1) Christ alone is "the Vine" (Source of Life); Not a particular church, preacher, or even doctrine. (John 15:5; 1:4; 1 John 5:12).
.... but the only Way to be "in" Him is to repent of one's sins and place one's faith exclusively in His Sacrifice for sins (the "SIN" issue must be dealt with!). Many folks think that if one leaves a particular denomination or church or preacher.... they have BACKSLIDDEN and are on their way to hell! What about that poor lost soul in SIBERIA who gets saved and knows nothing ABOUT your denomination, church, or pastor?! "Religion" is DAMNABLE and God HATES it!
2) Through daily faith in CHRIST'S Sacrifice (and not MINE), the Holy Spirit replaces an "I NEED to" with an "I WANT to" serve God! (see Rom. 8:2; Ez. 36:26-27).
... and He will SHOW me what to do and not to do, what to watch and what not to watch, what to listen to and what not to listen to, for HE GUIDES ME INTO ALL TRUTH. And this isn't just for ME; It's for anyone dares to BELIEVE THE BIBLE. Hlellujah!!!!!!!
This is so simple (2 Cor. 11:3) a CHILD can do this, a HIGH SCHOOL DROP-OUT can do it, an OLD GRANNY can do it. But a proud, self-sufficient person (religious or not).... nope! O THE WISDOM OF GOD!!!!
3) WE overcome this world & its tribulations as we are "in CHRIST" Who has already overcome FOR us on Calvary (see John 16:33; Rev. 12:10-11: 1 John 4:4; 5:4; Romans 8:31-39; Col. 2:14-15.)
No "striving" on our part: Just "resting". And then THE HOLY SPIRIT fights our battles FOR us! The only "fight" are to have is "the good fight of..... FAITH" (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7)!
4) The "servant of the Lord"... N-E-V-E-R goes on vacation, nor does he want to; Nor does he "burn out". It is the greatest of honors and joy beyond measure serving my lovely JESUS!
You say "lovely"? Why YES. He is "ALTOGETHER LOVELY" (Song of Sol. 5:16). Imagine, just i-m-a-g-i-n-e, a Being of infinite Power to have created the universe, this earth, and everything and everyone IN it... and then OUT OF LOVE, becoming one of His creation (man), and ALLOWING Himself to become a Sacrifice for m...an's sins to REDEEM them from eternal destruction. Just IMAGINE that! Well... no sense IN imagining that. It HAPPENED! A King of infinite worth, paying for the sins of THOSE HOSTILE TOWARDS HIM! Truly, just ONE aspect of what makes this Jesus.... "ALTOGETHER L-O-V-E-L-Y !!! And I shall praise Him for ever
and ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who ELSE would die for his ENEMY to SAVE him?!! NO one !
All of you "enemies of God" out there...... Jesus died for YOU. Truly you must realize that there is "something more" to life than that which you are living. There is a grand scheme designed by "the Master Architect". This present heart-ach...e and sorrow in the world will only last for a short time longer. Its not caused by GOD, but by SINFUL MAN, who can be SAVED from his "sinful self" by humbling himself, repenting of his sins, and trusting in GOD'S (BLOOD) Sacrifice: JESUS CHRIST (which entails a complete surrendering of one's life to - no not a church, no not a preacher, no not a program, no not to a list of good deeds.... TO THE LORD JESUS !). It is not hard; It just takes "SURRENDER".
5) If we are not careful, in OUR attempts to please God, we can make the object of our faith "our doing of the law, rather than THE Doer of the law: JESUS CHRIST!
HALLELUJAH! !!!!!!! It's al by GRACE, folks! We have "zero" merit in our own efforts.... and then THE HOLY SPIRIT performs HIS Work THROUGH us in keeping that "law" (the 10 commandments)! HE WRITES THE LAW IN OUR.... HEART (see Jeremiah 31:32-34; Ez. 36:25-27). Ahhh do you SEE this, friend?! Most DON'T. Most.... don't, sadly. And continue on in their OWN efforts, in their pride! The HUMBLE focus on the (Blood) Sacrifice, which PRODUCE the "works". The PROUD focus on his OWN sacricES/ works. ... and then the Lord Who EMPOWERS one to do the works, from the HEART, seems to get left behind! .... resulting in "religion", which God HATES! For a good example of this, please read Revelation 3:17-20. In this passage, Jesus is standing on the OUTSIDE of A VERY RELIGIOUS BELIEVER'S HEART, TRYING TO GET IN!!! THINK of that!! .... and then look at the modern church in America. GOD HELP US, AND BRING US BACK TO THE CROSS!!!!
6) Forget about "finding the champion within YOU; There is only ONE Champion, and His Name is J-E-S-U-S. One day, you will bow before Him.
Just you and Him. Your CHURCH will not be there. Your PASTOR will not be there. Your SPOUSE, BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND will not be there. Your FAMILY MEMBERS will not be there. Your RELATIVES will not be there. Your FRIENDS will not be there. Your BOSS AND CO-WORKERS will not be there. YIKES, you get the idea....And He will no longer be any meek, mild-mannered Man. He will have eyes as a flame of fire, and His Voice the sound of many waters, with ALL-POWER to either usher you into eternal GLORY, or to send you to eternal TORMENT!
The only "God-Man", the "I AM", King eternal, immortal, of infinite worth, Who left His Home in heaven above to secure redemption BY BECOMING A BLOOD SACRIFICE for man (His creation) HOSTILE TOWARDS HIM! O WHAT A SAVIOR! ...and now ALIVE FOR EVERMORE, AND SOON TO RETURN AGAIN FOR HIS OWN. Are you ready, friend? Are you living for Him, or for self? Is your faith for Righteousness solely in HIS BLOOD? Does His Spirit have full control in your life? In other words... is YOUR life HIS LIFE (Gal. 2:20)?
7) "Even in laughter the heart (without Jesus) is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is ... heaviness." -(Proverbs 14:13).
BUT JESUS..... "...satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." -(Psalms. 107:9). Friend, NOTHING and NO ONE can satisfy you..... but HIM! ... and you cannot HAVE Him, except you repent of your sins and place your trust for Righteousness exclusively in Him and His Blood Sacrifice on the CROSS. Otherwise... you will be left with.... emptiness.
8) "And even to your old age I am He; and even to white hair I WILL CARRY YOU..." -(Isaiah 46:4).
"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST." -(Matt. 11:28).
JESUS gives one REST; "Religion" ladens one with heavy burdens! ....Even "spiritual discipline" burdens: "PRAY more!" "READ THE WORD more!" "PAY YOUR TITHE more!". So on and so forth; And really.... there could be a hundred different things that YOU gotta do, to get "closer to God". However JESUS ALREADY D-I-D IT ALL... ON CALVARY! Our responsibility is to rest in HIS (BLOOD) Sacrifice, not strive to do OUR sacrifices!!! ...and then all of those OTHER things take care of themselves. You will WANT to pray, you will WANT to read that Bible, you will WANT to pay that tithe, so on and so forth. If the "want to" is not there, it is time to hit your knees and REPENT! YOU ARE TRUSTING IN YOURSELF AND NOT JESUS AND HIS SACRIFICE!!!! JESUS wants to carry you. He doesn't want to see YOU carrying A TON OF BRICKS, and thinking you are oh-so-spiritual for DOING so!
9) Every last detail of "the crucifixion of Christ" was prophesied hundreds of years earlier in scripture. Incredible!
... Another interesting aspect of the crucifixion is that Jesus DECIDED when to die. He did not die of His wounds, and indeed died far sooner than one would normally die by Roman crucifixion. In other words, He laid down His Life freely; It was not an execution.... It was foreordained that He would give Himself as a Blood Sacrifice for the sins of repentant believers everywhere, and for all time!!!! Oh what a Savior!!!!!! "The Cross" is the Pivot Point of all of history. Those who accept this Sacrifice are pardoned of their sins. Those who reject It.... are damned eternally.
Another interesting side-note.... is that Jesus could have STOPPED the crucifixion at any time (for He is GOD). The religious scribes and chief priests thought that they had done away with their enemy. Little known to them, they consigned their fate in hell! "For God so LOVED the world, that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON (Jesus, on the Cross), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life." -(Jhn.3:16). THIS.... is the heart of the Gospel.
One might say, "Well what about the BURIAL and the RESURRECTION?". Well.... those were foregone conclusions after the "FINISHED" Work of THE CROSS! Indeed, we serve a LIVING Savior, seated on the right Hand of the Father, making intercession for us, and... SOON TO COME AGAIN TO RECEIVE US UNTO HIMSELF. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, He is no longer dead. He is the LIVING God, and all LIVE unto Him! ....... but our FAITH is to be on what was accomplished on that CROSS, for that is where our SINS were paid for!!!!
This is important friend; You must not miss this point. Your life DEPENDS on it! Skeptical? Consider THIS:..... Why IS it that all throughout the Bible, that THE BLOOD SACRIFICE OF "THE LAMB" is stressed, as opposed to that PLUS the burial and resurrection? I mean, WOULD YOU NOT THINK.... that if all three were equal, t...hat there would be equal EMPHASIS?
And what is the deal with all of those "altars" built in the old testament? What was THAT all about? And why, in the 4th chapter of Genesis, are THE SACRIFICES of Cain and Abel mentioned in great detail? Why, in Isa. chpt. 53, is such great detail mentioned about the coming SACRIFICE of the coming Redeemer?
Something to consider, eh? We need to go by the BIBLE, folks, regardless of what this or that supposed "scholar" or theologian teaches in his books. Even if it was a FAMOUS PREACHER teaching otherwise! THE HOLY SPIRIT- the "Spirit of TRUTH" is to be our Teacher!
One day we will stand before JESUS; Not some muckity-muck mere mortal teacher and writer of books who DID NOT DIE FOR OUR SINS! He won't BE there to judge you; THE Judge- JESUS- will be, and He will ask you..... "Did you have your faith for righteousness solely in MY Sacrifice?" .... "DID YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE trusting in MY Sacrifice, and not your OWN sacrificES?" Many, in that day, will stand with SHAME before Him, some stripped of all rewards, because they trusted in their performance of "duties" for Him; Others.... sent to HELL, because NONE of their faith was really in the correct Sacrifice! Sobering, my friends. Behold, the Judge standeth at the door.
10) What is your FAITH in? You and YOUR sacrificES? = "law"..... or Christ and HIS (Blood) Sacrifice? = "grace".
11) Most people prefer their OWN leader (some MAN) & their OWN sacrifices, rather than GOD HIMSELF (JESUS) & HIS Sacrifice (ie: "THE CROSS")!
Only problem is... THEIR choice of leader is FALLIBLE, and their sacrifices.... pointless! ESUS, on the other hand, is PERFECT AND OF ALL-POWER, and HIS Sacrifice B-R-E-A-K-S every bondage of Satan! HALLELUJAH! !!!!!!!! What's really beautiful.... is when that HUMAN leader is right in tune with JESUS. That man will be a lightning bolt of controversy, either LOVED.... or HATED, with no neutral ground (for that's the way JESUS was here in His earthly ministry!).
If you closely study the life and ministry of JESUS, in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you will discover that His whole goal was to do the will of HIS FATHER; Not find out what the PEOPLE wanted, find a consensus, and then given them what they want! He was never trying to "sell" Himself and the Gospel. He confronted people with His Father's OFFER OF LIBERTY FROM SIN AND SATAN and.... AN ULTIMATUM: "Repent or Perish"! ...but most people gravitate toward a leader who they think will GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
A good example from history: HITLER AND THE GERMAN PEOPLE. He promised them prosperity and glory. What did he ultimately give them: Destruction and shame! This is what people get, when they choose a MAN over "the GOD-Man": JESUS! "...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." -(Lk. 16:15). Another good example, from the BIBLE, is the story in 1 Samuel of "SAUL". This was the PEOPLES' choice, but it was not GOD'S. And that choice ended up being a DISASTER for Israel!
12) H0w does man get from "the evil" to "the good"? By only one WAY: JESUS (Jhn. 14:6), and by only one MEANS: "THE CROSS" (1 Cor. 1:17-18).
Religious activity and good deeds won't DO it, either to be SAVED, or to be SANCTIFIED (being set apart to live a holy life before God).
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Mini "SERMONETTES"- #4
1) The humble correct answer of a Christian caught in a sin bondage: "Lord, I can't beat this thing: I trust TOTALLY in your Son's Blood Sacrifice"!
AT THAT MOMENT.... (The Holy Spirit's) HELP is on it's way! (...and don't say you don't struggle with anything, o self-righteous one!). Just denying it, or praying more, or reading your Bible more, or fasting, or getting off by yourself, or doing a bunch of good deeds, or. ... whatever is NOT GONNA BREAK IT!!!! Satan just laughs at that: hahahahaha. But.... THE BLOOD OF CHRIST? Well.... that's another story!
2) Paul the Apostle & others use the phrases "in Christ", "in Him" , in Whom", "in the Light", "in the Spirit" over 170 times in the Bible NT. What do they mean?
Each of these phrases mean the same thing: That we are "one with God the Son: Christ" , joined in fellowship with God the FATHER , through the Power of God the HOLY SPIRIT... ALL BECAUSE of our faith for Righteousness being EXCLUSIVELY in Christ and His "Blood Sacrifice" on "THE CROSS".... , both to be SAVED....AND.... to be SANCTIFIED (set apart to live a holy Life for Him). This, along with "repentance of sins".... is "THE GOSPEL", which breaks the yoke of Satan, and sets the captive free to walk in "abundant Life" (John 10:10). Hallelujah!! ..and KEEPS him free as He REMAINS in that Faith. (Col. 2:6: 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:6,14; Matt.10:22; 24:12-13; Rev. 2:7,11 17,26; 3:5,12,21; 12:10-11)
THIS IS NOT "RELIGION"; THIS IS...... LIVING WITH THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!!
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up (pride) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his FAITH." -(Habakkuk 2:4). THROW AWAY YOUR RULE BOOKS!!!!! ...& all of your man made ideas!
3) True Christianity is not a philosophy, a social works program, or a religion: It is a... "Man", the Man Christ Jesus.
He that hath the Son hath Life; and he that hath NOT the Son of God hath NOT Life." -(1 Jhn. 5:12)
"IN HIM was Life, and the Life was the Light of men." -(Jhn. 1:4)
"But of Him are ye IN CHRIST JESUS Who is made unto us wisdom, and Righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." -(1 Cor. 1:30)
"For CHRIST is the END of (being justified by trying to keep...) the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. 10:4)
There is no doubt that we HAVE to keep God's (10) commandments, that we "be holy" (1 Pet. 1:15-16). But the question is.... HOW? By being "IN CHRIST' through faith exclusively in His BLOOD shed on Calvary! And to trust in that Sacrifice EV...ERY DAY (GRACE), rather than our performance of "do's and don'ts" ("LAW")! ...The first causes the HOLY SPIRIT to move in our life, bringing GOD'S BLESSINGS. The latter QUENCHES the Holy Spirit, and brings a CURSE!
(Gal. 3:10-14).
4) "Religion" points only to MAN'S laws, while true Christianity points to GOD'S Laws.... which were fulfilled in JESUS CHRIST, and which are placed in our HEART as our faith is exclusively in Him and His Sacrifice. (see John 5:9-10; Rom. 10:2-4; Jer. 31:33-34; Rom. 2:28-29; 3:21-28; Rev. 12:10-11)
"Religion's" focus is really trust in "man and his sacrifices" = LAW THROUGH WORKS = A CURSE, while ...
True Christianity's focus is trust in "Christ and HIS (BLOOD) Sacrifice" = GRACE THROUGH FAITH = THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVING, BRINGING G...OD'S BLESSINGS.
5) Knowledge of spiritual realities only reaches the soul through a SIN-CONVICTED HEART, not through a RELIGIOUS INTELLECT. For Jesus "came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" -(Lk. 5:32)
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I TELL YOU, THIS MAN WENT DOWN TO HIS HOUSE JUSTIFIED RATHER THAN THE OTHER: FOR EVERY ONE THAT EXALTETH HIMSELF SHALL BE ABASED (REJECTED); AND HE THAT HUMBLETH HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED." -(Lk. 18:10-14)
***** What you have just read very aptly describes the two types of professing Christians in the modern church today! Which type are......... YOU?
You see, friend, we can be "doing all the right things" and still be way, way off the mark! If your dependence for Righteousness is not 100 % upon CHRIST ALONE, AND HIS FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, you are nothing more than that religious Ph...arisee, and REJECTED BY JESUS!!!!! (Read Rev. 3:17-22 for the sobering details, and for Jesus's instructions for you.)
How do you KNOW if you are in such a state? If you can answer "NO" to the following questions, you..... ARE:
1) Do you have "abundant Life", with the Holy Spirit moving in your life in a supernatural way? (John 10:10b; 7:37-39) and.....
2) Do you experience any "persecution" and "hatred" from other people over what you believe? (Matt. 5:10-12; Jhn. 15:19-20)
... So if you are "spiritually DRY" and "well-liked".... THAT IS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is still not too late. Cry out to the Lord, and "take with you words" (Isa. 14:1-2), and He... will draw you close to Himself, and set your feet on "higher Ground" and upon that "narrow Path of Life".
