What Utter Hypocrisy!

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 ESV

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

This month of June is Gay Pride Month here in America, where lgbtqia2s+ is being celebrated. So, I am seeing some social media memes condemning this practice. So, does the Bible teach that homosexuality is a sin? Yes, it does, but there are those who will contend with that. But it also teaches that sexual immorality, as a whole, and sexual perversion of any kind, and adultery and unfaithfulness are also sins of great magnitude and concern. And it teaches that preaching false gospels and lies and deception are also sins of great magnitude which are harming the church.

But where are the Christians, and where are the memes that are crying out against adultery and spousal abuse? Do you know that Jesus said that to look at a woman (or it could be a man) lustfully is to commit adultery with that person in your heart? And do you know that the Scriptures teach strongly against sexual immorality and the lusts of the flesh and against adultery and against treating others hatefully and abusively? Yet, how many professing Christians are there in America who regularly view sexually charged movies and videos and games? Where is the outcry against that?

“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things” (Romans 2:1 ESV).

Do you know what this is saying? And then let’s look at another:

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:5 ESV).

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).

So, what’s my point? It is that so many people professing faith in Jesus Christ are so busy condemning the people of the world over one particular area of sin while so many of them are themselves living in spiritual adultery against the Lord and in adultery against their spouses via lusting after others to whom they are not married, whether live and in person, or whether via images and videos and movies and games or sex-texting or whatever other means people are using today to express sexual perversion with themselves and/or with one another.

And yet the church is largely silent about all the sexual addictive practices of a large number of their parishioners, and regarding adultery and marital unfaithfulness, which is abuse of spouse. And they are largely silent about all the lying and deception that goes along with that, too. But they are proud of their gatherings while they ignore the elephant that is in the room and those whose lives are being damaged by the sexual sins of others (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-13), and while they largely ignore the fact that their leaders are feeding them lies and diluted gospels which are giving them carte blanche to continue in sin.

Oh, what utter hypocrisy!!! And this grieves God’s Holy Spirit. And it grieves my heart, too. For so many lives are being destroyed by what goes on inside these gatherings of what is called “church” while the “church” is so busy condemning the lifestyles of the masses, probably most of whom are outside the gatherings of the church. This should not be! 

So, first take care to remove the log that is in the eye of today’s modern market-driven churches, and the log that is in your own eye if you are guilty of the practice of adultery via what you lust after and what you view and listen to habitually. And purge the evil from among you. And then love the people of the world into the kingdom of God via lovingly sharing with them the truth of the gospel, and by modeling the truth of the gospel to them by how you live your own lives.

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

Self-Denial

I am reading now in the book of 2 Corinthians. 

Paul had just written the Corinthians about the affliction that he had faced where he and his companions despaired of life and felt that they had received the sentence of death. But then he praised the Lord for the deliverance they received from God. And then he spoke to them in reference to a previous communication in which he knew that he had caused them pain, which could be a reference to 1 Corinthians, chapter 5, when he admonished them concerning the man who was in their midst, who was living in immorality, and of their need to deal with that issue appropriately.

For then he went on to tell the Corinthians that it was now time to forgive the man, although he did not specifically say who the person was. And he stated that the punishment given by the majority was enough for him, and so they needed to reaffirm their love for him. And then he spoke of how, when he came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, that his spirit was not at rest because he did not find his brother Titus there, so he took leave and went on to Macedonia. And that leads into today’s passage of Scripture:

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 ESV

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”

So, let’s look at the context here to help us to understand what this is saying to us. Paul had victory over Satan when Satan was attacking him via other people to the point to where Paul and his companions despaired of life and felt the sentence of death. And Paul was victorious over the enemy when his admonishment to the Christians appeared to result in this man repenting of his sins so that now it was time to restore him back to fellowship with the body of Christ. For it is always a point of rejoicing when painful but necessary correction results in what is good and right and godly.

So, it appears here that Paul was expressing praise to the Lord that his ministry, which was of God, and which was being led by the Spirit of God, resulted in victory over the enemy and in changed lives and in deliverance from enemy attacks. It is always a blessing when we can see the fruit of our labors, for we can’t always see them, at least not in this life. But it is encouraging when we can actually experience and hear of and witness the good results of our acts of obedience to the Lord Jesus, not because we need praise, but because we rejoice in the good being done in others’ lives.

