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Lips For The Lord

Posted on May 23, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 17:4 (KJV) A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

The Heart Drives The Lips

When the heart, filled with wicked desire, cherishes that desire, the heart will seek out any false testimony that it can to support its evil. Some time ago I preached a funeral for a man who never had time for God while on this earth. I did as I usually do when someone dies who gave no outward evidence of peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I merely read the obituary, and then preached the Gospel. I made no judgment one way or the other, but preached the Gospel of Christ. At the end of the funeral the man’s mother came to me and said, “What gives me comfort is that my son is in Heaven with Jesus”. I never said that one way or the other. But that’s what she heard.

People hear what their heart tells them, regardless as to what is true or false. Those with darkened and spiritually dead hearts reject the Light of God.

The Pharisees and chief priests did the same thing with Jesus and His ministry. Their hearts were focused on religious ritual rather than a relationship with God. The Lord Jesus declared:

John 3:19 … this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

People who gravitate toward evil will seek out “false lips” so as to justify their behavior. Darkness loves darkness. When you read the Word of God to Israel under Jeremiah, it sounds much like America today. God told Israel:

Jeremiah 5:23-31 (NKJV) this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed. 24 They do not say in their heart, “Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.” 25 Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you. 26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men. 27 As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich. 28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend. 29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’ 30 “An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?

When the heart wanders from God and into darkness, God will often allow the wandering. So often I hear lying news reports spewing apparent untruths, while people in the background applaud. We are told:

Proverbs 17:4 (KJV)… a liar giveth ear to a NAUGHTY TONGUE.

Word Study: Evil has its own punishment. The word “NAUGHTY” is the Hebrew haûâ (pro. hav-vaw’) which means “that which brings to ruin or destruction, that which brings calamity”. The Word of God and what God has said is TRUTH, but the word of man is fallible. If you heed the Word of God, blessing comes. Jesus said:

John 15:3 (ESV) Already you are clean because of the Word that I have spoken to you.

The world and its false prophets speak lies from human tradition and human desire. Lies enslave the liar.

God offers blessing through His Word. Jesus said to His people “You will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall set you free” (John 8:32). It is God’s Word, not just HEARD but APPLIED, that brings us into a right state with God (John 17:17). As we cherish God’s Word and live by it, we are drawn into the light, not into darkness. The Psalmist declared:

Psalm 119:11 (ESV) I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

What a person believes influences their speech and their actions. What a person hears and says, effects what a person will do. Jesus said:

Luke 6:45 (ESV) The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

God Gives Us The Poor For A Reason

Proverbs 17:5 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

Word Study: The word translated “MOCKETH” is the Hebrew lāʿaḡ (pro. law-ag’) which means “laugh at, to scorn, to mock”. To mock or laugh at those who are in need shows a spiritual deficiency in a person’s life. God gives us the poor for a reason. Our Lord Jesus said

“you will have the POOR with you ALWAYS”
(Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8).

Why would a loving God as our Heavenly Father is leave impoverished people on this earth? God not only leaves the poor, He MAKES the poor. When Job lost everything that he had (for Job was a well to do believer in Christ) he worshiped God, saying:

Job 1:21 Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD GAVE, and the LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Though we may make bad decisions that bring poverty on ourselves, there are times when poverty is God’s directive.

When Israel turned away from God’s Word, the Lord brought poverty to the land:

Isaiah 42:24 (ESV) Who gave up Jacob to the looter, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned, in whose ways they would not walk, and whose law they would not obey?

The looters and plunderers did it, but God directed it. In the Book of 1 Samuel, Hannah the wife of Elkanah was a good and Godly woman. But the Bible says

“the LORD had closed her womb” (1 Samuel 1:6).

Hannah was impoverished of children because God directed it. Hannah went to the Temple and prayed that God would bless her with a child. The Bible tells us that:

1 Samuel 1:19-20 (NKJV) … Elkanah KNEW Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

Hannah dedicated her child to God. Following her dedication, Hannah prayed one of the most beautiful and theologically sound prayers in the Bible. In her prayer she said:

1 Samuel 2:6-9 (NKJV) “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

To whom was the Gospel given? Jesus said:

Matthew 11:5 … the POOR have the gospel preached to them.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the POOR

Those who have much often have no need of God. “God is their belly” (Philippians 3:19). In the midst of want we will look up. In poverty, we will seek God.

How you react to the poor is a sign of whether you are saved or lost. The saved person will have compassion on the poor, whereas the unsaved will only care about their own needs. Jesus said:

Matthew 25:31-40 (NKJV) When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Our God is Grace oriented. His people are to be Gracious. The Lord in the Law directed Israel:

Leviticus 19:10 (ESV) And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

Children And Grandchildren Are A Blessing From God

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the CROWN of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Children are a blessing, not a curse. I watched a show the other day called “The Closer” where the lead character thought she was pregnant. She thought it was the greatest curse she had ever been through! When she found out that she was not pregnant, she told her boyfriend “We must take all precautions to make sure that I don’t get pregnant in the future”. Was she talking about withholding sexual activity until she was Biblically married, as God intends for us all? No. To her, sexual activity is for recreation rather than procreation.

Many women today grieve that they chose their careers over having a child when they could. Children are not a curse, but a blessing from God. God says:

Psalm 127:3-5 (NKJV) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Sadly, many women get abortions because of illicit and unbiblical sexual liaisons. After the pleasure, the lost man will often shun the impregnated woman and move on to another woman to use. Such men are not only selfish, but are fools.

the GLORY of children are their fathers

Word Study: The word “GLORY” is the Hebrew tip̄’ārâ (pronounced tif-aw-raw’) which means “that which is an ornament, something upon which you boast, splendor or like a fine jewel”. Children raised with a father who loves the Lord will turn out to be glorious, children to be bragged on. The world has spent several many years mocking fathers. Feminists like Irina Patsi Dunn, Australian writer, senator, and film maker popularized the phrase,

A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.

Feminists like Gloria Steinem popularized this concept, denigrating men in order to seek out equality for women. Yet their mocking of men – and of fathers – does not stand up to truth. The Association of Child Psychotherapists notes:

“Dads really do matter. Children need fathers – just as they need mothers – to love them, to be interested in them and to respond to their needs, making them feel valued and understood. … Fathers also matter because they are important to their partners. Their parents’ relationship is the model of relating that children take on board, so the success or failure of their own future relationships will be deeply influenced by how their parents manage things. That is not to say that parents have to be perfect. But it is important for children to see their parents working together to try to sort out the difficulties that every family face from time to time.”

It is my belief that the increase in gender dysphoria is because children are being raised in families where fathers play no part. Children need exposure to both a mother and a father. When our Lord Jesus quoted the Fifth Commandment, He said:

Matthew 15:4 God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother (Exodus 20:12): and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death (Leviticus 20:9) see also Deuteronomy 5:16; 21:18-21; Proverbs 23:22).

Children are to honor both father and mother. Both father and mother are to honor God by training their children to love the Lord. For the father who stays the course, lovingly raising his child to honor God,

Children’s children are the CROWN of old men

You will be rewarded in this life, and in the life to come, for showing your children Biblical masculinity!

Good Rulers Speak Truth

Proverbs 17:7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

Nothing bothers me more than a liar. I was raised not to lie. My daddy whipped me if I lied. Daddy told me, “The only thing you have that no one can take away from you is YOUR WORD. Don’t become known as a liar.”

In politics and on the mainstream media, people love to lie. One of the biggest liars – blatant liars – on television is the ABC tragedy called “The View”. Recently they had one of their “hosts” say, “77% of Americans in 2023 said Joe Biden was too old to run again. And they were told ‘Sit down, shut up, he is the nominee’. At this point their guest Damon Imani spoke up. Damon is a comedian and a political commentator. He spoke up.

“Wait, wait! When Americans were watching Joe being barely able to walk and put a sentence together, every single one of you at this table were telling them not to believe what they could see with their eyes and what they could hear with their ears. You and your friends in the media were constantly rejecting those concerns as disinformation and cheap fakes. Remember that one, Joy? Cherry picked clips to mislead people. You said that. Sunny, you even said those concerns were rooted in ageism, just like you connect everything to sexism and racism. You’re a race hustler – you know that, right? … for the record, you two were doing the telling.”

The problem with lying is that you have to remember the lie you told! Lying is foolish.

Excellent speech becometh not a fool

Fools may sound good, but their speech is not excellent, but destructive and deceptive. God despises liars. The devil is a liar. He told the first lie in the Garden of Eden. “You won’t die, but God doesn’t want you to eat the forbidden fruit because the day you do so, you will be like gods!” A lie believed brought creation to a fatal stop. We have previously seen in this Book:

Proverbs 12:22 (ESV) Lying lips are an ABOMINATION to the LORD …

and Proverbs 6:16-17 (ESV) … the LORD hates … a LYING TONGUE

Who will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever? The Bible tells us:

Revelation 21:8 (ESV) as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

Who will be forbidden entrance into God’s Heaven? Once more we read:

Revelation 22:15 (ESV) Outside are the dogs {unbelievers} and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

I was told by my daddy that “If someone will steal the truth, they will steal anything”. I believe he was right. God demands that fathers teach their children the truth, that Pastors and Deacons teach the Church truth, that the leaders of countries be truthful – even if it hurts. When the world suggests that we follow the lies of Satan, the darkness of the world, let us who believe remember the standard that the Apostles gave us. Pastor J.D. Greear notes:

“The early Roman world did not understand Christians and felt threatened by them, and so they made up lies about them. They thought Christians were superstitious (because they believed in miracles), called them atheists (they denied Roman gods) and incestuous (they were marrying their “brothers and sisters”), even that they were cannibals (they were eating “flesh” and drinking “blood” together). Christians were the preferred scapegoats for societal problems. When Nero burnt Rome and the Visigoths attacked the city, both blamed the Christians.”

The Apostle Peter warned the Church that – just as Jesus was unjustly attacked, we who believe will be attacked (1 Peter 2:21-24). When Jesus was attacked:

1. He was patient.
2. He trusted His life to the Father.
3. He kept telling the truth, though reviled.

There is a temptation for us all to be part of the lie. After all, “Don’t rock the boat”, “It’s easier to go with the flow”, “Go with the status quo”, and “Don’t make waves”. Beloved, the only way you will make a difference in the darkness is to be the light. The Apostle Paul stood strong, though imprisoned numerous times, stoned nearly to death, and hounded by the religious establishment. He was slandered as a “reprobate” (Greek adokimos, someone who is worthless, a castaway from God or useless). Paul tells us:

2 Corinthians 13:6-8 (KJV) … we are not reprobates. 7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

God’s truth will OUT.
It will OUTlast the lies.
It will OUTlive the evil.
It will OUTachieve the falseness.
His truth will certainly OUTrage the world,
but in the end His Word will OUTdeliver and OUTperform
Satan’s lies and Satan’s children.
Don’t let the devil and this world fake you OUT,
with its OUTlandish lies.
I’m standing with Jesus. How abOUT you?

Amen!

Posted in General | Tagged Bible, christianity, Faith, God, Jesus | Leave a comment

Products Of Grace

Posted on May 20, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Kellen Riggin on Unsplash

Romans 12:3-5 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

The Christian Is A Product Of Grace

In Criminal Law, the phrase “modus operandi” is a Latin phrase that refers to a “method of operation” or a pattern of behavior. The “modus operandi” or “method of operating” of a criminal is many times distinctive to that criminal, and helps law enforcement find that criminal quicker.

Dear friends, if you were tried as Christians, would there be enough evidence in your outward lives to convict you in a court of Law?

Is your daily m.o. or method of operating that which God expects of you? Sadly, many who profess to be “Christian” in America are indistinguishable from a lost person or even an atheist. Salvation is by Grace.

Ephesians 2:5 (ESV) … even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Jesus said “This is the WORK OF GOD, that you BELIEVE IN HIM Whom the Father has sent” (John 6:29). When you are brought to the realization that you are lost and unworthy, far from God, a creature doomed to hellfire. When you regard yourselves in the light of God’s perfect holiness, and find yourself – as Isaiah did:

Isaiah 6:5 (KJV) … a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips

When you, like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:17) realize your godless actions are degrading, and that you would be better off renouncing everything to run with repentance to the Father, receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior … God gives you the gift of salvation.