One day (and I believe "soon"), it WILL be too late, and "the door will be shut". You will be as one of those "foolish virgins, who took no Oil with them in their lamps" (Matt. 25:3).
6) True Christianity is not in what we DO; It is in what we BELIEVE (Jhn. 3:16-18; 3:36; 1 Jhn. 5:10-12; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 3:2-3); However, if we are BELIEVING right, we will be DOING right (Eph. 2:10; James 2:20,26; Mt. 7:16-20; Gal. 5:22-25). There needs to be BALANCE in the Body of Christ!
.. and that balance comes as we "love Truth", and read that Bible for OURSELVES, allowing the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher! Please know, however, that He will NOT be teaching us if our faith is not 100 % in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness (HIS and not OUR"S). "HEAD knowledge" will not CUT it, my friend; Only "HEART revelation"!
.....Furthermore, Christians are NOT to be "dumb sheep"; God places no premium on IGNORANCE. If you know that Bible for yourself, no preacher can DUPE you, for the Bible says that you have "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16), and the "Spirit of Truth" (Jhn. 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14), with The Word being a "Lamp unto your feet, and a Light unto your Path" (Psa. 119:105). Yes, the Holy Spirit can speak through Pastors to us, but your Ultimate Teacher is the HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF, COMBINED WITH THE WORD. If you have THAT.... you will KNOW if your Pastor is "on-track" or not, and what he says will bear witness with the Holy Spirit and Word inside of YOU.
7) "Religion" through "law" CONDEMNS; "Jesus" through "grace" FORGIVES AND JUSTIFIES (Jn 8:3-11). That grace is afforded to us through 1) repentance of sins (Acts 3:19) & 2) our faith exclusively in... "THE CROSS", both for Salvation (Jn 3:16), and for Sanctification/ living for God (Rev. 12:10-11).
No, not the "wooden beams", but the Blood Sacrifice He paid there for OUR sins! OH WHAT A SAVIOR!!!!!!!!!!
8) The Spirit is now beckoning the Church to "come to the Sacrifice", and YOUR LAMP SHALL BE FILLED WITH OIL- (see 1 Sam. 16:1-5; Mt. 25:1-13; Eph. 5:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:18).
No CROSS, no OIL, no LIGHT, no SIGHT/ DISCERNMENT = "the DITCH"!
Thus saith the LORD: The day has now come that your lamp shall be completely FULL.... or completely EMPTY. You must choose.
9) God has extended His mercy & grace through the Cross of Christ to every person; However, if that person REJECTS that marvellous Offer, he is without excuse! God's WRATH BURNS against him, and he will be cast into a lake of burning fire (Rom. 1:18-20; Jn. 3:18-20; Mk. 16:16; Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8)
"Behold therefore the GOODNESS and SEVERITY of God..." -(Rom. 11:22)
Folks do not realize that God is not playing games. He demands first and foremost that people repent of their sins and trust EXCLUSIVELY in the Blood Sacrifice of His Son Jesus... for Righteousness. Secondly, He demands that His preachers TELL people this. WOE to those preachers who are LEADING people to DESTRUCTION!!!!
10) "And the blood (of the unblemished Lamb) shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you..." -(Ex.12:13)
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM." -(Romans 5:8-9).
You see friend, in reality, we are each nothing in ourselves and our abilities, education, and deeds. In God's eyes, we have NO GOODNESS WHATSOEVER.... PERIOD. The only Goodness which God sees in us would have to be that of HIS SON JESUS AS... OUR FAITH IS IN.... HIS BLOOD (ie: "THE CROSS). O hallelujah, is that where your FAITH is today? If so, God's wrath upon sin (carried out by SATAN "the destroyer"), will "pass over you"! And then... welcome to "ABUNDANT LIFE" (John 10:10) in the (Holy) Spirit! HALLELUJAH! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Satan can only do what God ALLOWS him to. Not convinced? Read Job 1:6-12; 1 Kings 22:19-23; 2 Thes. 2:10-12. You had best FEAR GOD and do what HE says!
11) Acceptance of Christ and the Cross defeats Satan and breaks his bondage. (see John 12:31-32; Col. 2:14-15; Rev. 12:10-11).
It is our CONTINUED FAITH in Him and that BLOOD Sacrifice which CONTINUES to defeat Satan and KEEP his bondages broken in our life... giving us victory over him, "the world", and "the flesh". (See Col. 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:14; Matt. 10:22; 1 John 5:4b; Romans 8:2). Nothing that WE do will work in this capacity (although most in their self-pride will TRY!). ... Most want to obtain the victory without JESUS (God) being their Lord. That is the problem. WON'T WORK!
12) The peace of the world is but surface, & dependent upon circumstances; That given by Christ is in the heart, and "from above".... and UNFAILING. (See John 14:27)
AT THAT MOMENT.... (The Holy Spirit's) HELP is on it's way! (...and don't say you don't struggle with anything, o self-righteous one!). Just denying it, or praying more, or reading your Bible more, or fasting, or getting off by yourself, or doing a bunch of good deeds, or. ... whatever is NOT GONNA BREAK IT!!!! Satan just laughs at that: hahahahaha. But.... THE BLOOD OF CHRIST? Well.... that's another story!
2) Paul the Apostle & others use the phrases "in Christ", "in Him" , in Whom", "in the Light", "in the Spirit" over 170 times in the Bible NT. What do they mean?
Each of these phrases mean the same thing: That we are "one with God the Son: Christ" , joined in fellowship with God the FATHER , through the Power of God the HOLY SPIRIT... ALL BECAUSE of our faith for Righteousness being EXCLUSIVELY in Christ and His "Blood Sacrifice" on "THE CROSS".... , both to be SAVED....AND.... to be SANCTIFIED (set apart to live a holy Life for Him). This, along with "repentance of sins".... is "THE GOSPEL", which breaks the yoke of Satan, and sets the captive free to walk in "abundant Life" (John 10:10). Hallelujah!! ..and KEEPS him free as He REMAINS in that Faith. (Col. 2:6: 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:6,14; Matt.10:22; 24:12-13; Rev. 2:7,11 17,26; 3:5,12,21; 12:10-11)
THIS IS NOT "RELIGION"; THIS IS...... LIVING WITH THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE!!!!!
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up (pride) is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his FAITH." -(Habakkuk 2:4). THROW AWAY YOUR RULE BOOKS!!!!! ...& all of your man made ideas!
3) True Christianity is not a philosophy, a social works program, or a religion: It is a... "Man", the Man Christ Jesus.
He that hath the Son hath Life; and he that hath NOT the Son of God hath NOT Life." -(1 Jhn. 5:12)
"IN HIM was Life, and the Life was the Light of men." -(Jhn. 1:4)
"But of Him are ye IN CHRIST JESUS Who is made unto us wisdom, and Righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." -(1 Cor. 1:30)
"For CHRIST is the END of (being justified by trying to keep...) the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. 10:4)
There is no doubt that we HAVE to keep God's (10) commandments, that we "be holy" (1 Pet. 1:15-16). But the question is.... HOW? By being "IN CHRIST' through faith exclusively in His BLOOD shed on Calvary! And to trust in that Sacrifice EV...ERY DAY (GRACE), rather than our performance of "do's and don'ts" ("LAW")! ...The first causes the HOLY SPIRIT to move in our life, bringing GOD'S BLESSINGS. The latter QUENCHES the Holy Spirit, and brings a CURSE!
(Gal. 3:10-14).
4) "Religion" points only to MAN'S laws, while true Christianity points to GOD'S Laws.... which were fulfilled in JESUS CHRIST, and which are placed in our HEART as our faith is exclusively in Him and His Sacrifice. (see John 5:9-10; Rom. 10:2-4; Jer. 31:33-34; Rom. 2:28-29; 3:21-28; Rev. 12:10-11)
"Religion's" focus is really trust in "man and his sacrifices" = LAW THROUGH WORKS = A CURSE, while ...
True Christianity's focus is trust in "Christ and HIS (BLOOD) Sacrifice" = GRACE THROUGH FAITH = THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVING, BRINGING G...OD'S BLESSINGS.
5) Knowledge of spiritual realities only reaches the soul through a SIN-CONVICTED HEART, not through a RELIGIOUS INTELLECT. For Jesus "came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" -(Lk. 5:32)
"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I TELL YOU, THIS MAN WENT DOWN TO HIS HOUSE JUSTIFIED RATHER THAN THE OTHER: FOR EVERY ONE THAT EXALTETH HIMSELF SHALL BE ABASED (REJECTED); AND HE THAT HUMBLETH HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED." -(Lk. 18:10-14)
***** What you have just read very aptly describes the two types of professing Christians in the modern church today! Which type are......... YOU?
You see, friend, we can be "doing all the right things" and still be way, way off the mark! If your dependence for Righteousness is not 100 % upon CHRIST ALONE, AND HIS FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, you are nothing more than that religious Ph...arisee, and REJECTED BY JESUS!!!!! (Read Rev. 3:17-22 for the sobering details, and for Jesus's instructions for you.)
How do you KNOW if you are in such a state? If you can answer "NO" to the following questions, you..... ARE:
1) Do you have "abundant Life", with the Holy Spirit moving in your life in a supernatural way? (John 10:10b; 7:37-39) and.....
2) Do you experience any "persecution" and "hatred" from other people over what you believe? (Matt. 5:10-12; Jhn. 15:19-20)
... So if you are "spiritually DRY" and "well-liked".... THAT IS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is still not too late. Cry out to the Lord, and "take with you words" (Isa. 14:1-2), and He... will draw you close to Himself, and set your feet on "higher Ground" and upon that "narrow Path of Life".
One day (and I believe "soon"), it WILL be too late, and "the door will be shut". You will be as one of those "foolish virgins, who took no Oil with them in their lamps" (Matt. 25:3).
6) True Christianity is not in what we DO; It is in what we BELIEVE (Jhn. 3:16-18; 3:36; 1 Jhn. 5:10-12; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 3:2-3); However, if we are BELIEVING right, we will be DOING right (Eph. 2:10; James 2:20,26; Mt. 7:16-20; Gal. 5:22-25). There needs to be BALANCE in the Body of Christ!
.. and that balance comes as we "love Truth", and read that Bible for OURSELVES, allowing the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher! Please know, however, that He will NOT be teaching us if our faith is not 100 % in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness (HIS and not OUR"S). "HEAD knowledge" will not CUT it, my friend; Only "HEART revelation"!
.....Furthermore, Christians are NOT to be "dumb sheep"; God places no premium on IGNORANCE. If you know that Bible for yourself, no preacher can DUPE you, for the Bible says that you have "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16), and the "Spirit of Truth" (Jhn. 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14), with The Word being a "Lamp unto your feet, and a Light unto your Path" (Psa. 119:105). Yes, the Holy Spirit can speak through Pastors to us, but your Ultimate Teacher is the HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF, COMBINED WITH THE WORD. If you have THAT.... you will KNOW if your Pastor is "on-track" or not, and what he says will bear witness with the Holy Spirit and Word inside of YOU.
7) "Religion" through "law" CONDEMNS; "Jesus" through "grace" FORGIVES AND JUSTIFIES (Jn 8:3-11). That grace is afforded to us through 1) repentance of sins (Acts 3:19) & 2) our faith exclusively in... "THE CROSS", both for Salvation (Jn 3:16), and for Sanctification/ living for God (Rev. 12:10-11).
No, not the "wooden beams", but the Blood Sacrifice He paid there for OUR sins! OH WHAT A SAVIOR!!!!!!!!!!
8) The Spirit is now beckoning the Church to "come to the Sacrifice", and YOUR LAMP SHALL BE FILLED WITH OIL- (see 1 Sam. 16:1-5; Mt. 25:1-13; Eph. 5:13-14; 1 Cor. 1:18).
No CROSS, no OIL, no LIGHT, no SIGHT/ DISCERNMENT = "the DITCH"!
Thus saith the LORD: The day has now come that your lamp shall be completely FULL.... or completely EMPTY. You must choose.
9) God has extended His mercy & grace through the Cross of Christ to every person; However, if that person REJECTS that marvellous Offer, he is without excuse! God's WRATH BURNS against him, and he will be cast into a lake of burning fire (Rom. 1:18-20; Jn. 3:18-20; Mk. 16:16; Rev. 20:14-15; 21:8)
"Behold therefore the GOODNESS and SEVERITY of God..." -(Rom. 11:22)
Folks do not realize that God is not playing games. He demands first and foremost that people repent of their sins and trust EXCLUSIVELY in the Blood Sacrifice of His Son Jesus... for Righteousness. Secondly, He demands that His preachers TELL people this. WOE to those preachers who are LEADING people to DESTRUCTION!!!!
10) "And the blood (of the unblemished Lamb) shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you..." -(Ex.12:13)
"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, WE SHALL BE SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH HIM." -(Romans 5:8-9).
You see friend, in reality, we are each nothing in ourselves and our abilities, education, and deeds. In God's eyes, we have NO GOODNESS WHATSOEVER.... PERIOD. The only Goodness which God sees in us would have to be that of HIS SON JESUS AS... OUR FAITH IS IN.... HIS BLOOD (ie: "THE CROSS). O hallelujah, is that where your FAITH is today? If so, God's wrath upon sin (carried out by SATAN "the destroyer"), will "pass over you"! And then... welcome to "ABUNDANT LIFE" (John 10:10) in the (Holy) Spirit! HALLELUJAH! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Satan can only do what God ALLOWS him to. Not convinced? Read Job 1:6-12; 1 Kings 22:19-23; 2 Thes. 2:10-12. You had best FEAR GOD and do what HE says!
11) Acceptance of Christ and the Cross defeats Satan and breaks his bondage. (see John 12:31-32; Col. 2:14-15; Rev. 12:10-11).
It is our CONTINUED FAITH in Him and that BLOOD Sacrifice which CONTINUES to defeat Satan and KEEP his bondages broken in our life... giving us victory over him, "the world", and "the flesh". (See Col. 1:21-23; Hebrews 3:14; Matt. 10:22; 1 John 5:4b; Romans 8:2). Nothing that WE do will work in this capacity (although most in their self-pride will TRY!). ... Most want to obtain the victory without JESUS (God) being their Lord. That is the problem. WON'T WORK!
12) The peace of the world is but surface, & dependent upon circumstances; That given by Christ is in the heart, and "from above".... and UNFAILING. (See John 14:27)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Mini "SERMONETTES"- #3
1) "Seek the Lord, and His Strength: seek His Face evermore." -(Psa. 105:4)
"I AM the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO..... NOTHING. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fiire, and they are burned." -(John 15:5-6)
***** If one's faith (for Righteousness, both for SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION) is not in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (ie: "THE CROSS"), he is n-o-t i-n C-h-r-i-s-t.
We have no "strength" on our own to combat the forces of Satan that are arrayed against us to "steal, kill, and to destroy" (see Jhn. 10:10a). His shed Blood (and our faith in THAT) is our only Defense which allows HIS Strength (the HOLY SPIRIT) to fight him on our behalf! (Rom. 8:2). Once we begin trusting in "ourselves and our performance of do's... See More and dont's), that mighty Strength (via His GRACE) is frustrated, and can potentially become "cut off" (see Gal. 2:21; 5:4). When Paul speaks of "law" in those preceding verses, he is speaking of any system of our "do's and dont's". This includes all man-made and devised methods, programs, regimens, performance of spiritual disciplines, denominational rules and ordinances, etc.
Are we not to do many of these things? Of course we are, but NOT AS A MEANS OF ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD FOR SPIRITUALITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. Christ has already paid for that on the Cross!
2) The Bible's formula for daily victory over Satan & (the) sin (nature)= The "Fear of the Lord" (Eccl. 12:13; Pr. 8:13; 16:6) + "Confession & repentance of sin" (Pr. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:8-9; Mk. 1:14-15) + "Faith for Righteousness exclusively in Christ & His Blood" (IE: "Christ crucified) (Rom. 10:4; Rev. 12:10-11; Rom. 5:9;... 1 Cor. 1:17-18,23-24; Rom. 8:1-2) )... and each of these three things are now sorely missing in the modern church, or else all three are not stringed together, as God requires.
Just to "park it" in one area produces an imbalance and error.
3) *** WILLFUL REJECTION OF REVEALED TRUTH*** is a terrible thing. There is a certain scripture passage mentioned SEVEN TIMES throughout the Bible, which portrays God's judgment of "a hardening of the heart" upon a person (during his lifetime) who does this!
Seven scriptures: (Isa. 6:9-10; Matt. 13:14; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jhn. 12:40; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8)
"... Go unto the people, and say, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive:
For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
What you have just read... is God's manner of allowing Satan to deceive a person. If that person WILLFULLY REJECTS TRUTH, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. (see 2 Thess. 2:10-12)
Look around you, folks, we see this ... See Moreright before our very eyes!!!!
Very sobering. Once we receive Truth, we best not REJECT it, or we open ourselves up to this of which I just shared with you. God's Word cannot lie!