And it is always good when we can experience victory over Satan and against his evil plots against us, and when his attempts to destroy us are overpowered by God’s grace and mercy in our lives. And it is good, too, when we can see the positive results of our walks of obedience to our Lord, for that encourages our hearts. And it is so encouraging when we have the freedom still to spread the truth of the gospel and to know that it is reaching people far and wide, and that it is making a difference in other people’s lives for the glory and praise of God, and for their good.

And we who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives should all be ministers of the gospel of our salvation, and we should all be proclaiming the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). So we should all be engaged in spreading the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ/God everywhere, in victory over darkness, and in leading the people to forsake their sins and to follow the Lord Jesus in walks of holiness and righteousness, in obedience to our Lord.

But not many are going to rejoice over what we are sharing with them, especially if we are telling them the full gospel message, the whole counsel of God, and if we are not cutting the message of the gospel short in order to make people feel good or in order to not offend them with the truth. And a lot of these people who will reject what we are telling them are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, but with a false profession of faith via a false gospel message which is telling them lies which are sending them to hell.

But those who they are listening to are speaking from the flesh, and not from the Spirit of God, for the Spirit does not speak lies, but the truth. So if you are being convinced that you can make a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, have all your sins forgiven, and now be guaranteed heaven as your eternal destiny, regardless of how you live, and absent of denial of self, death to sin and to self, and of walks of obedience to our Lord, then you are being fed lies, and not the truth. 

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we die to sin and live to his righteousness, in his power and strength, then we have the hope of eternal life with God. For Jesus said that if we deny him (by our actions) he will deny us when he returns (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Romans 6:1-23). Also:

[Matt 10:33; Lu 9:26; 2 Tim 2:12; 2 Tim 3:5; Tit 1:16; 2 Pet 2:1; Jude 1:4]

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

http://youtu.be/yRujDmfS2qU

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Learning to Rely on God

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

Jesus told us that if we follow him with our lives, in truth, and in action, and not in lip service only, that we will be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted. For if we follow the Lord with our lives, the people of the world should not embrace us as their own, but they should be against us and what we stand for. And we should be experiencing that opposition from the ungodly and from those who are still being led by the flesh and not by the Spirit, which may include some pastors and elders of “churches.”

I have felt what Paul described here. I know what it is like to be physically, emotionally, mentally, and/or spiritually abused and mistreated. I know what it is like to be in despair and to feel utterly hopeless as though there is no way out of what I was going through. The Lord allowed me to go through many such experiences in my life so that I could feel what others feel who are being persecuted for their walks of faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, it is true that I have not had all such experiences as others, but I have had many.

The physical abuse was at the hands of my father when I was growing up as a child, and that is the extent of my physical abuse. But that was horrific enough. But there are other ways in which we can be mistreated and abused and persecuted which are not of a physical nature, but which can be extremely painful, nonetheless. We can have people falsely accuse us of things we did not do and turn others against us, who will also reject us and cast us aside because of the seriousness of our walks of faith in the Lord.

We can have people yell and scream at us because we are following the Lord and not the flesh, and because we are not with the majority, but because we are with the minority, and because we are actually testing what we read and hear against the Scriptures in context, and because we don’t just believe everything we hear coming from the mouths of those who claim to be of God and who claim to be telling people the truth. For if we are truly living lives separate from the world and unto God, we are going to be persecuted.

And we can be greatly misunderstood by other Christians (or by those giving lip service only to the Lord) who are living more worldly lives, and because of the seriousness of our walks of faith, and because we take the Scriptures to heart, and so we obey them in practice, though not in absolute perfection. And they may cast judgments on us based on themselves and on their own prejudices and culture and traditions and worldly thinking. And they may be people who actually side with our persecutors and against us.

And we can have others who profess faith in Jesus Christ betray us and do evil against us and set traps for us like Jesus’ persecutors did to him. And they may be mean and hateful and spiteful towards us because we are walking in obedience to the Lord when they are not, and so we are an offense to them. And this is especially true at this time when so many “Christians” are following a diluted and altered gospel. And many of them are being trained to oppose us strongly and/or even deceitfully.

And when this piles up, and when we have no other humans to rescue us from this evil, but we often have to stand alone, but not alone because God is with us, it can be very disheartening, for sure. And when this increases, the closer we walk with the Lord, and the more that we truly are separate (unlike, different) from the world, it can be extremely emotionally painful when it appears as though all have deserted us. And Paul felt this, and so did some of the prophets of old. Jeremiah definitely comes to mind here.