You cannot earn it.
You do not deserve it.
There is no work you can do
To enter God’s Kingdom!

Beloved, you REPENT. Salvation is:

Titus 3:5-7 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [6] Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; [7] That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

It is a free gift. It is Grace given. But once you are saved, you become a Child of God and a Servant of God. Jesus gave His life for you. Now in His Kingdom, your life is His. “You are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

The Christian belongs to God. We are to “glorify God in our BODY, and in our SOUL, which belong to God” (1 Corinthians 6:20). You belong to God. You are members of His Kingdom. Jesus is your Lord.

God Saved You – You Didn’t Save Yourself

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly

The Holy Spirit writing through the Apostle Paul has talked about God’s Grace and the free gift of salvation in the first eleven chapters of this book. The Spirit now, through the Apostle, addresses the modus operandi or the method of operation of the Christian way of life. Too many “Christians” in the world today believe that – once saved by Grace – that they are free to behave in any way that suits or pleases them. We’ve already established that this is untrue. Saved by Grace, products of Grace, we are members of God’s Family and of Christ’s Kingdom. God establishes parameters by which we must live.

The Apostles had to live by these parameters. As the Apostle Paul “lays the Law down” so to speak, he could just come out and say “do this because I say so – after all, I’m an APOSTLE”. The Apostles were hand-picked by the Lord Jesus Christ, men who would be the foundation of the Church. We are told in:

Ephesians 2:20 {the Church is} BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone …

There are no Apostles or Prophets today. God used the Prophets in the Old Testament, the Apostles in the New Testament to write Holy Scripture, the truths of God that the Church is built on. There has been a lot of excitement over the election of an American Pope. The Catholic Church believes that the Popes are all descended from the first Pope, whom they believe was the Apostle Peter. They believe in Apostolic Succession, that is, that this current Pope Leo XIV is an Apostle, a Chief Apostle of the Church, as Peter was Chief Apostle of the Church.

With all due respect to the 1 billion people who believe Catholicism, this is not Biblical.

Though Peter was a leader in the early Church, he was not a “Chief Apostle” or a Pope. The Church is “built on the FOUNDATION of the ApostleS and ProphetS” plural, not by the decree of a Pope. The Holy Spirit used each Apostle and Prophet in writing the Word of God that we enjoy. Further, Peter was not without fault. At one time the Apostle Paul chastised Peter for attempting to turn the Gentile Christians into Jews:

Galatians 2:11-14 (KJV) … when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

The Pope is not infallible. Peter was not a Pope. Peter was an Apostle, a leader in the Church, and his work, like Paul, was the foundation of the Church. We have the Scripture because of these Spirit led men of God. But there are no Apostles today.

Paul, though an Apostle, appealed to GRACE not to his office.

Let’s go back to Paul. As he establishes the m.o. of the Christian way of life, he doesn’t say “Hear me because I’m more important than you. After all, I’m an APOSTLE”. He doesn’t say this. Yes, Paul is a hand picked Apostle (Romans 1:1; 11:13; 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1). Jesus chose Paul on the Damascus Road. Did Jesus choose Paul because he was worthy? Not according to Paul. Paul said:

1 Corinthians 15:9 (NKJV) … I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Paul was not worthy to be an Apostle, no more than Peter was worthy to be an Apostle. Peter denied his Lord three times (Luke 22:54-62; Matthew 26:69-75) – even cursing and swearing so as to save himself. No, the Pope is not infallible. No, Peter was not a Pope. No, neither Peter, nor Paul, nor any Apostle was faultless. They were not chosen because they were worthy. They were chosen because Jesus chose them. So as Paul appeals to the Church at Rome, he says:

Romans 12:3 (KJV) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you

Grace makes the Christian. Grace calls the Apostle. Grace is the life blood of the Church.

When we begin to make much of ourselves, our m.o. becomes perverted. We become like the Apostles who argued as to who would be the GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Luke 22:24-26). Who’s better? Who’s the Boss of the Church? Jesus told His Apostles:

Luke 22:25-30 (NKJV) The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. 28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Those who count themselves servants in this life – just as Jesus served – will rule and reign with Him in the next life. One Apostle Judas Iscariot never got this, and ended up hanging himself and losing everything.

The M.O. Of The Christian Is GRACE
In The Mind, and In Your Actions

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Christian, you are saved by Grace. Now Christian, you are to live by Grace. We are “NOT TO THINK OF OURSELVES MORE HIGHLY THAN WE OUGHT TO THINK”. God didn’t save you because you were better than that drug addict, that prostitute, that child molester or wife beater, that drunkard. None of us earn or deserve the Grace that saves us. Do you know why God saved us? For the same reason that God saved Israel. God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 (NKJV) the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. 7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers

God saved Israel because they were the least, the most broken – and because He made a promise. Why did God save you, and you, and you, and you? Because you were the least, the most broken. Because God made a promise in Christ Jesus that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. You are not Christians because you are worthy, but because you are unworthy and He made you worthy. We are told:

Romans 12:3 (KJV) THINK SOBERLY, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Word Study: The words translated “THINK SOBERLY” are the Greek phroneō sōphroneō, which means “to ponder wisely in the right mind” or “to consider with a sound mind”. We did not earn nor deserve our salvation. We are not worthy. But notice that we are told “AS GOD HAS DEALT TO EVERYONE THE MEASURE OF FAITH”. God opens our eyes to our spiritual brokenness. God gives us a choice to receive or reject Him. Then God deals to each person the measure of faith.

Like Lazarus in the Tomb, God stands without and says “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43). We hobble toward His Voice, for He gives us the ears to hear. He arouses us from death, spiritual death and apathy. And God deals to us the faith necessary to be saved.

God Took All The Unworthy Who Hear The Gospel, And Puts Them In His Kingdom,
His Church

The Church belongs to Jesus. It does not belong to the Pope. It does not belong to the Bishops. It does not belong to the Cardinals. The Church is the Kingdom of God, Blood bought, called to serve Him Who saved us.

The God Who Saved Us, Who Gave Us Faith, Gives Us Gifts

Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

We do not argue about who is more important in the Church. Every believer is important, called of God. “all members have not the same office”. I have seen much ado about the New Pope, how he is addressed as “His Holiness”. Do you know that the phrase “His Holiness” is never used in Scripture for a person, EXCEPT THE PERSON OF GOD. “God sitteth upon the Throne of HIS HOLINESS” (Psalm 47:8). “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of HIS HOLINESS” (Psalm 97:12). The Bible never attributes holiness to mere mortals, except that holiness that we receive by Grace through Jesus. We are “partakers of HIS HOLINESS” (Hebrews 12:10). The Church is:

The only “His Holiness” Is God in Christ!

one body in Christ, and every one members one of another

If you are saved, you are saved to His Kingdom, the Church. You are saved to serve Him in the Church. God gives each member in the Church a purpose, an office (1 Corinthians 12:11-14).

Dear friend, if you are saved, you are saved to serve. If saved to serve, you do that which pleases your Lord and builds up the Kingdom of God, the Church.

Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

At this time in Church history, the Apostles prophesied, or spoke truths as God the Holy Spirit directed. This is part of the foundational work of the Church as I earlier established. God calls

some to Ministry (Pastoral work)
some to Teaching
some to Exhortation or encouragement
some to Giving
some to positions of Leadership
some to Showing Mercy

Every member of the Body has a function, a gifting, a calling. And each person is valuable because of Grace. The list of the gifts is not exhaustive here, but all the gifts and callings of God have one thing in common:

God’s calling is for us to build UP His Kingdom,
To ENCOURAGE growth,
To be GIVERS, not TAKERS.

The last verses we’ll look at this Sunday are:

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Word Study: The words “without dissimulation” are but one Greek word, anypokritos, which means “without hypocrisy”. Christians are called to love others – especially other Christians – but we are to “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good”.

It is a hypocritical love that will watch another person do something which God finds despicable, and turn a blind eye to it so as not to offend the person. Love stays true to God first. The Bible tells us that:

Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin is an employer that always pays off in DEATH. Sin is no trifle. We are to “ABHOR that which is evil”. That word “ABHOR” is the Greek apostygeō, which means “to HAVE A HORROR of something”. To love someone without hypocrisy is to love them enough to tell them when they have departed from the Way of Christ.

If I love you, I will care enough to tell you if you’re trying to drink poison, or handling a deadly viper. Sin is poison. Sin kills.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

We are members together in the Family of God. We do not jockey for power or prestige, but live so as to glorify the One Who saved us. We represent the Kingdom of God on this earth. Let us live for HIS glory, not ours. Let us prayerfully exist so as to lead others to Christ. As the stepbrother of Christ wrote:

Jude 20-23 (NKJV) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Our work is eternal. Let us live for Him so we might bring others into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen!

Posted in General, Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged amazing grace, Bible, christianity, Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, grace, grace orientation, Jesus, living for Jesus, modus operandi, salvation | Leave a comment

God Calls Us To Righteousness

Posted on May 20, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 17:1 (KJV) Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

God Does Not Want You RELIGIOUS,
But RIGHTEOUS, In Line With His Word

When I read this scripture, my mind immediately went to the current state of the news – particularly in the political world. Can you remember the last time that you heard any good news? If it’s on the news, they have a saying: “If it bleeds, it leads”. The devil loves to emphasize the divisive, to tear apart. Who was it in the Garden of Eden who introduced strife? It was the serpent, Satan (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).

It is Satan’s intent to separate us from the good things of God, by separating us from God Himself.

This is what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. He questioned the clear Word of God. “Has God really said you shall not eat of every tree in the Garden”? (Genesis 3:1). The implication was that God was establishing a parameter that would rob us of our joy, that God was limiting our happiness. Satan’s ploy was to draw our attention from God, to ourselves. “You will only be happy when you please yourself, when you do that which satisfies you above your neighbor”.

This is what brings destruction. Back to our proverbs:

Proverbs 17:1 (KJV) BETTER is a dry morsel

Word Study: The word translated “BETTER” is the Hebrew ṭôḇ (pro. Tobe). This word is first used in the Bible during the days of creation. As God created day by day, that which God made He decreed it was ṭôḇ, meaning “the best, much improved, or much better”. When God made the LIGHT, He said “ṭôḇ” (Genesis 1:4). When God separated the earth from the sea, it was “ṭôḇ” (Genesis 1:10). At each step of creation, God took the broken and made it whole. In each step God declared “this is ṭôḇ, BETTER”. When God crowned His creation by making:

Genesis 1:27 (KJV) man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

As God gave Adam direction through His Word to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion” (Genesis 1:28), God stood back and looked at what He had done. God said of the creation – united with Light, unified by His Word, that it was “mᵊ’ōḏ ṭôḇ” or “extremely GOOD”.

What made Paradise a paradise? Man was in union with God, following the Word of God, and man was in union with his God given family.

Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith

It is better to have a “DRY MORSEL” and the peace that comes with union with God. Pastor John Gill writes in his commentary:

“A small quantity of bread; a broken piece of bread, as the word signifies; which has been long broken off, and become “dry”; a dry crust of bread; old bread, as the Arabic version; an old, moldy, dry piece of bread: and the word used has the signification of destruction in it: bread that has lost its taste and virtue; or, however, a mere piece of bread is meant, without anything to eat with it, as … butter, cheese, or flesh: this, with quietness and peace among those that partake of it, peace in the family, in a man’s own mind, especially if he has the peace of God, which passeth all understanding; this is better than a house full of sacrifices [with] strife”

In America and in modern consumer driven Christianity we are taught that “God wants to give us whatever satisfies us”. But this is not truth. God does not want to give us full bank accounts, riches and lands. God wants His people to find contentment in His presence, in His love, not in material things. In 1 Timothy Chapter 6 the Apostle directs servants to honor their masters – especially if their masters are believers in Christ (verses 1-2). The servant was not to rise up and demand his “just desserts”, but to “count their masters worthy of all honor, that the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed”.

Illustrate: I was watching a video the other day where a young woman was complaining how her boss was “racist and misogynistic” because he required that she groom herself a certain way on the job. The interviewer asked her, “When you interviewed for the job, were you told that there were standards of dress and grooming?” She said, “Yes, but I don’t think it applies to me”. But there are standards. We have been told in the Church that God wants to give us our own way. This is not true. We are as believers to be focused on God’s glory, and on God’s standard, not on our wants and desires. The Apostle told Timothy of those who do not adhere to godliness are:

1 Timothy 6:4-6 (KJV) proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

God does not promise us material riches, but “riches of His Grace” (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7). We are promised “riches in Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

American consumer Christianity has taught us that God is a cosmic Genie, granting our every wish. But the Bible says that the greatest thing we have is the Presence of God in our lives. We are told:

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV) Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of SACRIFICES with strife.