So... what can cause a person to "reject the Truth"? Well, for one thing, FEAR. Fear of what people will think, fear of losing income, etc, etc. Friend, you better fear the LORD instead, or you will have some REAL fear in store for you, and you will wish you had obeyed the Truth plainly showed to you!
I speak now as a servant of the Lord: REPENT, and begin obeying that Truth which YOU KNOW, or DECEPTION.... is at the door, leading to destruction (I speak this in love, not in malice.).
Remember how that JESUS, numerous times throughout the scriptures, makes this statement: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"? Well... this is what He was referring to !!
DO you have faith that God will keep and preserve you from the ire of man? DO you believe that He is of more power than Satan and rebellious people? Right here is a test of that, where "the rubber meets the road", so-to-speak! Friend, you will not regret it. God MAKES A WAY, WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY. HE IS A GOD OF A-L-L P-O-W-E-R. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith (Christ and Him Crucified), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON;" -(1 Tim. 4:1-2)
God gives man the free will to accept or reject His Way (Christ) and Means (the Cross) for not only Salvaton, but for Righteousness in daily living. And if that is rejected by those who claim to know Him, He is forced to give them over to apostacy, deception, and potential destruction unless they repent. Is God mean? NO, HE has provided man a Way out. Man's PRIDE is the problem!
"The same Sun (God) which melts wax (softens the humblecl repentant heart) HARDENS the clay (hardens the proud unrepentant heart)."
4) There are countless opinions of man on... whatever, but THE WORD OF GOD shall stand; And those who are IN the Word of God, through faith in HIM (Jesus) AND HIS BLOOD (ie: "The Cross") shall stand as well. "On Christ the solid Rock I stand; All other ground is sink-ing sand."
"When dark-ness veils His love-ly Face, I rest in His un-changing Grace; Through ev-ry high and stor-my gale, my anchor holds with-in the veil!"
That's the bottom line, now isn't it, regardless of the countless opinions out there.
.... and friend, if you get THAT right, and remain in that Faith daily, the HOLY SPIRIT will take care of all those peripheral areas: like things you WATCH, things you LISTEN to, where you are to go, the things you are to avoid, etc. He will show you.
... "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth...' -(Jhn. 16:13)
5) "... whatsoever is not of faith is sin." -(Rom. 14:23). Meaning.... if you are doing good/ obeying the Word through "law", simply out of compulsion and not from faith in your heart, it is s-i-n. (For God looks at the HEART.)
You see, friend, you could be "doing all the right things", and yet still be rejected by God, BECAUSE YOUR MOTIVES ARE NOT RIGHT.
EVERYTHING we receive from God (which is lasting) must come through that faith in the Cross, because WITHOUT THAT SACRIFICE, God can have absolutely no fellowship and dealings with us whatsoever. HE.. is perfectly pure and holy, WE... See More... are not; And that Cross is like a Bridge between the two. If we are in the flesh in the very least, in THAT AREA (whatever area of our life that is), we are cut off from His Grace, and His Life-giving Spirit will not be flowing
6) "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." -(James 4:17).
Meaning.... if you know the morally right thing to do, and WILL NOT DO IT, because of fear of people or loss of income or ..... whatever, it is s-i-n. If that is you, you best repent, or d-e-c-e-p-t-i-o-n will be at your door, for you are deliberately rejecting revealed Truth, and God expects you to o-b-e-y.
Fear of what people will think of you, (ie: fear of losing status, prestige, position, etc.), and fear of losing income because of that... because of a decision to obey what the Holy Spirit has plainly told you to do or shun..constitutes UNBELIEF IN GOD, which He hates!
7) Man's problem is not "low self-esteem; it is not "a troubled past"; It is not "abuse from another person"; It is not "lack of education"; Man's problem is (A) "SIN" (NATURE), inherited from Adam's fall, through his impure blood-line (See Ezek. 18:4,20; Rom. 5:12; 3:23).
The SOLUTION (or "Way") whereby man can be saved from sin's deadly decree of "spiritual death" (IE: eternal separation from God in a "lake of fire" -Rev. 20:15; 21:8) is.......
1) REPENTANCE OF SINS (Ezek. 18:21-22; Acts 17:30; 3:19; Mk. 1:15; Lk. 24:46-47), and....2) FAITH EXCLUSIVELY IN "JESUS CHRIST" (Jhn. 14:6), AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS (Jhn. 3:14-16; 1 Cor. 1:17-18,23-24; 2:2)...
Moreover, the same Way a person gets SAVED is the same Way he LIVES FOR GOD (Col. 2:6): By "GRACE THROUGH FAITH" (Eph. 2:8-10) exclusively in Jesus Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross (HIS Sacrifice), not by "LAW" (our trust in OUR sacrifices/ performance of "do's and dont's) -Gal. 5:4; For the STRENGTH of (the) SIN (nature) is "LAW" (1 Cor. 15:56b; Rom. 7:9). Any time we begin once again trusting in "the flesh"/ "law"/ any system of OUR sacrifices of do's and don'ts... the GRACE OF GOD IS FRUSTRATED IN OUR LIVES (Gal. 2:21), the Holy SPirit is "quenched" in our life (1 Thes. 5:19), and "the law of sin and death" (the sin nature) begins to come alive again (Rom. 8:1-2), bringing us back into bondages of sin (Gal. 5:1).
CHURCH RETURN TO THE CROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8) A Divine Faith always has as It's Object Christ & Him Crucified, and is always based upon the SCRIPTURES, not upon outward observances & feelings. (Jn. 3:14-16; 2:23-24)
9) "He who believes on the Son has everlasting Life: and he who believes not the Son shall not see Life; but the wrath of God abides on him." -(Jn. 3:36)
The great Dividing Line of humanity is 'the CROSS' (Christ's Blood Sacrifice). Which side are you on? God's everlasting Life? Or His wrath? ... and that begins NOW, in this present lifetime.
"And this is the record, that God has given to us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son. He who has the Son has Life; and he who has not the Son has not Life." -(1 Jn. 5:11-12)
Either we unreservedly give our life to Christ, trusting in His Sacrifice for our sins, and LIVE, or... we live for OURSELF, retaining our sins, and PERISH. ...On the one Side: Light; On the other side: darkness. God is commanding each of us, now more than ever... to CHOOSE.
10) Jesus did not come to win a popularity contest: He came to do the will of His Father: which was to save humble repentant sinners who want TRUTH.
.... and His followers are to be the same way. Yeah, if you wanna have everyone to like you, and to "not make waves" and have "no drama", then true Christianity is not for you, friend! Example, say 95 % of those around you believe ONE thing, contrary to the Bible,.... and there YOU are, basing your life UPON the Bible, and to top it off- preaching AGAINST that one thing.... oooo, you got trouble.
...."HOW D-A-R-E YOU !!" ...and then you hone in on the ULTIMATE sore spot: One's sacrifice for righteousness, what they TRUST in..... Oh my!
11) PRAISE GOD I'm not "wanted by the law"; My picture is not posted in Satan's post office! (See Gal. 3:10; 1 Cor. 15:56b; Romans 10:2-4: Phil. 3:9; Rev. 12:10-11)
12) "THE CROSS" strikes against all man-made efforts of pride for righteousness, which is why it is an 'offence' to the 'religious'. (1 Cor. 1.23; Gal. 5:11: 6:12-14: Gen. 4:3-8)
"I AM the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO..... NOTHING. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fiire, and they are burned." -(John 15:5-6)
***** If one's faith (for Righteousness, both for SALVATION and SANCTIFICATION) is not in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (ie: "THE CROSS"), he is n-o-t i-n C-h-r-i-s-t.
We have no "strength" on our own to combat the forces of Satan that are arrayed against us to "steal, kill, and to destroy" (see Jhn. 10:10a). His shed Blood (and our faith in THAT) is our only Defense which allows HIS Strength (the HOLY SPIRIT) to fight him on our behalf! (Rom. 8:2). Once we begin trusting in "ourselves and our performance of do's... See More and dont's), that mighty Strength (via His GRACE) is frustrated, and can potentially become "cut off" (see Gal. 2:21; 5:4). When Paul speaks of "law" in those preceding verses, he is speaking of any system of our "do's and dont's". This includes all man-made and devised methods, programs, regimens, performance of spiritual disciplines, denominational rules and ordinances, etc.
Are we not to do many of these things? Of course we are, but NOT AS A MEANS OF ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD FOR SPIRITUALITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. Christ has already paid for that on the Cross!
2) The Bible's formula for daily victory over Satan & (the) sin (nature)= The "Fear of the Lord" (Eccl. 12:13; Pr. 8:13; 16:6) + "Confession & repentance of sin" (Pr. 28:13; 1 Jn. 1:8-9; Mk. 1:14-15) + "Faith for Righteousness exclusively in Christ & His Blood" (IE: "Christ crucified) (Rom. 10:4; Rev. 12:10-11; Rom. 5:9;... 1 Cor. 1:17-18,23-24; Rom. 8:1-2) )... and each of these three things are now sorely missing in the modern church, or else all three are not stringed together, as God requires.
Just to "park it" in one area produces an imbalance and error.
3) *** WILLFUL REJECTION OF REVEALED TRUTH*** is a terrible thing. There is a certain scripture passage mentioned SEVEN TIMES throughout the Bible, which portrays God's judgment of "a hardening of the heart" upon a person (during his lifetime) who does this!
Seven scriptures: (Isa. 6:9-10; Matt. 13:14; Mk. 4:12; Lk. 8:10; Jhn. 12:40; Acts 28:26-27; Rom. 11:8)
"... Go unto the people, and say, Hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and not perceive:
For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
What you have just read... is God's manner of allowing Satan to deceive a person. If that person WILLFULLY REJECTS TRUTH, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness. (see 2 Thess. 2:10-12)
Look around you, folks, we see this ... See Moreright before our very eyes!!!!
Very sobering. Once we receive Truth, we best not REJECT it, or we open ourselves up to this of which I just shared with you. God's Word cannot lie!
So... what can cause a person to "reject the Truth"? Well, for one thing, FEAR. Fear of what people will think, fear of losing income, etc, etc. Friend, you better fear the LORD instead, or you will have some REAL fear in store for you, and you will wish you had obeyed the Truth plainly showed to you!
I speak now as a servant of the Lord: REPENT, and begin obeying that Truth which YOU KNOW, or DECEPTION.... is at the door, leading to destruction (I speak this in love, not in malice.).
Remember how that JESUS, numerous times throughout the scriptures, makes this statement: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"? Well... this is what He was referring to !!
DO you have faith that God will keep and preserve you from the ire of man? DO you believe that He is of more power than Satan and rebellious people? Right here is a test of that, where "the rubber meets the road", so-to-speak! Friend, you will not regret it. God MAKES A WAY, WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY. HE IS A GOD OF A-L-L P-O-W-E-R. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith (Christ and Him Crucified), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED WITH A HOT IRON;" -(1 Tim. 4:1-2)
God gives man the free will to accept or reject His Way (Christ) and Means (the Cross) for not only Salvaton, but for Righteousness in daily living. And if that is rejected by those who claim to know Him, He is forced to give them over to apostacy, deception, and potential destruction unless they repent. Is God mean? NO, HE has provided man a Way out. Man's PRIDE is the problem!
"The same Sun (God) which melts wax (softens the humblecl repentant heart) HARDENS the clay (hardens the proud unrepentant heart)."
4) There are countless opinions of man on... whatever, but THE WORD OF GOD shall stand; And those who are IN the Word of God, through faith in HIM (Jesus) AND HIS BLOOD (ie: "The Cross") shall stand as well. "On Christ the solid Rock I stand; All other ground is sink-ing sand."
"When dark-ness veils His love-ly Face, I rest in His un-changing Grace; Through ev-ry high and stor-my gale, my anchor holds with-in the veil!"
That's the bottom line, now isn't it, regardless of the countless opinions out there.
.... and friend, if you get THAT right, and remain in that Faith daily, the HOLY SPIRIT will take care of all those peripheral areas: like things you WATCH, things you LISTEN to, where you are to go, the things you are to avoid, etc. He will show you.
... "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth...' -(Jhn. 16:13)
5) "... whatsoever is not of faith is sin." -(Rom. 14:23). Meaning.... if you are doing good/ obeying the Word through "law", simply out of compulsion and not from faith in your heart, it is s-i-n. (For God looks at the HEART.)
You see, friend, you could be "doing all the right things", and yet still be rejected by God, BECAUSE YOUR MOTIVES ARE NOT RIGHT.
EVERYTHING we receive from God (which is lasting) must come through that faith in the Cross, because WITHOUT THAT SACRIFICE, God can have absolutely no fellowship and dealings with us whatsoever. HE.. is perfectly pure and holy, WE... See More... are not; And that Cross is like a Bridge between the two. If we are in the flesh in the very least, in THAT AREA (whatever area of our life that is), we are cut off from His Grace, and His Life-giving Spirit will not be flowing
6) "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." -(James 4:17).
Meaning.... if you know the morally right thing to do, and WILL NOT DO IT, because of fear of people or loss of income or ..... whatever, it is s-i-n. If that is you, you best repent, or d-e-c-e-p-t-i-o-n will be at your door, for you are deliberately rejecting revealed Truth, and God expects you to o-b-e-y.
Fear of what people will think of you, (ie: fear of losing status, prestige, position, etc.), and fear of losing income because of that... because of a decision to obey what the Holy Spirit has plainly told you to do or shun..constitutes UNBELIEF IN GOD, which He hates!
7) Man's problem is not "low self-esteem; it is not "a troubled past"; It is not "abuse from another person"; It is not "lack of education"; Man's problem is (A) "SIN" (NATURE), inherited from Adam's fall, through his impure blood-line (See Ezek. 18:4,20; Rom. 5:12; 3:23).
The SOLUTION (or "Way") whereby man can be saved from sin's deadly decree of "spiritual death" (IE: eternal separation from God in a "lake of fire" -Rev. 20:15; 21:8) is.......
1) REPENTANCE OF SINS (Ezek. 18:21-22; Acts 17:30; 3:19; Mk. 1:15; Lk. 24:46-47), and....2) FAITH EXCLUSIVELY IN "JESUS CHRIST" (Jhn. 14:6), AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS (Jhn. 3:14-16; 1 Cor. 1:17-18,23-24; 2:2)...
Moreover, the same Way a person gets SAVED is the same Way he LIVES FOR GOD (Col. 2:6): By "GRACE THROUGH FAITH" (Eph. 2:8-10) exclusively in Jesus Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross (HIS Sacrifice), not by "LAW" (our trust in OUR sacrifices/ performance of "do's and dont's) -Gal. 5:4; For the STRENGTH of (the) SIN (nature) is "LAW" (1 Cor. 15:56b; Rom. 7:9). Any time we begin once again trusting in "the flesh"/ "law"/ any system of OUR sacrifices of do's and don'ts... the GRACE OF GOD IS FRUSTRATED IN OUR LIVES (Gal. 2:21), the Holy SPirit is "quenched" in our life (1 Thes. 5:19), and "the law of sin and death" (the sin nature) begins to come alive again (Rom. 8:1-2), bringing us back into bondages of sin (Gal. 5:1).
CHURCH RETURN TO THE CROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8) A Divine Faith always has as It's Object Christ & Him Crucified, and is always based upon the SCRIPTURES, not upon outward observances & feelings. (Jn. 3:14-16; 2:23-24)
9) "He who believes on the Son has everlasting Life: and he who believes not the Son shall not see Life; but the wrath of God abides on him." -(Jn. 3:36)
The great Dividing Line of humanity is 'the CROSS' (Christ's Blood Sacrifice). Which side are you on? God's everlasting Life? Or His wrath? ... and that begins NOW, in this present lifetime.
"And this is the record, that God has given to us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son. He who has the Son has Life; and he who has not the Son has not Life." -(1 Jn. 5:11-12)
Either we unreservedly give our life to Christ, trusting in His Sacrifice for our sins, and LIVE, or... we live for OURSELF, retaining our sins, and PERISH. ...On the one Side: Light; On the other side: darkness. God is commanding each of us, now more than ever... to CHOOSE.
10) Jesus did not come to win a popularity contest: He came to do the will of His Father: which was to save humble repentant sinners who want TRUTH.
.... and His followers are to be the same way. Yeah, if you wanna have everyone to like you, and to "not make waves" and have "no drama", then true Christianity is not for you, friend! Example, say 95 % of those around you believe ONE thing, contrary to the Bible,.... and there YOU are, basing your life UPON the Bible, and to top it off- preaching AGAINST that one thing.... oooo, you got trouble.
...."HOW D-A-R-E YOU !!" ...and then you hone in on the ULTIMATE sore spot: One's sacrifice for righteousness, what they TRUST in..... Oh my!
11) PRAISE GOD I'm not "wanted by the law"; My picture is not posted in Satan's post office! (See Gal. 3:10; 1 Cor. 15:56b; Romans 10:2-4: Phil. 3:9; Rev. 12:10-11)
12) "THE CROSS" strikes against all man-made efforts of pride for righteousness, which is why it is an 'offence' to the 'religious'. (1 Cor. 1.23; Gal. 5:11: 6:12-14: Gen. 4:3-8)
Mini "SERMONETTES"- #2
1) At Salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes Believing sinners into INTO CHRIST (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-5; Eph. 4:5); At the Spirit Baptism, Jesus Baptizes Believers INTO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Matt. 3:11b,c; Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:1-4; 4:31; 8:14-17; 10:44-46; 19:2-6).