But what did Paul say here? He said that this was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. Amen! Persecution can be very humbling. And in our sorrow and despair it can lead us right into the arms of Jesus and into much deeper walks of faith which we may not have otherwise had. Especially when we have nowhere to turn but to God for our comfort, and for our encouragement, it can actually work to increase our faith and our walks of obedience to our Lord. So that can be good for us.

And then what did Paul do? He didn’t keep his persecutions and his difficult experiences to himself, and neither did Jesus. They talked about them. Why? For our comfort and encouragement, if not for now, for a future time when we will go through similar experiences, and so we will know that grace of God which can carry us through such difficulties. And so we will trust the Lord even in these difficult times, and so we will not lose heart, and so we will not give up the fight, but so we will persevere in running the race.

So, the Lord has had me share some of my experiences so that you know that you are not alone in your suffering, if you are suffering as I have suffered, and so you hopefully will find encouragement and hope and healing in knowing, by the grace of God, that we can endure, and we can come out of these times of suffering whole and healed and on fire for the Lord, and not discouraged and not be in despair and not ready to give up all hope. And that is why Jesus and Paul and others shared their experiences, too.

And so the Lord has had me write two books, not professionally published, but just posted on the internet, where I share some of those experiences, and even my own failures, but how God has used those experiences in my life to make me who I am so that I would answer his call on my life, and so that I will do what he has called me to do in sharing what he teaches me each day through his word and to put it on the internet. 

The first one was written in 2018, and it has 17 chapters. The second one was written maybe a week ago, and it has 7 chapters. So, out of obedience to my Lord I am going to share with you the links to these two books so that you can read them, as the Lord leads you, if you have at all identified with anything I have shared with you today. And, again, this is for your encouragement, to give you hope in your difficult circumstances so that you know that there is a “rainbow at the end of the storm”.

https://walkingwounded.blog/i-married-my-dad/  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rdiWU1NyvWMGWPB4l8aHPLjs9r3cVewOxr1Z9gMmtsk/edit?usp=sharing

I Pray for Them 

 

An Original Work / June 4, 2013

Based off John 17

“Glorify Your Son, that Your Son

May glorify our God in heav’n. 

Father, You granted Him all power

And all authority over men,

That He might give eternal life

To all those whom now

You have given Him.”

“This now then is eternal life:

That they may know You, 

Father, and Your Son;

That they may know the only true God,

And Jesus Christ whom the Father sent.

I have brought You the glory by

Finishing the work that You’ve given Me.”

“I have shown You to those whom

You gave to Me out of the world; 

They were Yours. You gave them to Me 

And they have obeyed Your words

And they accepted them. They knew

That I came from You, and they believed 

With certainty, I was sent.”

“Holy Father, I pray for them by the

Power of Your name: Protect them,

So that they may be one as we are,

For they are still living in this world.

I have given them Your word;

Because of Your word, the world

Has hated them.”

“I pray they may have the full measure of

My joy now living within them.

Father, I pray You sanctify them

By Your word; truly Your word is truth.

As You sent Me into the world, 

I send them to tell the world to repent.”

https://vimeo.com/116141024

The Lord and Demons Don't Mix

Summary 1 Corinthians 10:1-20

We are reminded here of what the Israelites went through after they were delivered out of their slavery in Egypt and while they were wandering for forty years in the wilderness, and of how God provided for them, but how the majority of them rebelled against the Lord and thus died in the wilderness and did not get to enter God’s eternal rest. For so many of them were revelers and idolaters and those who indulged in sexual immorality and who put Christ to the test and who grumbled against the Lord.

Then we are told that these things happened, and that they were written down for us as examples to us so that we will not do as they did, and so that we will not refuse to die with Christ to sin and then not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven due to disobedience (unbelief). And then we are warned against thinking that we are so righteous that we can never fall back into sin, or that we are so forgiven that none of our sins will ever be charged against us. And then we are reminded that Jesus provided the way for us out of temptation to sin so that not one of us has to continue living in sin.

Then we are instructed to flee from idolatry, which includes sexual immorality, and which is about putting other “gods” and “idols” in place of God in our lives, which can be anything which gets our passion, time, obedience, and faithfulness in place of God. And then we are reminded, I believe, not just of the practice of “taking communion,” but of the significance of what the bread and the drink symbolize, which is not only what Jesus did for us on that cross, but it is our participation with him in death to sin and being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him.

1 Corinthians 10:20-22 ESV

“I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”

Now what this is saying to us, I believe, is that if we are genuine followers of Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with him in death to sin, and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then we should no longer be partaking in what is ungodly and unholy and in what is idolatrous and rebellious against our Lord. For we cannot partake in what is of demons and what is of the Lord at the same time. They don’t mix together!