Word Study: The word “SACRIFICES” is the Hebrew zeḇaḥ, which refers to a religious ritual where an animal is slain to the Lord, then that animal is eaten at the command of God. When God established the Feast of the Passover the night that Israel was freed from Egypt (Exodus 12:27), the families of those being saved were to take a lamb and kill it, and put its blood on the portal of the home. The Bible said that:

Exodus 12:23 … the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

The lamb was to be eaten “not raw, nor boiled in water, but roasted with fire[symbolizing the judgment of God poured out on the lamb]” (Exodus 12:9). The lamb symbolized the Lord Jesus Christ Who would one day come, “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The slaying and eating of the Lamb unified Israel, and marked her as God’s Chosen People, distinctly separate from the world that was Egypt. To have a

an house full of SACRIFICES with STRIFE

is an anomaly.

Where God is, there is peace among His people, though they will be at war with Egypt.

In 1 Corinthians the Apostle chastises the believers of that Church (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). The Old Testament Feast of the Passover is fulfilled in the New Testament Communion of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16), also called ‘the Lord’s Supper’ (1 Corinthians 11:20) and ‘the Lord’s Table” (1 Corinthians 10:21). The Corinthians misused the Lord’s Table, the Passover, and turned it into a riotous feast of “me above others”, where strife and partisanship dominated. When they did this the death angel did not “pass over” them, but began to sicken and kill believers (1 Corinthians 11:30). This proverbs, as well as all of Scripture, teaches us that God does not want us to be RELIGIOUS. He wants us to be RIGHTEOUS, in line with His Word. When we are all in line with His Word, then we will be in one accord with one another, loving and caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Faith is to be lived out in love and unity – not with the world, but with God.

Illustrate: Here’s something you’ll not hear on the network news. Breakpoint Daily recently reported on the repair efforts that are ongoing in Appalachia following last year’s Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. The News channels have reported how the Democrat and Republicans have finger pointed how the people in that devastated area received so little help from the government. There was over $200 billion in damage, and 230 people killed. Who did the most good in North Carolina? The State Government, the Republicans or the Democrats?

It was the Amish.

Breakpoint reported, “Somebody did show up, though. Over the last six months, over 2,000 volunteers from the Pennsylvania Amish community have been rebuilding homes and structures in places like Chimney Rock. Known for their ability to build a barn in a day and move a barn by hand, these faithful men and women are putting their considerable skills to work on behalf of another community. The Amish volunteers weren’t sent by the government, nor did they wait for government approval. They clearly weren’t there to curry political favor, as others were.

Their response to those in need comes from their way of looking at the world. First, the Amish believe that when someone is in need, that is a calling to help. Second, the Amish believe that a community, not a government, is best positioned to help. … the Amish also believe that faith is to be practiced not merely held.”

God Calls His Children To Obedience,
For In Obedience Is Safety

Proverbs 17:2 A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

In the ancient world obedience to the Head of the family was more cherished than physical blood ties. What destroyed the Roman Empire – which lasted around 1480 years – was when the values of discipline and civic duty were replaced with corruption and despotic leaders. This is the downfall of any empire or government. When a government departs from the way of truth and the Word of God, then it heads toward destruction. Rome had horrible, godless leaders like Caligula, who killed citizens on his whim, and made himself to be a god. Then there was Nero, who killed his mother so he could remarry. Nero kicked his second wife to death. His third wife was a slave that he castrated, a male that he renamed with a woman’s name. There were many other examples of poor leadership, godless men who gained power through blood lines.

They cared nothing for Rome, but for themselves and their power. Their selfishness destroyed a great empire.

In Daniel chapters 4-5 we see the fall of the great Empire of Babylon. Babylon lasted around 1460 years – almost as long as Rome – and faced failure because of poor leadership. In Daniel chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar glorified himself saying:

Daniel 4:30 … Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?

At that point God caused Nebuchadnezzar to become like a wild ox until he honored the Lord. When Nebuchadnezzar:

Daniel 4:34-35 lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: 35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

Honoring God and His Word, Nebuchadnezzar regained his mentality and his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar “praised and extolled and honored the King of Heaven, all whose works are TRUTH and His ways judgment” (Daniel 4:37). The Babylonian Empire would have continued had his son Belshazzar honored God. Rather than honor the Lord, Belshazzar had a beer party and used the gold and silver services that his father had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 5:2). That very night Babylon was invaded and destroyed by “Darius the Median General” (Daniel 5:31), just as God foretold by His “handwriting on the wall”.

Any nation, any community, and Church, any family that departs from the Word of God can expect similar destruction. The Bible says of Christ:

Colossians 1:15-18 (KJV) {Jesus Christ} is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. [18] And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.

The servant who honors the Head is much more cherished than the disobedient son. “A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame”. We who are saved are “sons of God by faith in Christ” (John 1:12; Galatians 3:26), but we are “servants of God as citizens of His Kingdom” (Romans 8:14; Philippians 2:15).

The saved are to serve!

God Fine Tunes His People Through Trials

Proverbs 17:3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

There is no great man or woman of God who has not been through great afflictions. The value of your faith, and your growth into Christ likeness, comes only through trials. Satan has numerous wolves in pulpits who will tell you that any trial or any suffering is from Satan, not from God. Yet this is not what Jesus taught.

Illustrate: In my back yard is a grape vine – a huge grape vine. I got the cuttings from Jimmy Aslinger years ago, planted them, and periodically I trim the vine. I do not tend the vine, but let it grow wild on my fence, providing a privacy hedge. This vine never grows fruit – it has never produced even one edible grape. Why? Because I let it grow wild. I never prune it. Leaving it alone, the vine grows like mad, making leaf after leaf. But since its so invested in itself, it never – never – grows fruit.

That’s not the vine’s fault, but mine. I never prune it.

In John 15 Jesus spoke of the Christian standard way of life. Jesus said:

John 15:1-2 (AP)I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Gardener. EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT, My Father takes it away – He CUTS IT OFF. Every branch that BEARS FRUIT, the Father PRUNES it so it will BEAR MORE FRUIT.

God wants His people, saved by Grace, to be fruit bearing. When we become self centered, much like my grape vine, the Father Who is a Great Gardener “cuts us off”. If we love our bank account more than Jesus, He may cause us to lose funds. If we love our children more than we love Jesus, He may take our children away. The Bible says that “our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:15) Who can ‘destroy you off the face of the earth’”.

God saves us for His purpose, for His Kingdom. We are branches off of the True Vine which is Jesus Christ. God expects us to be fruitful for Him.

When we bear fruit, God prunes us so we will bear MORE FRUIT. The normal Christian life is to be fruitful, valuable to the Kingdom of God. Saved by Grace, we are “members of his Body” (Ephesians 5:30). The more we abide in ourselves, the less fruit we will bear. As Jesus said:

John 15:4-5 (KJV) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] 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.

God tries our faith – and our hearts – so that we can grow in Him and bear more fruit. My commentary notes:

“The refiner of silver and the purifier of gold know just what heat is necessary to purge away all dross. They will take care that just the right amount is permitted. So it is with our God and Father. He desires to free us from the base things of earth, and He allows us to pass through the fires of affliction for that end. But it is precious indeed to know that He sits by the fining pot, waiting until His own image is reflected in the soul; and He walks in the furnace with His persecuted children.”

God says in Malachi 3:3, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.” In the Old Covenant, the priests of Israel were the Levites. But in the New Covenant every believer is a priest before God:

1 Peter 2:5-9 (ESV) You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . . But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.

As believer-priests, our High Priest is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14-16). There are no earthly mediators between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5) – the only Mediator is Jesus Christ our Lord. There is no more sacrifice for sin, for Christ fulfilled the Law of Atonement on the Cross of Calvary. We who are Christ’s “offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”.

We bear fruit that honors our Lord, and promotes His Kingdom on this present earth. God sends trials with the ultimate purpose of refining our faith, and to make us more fruitful until the day He calls us home.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Posted in Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged Being fruitful, Bible, Faith, Following Christ, Glory To God, God, God Is Faithful, Jesus, living for Jesus, living for the world, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Reasonable Sacrifice, Reasonable Service

Posted on May 12, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. {2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God In His Mercy Gave Us The Sacrifice

In the ancient world under the Old Covenant, also known as the Mosaic Law, the system of “atonement” or the covering of your sins was done by animal sacrifice. This practice was started by God in the Garden of Eden to show mankind how horrendous sin is. God told Adam:

Genesis 2:17 (KJV) of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam could have any fruit from any tree but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God knew that Adam would go for it, just as the parent who tells the child “Yes, there’s cookies. But no, you can’t have any till I say.” It isn’t long before the child plots on how he will get the cookies. So it was with Adam.

God made a promise to Adam, and
God keeps His promises.

“IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT THEREOF, YOU SHALL SURELY DIE”. When the great General Joshua prepared to meet his Maker, he reminded Israel:

Joshua 23:14 (ESV) … not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.

God keeps His promises. Not one GOOD THING God promised has ever failed. Not one BAD THING God has promised ever failed. He told Adam:

IN THE DAY – The very day you disobey Me. Immediately.
YOU – No one else, Adam. YOU. When YOU do it.
EAT THEREOF – choose to disobey Me, and do the forbidden.
YOU SHALL SURELY DIE – Without pause, death comes!

Adam didn’t believe that God perfectly keeps His promises. He thought there was a little wiggle room. There’s not. What God has said, He will do. This is why the Bible says, “the FEAR of the LORD is the BEGINNING of KNOWLEDGE” (Proverbs 1:7).

When Adam sinned, his “eyes were opened”. He immediately died spiritually, and was – according to the promise of God – supposed to die physically. “Thou shalt surely die”.

But God did not kill Adam and Eve. He cursed them, but He did not kill them. Did God fail to keep His promise? No. Adam must die for his sin. He has died spiritually, and must die physically. And yet, “God Who is rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4), picked another avenue for Adam and Eve, for humanity. The Bible says:

Genesis 3:21 (ESV) the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

This was the first animal sacrifice. Either Adam must die, or an innocent must die in his place. There was no innocent Man, so an animal died. God “covered” Adam and Eve’s sin with the skin of the innocent animal. This covering is a picture of what God would do through Jesus Christ. The Bible says:

1 Peter 1:18-21 (ESV) … knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Lamb slain in the Garden of Eden for Adam’s sin was a “type” or a foreshadowing of what God had intended from the beginning. The Eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, would come into humanity from eternity. The co-Creator of all things (“for by Him all things were created both in the Heavens and on earth … by Him all things consist” Colossians 1:16-17) would one day step into His own creation. He would be born on a woman, live among us as a Perfect Man, and die for our sins as “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The lamb slain in the Garden to cover Adam’s sin is a precursor to Jesus Christ slain on Calvary for our sins. By one man sin entered the world – and death reigned. But by Jesus Christ sin and death were vanquished (Romans 5:17). The Bible says:

John 3:15-18 (ESV) whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only {Begotten} Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

There is only one way to be right before God, and that is to receive the sacrifice of Christ as your own. The Bible tells us that in Heaven,

Revelation 21:3-4 (ESV) the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

The only ones who are in Heaven are those who have fallen in love with Jesus, who have given their lives to Him as Lord and Savior. In Heaven we will have the embrace of God. The Bible says that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away”. What does that mean?

I have seen mothers standing in courtrooms when their children were sentenced for some crime they committed. These mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers stand up and plead with the Judge for the life of their children. They beg for leniency. One day many who are born again will stand before God, and wonder where their children are. They will look at Jesus, and ask, “Where’s my boy, my girl?” And the Lord will say:

“I never knew them. They had to depart from Me, for they were WORKERS OF LAWLESSNESS” (Matthew 7:23).

The parents will say, “But they went to Church. They paid taxes. They gave a tithe. They never committed crime. They were good citizens.” And God will say “they never did the works of God”. And they will say, “What are the works of God?” and God will say:

John 6:29 (ESV) This is the work of God, that you believe in Him Whom He has sent.