There is a THIRD Baptism also: "WATER Baptism", which symbolizes our being dead, buried, and resurrected with Christ into newness of Life. It is not necessary to be saved, but rather is something we do as an act of obedience to proclaim to the world that we are now "in the faith". The baptism in Romans 6 does NOT refer to "water" baptism, but ... See Morerather to our Baptism INTO CHRIST. Here are some good scriptures which tell of water baptism, and how it is separate from the other two Baptisms: Matt. 28:19; Acts 8:36-38; 10:44-48; 19:2-6. Go through those Baptisms in Acts 10 and 19 there, and see if you can distinguish those three Baptisms. Fascinating!
2) PRIDE causes a man to trust in HIS performance of works (LAW), stimulating the sin nature, & placing him under a CURSE; HUMILITY causes a man to trust in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (GRACE), allowing him to walk in the Divine Nature of the Spirit, and BLESSINGS. (See Habakkuk 2:4; Rom. 3:23-25; 5:9; Gal. 3:10-14; Eph. 2:8-10; Col. 2:6; 1:20-23; 1 Cor. 15:56b).
In the FIRST scenario, it is like "the cart trying to pull the horse"; In the second, it is "the horse pulling the cart" ! Now which do you think will actually WORK? Duh. One absolutely CANNOT live for God that first way and get ANYWHERE. And does that not explain the utter failure of the majority of those professing to be Christians?
3) I am soooo glad I can place my faith totally in Jesus and His Sacrifice on the Cross for all Righteousness (HIS), and then HE makes me to be what I aught to be- by the POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, without striving on my part. What a Life!!!!
"And be found IN HIM, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by faith." -(Phil. 3:9)
"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the Life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (THE CROSS)" -(Gal. 2:19-20)
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST." -(2 Cor. 11:3)
Living for God and serving Him should be SIMPLE, folks. A "resting", a "trusting" in Him and What HE has done, not in what WE are doing. You know,let's face it: life is filled with responsibilities and ... "work". And my walk with God "USED" to be the biggest one. "Have I prayed enough?" "Have I read the Word enough?" "I forgot my tithe! Oh my!" And on and on. And yet, I found myself not one lick closer to God, having no peace,having no... "abundant Life", ... See Morelike Jesus said we would have in John 10:10. I also noticed I was not getting any PERSECUTION, like Jesus said we would receive if we followed Him. This really left me scratching my head. "SOMETHING IS WRONG!" And indeed something WAS wrong; I was living in "law", plan and simple, trusting in "self" and MY sacrifices; I read Romans chapter 7, and THAT WAS ME! No victory, although I was trying with every ounce within me to please God. (or WAS I?). Really, God and Christianity had just become another category of "work and responsibility" to fulfill. I had become "religious", with my walk with God becoming a list of "do's and dont's". And yet... BECAUSE I was doing all of these religious things, I was puffy and proud at all of my "spirituality", looking down my nose at others and thinking... "Why aren't YOU doing what YOU aught to be doing?! Hmppffff" . I was no better than the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day! And of course, at the time, one cannot see that, because religion BLINDS one to his true state. AND YET, I REMEMBERED what it had been like when I had first been saved and filled with the Spirit: the "lightness", the joy, the peace, the freedom of walking in the Spirit, my hand in the Hand of the Master, in HUMBLE TRUST-IN-HIM!!!!! Seemingly no worries or cares in this world; JESUS had control over it ALL! I longed for those days once again, and, not knowing at the time what WAS the matter, I literally cried out to God for the answer, of how I could get back close to Him once again. And it wasn't but a week after that... that He gave me "THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS FOR... SANCTIFICATION". This was the Answer, and it is STILL the Answer. It is the Answer for YOU, my friend, whoever is reading this. It will make you, and KEEP you nice and TIGHT WITH JESUS, with NO striving on your part. You see.... Jesus already did all of the Work FOR you, on the Cross of Calvary, where He handily defeated Satan and every demon spirit, so you would not HAVE to work, and strive, and fight... to be what you aught to be. Now all you got to do is "REST IN CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE", and God's refreshing "Living Waters", come streaming down. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4) The Strength of God's people lies not in THEIR sacrifices (IE: faith in their works -> "LAW") = "the flesh", & no help; But in GOD'S Sacrifice (faith in Christ & 'the Cross' -> "GRACE") = "the (Holy) Spirit", & HIS Help! (see, in order... Rom. 8:1-2; Zech. 3:3-5; Rev. 7:9-14; 12:10-11; 19:7-8; 3:4-5; Zech. 4:6-7)
Satan can be defeated in our lives in no other way than by faith IN THAT BLOOD SACRIFICE, not only for SALVATION, but also for... LIVING FOR GOD/ SANCTIFICATION. (see Ex. 12:5,7,13, 22-23).
5) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. -(Matt. 24:12-13)
What does Jesus mean here by "ENDURE UNTO THE END"? It means... the following:
(21) "And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath reconciled (22) In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: (23)
IF YE CONTINUE 'IN THE FAITH' GROUNDED AND SETTLED, AND BE NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL..." -(Col. 1:21-23)... See More
We "endure unto the end" by "continuing in 'THE FAITH' of 'JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED (1 Cor. 2:2)". And by continuing in THE FAITH, this means that we do not resort to faith in some other means of justification for our sins- like the "spiritual disciplines", traditions, programs, psychology, self-improvement and motivation, etc. All of these are self-"works and LAW", which WE do.... OUR sacrifices, which God will not accept!
6) "What sall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" -(Rom. 6:1-2)
"(26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." -(Heb. 10:26-27)
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye SIN NOT. And IF ANY MAN SIN, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." -(1 Jhn. 2:1)
Bottom line: We are to NOT WANT TO SIN. But, it's bound to happen because... I AM NOT GOD, AND (ahem) NEITHER ARE YOU. If we place our faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice for righteousness, the sin nature shall not have dominion over us (see Rom. 6:14-15; 8:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:18; Rev. 12:10-11).
7) God would rather have you stop serving Him altogether (COLD towards Him), rather than you be lukewarm in your love and devotion for Him.***
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.". -(Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37).
"Ye shall not go after other gods; of the gods of the people which are round about you; For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you.
"(15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. (16) So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue (vomit) thee out of My mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." -(Rev. 3:15-17).
"(37) He that loveth Father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me. (38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me is not worthy of Me. (39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it." -(Matt. 10:37-39
"If any man come to Me, and hate not (in comparison of his love towards Me) his father, and mother, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." -(Lk. 14:26)
"(15) Love not the world (this present evil anti-Christ world system governed by Satan), neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love if the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." -(1 Jhn. 2:15-16)
"(36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." -(Mark 8:39-38)
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." -(James 4:4)
These scriptures make it glaringly clear that God demands WHOLE-hearted love and devotion for Him. But this does NOT mean (as most think), a "striving to please Him". No, friend, Jesus His Son has ALREADY pleased Him, and now God is looking for your simple FAITH in what HE has done on your behalf. When our faith "for Righteousness" is properly ... See Moreplaced in Christ's BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS, the Holy Spirit will then make us to be what we aught to be, to do the things we aught to do, and to shun the things we aught to shun BY HIS STRENGTH, and NOT OUR'S (see Zech.4:6-7). And yes, the "fear of the Lord" and "repentance of sins" ARE NECESSARY heart traits that the Lord requires! Romans 6:1-2 declares that we do not have an open license to sin. What kind of love and devotion would it BE to God to just unashamedly do the very things that He HATES?
8) "...He (Jesus) said unto them (the Pharisees), They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that means, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice': for I am not come to call the (self) righteous, but sinners to repentance." -(Mt. 9:12-13).
In the preceding verses to this passage, the Pharisees were asking Jesus' disciples why He was eating with the despised Publicans (tax-collectors) and sinners. Jesus heard that, and answered them Himself. His point was this: He did not come to save those who thought they were "A-Okay" through their sacrifices (Self-works of "law"). He came to save ... See Morethose who recognized reality: that they were INDEED sinners (ALL of us), that they were NOT "whole", and that they needed, in humble dependence, to allow "the great Physician"- Jesus - to show them grace and mercy and to heal them.
The Pharisees were those who were SELF-righteous; They thought they had "arrived", being "the spiritual elite" of Israel. Jesus.... thought OTHERWISE, giving them a scathing rebuke in the whole 23rd chapter of Matthew! He viewed them as being FULL OF EVIL!! Calling them here and elsewhere a "generation of VIPERS"!
Folks, we NEVER "arrive". We each need to trust in the grace and mercy of God every day, preachers and other church leaders INCLUDED! It is only then that Jesus the great Physician can CONTINUE to heal us, sanctify us, and conform us into His Image through His Holy Spirit, as we are "in Him"" through faith EXCLUSIVELY in Him and HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON .... THE CROSS. You see... God demands "moral perfection", and none of us can ever arrive at this here in these bodies of flesh, hence the daily need for the precious Blood of Christ to be applied to our... HEARTS.
"But the proud He knoweth afar off." -(Psa. 138:6)
9) The Bible plainly tells us that Pastors are not to be LORDS over their people, but rather... their SERVANTS & EXAMPLES (see Matt. 23:11; Mk. 9:35; 1 Pet. 5:2-3); Not DRIVING them, but LEADING them.
10) "Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard." -(Ecclesiastics. 9:16)
Here is the spiritual meaning behind this scripture: Jesus said "Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT (those who recognize thier moral poverty): for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." -(Matt. 5:3). God CHOOSES this type of people to pour out His mercy and grace upon, as they live by faith on His Son's Sacrifice. Also, and BECAUSE of this, He also fills this type of people with His HOLY SPIRIT, Who teaches them the .... "hidden wisdom of God ", the Word/ the Holy Bible (see 1 Cor. 2:6-16). Hence, "the poor man and his "Wisdom", which can "deliver the city". However, the true Gospel of "Jesus Christ and Him crucified", the ENTRANCE into this Wisdom, is considered as "foolishness" to the proud and worldly folks (who are in the majority, even among those who profess to be Christians!); So the Wisdom of "the wise poor man" is by and large despised and rejected by the majority, to their destruction and peril. One day, when Jesus is the literal physical King over all the earth (in His 1,000 year reign), the "tables will be turned", so-to-speak, and the "poor and wise men" will rule WITH Him in cities across the earth, over natural people, with "a rod of iron" (they will be forced to obey).
11) MAN'S way of holiness is to "improve himSELF" through his own sacrifices (even GOOD sacrifices, such as spiritual disciplines!) = "LAW"; GOD'S Way of holiness is JESUS & for us to "deny ourself", trusting in HIS Sacrifice = "GRACE". (See. Rom. 10:3-4; Gal. 2:21; Lk. 9:23-24; Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 2:6)
Those under "LAW" (as a means of righteousness) are under a CURSE, while those under "GRACE" are in BLESSINGS :
"(10 )For as many as are of the works of the law are under the CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the ... See Morelaw in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (THE CROSS): (14) That THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." -(Gal. 3:10-14)
You may say, "Well, but I am not UNDER the 'law' any more. We are in the NEW Testament now, and under GRACE." Yeah, but when we place ourselves in the position of being spiritual through our own "do's and don'ts", this is placing ourself right back UNDER 'law', which "frustrates" that Grace in our life, and quenches the moving and operation of the HOLY SPIRIT, Who gives us all that we need for victory over 'the world, the flesh, and the devil"!
Satan has much of the Church "hoodwinked" (deceived)! They think they are doing good, and pleasing God through their sacrifices, when all the while... they are digging their own grave by being under the law, stimulating the sin nature, and being CURSED!.... and I'm sure there he is, sitting in the background, and laughing his head off! (He is only afraid of our faith in CHRIST'S BLOOD, not our faith in ourselves and our good deeds and spiritual sacrifices!).
****** Here is a way to KNOW if you are under "law" or not: When you find yourself struggling with a besetting sin, or feeling under condemnation, or feeling "distant with God", is your reaction WHAT YOU DO? If your reaction is to "DO" something (whether it be pray, read the Word, fast, go to church more, tithe, do some good deed, etc.), then YOU ARE UNDER LAW, and "IN THE FLESH". *************
So what can solve our problem then? SIMPLE FAITH IN CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, HIS "BLOOD SACRIFICE". "Lord, I thank you that you have freely given me YOUR Righteousness, through Your Son Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross."
Friend, if you just simply stay "IN THE FAITH", the HOLY SPIRIT will remove that problem in your life! Let HIM do all the work, and you.... just back off! The natural tendency of man is to DO something. The SUPERNATURAL Way THAT WORKS is for us to..... "REST IN CHRIST". O hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12) "Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. "But if ye will not hear it, My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD"S flock is carried away captive." (Jer. 13:15-17)
Hear now the Word of the Lord through His servant:.....
If you are walking in the flesh, trusting in your OWN righteousness before the LORD, you are NOT giving the LORD glory. Y-O-U are getting the glory, and "the Light of the Lord": (The Holy Ghost's Enlightenment)) will be withholden from you, and you will be..... B-L-I-N-D, walking in spiritual DARKNESS.
"I AM the Lord: that is MY Name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images."
Take heed, and be not as one of the "foolish virgins", who carried NO OIL with them in their lamps. So that when the Bridegroom came, they WERE NOT READY.
HEAR ALSO the Message of this last minute of the last hour before the coming of the LORD: "THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS FOR SANCTIFICATION". They that stubbornly hold on to their pride will NOT embrace this Message that I HAVE ORDAINED to prepare for Myself a "glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle". I am giving every member an opportunity to embrace this deliverance, and yet, if it is refused, my flock shall REMAIN in captivity, although in their delusion they think they are.... rich,, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. NOT KNOWING... that IN REALITY they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. NAKED because they have not MY Covering of Righteousness, but their OWN, which is as filthy rags in My sight", saith the LORD GOD through his servant.
I COUNSEL the to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment (through the Blood of My Son), tha thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve (for thou ART blind!), that thou mayest see.
Behold I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock: If any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me.
He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him THAT IS AT EASE. (Job. 12:5)"
Be ye zealous therefore, and REPENT. Behold I come quickly, as a thief in the NIGHT." ~
There is a THIRD Baptism also: "WATER Baptism", which symbolizes our being dead, buried, and resurrected with Christ into newness of Life. It is not necessary to be saved, but rather is something we do as an act of obedience to proclaim to the world that we are now "in the faith". The baptism in Romans 6 does NOT refer to "water" baptism, but ... See Morerather to our Baptism INTO CHRIST. Here are some good scriptures which tell of water baptism, and how it is separate from the other two Baptisms: Matt. 28:19; Acts 8:36-38; 10:44-48; 19:2-6. Go through those Baptisms in Acts 10 and 19 there, and see if you can distinguish those three Baptisms. Fascinating!
2) PRIDE causes a man to trust in HIS performance of works (LAW), stimulating the sin nature, & placing him under a CURSE; HUMILITY causes a man to trust in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (GRACE), allowing him to walk in the Divine Nature of the Spirit, and BLESSINGS. (See Habakkuk 2:4; Rom. 3:23-25; 5:9; Gal. 3:10-14; Eph. 2:8-10; Col. 2:6; 1:20-23; 1 Cor. 15:56b).
In the FIRST scenario, it is like "the cart trying to pull the horse"; In the second, it is "the horse pulling the cart" ! Now which do you think will actually WORK? Duh. One absolutely CANNOT live for God that first way and get ANYWHERE. And does that not explain the utter failure of the majority of those professing to be Christians?
3) I am soooo glad I can place my faith totally in Jesus and His Sacrifice on the Cross for all Righteousness (HIS), and then HE makes me to be what I aught to be- by the POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST, without striving on my part. What a Life!!!!