Therefore, being saved from our sins and having the hope of eternal life with God does not mix with us continuing in deliberate and habitual sin and in continuing to worship what is not of God, but which is of Satan, which is the sinful pleasures of this world. For when our hearts and our passions and desires are driven toward what is evil and what is not of God and what is sinful and of the devil, then we are not in genuine relationship and communion and fellowship with God. And if we claim that we are, we are liars (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10).

For our salvation from sin is deliverance from slavery to sin, and it is empowerment of God to live holy and godly lives, and it is not free license to continue in deliberate and habitual sin, only now without guilt and without remorse. So, we can’t walk in sin and be in fellowship with God. We can’t just give mouth service to the Lord while we are giving our hearts and minds and bodies to sexual immorality and to the “gods” of this world. So, if we choose to make sin our practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Christ we confess with our lips.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Just a Closer Walk with Thee  

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown

Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;

I’ll be satisfied as long

As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,

If I falter, Lord, who cares?

Who with me my burden shares?

None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,

Time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er

To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,

Daily walking close to Thee,

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Ks49apflE 

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The Way of Escape

Video Talk

Summary 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

The children of Israel were delivered from slavery in Egypt via the Lord’s servant Moses, but then they ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. During that time the majority of them rebelled against the Lord, and against Moses, the Lord’s servant. For they were idolaters, and they were those who indulged in sexual immorality, and those who grumbled against the Lord and who put Christ to the test, and who were revelers and disobedient to the Lord. And so they died in the wilderness, and they did not enter into God’s eternal rest.

Then this tells us that all these things happened, and that they were written down for us for our instruction, as examples to us so that we might not desire evil as they did, and so that we would not rebel against the Lord as they did and end up dying in our sins and therefore not able to enter into God’s eternal rest because of disobedience, i.e. because of unbelief (see also Hebrews 3:1-19 and Hebrews 4:1-16). And then we read these words:

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 ESV

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

Now we must be very careful that we don’t get this mistaken idea either that we are incapable of sinning against the Lord and/or that our sins no longer matter to God, and therefore that we can continue in deliberate and habitual sin and that sin will not be counted against us. Either way of thinking is not accurate nor biblical. For the moment we think that we are standing righteous before God and therefore we cannot sin or that our sins will no longer count against us, no matter what, then we better watch out!

Now I am definitely not saying here that every time we sin, that we are back at square one, i.e. that it is as if we were never saved to begin with. I know there are people who believe that, but the Scriptures do not teach that (see 1 John 2:1-2). What I am saying is what the Scriptures teach, and that is that if sin is our practice, our habit, and if obedience to our Lord and walks of holiness and righteousness are not our practice, that we do not know God, we are not saved from our sins, and we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

So, take heed if you think you are standing righteous before God and therefore your sins will not be counted against you, or if you think you are incapable of sin or that you are so victorious over sin that sin can no longer touch you. But walk in humility and in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). And let him empower you to say “No!” to sin and “Yes!” to God and to living godly and holy lives.

For if we are truly in Christ Jesus, by genuine faith in him, he has already made that way of escape for us so that we no longer yield to sin’s control, but now to God. For in his death on that cross he put our sin to death with him so that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in his power and strength, and not in our own flesh. We just have to yield to him and cooperate with him and with his work of grace in our lives, and not choose to resist him and to go our own way, instead.

But then, if we are serious about walking in holiness and in righteousness and no longer in sin, our Lord will navigate us in the ways that we can resist the devil and flee temptation moment by moment and situation by situation. But we have to take the way of escape he provides for us. For far too many people are “testing fate,” and they are playing with sin and with temptation to sin, and then they are blaming God or other people or their situations for why they failed instead of blaming themselves and their own rebellion and disobedience against the Lord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l3WkQBigcQ

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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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As Examples for Us

God delivered his children Israel out of slavery in Egypt via his servant Moses. And then the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. But with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. And God was provoked with those who rebelled and who sinned against him. Thus they did not enter into his eternal rest because of their disobedience, i.e. because of their unbelief.

[See 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, also Hebrews 3:1-19 and Hebrews 4:1-16]

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 ESV

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

So, as we read this passage of Scripture today, we should pay especially close attention to verses 6 and 11, for this is not just a physical record of a historical event, but this is a lesson to us that we should not do what they did, for it will end with the same result.