Your loved ones who die without Jesus will not be in Heaven, though you are. The ones who go to Heaven love Jesus. They have given their lives to Jesus. You may say, “But why can’t my unbelieving relative be in Heaven with us?” The answer is simply,

God promised. God is faithful. God is holy, & just.
The only way to God is through Christ (John 14:6).

If your loved ones are not in Heaven, you can cry and weep, but God can only “wipe away every tear from your eyes”. He promised. God is faithful. So, what can I do to reach my family for Christ?

How Can I Reach Those Around Me
For Christ?

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

IF you are saved by faith in Christ,
IF you have confessed with your mouth that he is Lord,
IF you have believed in your heart He is risen from the grave,

THEN you are “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (1 John 5:1; Galatians 3:26). That’s what the Apostle is alluding to when He says:

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, BRETHREN

Word Study: The word “BRETHREN” is the Greek adelphos, which means “brothers and sisters, fellow believers, members of the same Family”. We who are saved are united together by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The word adelphos literally means “from the same womb”. We who are saved are born again into the Family of God. The Bible says that:

Ephesians 2:18 (KJV) For through {Jesus} we both have access BY ONE SPIRIT UNTO THE FATHER …

1 Corinthians 12:13 (KJV) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Believing in Christ, receiving Christ as dead men and women, God has covered us with the Blood of Christ. We are His, and He is ours.

Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

So how can we convince others that Christ is true. How can we lead our loved ones to Jesus? We are to act as God’s Children. We are to:

Romans 12:1 (KJV)present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

In the Old Covenant, the priests offered animal sacrifices to God to act as covering or “atonement” for sins. Every sacrifice offered by the priests was offered “without blemish” (Exodus 29:1; Leviticus 1:10). The sacrifice was to be “killed before the Lord” (Exodus 29:11). The “blood was to be sprinkled on the people” (Exodus 24:8) as the priest reminded the congregation “Behold, the Blood of the Covenant”.

When Jesus Christ died on Calvary as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:36), the animal sacrifices ended. The Levitical Priesthood ended. However, we are under a new priesthood. Jesus Christ is our High Priest, as we are told in:

Hebrews 3:1 (KJV) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 4:14 (KJV) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Our High Priest is Jesus. So who are the priests? WE ARE. Not fancy preachers wearing fancy collars, with fancy titles like DOCTOR or FATHER. The Bible says:

Revelation 1:5-6 (KJV) … Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, [6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

When Jesus saved us, Beloved, He “MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTO GOD AND HIS FATHER”. What do we sacrifice? Animals? No, for the Lamb of God has come once and for all for sins. What do we sacrifice? We sacrifice OURSELVES, just as Jesus sacrificed HIMSELF.

present your bodies a living sacrifice

How do we reach the lost around us? How do we reach our children for Christ. We become LIVING SACRIFICES. We don’t literally kill ourselves, but we lay our lives down for Jesus.

Beloved, a compromising waffling Christian cannot lead a loved one to Christ. When you look exactly like the world and Christ has no visible impact on your life, people see your Christianity as a “lucky rabbit’s foot” or a silly superstition. When angered, and you refuse to forgive your enemy, what you have is no more than a “made in China” knockoff.

When you tell your children about Jesus, but put greater emphasis in life on your hobbies, your job, your possessions, or your bank account, you convince no one. Children can spot a hypocrite a mile away! Why do so many young people leave the Church when they become of age, walk away, and never return? Because they saw nothing in you that convinced them that Jesus is alive, and Lord of all.

Romans 12:1 (KJV)present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.

God is not asking you to be “holier than thou”. Jesus was upset by the Pharisees. God is upset by the “holier than thou” crowd. God said of Israel and the Pharisees:

Isaiah 65:2-5 (ESV) I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; 3 a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; 4 who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; 5 who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

The Pharisees, Scribes, Herodians and Chief Priests made a game out of God’s Law, twisting it to suit their own fancies. If you didn’t live the Law according to the way that THEY SAID (not what God said), then they shunned you. “We are holier than thou”. God said, “These are a smoke in My nostrils!” When God says, “Present your bodies as living sacrifices, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD”, He’s not saying we should be holier than thou.

We are not to be HOLIER THAN THOU, but WHOLLY IN CHRIST.

We are to live our lives so as to honor Jesus, to glorify God, to magnify His Kingdom. We are to do our best – and when we fail – run back to Jesus’ arms. The Bible tells us:

Galatians 5:16-18 (ESV) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Pastor John Piper said of this text:

“If the Christian life looks too hard, we must remember that we are not called to live it by ourselves. We must live it by the Spirit of God. The command of love is not a new legalistic burden laid on our back; it is what happens freely when we walk by the Spirit. People who try to love without relying on God’s Spirit always wind up trying to fill their own emptiness rather than sharing their fullness. And so love ceases to be love. Love is not easy for us. But the good news is that it is not primarily our work but God’s. We must simply learn to “walk by the Spirit.”

Walking by the Spirit means to strive to do as Jesus commanded by His power. The old time Pastor Horatius Bonar said it even more clearly:

“The secret of a believer’s holy walk is his continual recurrence to the blood of the Surety, and his daily [communion] with a crucified and risen Lord. All divine life, and all precious fruits of it, pardon, peace, and holiness, spring from the cross. All fancied sanctification which does not arise wholly from the blood of the cross is nothing better than Pharisaism. If we would be holy, we must get to the cross, and dwell there; else, notwithstanding all our labor, diligence, fasting, praying and good works, we shall be yet void of real sanctification, destitute of those humble, gracious tempers which accompany a clear view of the cross.”

It all goes back to our High Priest, Jesus Christ. We are saved by His sacrifice. We imitate His sacrifice in our lives. When we have enemies who attack us, Jesus tells us:

Matthew 5:44-48 (ESV) Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Lay your life down willingly, as Jesus laid His life down willingly. “DENY YOURSELF, Take up YOUR CROSS and FOLLOW HIM” (Luke 9:23). Imitate the Master. This is what will reach the world, the imitation of Christ. The children should look like the Father. Do you look like Jesus, dear Christian, in your walk? This is not unreasonable. But “your reasonable service”.

Stand Together Against Worldliness

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Too many who profess Christ are doing this sdrawkcab {pro. Strawcab}.

That’s “backwards” spelled backwards. Too many professing Christ are CONFORMING to the world, but not being TRANSFORMED. As a result, they have no idea “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. We spend hours on social media, and minutes on the Holy Bible. Beloved, I despise it when I hear preachers quip,

“When I went to seminary, I was taught to make the sermon ABOUT Jesus and ABOUT 10 minutes long!”

That, to me, shows NO RESPECT for the Word of God. How can you be TRANSFORMED in your mind if you spend HOURS on television and social media, but MINUTES in the Word of God. You cannot. It is impossible.

Godly transformation comes from Scriptural meditation.

The malaise (discomfort, illness, uneasiness whose exact cause we seem to not know) of the Church today is because we are spending too much time CONFORMING and not intentionally TRANSFORMING. You are not saved by your works, but once saved you are children of God who are called to work for Him.

Period.

One day some of you will die, and, like the rich man of Luke 16:23 will lift up your eyes in Hell. You will cry out for relief, but there will be none coming.

And in Heaven, God will “wipe the tears from your dear mother’s eyes”.

Beloved, we are not saved by works, but our works prove our salvation. Salvation is a God imparted, Holy Spirit enacted gift of Grace that comes on you when you surrender your life to Christ as Lord and Savior. Once saved, God calls us to “REASONABLE SERVICE”. What is that? “PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES”. Your willingness to follow Christ your High Priest, to be Priests who sacrifice yourselves for Him, this is evidence of a transformed life. The stepbrother of Christ writes:

James 2:17 … faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead

God created us in Christ to “do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). The Apostle said, “work OUT your salvation with fear and trembling, FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU, both to will and to work for HIS GOOD PLEASURE” (Philippians 2:12-13).

When you come to Christ by faith, the Holy Spirit changes you. And daily, the Holy Spirit will bid that you follow in Jesus’ footsteps. This is what will reach a lost and dying world. Not a denomination, not a creed, but a living faith where people see Jesus in you.

May God lead us all this way. Amen.

Posted in General, Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, born again, christianity, Faith, follow Christ, follow God, Following Christ, following God, Jesus, Proof of life, Reasonable Service, salvation, sanctification | Leave a comment

God Is Not Done

Posted on May 2, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 11:1-6 (KJV) I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

God “Foreknew”

I like to call today “Resurrection Sunday”, the most important Christian holiday there is. Though we make much of “Christmas”, very few people saw the Baby Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God in that manger in Bethlehem. I heard one man say,

When man reaches for God, this is called “religion”. But when God reached for man, we call this “Christmas”.

God reached down to save us. The Bible says that those who claim to follow Christ are to follow His example:

Philippians 2:3-7 (ESV) Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Joy is not found in selfishness or narcissism, but in “humbling yourself, and count others more significant than yourselves”. Though He was God, and “in the beginning with God, and was God” as the Apostle John tells us (John 1:1-3), Jesus allowed Himself to be born through a relatively unknown virgin and her lowly carpenter fiancee’. The story of His birth into His Creation (for Jesus co-created this earth, and all that is in it):

Colossians 1:15-17 (ESV) {Jesus} is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The Creator became the Created, Perfect Man, to show us the heart of God, to show us how to live. But more than this, the Bible says:

Philippians 2:8 … being found in human form, {Jesus} humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Creator became the Perfect Created, the Perfect Man. He walked among us, doing good. He healed. God did what God can only do:

Matthew 11:5 (ESV) … the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

But there was one thing God could not do. He could not cover our sin while He walked the earth. I have heard it said, “God will accept me because I’m a GOOD PERSON”. That’s what we believe. The Progressive platform is that we can make ourselves into anything we want – a man can become a woman, a woman can become a man. A person can become persons. Or a human can become non-binary, neither male nor female.

Surely we can make ourselves “good”. Michael Bloomberg, three time Mayor of New York City and ex-Governor of New York State was interviewed by the New York Times. He said that he thought he had earned God’s favor because of his humanitarian work. He said, grinning,

“I’m telling you, if there is a God, when I get to heaven, I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I’m heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”

That’s the thought of many. Surely we can be “good”. “If anyone deserved to go to Heaven, he or she did”. Resurrection Sunday or “Easter” as many call it is proof that we cannot make ourselves be good.

A Perfect Man, God Himself, walked this earth. “Three days and three nights before today” (Matthew 12:40; Jonah 1:17) this Perfect Man completed a 3 ½ ministry of peace and blessing. This Perfect Man – in Whom none could find fault:

Luke 23:4 (ESV) .. Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this Man.”

Luke 23:13-15 (ESV) Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this Man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining Him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent Him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.

Three days and three nights before this day, Pilate and Herod – two politicians – found Jesus Christ innocent of all charges. There was no sin in Him. He was carefully examined by competent authorities, and He was innocent. And yet, “good” people, the Pharisees and Priests, would incite the crowds. “Crucify Him, and release the murderer Barabbas!” (Luke 23:18-19). This crowd of “good” people kept shouting in their “mostly peaceful protests” that Jesus should be crucified.

Their voices prevailed.
They voted, and the majority ruled.
Democracy won the day.
The “Good” nailed the “Perfect” to the Cross.

Did evil win? No. From the outside looking in, it was as if evil won. This Perfect Jesus was beaten with whips and rods, with fists and feet. His flesh was torn. They put a purple robe on His bloody body, and a crown of thorns on His head (Mark 15:17), then ridiculed Him, bowing down and mocking the Lord of Glory. Then they nailed Him to a tree.

Three days and three nights ago, people pointed at Jesus, bleeding, sighing, struggling to breath. Three days and three nights ago people mocked, saying “If you are the Messiah, get Yourself down from that Cross” (Matthew 27:40). These are all good people doing this. Was this a mistake? No. Jesus knew that it was going to happen. Jesus willingly went to that Cross. He told His disciples:

John 10:17 (ESV) For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

As Jesus hung on the Cross, the good people mocked and entertained themselves. The soldiers, stripping Jesus naked, cast lots or gambled for His clothing (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24). The world saw three thieves hanging on crosses on that hill called Calvary. God foreknew this would happen, and decreed it to happen.

He Who hung on that Cross – the Creator become the Created, is “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)

Is God Done With Israel? With America?

