out the mountain’s track?”

“They were shed for one who had gone astray

Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”

“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”

“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”

And the angels echoed around the throne,

“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRjmVp4cR8

*Caution: This link may contain ads

In Awe of Him

Sing Praises to Him

Psalm 33:1-5 NASB

“Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming to the upright.

Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;

Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

Sing to Him a new song;

Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the Lord is upright,

And all His work is done in faithfulness.

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.”

Sometimes the cares of this world can get us down. Sometimes, when we see all the evil that is going on all around us, we can get discouraged and disheartened.

Often, when we see all the evil that is now permeating the church, and our governments, and the people of the world, and even the people of God, it saddens our hearts, and it seems overwhelming. And, we can end up focusing our thoughts solely on what ails the world and the church, and we can forget to praise the Lord for his goodness to us through it all.

This is not saying that we should not proclaim the truth and expose the lies of the evil one. We definitely need to be doing that, especially now. But, we have to be so careful that we don’t do that to the exclusion of praise and thanksgiving to God for what he has done and is doing even in the midst of all this madness that is going on in our world and in the church.

We have to be so careful that we don’t lose sight of God’s sovereignty in the midst of all this craziness. For, he is still God. And, he is still on the throne. And, his purposes will be accomplished no matter what else is going on.

God, in his sovereignty, not only allows evil to exist, but he allows it to tempt those who are his. He doesn’t tempt us, but he allows us to be tempted by evil. He has not yet destroyed evil, although one day he will. He allows evil to exist and to hurt people, too. But, he is loving and patient, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, which is why he has not yet brought the judgment against all evil that he has promised is coming. He wants as many to be saved as possible.

Stand in Awe of Him

Psalm 33:6-12 NASB

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;

He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;

He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”

But, even in the midst of this evil crazy world, God is at work moving in people’s hearts and lives. And, he is changing people’s lives. He is moving them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18). And, that is cause for much rejoicing!

And, he is working all things together for good (his good) for those who love him (who obey him) and who have been called according to his purposes (Rom. 8:28). And, his purposes are that we walk (in conduct, in practice) with him, and to his righteousness, and that we no longer live according to our sinful flesh (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Yet, what Satan means for evil in our lives, God intends for good, “to preserve many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). So, He will bring good to us out of our trials, if we will surrender our lives to him, and if we will submit to his purposes.

Through it all, the Lord is with those of us who are his by faith in Jesus Christ – a faith that is evidenced by repentance, submission and obedience to Christ (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Through all the suffering going on in the world, and through all the evil that is permeating our societies and the church in our day, we can raise a banner cry, proclaiming the holiness of God, and exalting his name above all other names, and above all other gods. We can tell of his goodness and of his mercy and grace – a grace that delivers us from our slavery to sin. Amen!

We can proclaim to the world his justice, his righteousness and his faithfulness. And, we can call people to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ so that they can be saved from their sins and have eternal life with God. But, we need to tell them the truth about sin, judgment, and salvation, and not feed them lies which will coddle them in their sins.

He Understands Their Works

Psalm 33:13-17 NASB

“The Lord looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men;

From His dwelling place He looks out

On all the inhabitants of the earth,

He who fashions the hearts of them all,

He who understands all their works.

The king is not saved by a mighty army;

A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a false hope for victory;

Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.”

Contrary to popular opinion, God still sees when we sin against him. If we are his, by faith in him – a faith that is actively being lived out in our lives day by day – our sins are forgiven. But, if we are living our lives to our flesh, to do what we want, while claiming faith in Jesus Christ, and while claiming that his grace covers over all our sin, or that God can’t even see our sin, then we need to know that the New Testament makes it quite clear that God can still see when we sin, and he says if we live to sin, we will die in our sin.

And, he wants us to know that we are not saved from our sins and bound for heaven on a mere profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We are not saved by our good works done in the flesh, either. Nothing done in the flesh can save us from our sins or guarantee us heaven. And a “faith” in Jesus Christ that does not submit to him as Lord, and that does not repent of sin, and that does not walk with him in holiness and to his righteousness, in obedience to his commands, is not a faith that will save you, for it is still flesh.

On Those Who Fear Him

Psalm 33:18-22 NASB

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

To deliver their soul from death

And to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

For our heart rejoices in Him,

Because we trust in His holy name.

Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,

According as we have hoped in You.”

The eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, and he saves us from our sins. He delivers us from our slavery (addiction) to sin, and he empowers us and strengthens us to walk daily in his holiness and righteousness. He gives us all that we need to live godly and holy lives, set apart from the world of sin and unto God and to his purposes (Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Rom. 6:1-23).

And, those who fear him are those who honor him as the holy God that he is, who show him respect, reverence and obedience to his commands. They are those who are walking in the ways of the Lord and not in the ways of this sinful world. He delivers them from their slavery to sin, and from the punishment of sin, and he promises them eternal life (Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

In Conclusion

So, don’t let the cares of this world get you down. Don’t let them take you out. Have faith in God and in his sovereignty and rejoice in him and give him all the praise that he deserves. Trust him even in the bad times, and rely on his love and grace to see you through every circumstance that comes your way. And, keep on teaching the truth and exposing the lies so that many can come to true faith in Jesus Christ and be delivered from their bondage to sin.

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.

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