"And be found IN HIM, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by faith." -(Phil. 3:9)
"For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the Life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (THE CROSS)" -(Gal. 2:19-20)
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST." -(2 Cor. 11:3)
Living for God and serving Him should be SIMPLE, folks. A "resting", a "trusting" in Him and What HE has done, not in what WE are doing. You know,let's face it: life is filled with responsibilities and ... "work". And my walk with God "USED" to be the biggest one. "Have I prayed enough?" "Have I read the Word enough?" "I forgot my tithe! Oh my!" And on and on. And yet, I found myself not one lick closer to God, having no peace,having no... "abundant Life", ... See Morelike Jesus said we would have in John 10:10. I also noticed I was not getting any PERSECUTION, like Jesus said we would receive if we followed Him. This really left me scratching my head. "SOMETHING IS WRONG!" And indeed something WAS wrong; I was living in "law", plan and simple, trusting in "self" and MY sacrifices; I read Romans chapter 7, and THAT WAS ME! No victory, although I was trying with every ounce within me to please God. (or WAS I?). Really, God and Christianity had just become another category of "work and responsibility" to fulfill. I had become "religious", with my walk with God becoming a list of "do's and dont's". And yet... BECAUSE I was doing all of these religious things, I was puffy and proud at all of my "spirituality", looking down my nose at others and thinking... "Why aren't YOU doing what YOU aught to be doing?! Hmppffff" . I was no better than the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day! And of course, at the time, one cannot see that, because religion BLINDS one to his true state. AND YET, I REMEMBERED what it had been like when I had first been saved and filled with the Spirit: the "lightness", the joy, the peace, the freedom of walking in the Spirit, my hand in the Hand of the Master, in HUMBLE TRUST-IN-HIM!!!!! Seemingly no worries or cares in this world; JESUS had control over it ALL! I longed for those days once again, and, not knowing at the time what WAS the matter, I literally cried out to God for the answer, of how I could get back close to Him once again. And it wasn't but a week after that... that He gave me "THE REVELATION OF THE CROSS FOR... SANCTIFICATION". This was the Answer, and it is STILL the Answer. It is the Answer for YOU, my friend, whoever is reading this. It will make you, and KEEP you nice and TIGHT WITH JESUS, with NO striving on your part. You see.... Jesus already did all of the Work FOR you, on the Cross of Calvary, where He handily defeated Satan and every demon spirit, so you would not HAVE to work, and strive, and fight... to be what you aught to be. Now all you got to do is "REST IN CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE", and God's refreshing "Living Waters", come streaming down. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4) The Strength of God's people lies not in THEIR sacrifices (IE: faith in their works -> "LAW") = "the flesh", & no help; But in GOD'S Sacrifice (faith in Christ & 'the Cross' -> "GRACE") = "the (Holy) Spirit", & HIS Help! (see, in order... Rom. 8:1-2; Zech. 3:3-5; Rev. 7:9-14; 12:10-11; 19:7-8; 3:4-5; Zech. 4:6-7)
Satan can be defeated in our lives in no other way than by faith IN THAT BLOOD SACRIFICE, not only for SALVATION, but also for... LIVING FOR GOD/ SANCTIFICATION. (see Ex. 12:5,7,13, 22-23).
5) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. -(Matt. 24:12-13)
What does Jesus mean here by "ENDURE UNTO THE END"? It means... the following:
(21) "And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath reconciled (22) In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: (23)
IF YE CONTINUE 'IN THE FAITH' GROUNDED AND SETTLED, AND BE NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL..." -(Col. 1:21-23)... See More
We "endure unto the end" by "continuing in 'THE FAITH' of 'JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED (1 Cor. 2:2)". And by continuing in THE FAITH, this means that we do not resort to faith in some other means of justification for our sins- like the "spiritual disciplines", traditions, programs, psychology, self-improvement and motivation, etc. All of these are self-"works and LAW", which WE do.... OUR sacrifices, which God will not accept!
6) "What sall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" -(Rom. 6:1-2)
"(26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (27) But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." -(Heb. 10:26-27)
"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye SIN NOT. And IF ANY MAN SIN, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." -(1 Jhn. 2:1)
Bottom line: We are to NOT WANT TO SIN. But, it's bound to happen because... I AM NOT GOD, AND (ahem) NEITHER ARE YOU. If we place our faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice for righteousness, the sin nature shall not have dominion over us (see Rom. 6:14-15; 8:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:18; Rev. 12:10-11).
7) God would rather have you stop serving Him altogether (COLD towards Him), rather than you be lukewarm in your love and devotion for Him.***
"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.". -(Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37).
"Ye shall not go after other gods; of the gods of the people which are round about you; For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you.
"(15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. (16) So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue (vomit) thee out of My mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." -(Rev. 3:15-17).
"(37) He that loveth Father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me. (38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me is not worthy of Me. (39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it." -(Matt. 10:37-39
"If any man come to Me, and hate not (in comparison of his love towards Me) his father, and mother, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." -(Lk. 14:26)
"(15) Love not the world (this present evil anti-Christ world system governed by Satan), neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love if the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." -(1 Jhn. 2:15-16)
"(36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." -(Mark 8:39-38)
"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." -(James 4:4)
These scriptures make it glaringly clear that God demands WHOLE-hearted love and devotion for Him. But this does NOT mean (as most think), a "striving to please Him". No, friend, Jesus His Son has ALREADY pleased Him, and now God is looking for your simple FAITH in what HE has done on your behalf. When our faith "for Righteousness" is properly ... See Moreplaced in Christ's BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS, the Holy Spirit will then make us to be what we aught to be, to do the things we aught to do, and to shun the things we aught to shun BY HIS STRENGTH, and NOT OUR'S (see Zech.4:6-7). And yes, the "fear of the Lord" and "repentance of sins" ARE NECESSARY heart traits that the Lord requires! Romans 6:1-2 declares that we do not have an open license to sin. What kind of love and devotion would it BE to God to just unashamedly do the very things that He HATES?
8) "...He (Jesus) said unto them (the Pharisees), They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that means, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice': for I am not come to call the (self) righteous, but sinners to repentance." -(Mt. 9:12-13).
In the preceding verses to this passage, the Pharisees were asking Jesus' disciples why He was eating with the despised Publicans (tax-collectors) and sinners. Jesus heard that, and answered them Himself. His point was this: He did not come to save those who thought they were "A-Okay" through their sacrifices (Self-works of "law"). He came to save ... See Morethose who recognized reality: that they were INDEED sinners (ALL of us), that they were NOT "whole", and that they needed, in humble dependence, to allow "the great Physician"- Jesus - to show them grace and mercy and to heal them.
The Pharisees were those who were SELF-righteous; They thought they had "arrived", being "the spiritual elite" of Israel. Jesus.... thought OTHERWISE, giving them a scathing rebuke in the whole 23rd chapter of Matthew! He viewed them as being FULL OF EVIL!! Calling them here and elsewhere a "generation of VIPERS"!
Folks, we NEVER "arrive". We each need to trust in the grace and mercy of God every day, preachers and other church leaders INCLUDED! It is only then that Jesus the great Physician can CONTINUE to heal us, sanctify us, and conform us into His Image through His Holy Spirit, as we are "in Him"" through faith EXCLUSIVELY in Him and HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON .... THE CROSS. You see... God demands "moral perfection", and none of us can ever arrive at this here in these bodies of flesh, hence the daily need for the precious Blood of Christ to be applied to our... HEARTS.
"But the proud He knoweth afar off." -(Psa. 138:6)
9) The Bible plainly tells us that Pastors are not to be LORDS over their people, but rather... their SERVANTS & EXAMPLES (see Matt. 23:11; Mk. 9:35; 1 Pet. 5:2-3); Not DRIVING them, but LEADING them.
10) "Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard." -(Ecclesiastics. 9:16)
Here is the spiritual meaning behind this scripture: Jesus said "Blessed are the POOR IN SPIRIT (those who recognize thier moral poverty): for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." -(Matt. 5:3). God CHOOSES this type of people to pour out His mercy and grace upon, as they live by faith on His Son's Sacrifice. Also, and BECAUSE of this, He also fills this type of people with His HOLY SPIRIT, Who teaches them the .... "hidden wisdom of God ", the Word/ the Holy Bible (see 1 Cor. 2:6-16). Hence, "the poor man and his "Wisdom", which can "deliver the city". However, the true Gospel of "Jesus Christ and Him crucified", the ENTRANCE into this Wisdom, is considered as "foolishness" to the proud and worldly folks (who are in the majority, even among those who profess to be Christians!); So the Wisdom of "the wise poor man" is by and large despised and rejected by the majority, to their destruction and peril. One day, when Jesus is the literal physical King over all the earth (in His 1,000 year reign), the "tables will be turned", so-to-speak, and the "poor and wise men" will rule WITH Him in cities across the earth, over natural people, with "a rod of iron" (they will be forced to obey).
11) MAN'S way of holiness is to "improve himSELF" through his own sacrifices (even GOOD sacrifices, such as spiritual disciplines!) = "LAW"; GOD'S Way of holiness is JESUS & for us to "deny ourself", trusting in HIS Sacrifice = "GRACE". (See. Rom. 10:3-4; Gal. 2:21; Lk. 9:23-24; Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 2:6)
Those under "LAW" (as a means of righteousness) are under a CURSE, while those under "GRACE" are in BLESSINGS :
"(10 )For as many as are of the works of the law are under the CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the ... See Morelaw in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (THE CROSS): (14) That THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." -(Gal. 3:10-14)
You may say, "Well, but I am not UNDER the 'law' any more. We are in the NEW Testament now, and under GRACE." Yeah, but when we place ourselves in the position of being spiritual through our own "do's and don'ts", this is placing ourself right back UNDER 'law', which "frustrates" that Grace in our life, and quenches the moving and operation of the HOLY SPIRIT, Who gives us all that we need for victory over 'the world, the flesh, and the devil"!
Satan has much of the Church "hoodwinked" (deceived)! They think they are doing good, and pleasing God through their sacrifices, when all the while... they are digging their own grave by being under the law, stimulating the sin nature, and being CURSED!.... and I'm sure there he is, sitting in the background, and laughing his head off! (He is only afraid of our faith in CHRIST'S BLOOD, not our faith in ourselves and our good deeds and spiritual sacrifices!).
****** Here is a way to KNOW if you are under "law" or not: When you find yourself struggling with a besetting sin, or feeling under condemnation, or feeling "distant with God", is your reaction WHAT YOU DO? If your reaction is to "DO" something (whether it be pray, read the Word, fast, go to church more, tithe, do some good deed, etc.), then YOU ARE UNDER LAW, and "IN THE FLESH". *************
So what can solve our problem then? SIMPLE FAITH IN CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS, HIS "BLOOD SACRIFICE". "Lord, I thank you that you have freely given me YOUR Righteousness, through Your Son Jesus' Sacrifice on the Cross."
Friend, if you just simply stay "IN THE FAITH", the HOLY SPIRIT will remove that problem in your life! Let HIM do all the work, and you.... just back off! The natural tendency of man is to DO something. The SUPERNATURAL Way THAT WORKS is for us to..... "REST IN CHRIST". O hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12) "Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. "But if ye will not hear it, My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD"S flock is carried away captive." (Jer. 13:15-17)
Hear now the Word of the Lord through His servant:.....
If you are walking in the flesh, trusting in your OWN righteousness before the LORD, you are NOT giving the LORD glory. Y-O-U are getting the glory, and "the Light of the Lord": (The Holy Ghost's Enlightenment)) will be withholden from you, and you will be..... B-L-I-N-D, walking in spiritual DARKNESS.
"I AM the Lord: that is MY Name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images."
Take heed, and be not as one of the "foolish virgins", who carried NO OIL with them in their lamps. So that when the Bridegroom came, they WERE NOT READY.
HEAR ALSO the Message of this last minute of the last hour before the coming of the LORD: "THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS FOR SANCTIFICATION". They that stubbornly hold on to their pride will NOT embrace this Message that I HAVE ORDAINED to prepare for Myself a "glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle". I am giving every member an opportunity to embrace this deliverance, and yet, if it is refused, my flock shall REMAIN in captivity, although in their delusion they think they are.... rich,, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. NOT KNOWING... that IN REALITY they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked. NAKED because they have not MY Covering of Righteousness, but their OWN, which is as filthy rags in My sight", saith the LORD GOD through his servant.
I COUNSEL the to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment (through the Blood of My Son), tha thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve (for thou ART blind!), that thou mayest see.
Behold I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock: If any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me.
He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him THAT IS AT EASE. (Job. 12:5)"
Be ye zealous therefore, and REPENT. Behold I come quickly, as a thief in the NIGHT." ~
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD - part 2" (Pr. 8:13; 16:6; Rev. 19:5-8)
"The FEAR OF THE LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." -(Pr. 8:13)
"By mercy and Truth iniquity is purged: and by the FEAR OF THE LORD men depart from evil." -(Pr. 16:6)
"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and YE THAT FEAR HIM, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of mighty waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (or "bright"): for the fine linen is the Righteousness of saints." -(Rev. 19:5-8)
This is "part 2" of a treatise on a very significant Bible doctrine called "The Fear of THE LORD", found extensively from cover to cover in the Holy Bible (KJ or NAS versions, which come closest to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts).
In this second part, I shall hone in on this great subject specifically, along with "sin", "repentance", and "law". Finally, I shall tie all of this in with the "Message of the Cross for Sanctification". I suggest that before reading this "part 2", you first read "part 1", which lays a foundation for this one.
"The FEAR OF THE LORD", as we saw the first two of our opening scriptures, is very closely linked to hating EVIL, and turning AWAY FROM evil. When we speak of "evil", we are of course speaking of... "SIN", which is the transgression of God's moral "law": the ten commandments.
The "child", so-to-speak, of "the fear of the Lord" is "REPENTANCE". It is THROUGH the fear of the Lord that men DO repent, for "by the fear of the Lord men 'depart from evil'" -(Pr. 16:6).
"IF A PERSON IS GENUINELY LIVING HIS LIFE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD, HE WILL LIVE A LIFE DAILY OF SENSITIVITY TO SINNING, A LIFE DAILY OF.... "REPENTANCE (a sorrow for, and a turning away from.... sin)."
No one should have to be on that person's back all the time telling him... "Don't watch THIS", or "Don't listen to THAT!". For if the person is "choosing" (yes, it is a CHOICE) "the fear of the Lord", he will be listening to (and heeding) the Voice of THE HOLY SPIRIT, Who shall convict him of this or that, without some preacher making a "law" out of it FOR him. Personal convictions on music, tv watching, dress attire, and a million other things cannot be "legislated" from the pulpit in a legalistic fashion; Otherwise, folks are sunk into a system of "do's and don'ts", basing their walk with God upon faith in SELF and the keeping of rules = "LAW", rather than faith exclusively in Christ's Blood Sacrifice = GRACE.
That person who has "the fear of the Lord" is most bles-sed indeed, for he will have this mind-set: "HOW SHALL I SIN AGAINST THE GOD WHOM I LOVE?!". Plain and simple, he/she will have no PART in watching, listening to, doing... things which contain that which God hates!! No, and it will not be some "rule" from the preacher, no "facts" that he has obtained intellectually through "research", whether done by himself or another. When the most popular tv sitcom in America is on tv, he will instantly recognize...... FORNICATION IS EVIL. And since he has "the fear of the Lord", and HATES evil, he will instantly think.... "ABOMINATION!.... HOW shall I sin against my God, and watch this terrible thing for entertainment?!!" (I will let you find out for yourself what that tv show is!). Or when he is at a baseball game, and some funky evil song is playing on the loudspeaker in between innings, he will get out his earbuds, stick them in his ears, and DROWN OUT THAT TRIPE with godly music, or else disdainfully bear it!
If a person has this mind-set, if he CHOOSES "the fear of the Lord", coupled with faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness , God will then open up the windows of heaven to bestow upon that person His GRACE, His HOLY SPIRIT, His BLESSINGS; But most of all, intimate FELLOWSHIP AND UNION with "He Who is holy", "He Who is pure", "He Who is ALTOGETHER LOVELY" (Song of Sol. 5:16). Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A "knowing" of He Who "satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with GOODness" (Psa. 107:9).
"For Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life; In Thy Presence is fulness of joy. At Thy Right Hand there are pleasures for evermore." -(Psa. 16:11)
The following is a synopsis from what the Bible tells us of "the fear of the Lord". Enjoy:
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THE FEAR OF THE LORD....
- does not exist in the unsaved (wicked) man. (Psa. 36:1; Rom. 3:18)
- does not exist in a hard-hearted person , whose heart is MADE hard by the LORD because of "unbelief". (Isa. 63:17; Mk. 16:14; Heb. 3:12; Isa. 6:9-10; Jhn. 12:39-40; Rom. 9:18)
- goes hand-in-hand with TRUST in the Lord, and HUMILITY. (Isa. 50:10; Psa. 115:11; Prov. 22:4)
- draws GOD'S SALVATION. (Acts 13:26)
- IN A MAN, causes God to TAKE PLEASURE in that man. (Psa. 147:11)
- is something which one CHOOSES (Prov. 1:29; Psa. 119:173)
- is resident within THE HOLY SPIRIT (a part of one of His Names). (Isa. 11:2)
- is a prerequisite for true worship of God (Psa. 5:7)
- accompanies GODLINESS. (Acts 10:2; 22; 1 Tim. 6:3)
- promotes the "perfection of HOLINESS" in one's life. (2 Cor. 7:1)
- is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy, a perverse mouth. (Prov. 8:13)
- causes one to depart from evil. (Prov. 16:6; 3:7; 14:16; J0b 1:8)
- teaches one to... 1) keep his tongue from speaking evil and deceit (lies), 2) depart from sin, 3) do good, and 4) seek peace, and pursue it. (Psa. 34: 11-14)
- will keep one from doing abominable things decreed in an ungodly society. (Ex. 1:15-17; Neh. 5:15)
- will cause one to do that which is just and morally right towards other people. (Lev. 19:11-18)
- causes one to respect and revere the elderly. (Lev. 19:32)
- glorifies God in an evil society. (Neh. 5:9; Rom. 2:22-24; 1 Pet. 2:12)
- is the BEGINNING OF wisdom, IS wisdom, and is the INSTRUCTION of wisdom. (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Job. 28:28; Deut. 4:5-6)
- .... along with the keeping of His commandments, is the whole duty of man (God REQUIRES it). (Eccl. 12:13; Deut. 10:12; 6:13; 13:4; Psa. 76:11; 96:4,9; Isa. 8:13; Lk. 12:5)
- is to be united with our HEART. (inner being, motives, etc). (Psa. 86:11; Jer. 17:10)
- is UNDERSTOOD as one treasures God's commandments and intensely seeks after His wisdom. (Prov. 2:5)
- is a TREASURE. (Isa. 33:6)
- causes God to share His secrets and show His Covenant WITH THAT PERSON (who fears Him). (Psa. 25:14)
- attracts God's pity (compassion) and mercy (lovingkindness)
- gives great Strength (GOD'S). (Eccl. 7:18-19)
- gives STRONG CONFIDENCE. (Prov. 14:26)
- extends one's physical life. (Deut. 6:2; Prov. 10:27)
- promotes WELL-BEING and BLESSING. (Eccl. 8:12-13; Isa. 3:10; Psa. 112:1-3; 115:13; Psa. 128; Prov. 22:4)
- brings God's watchful care and protection. (Psa. 33:18-19)
- protects one from impending danger. (Heb. 11:7)
- brings God's DELIVERANCE. (Psa. 34:7)
- brings SATISFACTION and CONTENTMENT (Psa. 34:9; Prov. 19:23; Phil. 4:11-12)
- is a Fountain of Life, to depart from the snares of death. (Prov. 14:27)
- ... and LITTLE, is better than great treasure with trouble. (Prov. 15:16)
- shall be universal in the earth one day (in the future). (Psa. 67:7; 22:27)
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Whew! And so you see.... this is very important to God!!