Three Days and Three Nights before today Israel cried out for Jesus to be crucified. Israel enlisted the Roman Empire, the Gentiles, to execute the Lord of Glory. He died horribly on that Cross, and was stabbed after death in the heart. Taken down by Nicodemus and a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ body was washed, covered with myrrh and aloe – about a 75 pounds of it (John 19:39). He was laid in Joseph’s family tomb, the Tomb sealed, and guards placed on the sealed entrance.

This morning the Tomb was empty. An Angel reminds us, “He is not here, but He has risen! Just as He said (Luke 24:6).

Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the promise that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Paul asks the question:

Romans 11:1 (KJV) I say then, Hath God cast away His people?

Is God done with Israel? Israel called for His crucifixion. The Gentiles crucified Him. Is God done with us? Paul goes on to say,

Romans 11:1-2 (KJV) God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away His people which He foreknew.

God is not done with Israel. If God was done with His people, then Jesus wouldn’t have knock Saul down on Damascus Road, and called him to be the Apostle Paul. The Lord said:

Acts 9:15 (ESV) {Paul} is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

God is not done with His people. Easter reminds us of this. Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay for our sins, and rose again to be the Lord and Savior of all that believe on Him. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 (ESV) … we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Both Gentiles and Jews murdered the Messiah – but God is in control. God has not given up on us. He has not given up on Israel, nor does He give up on YOU!

Oh, How Tired We Believers Get At Times

I love the message of Easter, because in it we learn “God is faithful, and God won’t give up”. We don’t need to give up either.

When we get saved, we are saved not because we deserve it, but because God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). He calls. He seeks. He does not give up. But we as humans often get disheartened, and want to quit. If you have been saved by faith in Christ, this next section is for you!

Romans 11:2-3 (KJV) … {do you not know} what the scripture saith of Elias {Elijah}? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

Paul now calls to mind the life of Elijah. Elijah was a great believer in God, a mighty Prophet. Elijah prayed, and God caused a 3 ½ year drought on Israel for their sin of worshiping the false god Baal. Elijah was the first to raise someone from the dead (the widow’s son). He blessed the food and oil of the widow so it would not run out. Elijah stood alone on Mount Carmel, and through him God showed Himself to be the True God, and the false gods that Israel was worshiping to be indeed false (1 Kings 18).

After his battle for God on Mount Carmel, Wicked Queen Jezebel threatened that she would kill him before the day was out (1 Kings 19:1-2). No one stood with Elijah – so he ran. God came to Elijah and, feeding him with crows or ravens, God sent Elijah 40 days and 40 nights into the wilderness to Mount Horeb. When Elijah got to Mount Horeb, the Bible says:

1 Kings 19:9 (BSB) What are you doing here, Elijah?

Elijah told the Lord, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well. (1 Kings 19:10)”.

Elijah had served the Lord with all his heart. Yet the Israelites sought to kill him for what he told them about their false gods and golden calves. Israel rejected the Word of God.

Israel rejected the Abrahamic Covenant.
Israel rejected the Davidic Covenant.
Israel rejected the Mosaic Covenant.

Every Covenant, every good that God tried to do to them, they rejected it. The same thing happened to the Apostle Paul. Called to preach the Gospel on the Damascus Road, he was disowned by his family and friends. The Bible says:

Acts 9:22-25 (ESV) {Saul} confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. 26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

Paul had a few who listened to the Gospel of Christ, but more shunned him. When he sought out other Christians, those who had heard of his previous life had nothing to do with him.

Like Elijah, Paul thought that he was all alone. But God spoke to Paul the same truths He spoke to Elijah.

Romans 11:4 (KJV) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

The answer of God to Elijah was “you are NOT alone”. God said, “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal”. We are never alone.

Illustrate: Several years ago there was a commercial for the Army, where a young man or woman stood up and said “I am an Army of one”. That’s a stupid commercial, and a lie from hell. There is no “Army of one”. When I was in the Air Force, we were taught to work TOGETHER. One person cannot do it all. One team can. The Army is effective, the Marines effective, only with the support of the Air Force and the Navy.

Christian, you are not alone. Whatever you are going through, you are not alone. God is with you. There are other Bible believing Christians who are with you. Though America may seem like its in it’s darkest days, God is still in control. God told Elijah:

1 Kings 19:11 (KJV) Go, and STAND ON THE MOUNTAIN BEFORE THE LORD …

As Elijah stood on the mountain, a great wind tore at the mountain … BUT GOD WAS NOT IN THE WIND. A great earthquake shook the mountain … BUT GOD WAS NOT IN THE EARTHQUAKE. As Elijah stood there, a fire encompassed the mountain … BUT GOD WAS NOT IN THE MOUNTAIN. Fury after fury passed by Elijah’s sight, but God was not in it. The storms of life may come and may go, but God is always faithful. Do not focus the eye of faith on the storm, nor on yourself, but focus the eye of faith on God alone. Paul tells us:

Romans 11:4 (KJV) I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal.

“I am in control”, says the Lord. The redemptive love of God never gives up – don’t you give up! Keep telling others about Jesus. Your family may mock, they may reject, they may turn away in scorn. I find myself investing hours in people who have gotten themselves in trouble. In the name of Christ I find myself swimming oceans for people who wouldn’t cross a mud puddle for me. The users, the takers, the followers of the golden calves. You’ve been abused, if you’re a Christian.

Keep on going. Keep praying. Keep loving, telling, and calling. Remember what the Lord has said. God never gave up on me, so I must not give up on you. I am His possession – but He wants to possess you, too. Keep on telling others about Jesus.

There Is No Salvation Without The Election Of Grace

Romans 11:5-6 (KJV) there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

God calls people to Christ Jesus. It was He Who died on that Cross for our sins. It was He Who rose from the grave for our justification. People must know the truth. Heaven is not the default “good” people go to. Hell is the default. We must hear God’s call to salvation. We must heed the empty Cross and the empty Tomb. You are saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Biblical definition of saving faith is:

A faith that has confessed with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and believed in the heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

A faith that believes that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1:15).

A faith that believes I can now stand before a Holy God because the handwriting of ordinances and righteous laws that I was guilty of breaking are now nailed to the Cross of Christ. My sins have been paid for, and I am Heaven bound” (Colossians 2:14).

A faith that says I belong to God, not to myself – that I am bought with a price. I must now glorify God in MY BODY, and in MY SPIRIT, which belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:20).

If you are a Christian you no longer bow the knee to Baal, nor to the golden calf. You are bought. You belong to God. Look at what God had to pay for your purchase. He did not give livestock, or land, or jewels, or mammon for you. He allowed His Own Dear Son to go to a criminal’s punishment for you. He allowed Jesus to be beaten and torn and mocked and spat on and nailed to a tree. When all cruelty had been exhausted the Lord turned His back on Christ as your sins and mine were poured out on Him. If you have been saved, you belong to God.

If you belong to God, then God has the right to do with you as He will. “Hath not the potter power over the clay?” (Romans 9:21). Listen, dear ones, God never promised you this life would be a bed of roses. What He promised was that He would save you, that He would watch over and cherish you, and that He would one day take you into glory and give you a perfect and new body. He promised that your eternity would be flawless – but not your now. He promised that you would be His and that nothing – absolutely nothing – would come your way without His loving allowance. You were purchased at a terrible price. Do you believe that He will abandon you now?

When someone tells me “I’ve lost my faith”, I question whether that dear soul ever had it in the first place. If you understand that you belong to God, if you understand the price paid for your redemption, then you know that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Do you have incurable disease? Praise Him! Whereas others do not know the day of their death, you have been granted a wonderful gift. You know what day your Lord will call you home, and know the day when all suffering shall cease. He Who purchased you at great cost shall make sure you join Him in eternity. Have you lost loved ones to physical death, a cherished husband or daughter who also claimed Jesus to be their own? Praise Him! They are not lost, but are certainly with the Lord Who paid so much for them. Death has lost its sting for the Christian. You belong to God. He did the greatest thing of all for you when He saved you. He will not abandon you now. If you are saved, you are set apart. You are reserved unto God. You belong to Him. Nothing touches you without His permission.

But heed my word, which is His Word. If you do not belong to God by faith, if you live your life as if YOU are God and He is not, when you die you will be where you belong.

In Hell.

And it will be because you rejected every reach, every cry, every pleading from the God Who made you. You will have an eternity to worship Baal, for he will be there beside you. His name is Lucifer. It is he who has blinded you to the Gospel of salvation, a Gospel of surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Oh Beloved, seek Jesus today, for He seeks you to the grave.

May God touch your heart with His Word, the Gospel of the kingdom. Amen.

Posted in General, Lamb of God, Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Bought with a price, christianity, endure, Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Goodness of God, gospel, Jesus, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Anathema Maranatha

Posted on May 2, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

1 Corinthians 16:22 (KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

Revivals Are For The Church, The Saved

It is such a joy to be invited to preach to you tonight. When invited, I told my brother “Do you know who you’re inviting? I’m nobody. I’m nothing, and happy to be nothing.” I pray that God use this unworthy servant for His glory, and for your growth.

Beloved, “Revival” is not primarily about saving souls. I pray souls are saved, but “Revival” means “an improvement in the condition or strength of something, to make something important again”.

A lost person doesn’t need revival. A lost person is dead in their trespasses and sins. You do not REVIVE a dead thing – it must be QUICKENED. A lost person must be born again. A lost person needs to be found of Jesus. A lost person needs to be found of the Holy Spirit. Like Lazarus, Christ must call them, and they must come! You MUST be born again before you can be revived!

One of the favorite verses of Scripture – one we al learned in Vacation Bible School – is John 3:16

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.

Those wonderful words are said by our Lord Jesus Christ to a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, an important Pharisee, a “ruler of the Jews”.

– Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. That’s one of the signs you need to be “born again”. You’re interested by Jesus, interested in Jesus, but ashamed to be seen of Him in public. If people around you don’t know you’re a Christian, a Child of God, then you may not be saved.

– Nicodemus came to Jesus and bragged on Jesus – PRIVATELY. “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (John 3:2). Jesus didn’t want a spiritually dead man bragging on Him. Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:3 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he CANNOT see the kingdom of God.

Lost people are blind – blind to their sin. They think they’re GOOD. They’re blind to Who Jesus is.

Nicodemus is standing before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Nicodemus is in the Presence of the One that Colossians 1:16-17 tells us “by Him all things were made”. Nicodemus is spiritually dead. He sees Jesus as the lost world sees Jesus. Jesus is just a great Teacher, a miracle worker. Jesus is more than a miracle worker. He is CREATIVE GOD. He is the only hope for salvation. He is the Only Savior of mankind.

Jesus told Nicodemus “you cannot see the Kingdom of God”. Those who are saved, are saved by the love of God. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

– Lost people believe they can be saved, then live their lives without regard to God or man – live their lives selfishly – then will die and go to Heaven. Beloved, when we are saved, we are saved into God’s Kingdom. We are saved into a Kingdom run by Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just save you to get you to Heaven. He saves you to get Heaven into you. Jesus said,

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

When Jesus told Nicodemus “You MUST be born again”, Nicodemus asked Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John 3:4). That is so silly – but ..

– Lost people cannot understand the things of God, for they do not have the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (KJV) … the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are FOOLISHNESS unto him: NEITHER can he know them, because they are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:5-7 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

What must a lost person know? What can they know?

First, the lost person must know they are lost. You cannot be found until you know you’re lost. When Jesus preached, He preached:

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) REPENT ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand …

Mark 1:15 (KJV) The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and believe the gospel.

The first thing the lost person must do is REPENT. That means to “agree with God on what God says”. What does God say about us humans? He says:

Romans 3:10-11 (KJV) … There is NONE righteous, no, not one: 12 They are ALL gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

People are fond of judging themselves against other people. Hitler is BAD, but compared to him, I’m GOOD. But Jesus told us “There are none good but One, that is God” (Matthew 19:17).

Compared to God, we are all bad. God is pure, holy – holy – holy. He is the only One without sin.

Born into this world as sinners, we must all be born again. We must realize our first birth made us human, but we need a SECOND BIRTH TO MAKE US HOLY. How can we be holy? Can we follow a Law, and live it perfectly to be holy? No! Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again of the Spirit”. How can a person be born again?