For what does it say? It says that these historical things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. And these things happened to them as an example, and they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. So we are not to read this and just think how bad they were, and what a shame, but we are to read this and consider ourselves and where we are in relation to all of this.

And the other thing we need to pay close attention to, as already mentioned, is that if we do the things that they did, our end will be the same as theirs. And I am not speaking here of us having to live in sinless perfection, but that we are not to be those who make sin our habit, our practice, our go to. For if sin is what we practice, i.e. if we are living in deliberate and habitual sin, then we don’t have salvation from sin, and we will not inherit eternal life with God, for this is what it teaches us in the New Testament.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Now this passage lists for us several of the key sins of many of the Israelites which then resulted in their deaths and in them not entering into God’s eternal rest because of their disobedience, i.e. their unbelief. But this is not to be regarded as a complete list of habitual sins which will keep us out of heaven. For the New Testament provides for us multiple lists of sins, that if they are our practice, that they will lead to death, not to life eternal.

[Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8] 

So, please don’t listen to the liars who are telling you that a profession of faith in Jesus Christ is enough to secure you forgiveness of sins and heaven as your eternal destiny. We must forsake our lives of living in sin and for self, and we must deny self, and die daily to sin and to self, and follow our Lord in obedience and in walks of holiness and righteousness, and not in sin, if we want to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And we must continue in those walks of faith steadfast to the very end.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

So, please do not play around with sin convinced that heaven is your eternal home regardless of how you live. For that is a lie from hell! 

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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Glorify God in Your Body

1 Corinthians 6:13-20 ESV

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

So, what is sexual immorality? In the Greek the word is “porneia.” It is defined as “fornication, harlotry, and idolatry”. It means “a selling of (surrendering) of sexual purity; promiscuity of any kind (every type),” which includes marital unfaithfulness, i.e. adultery (see biblehub.com interlinear). 

And Jesus Christ defined adultery in this way:

“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

So, sexual immorality does not require any physical contact with another human at all. It can be all in one’s mind and heart without it being acted out physically in any way at all. Nonetheless, there are physical ways in which it is being acted out which do not require any physical contact with another human, but with oneself, especially as a result of looking at another person with sexual lustful intent. And that is still part of sexual immorality and idolatry and adultery, especially if one is married and is choosing another avenue outside the marriage relationship to satisfy his sexual cravings.

So, please understand here that when the Scriptures talk about sexual immorality they are not just speaking of having physical sexual relations with someone to whom you are not married. For you can have sexual relations with others just in your mind and heart alone, and it is still adultery, and it is still sexual immorality, and it is still wrong, and it is still sinning against the Lord Jesus and against your spouse (if you are married). And that is so hurtful and degrading and disgusting and destructive, both to your relationship with God and to your spouse who you are to love.

And the modern “churches” of today, which are being market-driven, are not taking this seriously. And part of why that is the case is because they are trying to attract the people of the world to their gatherings, and so they are trying to be sensitive to the feelings of the ungodly, and so they don’t want to say anything to them that might offend them, for they want them to return to their gatherings. And that is why most of them are diluting and altering the message of the gospel to make it more attractive and appealing to the world and to make it non-offensive.

So, the modern diluted and altered gospel message is actually giving their adherents carte blanche to continue in deliberate and habitual sin while claiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and heaven as their eternal destiny. But that is just wrong! And it is anti-biblical! And this is why the Scriptures keep warning us against these things, because they are wrong, and they are sinful, and if we make these sins our practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what faith we professed with our lips.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

And this is not speaking of just those who never made a confession of faith in Jesus Christ. This is speaking of all people who live like this whether or not they have professed faith in Jesus Christ. For lip service only is not going to get us into heaven. We must now walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, and we must walk in obedience to our Lord and not in sin, and we must live holy and godly lives and no longer live in sexual immorality and idolatry and adultery and the like. For Jesus died to set us free from addiction to sin so we would now serve him with our lives.

So, don’t get caught up in the lies which are telling you that once you have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ that all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and that heaven is guaranteed you when you die. And don’t insult the Spirit of Grace and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave his life up for us on that cross to free us from our lives of sin, which include such things as idolatry, adultery and sexual immorality, and the list goes on.

And please know, too, that repentance is not just having a change of mind about Jesus and thus you decide to “believe” in him. And it isn’t just verbalizing your sins, either. Repentance involves a change of heart and mind and turning away from a life of sin to now follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands, and in walks of holiness and godliness. It means we are turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (see Acts 26:18).

Bible verses defining what it means to be saved from our sins:

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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