Now to the subject of "REPENTANCE":
Jesus, in one of His very opening preaching statements in His earthly ministry, said this: "..... REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel." -(Mark 1:14-15). Right here we have God's requirement for man, both to be SAVED, and to LIVE FOR HIM: "REPENT of your sins, and BELIEVE in God's Way (Jesus) and Means (the Cross)." Most people have a problem with "either" or "both" of hese things, now DON'T they? Man, in general, is both UNrepentant and UNbelieving; including most people who attend churches and claim they are Christians. This is the sad and simple truth; The SIN nature dominates most professing Christians and even ministers. THERE IS NO "FEAR OF GOD" IN THE LAND! Everyone does "that which is right in his own eyes", as is the common theme in the book of "Judges" from the Bible. In that book, God's people were in a state of "apostacy", as they are.... today! Presently, among most professing Christians, "sin" is taken very lightly, or conveniently "re-named" as a ... "problem", or a "disease". Or else, it is just dismissed and ignored ALTOGETHER, or acknowledged... but JUSTIFIED!
Sin is very serious with God; If one lightly brushes it aside, he does it to his own peril. His Word plainly tells us ... "Be not wise in thine own eyes: FEAR THE LORD, and DEPART from evil. -(Prov. 3:7). "Departing from evil" speaks of "repentance". In the book of Acts (17:30), the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul said these words: "The times of man's ignorance, God has winked at, but now commands all men everywhere to... REPENT." Repent of what? Of SIN, which is the transgression of God's moral law (the ten commandments) (see 1 Jhn. 3:4; Ex. 20:3-17). Satan has greatly deceived people into thinking that God would be greatly privileged to have them on-board with Him, that they can pick and choose what lifestyle THEY want to live, and to have God as a "part" of "their" life. O how ARROGANT is man in his natural, carnal state! Little do they seem to realize that THEY are not the center of the universe, but rather... GOD! This is HIS world, not THEIR'S; H-E is the Owner, not... THEM. It's kinda like little microscopic DUST MITES acting like THEY own your house, and not you! How supremely arrogant, and utterly RIDICULOUS! "Nay, I say to you.... FEAR HIM Who has power to cast both body and soul into hell."!!!! Truly, "the fear of the Lord" is no option, and God "COMMANDS" that men repent of their sins. They can choose NOT to, if they so desire (and most DO). But if so, God decrees their destiny to be "HELL AND THE LAKE OF FIRE" (see my sermon "The Fear of the Lord- part 1"). You see, heaven is no place for proud rebels, who want to do their own thing. They need not "apply", for God will not have them there; He likes "peace", not trouble and drama caused by "little gods" running around all over the place, insisting upon their own selfish ways! Of this type of man, God will say to His angels, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into "outer darkness"! "In your life-time you chose YOUR supposedly 'good things'; But now you shall be tormented by the FLAMES, for ever AND EVER!"
Jesus, after His resurrection, told His disciples that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Lk. 24: 47). By-the-way, Jerusalem, as a whole, did NOT repent, and was completely destroyed in AD 70 by General Titus and the Romans.
You see, "repentance" must be joined together with remission of sins though faith exclusively in Jesus Christ Crucified. God DEMANDS it (no option). This tells God... "I am genuinely sorry for my sins and I am willing to turn WAY from them." David, after having been confronted by the prophet Nathan, for his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba, and of having her husband Uriah killed, said THIS in the Psalms:
"I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." -(Psa. 38:18).
To "DECLARE" means to "CONFESS", to "fess up" or "admit" to one's wrong-doing. Not to JUSTIFY it, or to play "the blame game", like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. 1 Jhn. 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And again, in Proverbs 28:13, ... "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
Behold again, the attitude of DAVID from the Psalms. Now keep in mind, we already KNOW that he certainly was not perfect MORALLY. He had many failures of sinning. However, he FEARED THE LORD, and had a HEART ATTITUDE of.... "repentance". He genuinely wanted, from his HEART, to walk uprightly before the Lord. Listen to these words of his, recorded in Psalm 101:
"I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me: I will not be close friends with a wicked person. Whoever slanders his neighbor, him will I cut off: Him that has an arrogant look and a proud heart will I not respect." -(Psa. 101:2-5). It's like this, from a practical stand-point: You realize you are NOT morally perfect 100 % of the time, and you also know that you cannot be "holier-than-thou"; But yet, in your heart, your WANT TO PLEASE GOD; you WANT TO BE HOLY. And this... is a far cry from the attitude of many, which is... "I don't really care. EVERYONE is sinning; I will give God some hard work, some "sacrifices" in church, and to help people: But yet, this is MY life; ...I... will call the shots and do as ... I... please!" That right there, friend, is a recipe for DISASTER, and is none other than the "spirit of CAIN".
"THE PERSON WITH A TRULY REPENTANT HEART, WHO LIVES A LIFE OF REPENTANCE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD WILL BE ONE WHO RECOGNIZES HIS OWN UTTER UNWORTHINESS WITHOUT THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST."
(Please read Lk. 18:9-14)
One very important, actually VITAL element of repentance of sin, is that it needs to be "VERTICAL". What do I mean by... "vertical"? It needs to be "up-and-down" first, between US... and... GOD. Here are some scriptures which demonstrate that:
(Please read Psa. 51:2-4; Gen. 20:6; 39:9; 2 Sam. 12:13
See that? In God's Eyes, whenever we sin, we are actually sinning against HIM, for we are walking in direct rebellion to His Ways. If we FEAR Him, we will be sensitive about not sinning AGAINST Him, Amen?
Have you ever wondered what the main difference was between Saul and David? I mean, both of these men sinned, and ADMITTED it, and yet God cut OFF Saul but yet FORGAVE David. Why was that? Saul ...feared THE PEOPLE, while David... feared GOD. Right there was the difference: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD". In 1 Sam. 15:24-25, Saul asked SAMUEL to pardon his sin, so his repentance was not vertical, in relationship with God . However, in 2 Sam 12:13, David saw his sin as being against THE LORD. And we know from David's prayers in the Psalms that he was deeply remorseful towards HIM. Now... as you see this difference between these two men, you can also see the difference between the "two kinds of professing Christians in the organized Church of today"!: Those who do NOT fear God, and are UNrepentant.... and those who DO fear God, and ARE repentant. The former will gravitate toward "law": Toward rules and regulations from their preacher leaders; The latter will gravitate toward "grace": Toward FAITH (IN THE HEART, not just "head knowledge")... OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED FOR ... SANCTIFICATION AND LIVING FOR GOD.
I would now like to deal more specifically with how "the fear of the Lord" ties in with "the message of the Cross for Sanctification". Here is a vitally important statement which I believe the Holy Spirit has given to me to share:
~ "The JUDGMENT of the God we are to FEAR was meted out upon Christ on 'THE CROSS', providing for us the MERCY AND TRUTH of the God we are to LOVE" ~ (scripture refs.: Prov. 16:6; 3:3-4; 14:22; 20:28; Psa. 89:14; Jhn. 1:17; Col. 1:20-23)
So as we "fear the Lord" and daily place our faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice for all Righteousness (HIS, not OUR"S), God's mercy and Truth are freely given to us by His GRACE. This gives THE HOLY SPIRIT the legal Means to move in our lives to convict, lead, guide, teach, and empower us to have VICTORY over "the world, the flesh, and the devil, giving us "ABUNDANT LIFE" (see Jhn. 10:10). O HALLELUJAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahh, do you FEAR Him today? Do you LOVE Him so, and stand in AWE of Him as the all-Powerful Potentate that His is? The King of all kings, and Lord of all lords? IS He your God? Or is "self" your God? He LOVES you; he has redeemed you to Himself through the CROSS; Has PURCHASED you by His Blood. Are you TRUSTING today, and each day, in His all-sufficient Sacrifice? But listen, if you truly ARE, you will FEAR this awesome God and desire to PLEASE Him by not sinning against Him (and no, not by YOUR strength, but by HIS through your faith in the Blood of His CROSS). As Joseph said, "How shall I DO this thing, and sin against my God?!!"
"By mercy and Truth iniquity is purged: and by the FEAR OF THE LORD men depart from evil." -(Pr. 16:6)
"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and YE THAT FEAR HIM, both small and great.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of mighty waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (or "bright"): for the fine linen is the Righteousness of saints." -(Rev. 19:5-8)
This is "part 2" of a treatise on a very significant Bible doctrine called "The Fear of THE LORD", found extensively from cover to cover in the Holy Bible (KJ or NAS versions, which come closest to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts).
In this second part, I shall hone in on this great subject specifically, along with "sin", "repentance", and "law". Finally, I shall tie all of this in with the "Message of the Cross for Sanctification". I suggest that before reading this "part 2", you first read "part 1", which lays a foundation for this one.
"The FEAR OF THE LORD", as we saw the first two of our opening scriptures, is very closely linked to hating EVIL, and turning AWAY FROM evil. When we speak of "evil", we are of course speaking of... "SIN", which is the transgression of God's moral "law": the ten commandments.
The "child", so-to-speak, of "the fear of the Lord" is "REPENTANCE". It is THROUGH the fear of the Lord that men DO repent, for "by the fear of the Lord men 'depart from evil'" -(Pr. 16:6).
"IF A PERSON IS GENUINELY LIVING HIS LIFE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD, HE WILL LIVE A LIFE DAILY OF SENSITIVITY TO SINNING, A LIFE DAILY OF.... "REPENTANCE (a sorrow for, and a turning away from.... sin)."
No one should have to be on that person's back all the time telling him... "Don't watch THIS", or "Don't listen to THAT!". For if the person is "choosing" (yes, it is a CHOICE) "the fear of the Lord", he will be listening to (and heeding) the Voice of THE HOLY SPIRIT, Who shall convict him of this or that, without some preacher making a "law" out of it FOR him. Personal convictions on music, tv watching, dress attire, and a million other things cannot be "legislated" from the pulpit in a legalistic fashion; Otherwise, folks are sunk into a system of "do's and don'ts", basing their walk with God upon faith in SELF and the keeping of rules = "LAW", rather than faith exclusively in Christ's Blood Sacrifice = GRACE.
That person who has "the fear of the Lord" is most bles-sed indeed, for he will have this mind-set: "HOW SHALL I SIN AGAINST THE GOD WHOM I LOVE?!". Plain and simple, he/she will have no PART in watching, listening to, doing... things which contain that which God hates!! No, and it will not be some "rule" from the preacher, no "facts" that he has obtained intellectually through "research", whether done by himself or another. When the most popular tv sitcom in America is on tv, he will instantly recognize...... FORNICATION IS EVIL. And since he has "the fear of the Lord", and HATES evil, he will instantly think.... "ABOMINATION!.... HOW shall I sin against my God, and watch this terrible thing for entertainment?!!" (I will let you find out for yourself what that tv show is!). Or when he is at a baseball game, and some funky evil song is playing on the loudspeaker in between innings, he will get out his earbuds, stick them in his ears, and DROWN OUT THAT TRIPE with godly music, or else disdainfully bear it!
If a person has this mind-set, if he CHOOSES "the fear of the Lord", coupled with faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness , God will then open up the windows of heaven to bestow upon that person His GRACE, His HOLY SPIRIT, His BLESSINGS; But most of all, intimate FELLOWSHIP AND UNION with "He Who is holy", "He Who is pure", "He Who is ALTOGETHER LOVELY" (Song of Sol. 5:16). Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A "knowing" of He Who "satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with GOODness" (Psa. 107:9).
"For Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life; In Thy Presence is fulness of joy. At Thy Right Hand there are pleasures for evermore." -(Psa. 16:11)
The following is a synopsis from what the Bible tells us of "the fear of the Lord". Enjoy:
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THE FEAR OF THE LORD....
- does not exist in the unsaved (wicked) man. (Psa. 36:1; Rom. 3:18)
- does not exist in a hard-hearted person , whose heart is MADE hard by the LORD because of "unbelief". (Isa. 63:17; Mk. 16:14; Heb. 3:12; Isa. 6:9-10; Jhn. 12:39-40; Rom. 9:18)
- goes hand-in-hand with TRUST in the Lord, and HUMILITY. (Isa. 50:10; Psa. 115:11; Prov. 22:4)
- draws GOD'S SALVATION. (Acts 13:26)
- IN A MAN, causes God to TAKE PLEASURE in that man. (Psa. 147:11)
- is something which one CHOOSES (Prov. 1:29; Psa. 119:173)
- is resident within THE HOLY SPIRIT (a part of one of His Names). (Isa. 11:2)
- is a prerequisite for true worship of God (Psa. 5:7)
- accompanies GODLINESS. (Acts 10:2; 22; 1 Tim. 6:3)
- promotes the "perfection of HOLINESS" in one's life. (2 Cor. 7:1)
- is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy, a perverse mouth. (Prov. 8:13)
- causes one to depart from evil. (Prov. 16:6; 3:7; 14:16; J0b 1:8)
- teaches one to... 1) keep his tongue from speaking evil and deceit (lies), 2) depart from sin, 3) do good, and 4) seek peace, and pursue it. (Psa. 34: 11-14)
- will keep one from doing abominable things decreed in an ungodly society. (Ex. 1:15-17; Neh. 5:15)
- will cause one to do that which is just and morally right towards other people. (Lev. 19:11-18)
- causes one to respect and revere the elderly. (Lev. 19:32)
- glorifies God in an evil society. (Neh. 5:9; Rom. 2:22-24; 1 Pet. 2:12)
- is the BEGINNING OF wisdom, IS wisdom, and is the INSTRUCTION of wisdom. (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Job. 28:28; Deut. 4:5-6)
- .... along with the keeping of His commandments, is the whole duty of man (God REQUIRES it). (Eccl. 12:13; Deut. 10:12; 6:13; 13:4; Psa. 76:11; 96:4,9; Isa. 8:13; Lk. 12:5)
- is to be united with our HEART. (inner being, motives, etc). (Psa. 86:11; Jer. 17:10)
- is UNDERSTOOD as one treasures God's commandments and intensely seeks after His wisdom. (Prov. 2:5)
- is a TREASURE. (Isa. 33:6)
- causes God to share His secrets and show His Covenant WITH THAT PERSON (who fears Him). (Psa. 25:14)
- attracts God's pity (compassion) and mercy (lovingkindness)
- gives great Strength (GOD'S). (Eccl. 7:18-19)
- gives STRONG CONFIDENCE. (Prov. 14:26)
- extends one's physical life. (Deut. 6:2; Prov. 10:27)
- promotes WELL-BEING and BLESSING. (Eccl. 8:12-13; Isa. 3:10; Psa. 112:1-3; 115:13; Psa. 128; Prov. 22:4)
- brings God's watchful care and protection. (Psa. 33:18-19)
- protects one from impending danger. (Heb. 11:7)
- brings God's DELIVERANCE. (Psa. 34:7)
- brings SATISFACTION and CONTENTMENT (Psa. 34:9; Prov. 19:23; Phil. 4:11-12)
- is a Fountain of Life, to depart from the snares of death. (Prov. 14:27)
- ... and LITTLE, is better than great treasure with trouble. (Prov. 15:16)
- shall be universal in the earth one day (in the future). (Psa. 67:7; 22:27)
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Whew! And so you see.... this is very important to God!!