Love The Lord Jesus Christ, or be ANATHEMA

Sometimes preachers “chase rabbits”, lose their point, and run in circles. I’m not “chasing rabbits”. Everything I told you ties into this verse:

1 Corinthians 16:22 (KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

What makes a person a believer, saved in the eyes of God. It is that you love His Son, Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus, then you are “BELOVED”, because Jesus is God’s Beloved Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). But if you do not love Jesus, “let him be Anathema”. What does that word mean?

Our Bible was originally written – not in English – but in ancient languages. The Old Testament is translated into English from Hebrew and Chaldean, the New Testament from Greek and Aramaic. The two words we see are not translated here, but are the original Greek words.

Word Study: Anathema means to be “bound under a great curse”. The word is usually translated in our Bibles, but here it’s not. The word Anathema is translated in Acts 23:14. The Chief Priests and elders said…

Acts 23:14 We have bound ourselves under a great curse {Anathema}, we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

They took a terrible curse upon themselves, and said that they would starve to death until they killed the Apostle Paul. It was a terrible curse, and a foolish curse, because Paul would not be slain until the Lord Jesus was done with him. Paul would stand in front of Caesar and fulfill the commission Jesus Christ called him to do,

Acts 9:15 … to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel

The word Anathema is translated in the Book of Galatians, where the Bible says:

Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be ACCURSED. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be ACCURSED.

The word “ACCURSED” is the translation of the word Anathema. If anyone preaches a Gospel that departs from that which the Apostles preached, the “Gospel of the Kingdom” (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; Mark 1:14), then that person is ANATHEMA, condemned, cast out. There’s a lot of this preaching going on today, dear ones. The beginning of the Gospel is

REPENT!

Someone says, “I can be homosexual, and be a Christian”. This is an ACCURSED, ANATHEMA – a false Gospel. Homosexual behavior is sinful, evil (1 Corinthians 6:9). It is unrighteous, just as it is to live in sexual union with another to whom you are not married. Homosexuality and adultery, along with bestiality, were CAPITAL offenses in ancient Israel.

Another says, “I can be a Christian, and carry hatred in my heart toward another person”. Brother, you have been sold ANATHEMA.

Yet another says, “I can be a Christian, and live to please myself above all else”. Sister, you have a “made in China, fake gospel”. “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

We come to Jesus broken, and Jesus heals us. We are saved by Grace:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

But once saved, you are brought into the Kingdom of Christ. Once saved, we are told,

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We are not saved BY works, but BY faith in Christ. But once saved, we are born again. Once saved, God changes us. We do not become perfect, but meeting Jesus

“the blind see,
the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
to the poor the gospel is preached”
(Luke 7:22)

The ACCURSED false gospel says that if you send money to a preacher on television that God will give you much more back. Beloved, God does not promise you earthly riches. Your riches are with Jesus! “You cannot serve God and mammon, God and money/ riches” (Matthew 6:24).

The ACCURSED false gospel says that God’s Word is not true, not for today, but what God said in His Bible applied only to then, not to now. Beloved, our God is sovereign. He wrote His Book through men submitted to Him. God is timeless, and His Book is timeless.

The ACCURSED false gospel says that Jesus saves you to go to Heaven, but you can walk like a child of Hell on this earth.

That’s a lie. If you are saved, you follow Jesus, you love Jesus. I already quoted this – but let’s say it again:

John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life…

If you belong to Jesus, you live for Jesus. Church, Jesus expects you to love Him, to SHINE for Him. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

If You Do Not Love Jesus, ANATHEMA!

1 Corinthians 16:22 (KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema

Do you know why the Church in America is having so little effect on the sin and darkness in America? It is because many Churches have committed the sin of Achan.

God told Israel that when they went into the Land, do not take the ACCURSED thing, the idolatrous THING, the evil of the world into their homes. God tells us in the New Testament:

1 Peter 1:13-19 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; [14] As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. [17] And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear: [18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot …

When Israel went to battle, Achan (Joshua 7:1) brought the ACCURSED THING into his home. He buried it in the floor of his house. No one knew BUT GOD. But God knew. ANATHEMA!

The Church cannot change the world when it looks like the world. If we love Jesus, we will do as He says. Jesus said:

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

And

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Church, do you love Jesus? Christian, do you love Jesus? Those who will not love Jesus will be ANATHEMA, under the curse. Let me tell you a true story.

Several years ago at our Church a fellow told me, “I want to join the Church”. I asked him, “Do you love Jesus. Have you given your life to Jesus?” He said, “Yes, I have”. I told him, “Next Sunday come forward, profess your love for Jesus, and we’ll receive you once you are baptized”. This man – his name too is David – looked at me and said “I don’t want to be baptized”. I told him, “You have to be baptized or you can’t join the Church”. He said, “You preached a few Sundays ago about the man who died next to Jesus on Calvary. That thief said,

Luke 23:42 … Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Jesus told that man,

Luke 23:43 … Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.

David said, “That man was never baptized”. I told him, “That’s true. But IF he could have gotten off that Cross and been baptized, HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT, because that man loved Jesus more than himself”. David couldn’t understand it. I told him, “Jesus commanded baptism. If you love Him, you KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS (Matthew 28:19)”.

I came in a Sunday School class, and the teacher came to me. Several men in the class told David that he didn’t have to be baptized to join the Church. I told them all that yes, he did. If you love Jesus, you will be baptized. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be ANATHEMA. If any CHURCH love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let it be ANATHEMA, under the dark curse.”

We’re not here to please ourselves, or puff ourselves up, but to love Him that gave His life for us twice.

Jesus gave His life on Calvary as the Lamb of God, and gives His life now sitting on the right hand of the Father, making intercession for US.

About a year later, David walked the aisle at Church. When he came to me, I asked “Will you be baptized?” He said, “Preacher, you’re asking a hard thing.” I told David, “No, I’m not. Jesus is commanding you. Will you be baptized?” He said, “Yes, for Jesus”. When David went under the water, when he came up everyone who witnessed his baptism that night said “he literally glowed when he came up”.

1 Corinthians 16:22 (KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

Let me tell you another true story. Years ago I knew a very rich woman who was a member at our Church in Lexington Tennessee. God had been good to her. She had a nice home, and owned a thousand acres of land. Her husband left her with a full bank account. She had no want for anything.

I was cleaning up the basement of the Church when I came across a broken handled upright vacuum cleaner. It couldn’t be used, so I threw it away. Later that day I was at this lady’s home visiting with her, when I saw she had a brand new, top of the line Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner. I told her, “That’s the kind of vacuum cleaner our Church could use. I found an old broken one at the Church, but it was no good”. She looked at me and said, “All you had to do was get the handle fixed. I dropped that old one – it used to be mine – off at the Church when I bought this one. You had no right to throw it away!”

A few years later, I visited this poor old lady in the Nursing Home. She had lost her home. The Nursing Home took her money, and her lands. She could no longer walk. This lady looked at me, and said,

“Brother David, why does God hate me?”

Beloved, God doesn’t hate you. But His Word stands true.

1 Corinthians 16:22 (KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

As I close, I want to focus on the last word of this text, “Maranatha”. The word “MARANATHA” is two Aramaic words, marana tha. The word means “our Lord has come, and will come”. This word is only found here in the Bible. Marana tha reminds us that our God is returning, that He will “come quickly”. Jesus said,

Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Revelation 22:12 behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

And our Bible ends with these words,

Revelation 22:20 … Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

We do not know when Jesus will return. It could be at any minute. Your last breath can be your next breath. Do you love Jesus? Oh, how I pray you do. We are all frail, all broken – but if we as His sheep follow Him, blessing is coming. But if not, ANATHEMA – you are under a curse.

Do you know Him? Do you love Him? If not, get right TONIGHT. Repent. Come to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:23-24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Amen.

Posted in 1 Corinthians, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, born again, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Jesus, loved of God, quickened, revival | Leave a comment

Is Your Inside Out?

Posted on May 1, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

The words “HOARY HEAD” is the Hebrew śêḇâ (pro. Say-baw’) which means “grayed headed” or “one of old age”. The Bible celebrates not just the older person, but the elder who walks “in the way of righteousness”.

Old age has little to do with the crown of righteousness.

The “Crown of Righteousness” is given to those who live for and love Jesus, even into old age. The Apostle Paul wrote:

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (KJV) For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Paul lived his life for Jesus to the fullest. As an Elder, he never shirked his Lord, but “kept the faith”. The “Crown of righteousness” is only for those who love the Lord, and look with anticipation to His appearing.

There are many elderly people who pursued wickedness their entire lives, and actually grow old sinning. The Prophet Job asked his friends the same questions we have often asked:

Job 21:7-16 (NKJV) Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power? 8 Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance. 12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute. 13 They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave. 14 Yet they say to God, ‘Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. 15 Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’ 16 Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me.

God allows the wicked many times to live, even into old age, because:

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We do not understand it, but God is in control, and even uses the wicked for His own purpose. We read this at the beginning of this chapter:

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

The wicked that the wicked do in this life often brings its own punishment. God “endures with much patience these vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Romans 9:22). No, the wicked elderly are not to be honored. But those who live in the Way of God are to be respected. The Bible says:

Leviticus 19:32 (ESV) You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

Those who live in the Way of God, pursuing righteousness, are to be respected. I heard someone say that “The Pastor knows more of the Bible than I do, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get to heaven any faster than I will”. That’s true. We are saved by Grace. The Bible tells us:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

However, once saved by Grace you become the PROPERTY OF GOD. This is emphasized by the often ignored context of Ephesians 2:8-9.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The Christian is saved to “walk in the Light, as Christ is in the Light” (1 John 1:7).

You may never know as much as the Pastor, but you are created to walk in good works. “What good works”, you ask? The “good works” God commands you to walk in, to produce as you live out your life to old age. Finish well! It is not the runner in the race who is honored, but the one who finishes the race!

A Christian is not saved by works. But a Christian is commanded to work to the glory of God. The Christian who does so into old age is celebrated and revered.

Isaiah 65:20 (NKJV) … the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

Many who grow to old age without the Lord in their lives, who lived lives of selfishness and greed, are bitter and miserable. The evil that they have done hardens their hearts. “Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what HIS HANDS HAVE DEALT OUT SHALL BE DONE TO HIM” (Isaiah 3:11, ESV). Every day the wicked lives without Christ, they are:

Romans 2:5-9 (ESV) … STORING UP WRATH FOR YOURSELF ON THE DAY OF WRATH when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS WORKS: to those who by PATIENCE IN WELL DOING SEEK FOR GLORY AND HONOR AND IMMORTALITY HE WILL GIVE ETERNAL LIFE; but FOR THOSE WHO ARE SELF SEEKING AND DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH. BUT OBEY UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, THERE WILL BE WRATH AND FURY …

In the final analysis there is a judgment of works before a righteous God. Those who were flippant in following the Way of Christ may either be deceiving themselves and are actually under the curse and not saved, or they will be severely rebuked before the King of Glory. The lost, though long lived, will one day stand before the WRATH AND FURY of God.

Those who finish well, those who live to glorify the Lord until He calls them home in old age, are to be celebrated.

Grace in action is the glory of old age.

God demands the elder saint be respected, which explains a particularly difficult section of Scripture. The Bible says that the Prophet Elisha was traveling, when a group of teenage hooligans accost and mock him:

2 Kings 2:23-24 {Elisha} went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

That seems harsh, but in God’s eyes that is right. The elder believer who walks in the way of Christ is honored by God, and should be honored by the younger.

Control Your Temper

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

I have heard it said “It is easier to subdue an enemy without when you have no enemy within”. Alexander the Great conquered the world, but because of anger killed his best friend and confidant Clytus. When anger seizes a person, it often runs away from reason. The Bible says that one of the characteristics of our God is:

Psalm 103:8 (KJV) The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (see also Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Nahum 1:3)

In his book “The Art of War”, (required reading in military academies) the Chinese military General Sun Tzu wrote:

“Anger may in time change to gladness … but a Kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being”

Anger is fleeting, and can lead to foolish decisions and silly actions.

There are only three times Jesus showed anger when He walked this earth.

1. Jesus showed anger at compassion-less religion. In Mark Chapter 3 Jesus was worshiping in the Synagogue of Capernaum. There was a man with a withered hand worshiping there that day. The Scribes and Pharisees “watched Jesus to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, so they could accuse Him” (Mark 3:2). Jesus asked them,

Mark 3:4 (KJV) … Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?