Now to the subject of "REPENTANCE":
Jesus, in one of His very opening preaching statements in His earthly ministry, said this: "..... REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel." -(Mark 1:14-15). Right here we have God's requirement for man, both to be SAVED, and to LIVE FOR HIM: "REPENT of your sins, and BELIEVE in God's Way (Jesus) and Means (the Cross)." Most people have a problem with "either" or "both" of hese things, now DON'T they? Man, in general, is both UNrepentant and UNbelieving; including most people who attend churches and claim they are Christians. This is the sad and simple truth; The SIN nature dominates most professing Christians and even ministers. THERE IS NO "FEAR OF GOD" IN THE LAND! Everyone does "that which is right in his own eyes", as is the common theme in the book of "Judges" from the Bible. In that book, God's people were in a state of "apostacy", as they are.... today! Presently, among most professing Christians, "sin" is taken very lightly, or conveniently "re-named" as a ... "problem", or a "disease". Or else, it is just dismissed and ignored ALTOGETHER, or acknowledged... but JUSTIFIED!
Sin is very serious with God; If one lightly brushes it aside, he does it to his own peril. His Word plainly tells us ... "Be not wise in thine own eyes: FEAR THE LORD, and DEPART from evil. -(Prov. 3:7). "Departing from evil" speaks of "repentance". In the book of Acts (17:30), the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul said these words: "The times of man's ignorance, God has winked at, but now commands all men everywhere to... REPENT." Repent of what? Of SIN, which is the transgression of God's moral law (the ten commandments) (see 1 Jhn. 3:4; Ex. 20:3-17). Satan has greatly deceived people into thinking that God would be greatly privileged to have them on-board with Him, that they can pick and choose what lifestyle THEY want to live, and to have God as a "part" of "their" life. O how ARROGANT is man in his natural, carnal state! Little do they seem to realize that THEY are not the center of the universe, but rather... GOD! This is HIS world, not THEIR'S; H-E is the Owner, not... THEM. It's kinda like little microscopic DUST MITES acting like THEY own your house, and not you! How supremely arrogant, and utterly RIDICULOUS! "Nay, I say to you.... FEAR HIM Who has power to cast both body and soul into hell."!!!! Truly, "the fear of the Lord" is no option, and God "COMMANDS" that men repent of their sins. They can choose NOT to, if they so desire (and most DO). But if so, God decrees their destiny to be "HELL AND THE LAKE OF FIRE" (see my sermon "The Fear of the Lord- part 1"). You see, heaven is no place for proud rebels, who want to do their own thing. They need not "apply", for God will not have them there; He likes "peace", not trouble and drama caused by "little gods" running around all over the place, insisting upon their own selfish ways! Of this type of man, God will say to His angels, "Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into "outer darkness"! "In your life-time you chose YOUR supposedly 'good things'; But now you shall be tormented by the FLAMES, for ever AND EVER!"
Jesus, after His resurrection, told His disciples that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Lk. 24: 47). By-the-way, Jerusalem, as a whole, did NOT repent, and was completely destroyed in AD 70 by General Titus and the Romans.
You see, "repentance" must be joined together with remission of sins though faith exclusively in Jesus Christ Crucified. God DEMANDS it (no option). This tells God... "I am genuinely sorry for my sins and I am willing to turn WAY from them." David, after having been confronted by the prophet Nathan, for his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba, and of having her husband Uriah killed, said THIS in the Psalms:
"I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin." -(Psa. 38:18).
To "DECLARE" means to "CONFESS", to "fess up" or "admit" to one's wrong-doing. Not to JUSTIFY it, or to play "the blame game", like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. 1 Jhn. 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And again, in Proverbs 28:13, ... "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
Behold again, the attitude of DAVID from the Psalms. Now keep in mind, we already KNOW that he certainly was not perfect MORALLY. He had many failures of sinning. However, he FEARED THE LORD, and had a HEART ATTITUDE of.... "repentance". He genuinely wanted, from his HEART, to walk uprightly before the Lord. Listen to these words of his, recorded in Psalm 101:
"I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me: I will not be close friends with a wicked person. Whoever slanders his neighbor, him will I cut off: Him that has an arrogant look and a proud heart will I not respect." -(Psa. 101:2-5). It's like this, from a practical stand-point: You realize you are NOT morally perfect 100 % of the time, and you also know that you cannot be "holier-than-thou"; But yet, in your heart, your WANT TO PLEASE GOD; you WANT TO BE HOLY. And this... is a far cry from the attitude of many, which is... "I don't really care. EVERYONE is sinning; I will give God some hard work, some "sacrifices" in church, and to help people: But yet, this is MY life; ...I... will call the shots and do as ... I... please!" That right there, friend, is a recipe for DISASTER, and is none other than the "spirit of CAIN".
"THE PERSON WITH A TRULY REPENTANT HEART, WHO LIVES A LIFE OF REPENTANCE IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD WILL BE ONE WHO RECOGNIZES HIS OWN UTTER UNWORTHINESS WITHOUT THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST."
(Please read Lk. 18:9-14)
One very important, actually VITAL element of repentance of sin, is that it needs to be "VERTICAL". What do I mean by... "vertical"? It needs to be "up-and-down" first, between US... and... GOD. Here are some scriptures which demonstrate that:
(Please read Psa. 51:2-4; Gen. 20:6; 39:9; 2 Sam. 12:13
See that? In God's Eyes, whenever we sin, we are actually sinning against HIM, for we are walking in direct rebellion to His Ways. If we FEAR Him, we will be sensitive about not sinning AGAINST Him, Amen?
Have you ever wondered what the main difference was between Saul and David? I mean, both of these men sinned, and ADMITTED it, and yet God cut OFF Saul but yet FORGAVE David. Why was that? Saul ...feared THE PEOPLE, while David... feared GOD. Right there was the difference: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD". In 1 Sam. 15:24-25, Saul asked SAMUEL to pardon his sin, so his repentance was not vertical, in relationship with God . However, in 2 Sam 12:13, David saw his sin as being against THE LORD. And we know from David's prayers in the Psalms that he was deeply remorseful towards HIM. Now... as you see this difference between these two men, you can also see the difference between the "two kinds of professing Christians in the organized Church of today"!: Those who do NOT fear God, and are UNrepentant.... and those who DO fear God, and ARE repentant. The former will gravitate toward "law": Toward rules and regulations from their preacher leaders; The latter will gravitate toward "grace": Toward FAITH (IN THE HEART, not just "head knowledge")... OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED FOR ... SANCTIFICATION AND LIVING FOR GOD.
I would now like to deal more specifically with how "the fear of the Lord" ties in with "the message of the Cross for Sanctification". Here is a vitally important statement which I believe the Holy Spirit has given to me to share:
~ "The JUDGMENT of the God we are to FEAR was meted out upon Christ on 'THE CROSS', providing for us the MERCY AND TRUTH of the God we are to LOVE" ~ (scripture refs.: Prov. 16:6; 3:3-4; 14:22; 20:28; Psa. 89:14; Jhn. 1:17; Col. 1:20-23)
So as we "fear the Lord" and daily place our faith exclusively in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice for all Righteousness (HIS, not OUR"S), God's mercy and Truth are freely given to us by His GRACE. This gives THE HOLY SPIRIT the legal Means to move in our lives to convict, lead, guide, teach, and empower us to have VICTORY over "the world, the flesh, and the devil, giving us "ABUNDANT LIFE" (see Jhn. 10:10). O HALLELUJAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahh, do you FEAR Him today? Do you LOVE Him so, and stand in AWE of Him as the all-Powerful Potentate that His is? The King of all kings, and Lord of all lords? IS He your God? Or is "self" your God? He LOVES you; he has redeemed you to Himself through the CROSS; Has PURCHASED you by His Blood. Are you TRUSTING today, and each day, in His all-sufficient Sacrifice? But listen, if you truly ARE, you will FEAR this awesome God and desire to PLEASE Him by not sinning against Him (and no, not by YOUR strength, but by HIS through your faith in the Blood of His CROSS). As Joseph said, "How shall I DO this thing, and sin against my God?!!"
Sunday, July 4, 2010
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD -part 1" (Lk. 12:4-5)
"And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: FEAR HIM, WHICH AFTER HE HATH KILLED HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." -(Lk. 12:4-5)
"The Fear of the Lord" is a major Bible doctrine found throughout the canon of scriptures, from Genesis through Revelation; And friend, that which the HOLY BIBLE (inspired, of course, by the Holy Spirit) deems to be important... WE should deem to be important as well!
The original Greek words definition of "fear" from the Bible in this sense is...
"moral reverence, awe, and even 'fright'".
Our God is an AWESOME God; He created the universe, and owns all things. Every living and physical and spiritual thing is upholden and sustained by His POWER! Here is just a small sample of scriptures in the Bible about the vast awesomeness of God: (Isa. 40:12-15; 42:8-9; 43:10-13; 44:6-8,24-25; 45:5-6,12).
We see from this that God is not to be trifled with; He has ALL POWER! It is wise therefore to honor, revere, and to respect Him, and to not take lightly the great mercy and grace He has bestowed upon mankind through His redemption at the Cross.
He in His great Love BECAME one of us- JESUS CHRIST- and died on that Cross as our Substitute, to pay the Price for our sins.
Let me explain to you why this was necessary: Man is a sinner from birth: He is born with a "sin" nature inherited through the blood-line of the FIRST sinner: ADAM. Romans 5:12 says that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so DEATH passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 3:23 says that "ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Now what does this MEAN? The "glory of God", and us falling short of it? The GLORY OF GOD, in this case, refers to His HOLINESS. You see, He is perfectly pure of even the least SPECK of corruption; Of.... "SIN". His very BEING, and character, is without any fault whatsoever; The epitomy of total GOODNESS AND LIGHT, the total ABSENCE of any evil & darkness. John 4:24 says that "God is a Spirit"; He is a Spirit Being WITHOUT SIN.
Now "sin" is defined in the Bible, in 1 Jhn. 3:4, as "the transgression of the law", and this is referring to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (See Ex. 20:3-17).
THIS is God's Standard of holiness, of "goodness". But there was (and IS) a big "problem": On the ONE hand, there is man: sinful from birth, with a nature that is bent upon BREAKING His ten commandments. And on the OTHER Hand, there is A PERFECTLY HOLY GOD, Who cannot impart His Divine spiritual Life to sinful beings, nor can He even have FELLOWSHIP with them. What He LOVES, they HATE, and what He HATES, they LOVE. God, in fact, HATES sin; And His wrath burns against those who COMMIT sin. Sin cannot exist in God's Presence, whatsoever; It has to be.... ERADICATED. Habakkuk 1:13 says of God, "Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity". And again, in Romans 1:18, "For the WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness." Also in Ephesians 5:5-6: "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh THE WRATH OF GOD UPON THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE."
See that? THE WRATH OF GOD. And what elicits that wrath? "SIN". All it takes is just one sin, just.... ONE, and God is verrrrry angry! SO much so, that He must pour out His judgment on the PERPETRATOR of the sin. There is a "natural" judgment upon the person during his lifetime as the natural consequences of his particular sins, and as the result of the attendant "curse" associated with sin in general. However, there is a judicial horrifying penalty AFTER death as well: First, a place called "HELL" (I will discuss this in a moment).
Now, this you must understand: God does not WANT to have to send a person to hell, but He has no choice but to DO so if the person refuses to "REPENT" (be sorry for, and turn away from his sins), and to trust in His Son's Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness. (See Ezek. 18:20-23,31-32)
"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" -(Ezek. 18:23)
See that? He has no PLEASURE that a man should perish... because of His LOVE.
"For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should NOT perish, but have everlasting Life." -(John 3:16).
And when this speaks of "everlasting Life", it means having His Life-giving Spirit here in THIS PRESENT life, and also spending eternity with God, and in His pure... "LOVE AND GOODNESS. The wicked will live for eternity as WELL, but they will go to a place that is the complete OPPOSITE of goodness and love. They will be forever ABSENT from God, basically a continuation of not fellowshipping with Him in their natural lifetime. However, after physical death, they will be removed from ANY beneficial influence AT ALL from a God Who now "makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends His rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45); MEANING..... that with no influence from God, there will be NO GOODNESS OR LOVE WHATSOEVER. Only corruption, hatred, horror, and pain. UNIMAGINABLE pain. We get a preview of this "everlasting pain" in the book of Revelation, when during the great tribulation period, people in the kingdom of the anti-christ shall "gnaw their tongues for pain because of God's judgments being poured out upon the earth." (Rev. 16:10).
So we see here a sort of "dichotomy"; Meaning "polar opposites": On the one hand, the LOVE of God PARDONING man and giving him a GLORIOUS FUTURE; And on the other hand, the WRATH of God, JUDGING AND CONDEMNING him to eternal ANGUISH AND TORMENT (see Romans 2:7-11).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life: ....
and he that believeth NOT the Son shall NOT see Life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." -(John 3:36). Two opposites: "LIFE' or "WRATH"
"Behold therefore the GOODNESS and SEVERITY of God." -(Rom. 11:22)
You see, friend, it is foolish, verrrry foolish to pass up the great DEAL that God has offered to man. It's kinda like this: A man is on "death row", a condemned man, and then comes a call from the President to the warden, "I PARDON this man. The only requirement I ask of him is three things: #1) I will OWN him as my servant for LIFE, but I will adopt him as a son and love him, plus make him an heir of my estate, #2) I must see that he is humble and repentant for his transgressions, #3) He must believe that I can and that I am doing this.
Now, if you thought that THIS was too far-fetched, too good, please realize that GOD gives us actually FAR MORE than that, and what HE requires of us is this: It boils down to two things, both to be SAVED, and also to LIVE FOR HIM:
#1) REPENTANCE OF SINS. This includes being "sorry" (from the heart) for sins, "confessing" that one is a sinner, and then a willingness to "turn away" form sins.
#2) TRUSTING IN JESUS AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE (IE: "THE CROSS") FOR ANY MORAL GOODNESS WHATSOEVER.
That right there is God's requirement. Once we do that, we become "PURCHASED by His.. BLOOD". And you know what that means? We become God's POSSESSION; We are... HIS. He is our "Lord". Ahhh, but now WAIT a minute: Most people do not w-a-n-t that, now DO they? Most might like God to perhaps be a "part" of their life, maybe on Sunday morning, and even possibly Wednesday evening. A "part" of their life (You see that? "THEIR" life.). Yet God requires that our WHOLE life become His. Paul the Apostle said THIS, in Galatians 2:20:
"I (me and MY life) AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (speaks of the Cross); NEVERTHELESS I LIVE. YET 'NOT I' (see this?), BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME; AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME (again speaks of the Cross)."
You see, friend, true Christianity is not "RELIGION'; It is a "CHANGED LIFE", with "GOD" at the Center of your "wheel" (life), not as just "one of the spokes". If YOU are at the center of the wheel - "self" - God says... "Huh-uh, No deal!" There will then be NO pardon for you! Warden... get that electric chair readyyyyy! Now here is where a little FEAR should come in. And by "fear", I mean the prisoner realizes that the President has complete Power over his fate, and he begins to respect the President and be afraid of His Power to condemn him to an agonizing DEATH.
Likewise, WE are to fear the LORD, and care about HIS approval... more than pleasing ourself; Or fearing PEOPLE, caring about their approval!
I would now like to share with you some (just a few of VERY MANY) scriptures from the Bible on "the fear of the Lord". Take heed, my friend, and read these scriptures carefully:
"And unto man He said, Behold, THE FEAR OF THE LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." -(Job 28:28)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever." -(Psa. 111:10)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." -(Prov. 1:7)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." -(Prov. 9:10)
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." -(Eccl. 12:13)
So we see here, that "the fear of the Lord" is not only the "starting point" or "beginning" of WISDOM, but that it is even part of the whole duty of man; This makes this no small matter, and of grave IMPORTANCE. In other words, if the fear of the Lord is absent, there will be... problems!
I would like to now return to one of our opening scriptures, Lk. 12:5:
"FEAR HIM, which after He hath KILLED, hath power to cast into HELL; Yea, I say unto you, Fear HIM."
Within this grand Bible doctrine of "the fear of the LORD", I would now like to preach on a subject you will not HEAR very often these days:
"HELL".
Many people do not believe in this awful place any more. But the Bible actually says a LOT about this; And if the Bible is right (which I know it IS), there will be many people in a LOT of trouble!
First, get out a Bible, and please read LUKE 16:19-31.
We plainly see from this that HELL is ... 1) a place of NO ESCAPE, and 2) a very dry and hot place of TORMENT, so BAD that you wanna warn your relatives NOT to GO there! And you know what the WORST torment will be? Knowing that you did not HAVE to go there! That God had offered you a Way OUT, and you REJECTED it!!!
Okay, let's look some more about this terrible place, from the words of Jesus Himself.
(Please read Mark 9:42-48)
Now the word "worm" talked about here ..... I looked it up in the original Greek, and it means actual earth worms, or... "maggots". This, my friend, is truly horrifying stuff.
(Please read Job 24:13-20)
See that? So we see, also, from the last two Bible passages, that hell is a place of unquenchable FIRE, and where MAGGOTS feed upon the person. Friend, you don't wanna go to hell, and you better warn those you care... about this! Contrary to the opinions of some, it is not a place where you will PARTY, and "live it up"!. It is place of UNSPEAKABLE TORMENT AND ANGUISH.