They refused to answer Jesus. The Bible says:

Mark 3:5 (KJV) … {Jesus} looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus was angry with them, but did not attack them – but did good. They went off and plotted to kill Him. But Jesus controlled His anger – it did not control Him.

2. Jesus showed anger when people restricted the children from Him. In Mark chapter 10 people brought their children to Jesus, but His disciples refused them access. The Bible says:

Mark 10:14 (KJV) … when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

The words “he was much displeased” is the Greek aganakteō (pro. ag-an-ak-teh’-o) which means “to be indignant, greatly afflicted”. Jesus was “hot under the collar”. What did He do? He didn’t attack the disciples, but used this as a teachable moment. The Kingdom of Heaven is populated by those who love Jesus and want to be near Him with child like faith.

Jesus corrected the situation, He did not curse it!

3. Jesus was angry when His people seek profit from pilgrims rather than share the Gospel. This happened twice: once at the beginning of His earthly ministry (John 2), and once at the end just before He was crucified (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 21). When Jesus entered the Temple at the Court of the Gentiles, the only space non-Jewish people were allowed to enter. Jesus saw the moneychangers profiting from the pilgrims, He formed a whip out of cords, and lashed out at the vendors, driving away all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers, saying:

Matthew 21:13 (NIV) “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ”

Jesus treated the sellers as thieves or robbers, quoting scripture from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. Jesus used the minimum force necessary to run the thieves out of God’s buildings. Jesus did not want God’s facilities used in a way that limited the Gospel or His glory.

When the Gospel of God is misrepresented, the Glory of God is diminished. Jesus hated that!

We all get angry at times, but anger must not control us, but be controlled. The Bible says:

Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

The devil can inhabit our lives when we allow anger to control us. We must always remember that – no matter what – let God take vengeance. The Bible says:

Romans 12:17-21 (KJV) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Evil will overcome us if we allow our anger to control us. Trust God, for …

God Is In Control

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

In the Old Testament, people often made decisions by “casting lots”. This was like casting a die, or drawing straws and the short straw lost! When Jonah fled from God’s command and got on a ship headed toward Tarshish, a storm was sent by the Lord to toss the ship about. The sailors said:

Jonah 1:7 “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.

God controls the outcome of the cast lot. He used this event to mark Jonah as a rebel, to get him cast off of the ship so He could get Jonah to Nineveh. You cannot outrun God!

My Commentary notes:

“ what human beings call “luck” is merely the sum of all the factors we cannot see or control. No dice roll, or casting of lots, ever takes God by surprise. Some things do happen “by chance,” from the human perspective, as even Jesus noted (Luke 10:31). That does not mean they are arbitrary or random from God’s point of view. Even those things we perceive as determined by chance are in the Lord’s control (Psalm 16:5). This proverb points out that even those things we think of as “pure chance” are still under God’s sovereign control.”

There is no such thing as “luck”. God controls all outcomes. In the Old Testament, the “lot was cast”:

1. To organize the service in the temple (1 Chronicles 24:5,31; 25:8)

2. To reveal the truth (1 Samuel 14:41)

3. To trace offenders (Joshua 7:16)

4. To stop disputes (Proverbs 18:18)

5. To divide Canaan among the tribes (Numbers 26:55)

The Christian does not cast lots, for we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; John 14:17). Further, we have the completed canon of Scripture that we can refer to to determine right and wrong.

The Holy Spirit acts in conjunction with the Holy Scripture to guide the believer in life (John 16:13).

The Bible says:

2 Peter 1:19 (ESV) … we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts

The Bible is “a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105). “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6). The Bridges Commentary notes:

“ The falling of a hair or a sparrow is directed, no less than the birth and death of Princes, or the revolutions of empires. (Matthew 10:29, 30) Everything is a wheel of Providence. Who directed the Ishmaelites on their journey to Egypt at the very moment, that Joseph was cast into the pit? Who guided Pharaoh’s daughter to the stream, just when the ark, with its precious deposit, was committed to the waters? (Exodus 2:3-5). What gave Ahasuerus a sleepless night, that he might be amused with the records of his kingdom? (Esther 6:1) Who prepared the whale at the very time and place, that Jonah’s lot was cast? (Jonah 1:17) Who can fail to see the hand of God, most wonderful in the most apparently casual contingencies, overruling all second causes to fulfill his will, while they work their own? ‘When kingdoms are tossed up and down like a tennis-ball (Isaiah 22:18); not one event can fly out of the bounds of his Providence. The smallest are not below it. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without it. Not a hair, but it is numbered by it.”

God is always in control!

Is Your Inside Out?

I have known those who profess Christ as Savior who are on anxiety medications – some on three or four types for nervous disorders. This isn’t sinful, I don’t believe, and mental illness is a reality that sometimes needs medical intervention. BUT many of those who are so afflicted need to learn of Christ, to realize that God is in control. There are two ancient words I want to leave you with:

Orthodoxy
Orthopraxy

Orthodoxy refers to “correct belief, based upon the clear teaching of Scripture”. What you believe is fine, but you must put it into practice. That’s what Orthopraxy is – “the outward action of faith based on the inward belief of faith”. One should lead to the other.

Orthodoxy is inward belief. Orthopraxy is outward expression of your faith in your daily life. The Bible demands that we have both of these things.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, “Take MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN FROM ME, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS”. If you believe in Jesus, surrender your life to Jesus. Learn all you can about Jesus and the Word of God, and “YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS”. God said in …

Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV) Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

To know the Way, the Path of the Almighty, is fine. But to NOT WALK THE PATH will not bring “rest for your souls”. The Apostle wrote:

1 John 2:6 (ESV) whoever says he abides in {Jesus Christ} ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

What is believed inward is only effective if it is acted on. You must “WALK IN THE SAME WAY JESUS WALKED”. Jesus said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and NOT DO WHAT I TELL YOU?” (Luke 6:46).

To be blessed, your INSIDE must be OUTSIDE. We are to follow in Christ’s steps (1 Peter 2:21-23). We are to obey Him above all else (Hebrews 5:9). We are to keep His commandments OPENLY, or else we do not enjoy His Presence (John 15:10-14). In short, our INSIDE (Orthodoxy) must be OUTSIDE (Orthopraxy).

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

Posted in Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Faith, Following Christ, God, Jesus, living for Jesus, living for the world, Orthodoxy, Orthopraxy, salvation, Visible Faith | Leave a comment

The Way To God

Posted on April 28, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

Gentle, Then Harder Is More Effective

Our Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect example of One Who is “wise in heart” and yet “sweet of the lips”. Jesus knew that most people responded easier to gentler teaching, or as the Apostle said,

Ephesians 4:15 … speaking the TRUTH in LOVE …

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well our Lord knew that she was living in adultery. Jesus would later tell her,

John 4:16-18 (NKJV) .. Go, call your husband, and come here. 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.

Jesus did not begin with her sin, but with “Give Me some water from the well”. Intrigued, and knowing Jesus was a Jew, she said,

John 4:9 (NKJV) How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.

The Samaritans had become used to the Jews spitting at them, reminding them they were inferior, telling them they were unworthy when compared to a Hebrew. It surprised this woman that Jesus would even talk to her!

Jesus turned the conversation back to Himself, the living Water of God. He said “If you knew the Gift of God, and Who I am, you would have asked Me for water”. Jesus was not ugly with the woman, but Bible based. He did not try and win an argument with the woman, but stayed with the Wisdom of God, the Word.

Proverbs 16:21 the SWEETNESS of the lips increaseth learning

Word Study: The word rendered “SWEETNESS” is the Hebrew meṯeq (pro. meh’-thek). It doesn’t mean sugar coated, like honey, but instruction that comes from a heart filled with compassion and love. We previously read in:

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

As Jesus did, we should seek to speak the truth without forcing confrontation. Jesus stood on the phrase, “it is written”. He referred to what the Scripture said. There were times when Jesus rebuked those who would not listen (such as the self-righteous Pharisees), but

Jesus’ intent was to lead others to the Word of God, the Wisdom of God. If He could teach others gently, He did so – but without compromising the Word of God.

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

The intent of teaching others the Word of God is not to prove ourselves right and others wrong, but to lead as many as possible to life. God’s Word is Life. When the Apostle preached, he focused on:

Philippians 2:16 (KJV) Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

As believers we want to lead others to Christ, to the teachings of the Scripture. “Pleasant words are as honeycomb”.

Illustrate: In the ancient world, people considered honeycomb as we think of so called “energy drinks” today. God’s Word is

Psalm 19:10 (AP) More to be desired than gold, yes, more desired than fine gold: sweeter than honey and the honeycomb …

It is God’s Word that gives life and joy for living. Those without hope are without strength. The word of man cannot bring hope and joy that lasts. Only God’s Word blesses us – but we must eat it. It must become part of us. The Prophet said:

Jeremiah 15:16 (KJV) Thy Words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Proverbs 16:22 (KJV) Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary comments on this verse: “As ‘understanding’ or intelligence is its own reward to its possessors, so ‘folly’ is its own punishment to fools. Or, taking the English version, All ‘the instruction (i.e., the wisdom) of fools is (nothing but) folly;’ it is ‘a well-spring’ of folly, and therefore of death (the opposite to ‘of life’). Water cannot rise above its level. Not only in serious concerns does the wise man’s ‘understanding’ well forth, but even in his moments of relaxation. The fool’s wisdom, not only in ordinary concerns, but even in serious ones; as, for instance, his efforts by way of ‘instruction’ betray his ‘folly.’ ”

Right after Jesus fed the 5000, He sent His men to Capernaum by boat while He went into the mountains to pray. As Jesus set up camp the next day, crowds began to come to Him not to hear the Word of God, but to fill their bellies as they had the day before. This is foolishness! “The instruction of fools is folly”.

I saw a Jeep wheel cover today that had on it “Not all wanderers are lost”. People choose to wander, to forsake God and His Word. They don’t know they are lost!

You cannot teach a fool! The fool wants the temporal, the easy. The fool stands in the very presence of God Incarnate, and desires a fish and bread dinner rather than the wisdom of God. Jesus told these people:

John 6:26-29 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

These people came to Jesus because He filled their bellies the day before, and they were hungry again. They wanted a free lunch. Jesus wanted to teach them, to give them the “wellspring of life” that understanding of God’s Word brings. They wanted to know what the work of God is, and Jesus told them:

“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

This is the well spring of life. To receive Jesus, to hear Jesus, to follow Jesus, to live for Jesus. His Kingdom is a Living Kingdom. And then these fools said this:

John 6:30-31 (ESV) “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus, how do we KNOW You are the Messiah? We know that Moses was a Prophet of God because Moses gave us bread from Heaven to eat. This is the statement of a fool!

Moses did not give bread from Heaven.
Elijah did not bring fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel.
Mary did not make the Son of God in her womb.
John the Baptist did not bring the Holy Spirit down to Jesus.
God did those things!

God does the miraculous! Jesus Christ came into this world because God the Holy Spirit created His humanity through Mary, but the Eternal Son allowed the birth. Jesus told them:

John 6:32-33 “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

These people saw all the signs they needed to see the day before, when Jesus fed 5000 with a few biscuits and fish. They came to fill their bellies – but Jesus came to fill souls.

Jesus spoke harshly to the fools – and they departed, saying “This is a HARD SAYING – who can hear it?” (John 6:60). The foolish departed from Jesus, and never came back to walk with Him again. They came to Jesus for amusement, for selfish gain, but not to hear the Kingdom Gospel.

The Growing Christian Is A Disciple

Proverbs 16:23 (KJV) The heart of the wise TEACHETH his mouth, and ADDETH LEARNING to his lips.

Christians are called to be DISCIPLES, students, children of God who learn from His Word. Once we LEARN, we SPEAK what we have learned.

Jesus asked His disciples, “Will you leave Me as well?” They replied,

John 6:68-69 (ESV) “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

The genuine believer in Christ (not the ones who just want to fill their bellies) will learn with the intent of telling others. Jesus’ commission is for us to MAKE DISCIPLES or STUDENTS (Matthew 28:19) – then to tell others.

The Bridges Commentary notes:

“ The excellency of a believer is, not that he hath a large apprehension of things; but that what he doth apprehend (which perhaps may be very little) he sees it in the light of the Spirit of God, in a saving, soul-transforming light. And this is that, which gives us communion with God.’”