"HELL", in the Bible, is also likened unto "outer darkness". It says in 1 John 1:5 that "God is Light, and in Him is NO 'darkness' at ALL." Remember when I said earlier that God is perfect "goodness and purity"? That is what this is referring to: Perfect LIGHT/ Perfect GOODNESS AND PURITY. On the other hand, "HELL", a place totally WITHOUT God, is a place of perfect "DARKNESS", of EVIL AND CORRUPTION. Every vile and terrible and hateful thing and PERSON is there:...... HITLER is there. SERIAL KILLERS, like Jeffrey Dahmer, who boiled and ate parts of his victims bodies... are there. PEDOPHILES are there. And if a person goes there, these awful people may be right by his side!!! Total evil and corruption.... "outer darkness"!
(Please read Matt. 8:11-12)
(Please read Matt. 22:10-13) Ahhh, do you see that? Another aspect of hell: WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH!)
(Please read Matt. 25:29-30)
See that? "Outer darkness; weeping and gnashing of teeth".
Now... where IS "hell"?, you might ask. It is BELOW you, in the bowels of the earth; The Bible says so. Read this next scripture, and you shall see:
(Please read Ezek. 32:18,22-29)
Do you get the idea? Hell, the "nether parts of the earth", the "pit"? Scary stuff.
Let me explain this to you very clearly: ANY one who is not "born again", not saved by the Blood of Jesus, not "written in the Lamb's Book of Life", at the moment they die, will be cast INTO this awful place! We need to WARN people. Fortunately, we are not as LAZARUS, who could NOT warn his relatives, because it was too LATE for him. We are still alive, still have breath, in .... "the land of the living". God has made a Way "out", and that Way is JESUS CHRIST; and the Means is THE CROSS. O hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is important for me to note at this point, that "HELL", as bad as IT is, is only a "temporary" place of torment. You see, the moment an unsaved person DIES, he is indeed cast into "HELL". That is what is called "the FIRST death"; But there is also a "SECOND death" awaiting the unsaved person. Let's read about this, and I will shortly close:
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such THE SECOND DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose Face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death AND HELL delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged evry man according to their works.
And death AND HELL were cast into..... THE LAKE OF FIRE. This is THE SECOND DEATH.
AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. " -(Rev. 20:6,11-15)
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH." -(Rev. 21:7-8).
You see, as bad as "HELL" was, there is something even MORE terrible: the lake of fire! The picture that comes to my mind is "BURNING LAVA", and living in there for EVER and EVER, and feeling every bit of the pain, unending, for eternity!
Perhaps you have wondered... How do the wicked get away with their stuff, their terrible atrocities they commit? HURTING people, destroying their LIVES. Well what you must understand is that God metes out PERFECT justice. Just because you don't see it, maybe not in your lifetime, buddy.... its COMING. God is on a different time frame than the rest of us; He is ETERNAL, has a LOT of time to work with! And every soul, although having a limited time frame here in this life in the "physical" sense, and whether good or wicked, is eternal as well; And many times He will wait until after a person's physical death to give him that final blow. I believe, by all indications from the Bible, that there will be "degrees of punishment", of "torment" in hell and in the lake of fire. For example, God will not judge Hitler the same as He would some unsaved Catholic nun. But regardless, even for the BEST of the unsaved, it will STILL be an eternity of horrendous torment. And many former CHRISTIANS, including PREACHERS, will be in the very DEPTHS of hell and the lake of fire, receiving the most severe judgment of all, because they received much Light, and yet spurned and turned away from It! (see 2 Pet. 2:20-21; Heb. 10:29-31; Lk. 12:45-47; Matt. 11:20-24).
I have not even really scratched the surface of the topic of "THE FEAR OF THE LORD" yet; But I think that now you get the idea of WHY we are to fear the Lord, right? We are NOT to take sin lightly, and I will get into that in my NEXT sermon: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD- part 2".
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: FEAR HIM, WHICH AFTER HE HATH KILLED HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; yea, I say unto you, Fear Him." -(Lk. 12:4-5)
"The Fear of the Lord" is a major Bible doctrine found throughout the canon of scriptures, from Genesis through Revelation; And friend, that which the HOLY BIBLE (inspired, of course, by the Holy Spirit) deems to be important... WE should deem to be important as well!
The original Greek words definition of "fear" from the Bible in this sense is...
"moral reverence, awe, and even 'fright'".
Our God is an AWESOME God; He created the universe, and owns all things. Every living and physical and spiritual thing is upholden and sustained by His POWER! Here is just a small sample of scriptures in the Bible about the vast awesomeness of God: (Isa. 40:12-15; 42:8-9; 43:10-13; 44:6-8,24-25; 45:5-6,12).
We see from this that God is not to be trifled with; He has ALL POWER! It is wise therefore to honor, revere, and to respect Him, and to not take lightly the great mercy and grace He has bestowed upon mankind through His redemption at the Cross.
He in His great Love BECAME one of us- JESUS CHRIST- and died on that Cross as our Substitute, to pay the Price for our sins.
Let me explain to you why this was necessary: Man is a sinner from birth: He is born with a "sin" nature inherited through the blood-line of the FIRST sinner: ADAM. Romans 5:12 says that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so DEATH passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 3:23 says that "ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Now what does this MEAN? The "glory of God", and us falling short of it? The GLORY OF GOD, in this case, refers to His HOLINESS. You see, He is perfectly pure of even the least SPECK of corruption; Of.... "SIN". His very BEING, and character, is without any fault whatsoever; The epitomy of total GOODNESS AND LIGHT, the total ABSENCE of any evil & darkness. John 4:24 says that "God is a Spirit"; He is a Spirit Being WITHOUT SIN.
Now "sin" is defined in the Bible, in 1 Jhn. 3:4, as "the transgression of the law", and this is referring to THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (See Ex. 20:3-17).
THIS is God's Standard of holiness, of "goodness". But there was (and IS) a big "problem": On the ONE hand, there is man: sinful from birth, with a nature that is bent upon BREAKING His ten commandments. And on the OTHER Hand, there is A PERFECTLY HOLY GOD, Who cannot impart His Divine spiritual Life to sinful beings, nor can He even have FELLOWSHIP with them. What He LOVES, they HATE, and what He HATES, they LOVE. God, in fact, HATES sin; And His wrath burns against those who COMMIT sin. Sin cannot exist in God's Presence, whatsoever; It has to be.... ERADICATED. Habakkuk 1:13 says of God, "Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity". And again, in Romans 1:18, "For the WRATH OF GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness." Also in Ephesians 5:5-6: "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh THE WRATH OF GOD UPON THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE."
See that? THE WRATH OF GOD. And what elicits that wrath? "SIN". All it takes is just one sin, just.... ONE, and God is verrrrry angry! SO much so, that He must pour out His judgment on the PERPETRATOR of the sin. There is a "natural" judgment upon the person during his lifetime as the natural consequences of his particular sins, and as the result of the attendant "curse" associated with sin in general. However, there is a judicial horrifying penalty AFTER death as well: First, a place called "HELL" (I will discuss this in a moment).
Now, this you must understand: God does not WANT to have to send a person to hell, but He has no choice but to DO so if the person refuses to "REPENT" (be sorry for, and turn away from his sins), and to trust in His Son's Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for Righteousness. (See Ezek. 18:20-23,31-32)
"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" -(Ezek. 18:23)
See that? He has no PLEASURE that a man should perish... because of His LOVE.
"For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should NOT perish, but have everlasting Life." -(John 3:16).
And when this speaks of "everlasting Life", it means having His Life-giving Spirit here in THIS PRESENT life, and also spending eternity with God, and in His pure... "LOVE AND GOODNESS. The wicked will live for eternity as WELL, but they will go to a place that is the complete OPPOSITE of goodness and love. They will be forever ABSENT from God, basically a continuation of not fellowshipping with Him in their natural lifetime. However, after physical death, they will be removed from ANY beneficial influence AT ALL from a God Who now "makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends His rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45); MEANING..... that with no influence from God, there will be NO GOODNESS OR LOVE WHATSOEVER. Only corruption, hatred, horror, and pain. UNIMAGINABLE pain. We get a preview of this "everlasting pain" in the book of Revelation, when during the great tribulation period, people in the kingdom of the anti-christ shall "gnaw their tongues for pain because of God's judgments being poured out upon the earth." (Rev. 16:10).
So we see here a sort of "dichotomy"; Meaning "polar opposites": On the one hand, the LOVE of God PARDONING man and giving him a GLORIOUS FUTURE; And on the other hand, the WRATH of God, JUDGING AND CONDEMNING him to eternal ANGUISH AND TORMENT (see Romans 2:7-11).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life: ....
and he that believeth NOT the Son shall NOT see Life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." -(John 3:36). Two opposites: "LIFE' or "WRATH"
"Behold therefore the GOODNESS and SEVERITY of God." -(Rom. 11:22)
You see, friend, it is foolish, verrrry foolish to pass up the great DEAL that God has offered to man. It's kinda like this: A man is on "death row", a condemned man, and then comes a call from the President to the warden, "I PARDON this man. The only requirement I ask of him is three things: #1) I will OWN him as my servant for LIFE, but I will adopt him as a son and love him, plus make him an heir of my estate, #2) I must see that he is humble and repentant for his transgressions, #3) He must believe that I can and that I am doing this.
Now, if you thought that THIS was too far-fetched, too good, please realize that GOD gives us actually FAR MORE than that, and what HE requires of us is this: It boils down to two things, both to be SAVED, and also to LIVE FOR HIM:
#1) REPENTANCE OF SINS. This includes being "sorry" (from the heart) for sins, "confessing" that one is a sinner, and then a willingness to "turn away" form sins.
#2) TRUSTING IN JESUS AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE (IE: "THE CROSS") FOR ANY MORAL GOODNESS WHATSOEVER.
That right there is God's requirement. Once we do that, we become "PURCHASED by His.. BLOOD". And you know what that means? We become God's POSSESSION; We are... HIS. He is our "Lord". Ahhh, but now WAIT a minute: Most people do not w-a-n-t that, now DO they? Most might like God to perhaps be a "part" of their life, maybe on Sunday morning, and even possibly Wednesday evening. A "part" of their life (You see that? "THEIR" life.). Yet God requires that our WHOLE life become His. Paul the Apostle said THIS, in Galatians 2:20:
"I (me and MY life) AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (speaks of the Cross); NEVERTHELESS I LIVE. YET 'NOT I' (see this?), BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME; AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME (again speaks of the Cross)."
You see, friend, true Christianity is not "RELIGION'; It is a "CHANGED LIFE", with "GOD" at the Center of your "wheel" (life), not as just "one of the spokes". If YOU are at the center of the wheel - "self" - God says... "Huh-uh, No deal!" There will then be NO pardon for you! Warden... get that electric chair readyyyyy! Now here is where a little FEAR should come in. And by "fear", I mean the prisoner realizes that the President has complete Power over his fate, and he begins to respect the President and be afraid of His Power to condemn him to an agonizing DEATH.
Likewise, WE are to fear the LORD, and care about HIS approval... more than pleasing ourself; Or fearing PEOPLE, caring about their approval!
I would now like to share with you some (just a few of VERY MANY) scriptures from the Bible on "the fear of the Lord". Take heed, my friend, and read these scriptures carefully:
"And unto man He said, Behold, THE FEAR OF THE LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." -(Job 28:28)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth forever." -(Psa. 111:10)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." -(Prov. 1:7)
"THE FEAR OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." -(Prov. 9:10)
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." -(Eccl. 12:13)
So we see here, that "the fear of the Lord" is not only the "starting point" or "beginning" of WISDOM, but that it is even part of the whole duty of man; This makes this no small matter, and of grave IMPORTANCE. In other words, if the fear of the Lord is absent, there will be... problems!
I would like to now return to one of our opening scriptures, Lk. 12:5:
"FEAR HIM, which after He hath KILLED, hath power to cast into HELL; Yea, I say unto you, Fear HIM."
Within this grand Bible doctrine of "the fear of the LORD", I would now like to preach on a subject you will not HEAR very often these days:
"HELL".
Many people do not believe in this awful place any more. But the Bible actually says a LOT about this; And if the Bible is right (which I know it IS), there will be many people in a LOT of trouble!
First, get out a Bible, and please read LUKE 16:19-31.
We plainly see from this that HELL is ... 1) a place of NO ESCAPE, and 2) a very dry and hot place of TORMENT, so BAD that you wanna warn your relatives NOT to GO there! And you know what the WORST torment will be? Knowing that you did not HAVE to go there! That God had offered you a Way OUT, and you REJECTED it!!!
Okay, let's look some more about this terrible place, from the words of Jesus Himself.
(Please read Mark 9:42-48)
Now the word "worm" talked about here ..... I looked it up in the original Greek, and it means actual earth worms, or... "maggots". This, my friend, is truly horrifying stuff.
(Please read Job 24:13-20)
See that? So we see, also, from the last two Bible passages, that hell is a place of unquenchable FIRE, and where MAGGOTS feed upon the person. Friend, you don't wanna go to hell, and you better warn those you care... about this! Contrary to the opinions of some, it is not a place where you will PARTY, and "live it up"!. It is place of UNSPEAKABLE TORMENT AND ANGUISH.
"HELL", in the Bible, is also likened unto "outer darkness". It says in 1 John 1:5 that "God is Light, and in Him is NO 'darkness' at ALL." Remember when I said earlier that God is perfect "goodness and purity"? That is what this is referring to: Perfect LIGHT/ Perfect GOODNESS AND PURITY. On the other hand, "HELL", a place totally WITHOUT God, is a place of perfect "DARKNESS", of EVIL AND CORRUPTION. Every vile and terrible and hateful thing and PERSON is there:...... HITLER is there. SERIAL KILLERS, like Jeffrey Dahmer, who boiled and ate parts of his victims bodies... are there. PEDOPHILES are there. And if a person goes there, these awful people may be right by his side!!! Total evil and corruption.... "outer darkness"!
(Please read Matt. 8:11-12)
(Please read Matt. 22:10-13) Ahhh, do you see that? Another aspect of hell: WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH!)
(Please read Matt. 25:29-30)
See that? "Outer darkness; weeping and gnashing of teeth".
Now... where IS "hell"?, you might ask. It is BELOW you, in the bowels of the earth; The Bible says so. Read this next scripture, and you shall see:
(Please read Ezek. 32:18,22-29)
Do you get the idea? Hell, the "nether parts of the earth", the "pit"? Scary stuff.
Let me explain this to you very clearly: ANY one who is not "born again", not saved by the Blood of Jesus, not "written in the Lamb's Book of Life", at the moment they die, will be cast INTO this awful place! We need to WARN people. Fortunately, we are not as LAZARUS, who could NOT warn his relatives, because it was too LATE for him. We are still alive, still have breath, in .... "the land of the living". God has made a Way "out", and that Way is JESUS CHRIST; and the Means is THE CROSS. O hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is important for me to note at this point, that "HELL", as bad as IT is, is only a "temporary" place of torment. You see, the moment an unsaved person DIES, he is indeed cast into "HELL". That is what is called "the FIRST death"; But there is also a "SECOND death" awaiting the unsaved person. Let's read about this, and I will shortly close:
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such THE SECOND DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
"And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose Face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death AND HELL delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged evry man according to their works.
And death AND HELL were cast into..... THE LAKE OF FIRE. This is THE SECOND DEATH.
AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. " -(Rev. 20:6,11-15)
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH." -(Rev. 21:7-8).
You see, as bad as "HELL" was, there is something even MORE terrible: the lake of fire! The picture that comes to my mind is "BURNING LAVA", and living in there for EVER and EVER, and feeling every bit of the pain, unending, for eternity!
Perhaps you have wondered... How do the wicked get away with their stuff, their terrible atrocities they commit? HURTING people, destroying their LIVES. Well what you must understand is that God metes out PERFECT justice. Just because you don't see it, maybe not in your lifetime, buddy.... its COMING. God is on a different time frame than the rest of us; He is ETERNAL, has a LOT of time to work with! And every soul, although having a limited time frame here in this life in the "physical" sense, and whether good or wicked, is eternal as well; And many times He will wait until after a person's physical death to give him that final blow. I believe, by all indications from the Bible, that there will be "degrees of punishment", of "torment" in hell and in the lake of fire. For example, God will not judge Hitler the same as He would some unsaved Catholic nun. But regardless, even for the BEST of the unsaved, it will STILL be an eternity of horrendous torment. And many former CHRISTIANS, including PREACHERS, will be in the very DEPTHS of hell and the lake of fire, receiving the most severe judgment of all, because they received much Light, and yet spurned and turned away from It! (see 2 Pet. 2:20-21; Heb. 10:29-31; Lk. 12:45-47; Matt. 11:20-24).
I have not even really scratched the surface of the topic of "THE FEAR OF THE LORD" yet; But I think that now you get the idea of WHY we are to fear the Lord, right? We are NOT to take sin lightly, and I will get into that in my NEXT sermon: "THE FEAR OF THE LORD- part 2".
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