The genuine Christian never fully understands all the truths of God, but as God is infinite, our learning is infinite. We will always be learning – even into eternity. We learn to stay near the Shepherd of our souls:

1 Peter 2:24-25 (KJV) {Jesus} his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

The wise person is humble in the Presence of God. The wise person realizes that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil belongs to God, not to us. We are truly ignorant – so we pursue learning through the Word of God.

The Christian Walks The Way Of Life, Of Christ

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

This is a repeated Proverb, previously found in:

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Things may seem right to us, but we are not as God. God is OMNISCIENT, all knowing. We are told in:

Isaiah 46:9-10 I am God, and there is NONE LIKE ME. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

We are limited by space and time, and sometimes something that seems a good idea will actually turn out to be a very bad idea. The Supreme Court upheld the right of marriage to same sex couples. The unintended consequence of this is that same sex couples are now legally able to adopt children, and raise them in homes where confusion reigns. When we depart from God’s design, people become confused about life.

Disease and sickness are spread by bad decisions. Death comes by by decisions. I remember years ago having to bury a child who, with his friends, went four wheeling on a farmer’s land. They were trespassing. At one point they ran into a barbed fence, and one child was garroted, killed by the wire.

The first murder ever committed in human history was when Cain killed his brother Abel. Why did Cain kill Abel? Because God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. God told Cain to repent, and to do the right thing. God told Cain:

Genesis 4:7-8 “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

When we do what God says not do, sin becomes our master. This is what happened with Cain. The Bible tells us that:

1 John 3:11-12 (ESV) For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Those who follow evil are the slaves of evil. We are saved by the Grace of God to be freed from sin. Paul makes this point in:

Romans 6:12-18 (ESV) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

We who love Jesus are to be slaves of righteousness, not of sin. We are to follow HIS ways, not our ways. This is the Way of Life and Peace. Who are those who pursue evil rather than Christ?

The GREEDY person:

Proverbs 16:26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

The believer in Christ is told,

1 Corinthians 10:31 … whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The selfish person lives for themselves. They destroy churches with their complaints. Beloved, “Whatever you do, do it HEARTILY, as to the LORD and not men” (Colossians 3:23, NKJV).

The GODLESS Person:

Proverbs 16:27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

The godless are always digging about, looking for new ways to blaspheme the Lord and to please their flesh. They use their lips to spread evil.

The PERVERSE Person:

Proverbs 16:28 A FROWARD {tahpukâh, perverse} man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

The perverse person, the person who wants to twist God’s design, and the murmurer or complainer are thrown in together in this parable. The intent of both the perverse and the murmurer are to destroy Godly order, while sowing confusion. In this sense God equates the murmurer who sows discord with the sexual pervert who sows confusion.

The ANGRY or ACTIVIST Person:

Proverbs 16:29 A VIOLENT {ḥāmās} man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

This person, much celebrated in America today, stirs up trouble, and destroys civil liberties. This type of crowd are found in ANTIFA, Black Lives Matter, and in rioters. Their way is not the way of Christ, but of disorder and disharmony.

May Christ lead us away from these evil ways! Come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen.

Posted in General, Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, disciples, discipleship, discipling, Faith, Following Christ, God, Jesus, living for Jesus, living for the world, salvation, students | Leave a comment

The King’s Highway

Posted on April 16, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 16:16-17 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! 17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth His way preserveth his soul.

Do You Have The Right Treasure?

WISDOM – the ability to properly apply what you know – comes from God. We are told in …

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Illustrate: The LORD is the Great I AM, the God Who created everything that we see. We cannot stare directly at His sun in the morning sky, but we take its light for granted. Did you know that the Sun loses 4 million TONS of mass EVERY SECOND due to nuclear fission – the equivalent volume of our Mount Everest! Our Sun is not the only star – God made all the stars. Stars like our Sun burn for about 9-10 BILLION years, according to scientists. Our Sun is due to burn out in about 5 BILLION years.

That’s Who God is! That’s what His wisdom and knowledge accomplishes.

As the economy bounces up and down, I hear people saying “You’d better buy gold and silver, for the dollar may crash”. So people are rushing to buy gold and silver. But, as my friend Pastor Edward Dickson said, “Gold and silver will only be good if people will trade for it. If the economy falls, who’s going to want gold and silver? We all want:

Basic Physical Needs (Air, Water, Food, Shelter, Clothing)
Safety & Security
Love & Belonging
Self-Esteem
Self-Actualization (Growth into Purpose)

Gold and silver are earthly things, temporary, and fleeting. They can help meet some of the needs that all humans have. But they cannot meet our greater needs.

Mammon or Money can be stolen, taxed, removed. It can fail or let us down. The LORD wants us to be fully vested in what is BEST FOR US and BEST FOR THOSE AROUND US. This is why Jesus said:

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

It is wisdom to choose desire for God over desire for the things of this world. The center of your life cannot be built on silver and gold, on temporary things. We place the crucifix in a prominent place in our Church, in the center, where your attention is drawn to it. We place the Word of God and the Communion Table, along with the pulpit, at the center of the room we call a sanctuary. We used to put the Churches at the center of our towns. Why?

PREACH! Psychologist Jordan Peterson said, “We used to understand that the proper foundation of the world is voluntary self sacrifice upward. If you understand that truth, your life becomes meaningful, even in its suffering, and you set things right around you.” Life has little meaning if you are living for the temporal, the fleeting. Life is a gift from God, and God gives us wisdom to live our lives best. Our desires are only fully filled when we fill them with the wisdom of God.

Proverbs 16:17
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil

A young lady asked a Pastor “How can I know that I am saved?

I often have bad thoughts, and sometimes allow myself to act on those thoughts?” A Christian is saved by Grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Once we are saved, we become the property of God, members of His Kingdom. The Bible shows this relationship in

Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We are saved BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH NOT OF WORKS. We bring nothing to the table of salvation but our broken selves. Pastor Jonny Ardavanis said, “We bring nothing to the table salvifically other than the sin that made Jesus’ death necessary.” But once we are saved, we are His workmanship. We are created to do good works for God, to be obedient children.

As God is Sovereign, the Christian who is not just a professor, but a possessor of salvation WILL DO GODLY WORKS. How can you know that you are saved? By your desires. Do you desire to obey Him as Lord? Do you desire to know God? Do you desire to have Him know you? Do you desire to honor God, to please Him? Do you desire to obey His Word?

The HIGHWAY of the UPRIGHT is to DEPART FROM EVIL

The HIGHWAY of the UPRIGHT is to DEPART FROM EVIL. The word HIGHWAY is the Hebrew mecillah, which means “the best way to go or travel”. Jesus talked of two ways –

“WIDE is the gate, and BROAD is the way that leads to destruction {but} STRAIT (stenos, narrow) is the gate, and narrow the way that leads to life” (Matthew 7:13-14)

The best way to travel if you are the UPRIGHT or saved person is WITH GOD. A person’s life is not a single step, but a journey. Once saved, we journey with the One Who saved us. When we walk with the Lord, we preserve our souls from damage. “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). If saved, we no longer walk according to our whims and dictates. We are followers of Christ, imitators of God. The Apostle said:

1 John 3:9 (ESV) No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning

he that keepeth HIS way PRESERVETH his soul.

Word Study & Illustrate: The word translated PRESERVETH is the Hebrew šāmar, which means “to guard, to keep watch over, to protect”. When I wood work using my table saw, I’m always very careful around the spinning blade. Though I do not work with a blade guard, I always use a push stick to handle material close to the blade. The blade is made to cut wood, but it really doesn’t care if it cuts flesh!

As a saw blade can cut flesh or wood, sin can cut and damage the soul. The Bible truly said “the wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23). Consider the stories of the Scripture. Can a saved person sin? Absolutely! Samson was a Judge, chosen by God to represent Him to the people. But Samson did not walk the way that God would have him walk. Samson was prideful, and filled with lust for women. Samson dishonored his parents. The Bible promises us that:

Proverbs 19:16 (ESV) Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises His {God’s} ways will die.

Samson brought death and misery on himself. Though he killed many Philistines as he died, he died tied to two pillars, his eyes burned from his head, and his body probably castrated. When you keep God’s Way and walk with the Lord, you “preserve your soul”. And what of King David? He stole another man’s wife, then took that man’s life. He thought he had covered his tracks until God sent Nathan to confront him. The Bible says:

Proverbs 10:9 (ESV) Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

David’s sins came to haunt him when his Beloved Son Absalom tried to take his throne, and eventually was killed in battle. When you walk the highway of the upright with the King of Kings, you are always blessed. But when you depart the King’s Highway, you open the door to destruction of your soul.

Compare the lives of David and Samson to the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Though terribly tried in life, these four men lived their lives so as to please their God – even though they were in a foreign land. Consider the life of Paul the Apostle, who suffered horribly in order to share the Gospel of Christ. When the Apostle Paul stood bound before the Governor Felix, he said:

Acts 24:16 (ESV) … I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

He sought to please God first, to love those around him, and put himself last. This is the way to blessing!

Humble Yourselves To Be Blessed

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

I am told in Clarkes Commentary that a notation in most Masoretic Hebrew Bible has a note is placed on verse 18:

chatsi hassepher: “the middle of the book.”

This verse is the middle verse of the Book of Proverbs. This is an anchor verse of Scripture.

When Adam desired to be as God, his pride brought destruction on all of humanity. The higher we seek to elevate ourselves, the farther we fall and the more damaging our landing. The Bridges Commentary notes:

“David gloried in the number of his people, and the Lord diminished them by pestilence. Hezekiah boasted of his treasure; and the Lord marked it to be taken away. At the moment that Nebuchadnezzar was proud of his Babel, he was banished from the enjoyment of it. “The vain daughters of Zion,” priding themselves on their ornaments, were covered with disgrace. (Isaiah 3:24.) Yet after all, the state of heart that prepares man for the fall, is the worst part of his condition. For what is our pride is our danger …”

Satan, the Arch Angel Who fell from pride, uses pride as a weapon against us all. Satan tried to trap our Lord Jesus with pride, saying:

Matthew 4:5-6 (NKJV) … IF You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

“I don’t believe you are the Son of God! Prove it! Throw Yourself down!” Jesus wouldn’t play his evil game, but stayed on the King’s Highway, saying:

Matthew 4:7 (NKJV) … It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.

When it came time for Jesus to go to the Cross, Satan again reached out through the Apostle Peter. Peter told Jesus,

Matthew 16:22 (AP) Peter rebuked Jesus, saying, this will never happen to You, Lord! It cannot happen!

Jesus replied, “Get behind Me, Satan! You offend Me. You do not savor the things of God, but the things of this world, of mankind!” (Matthew 16:23, AP).

The Bible is filled with accounts of men and women who were lifted up with pride – and who died horrible deaths because of it. Jezebel was eaten by dogs (1 Kings 21:23-24; 2 Kings 9:30-37). The Pharaoh of Exodus destroyed under a wall of water, his firstborn child killed (Exodus 14:5-29). Haman hung on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). King Nebuchadnezzar ate grass in the field like a dumb ox (Daniel 4:25-35). King Herod was consumed by skin worms (Acts 12:20-23). Ananaias and Sapphira died for lying to God (Acts 5:1-11).

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an HAUGHTY spirit before a fall

Word Study: The word translated HAUGHTY is the Hebrew gobahh, which means “physical or spiritual HEIGHT”. We all have dignity and worth because we were created in the image of God – yet we are not gods. When Jesus Christ, the Beloved Son of God, walked among us, He walked in humility.

We are made in the IMAGE of GOD, but we are not gods.

The Bible says that Jesus literally: Philippians 2:7-8 (ESV) emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus told us that the way to power with God was by humility. Just before He went to the Cross, Jesus gathered His disciples. The Bible tells us that:

John 13:3-17 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them…

Jesus took on the action of a lowly servant in washing the feet of His disciples. Throughout Jesus’ life on this earth, He humbled Himself in order to elevate others.

You cannot serve God and yourself. You cannot walk the King’s Highway in pride. Growth as a believer is self sacrifice UPWARD, love OUTWARD.

1 John 2:6 (ESV) whoever says he abides in Him {in Jesus} ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.

Our Lord Jesus “left us an example, so that we might follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Proverbs 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Those who “divide the spoil with the proud” will one day enter a terrible hell, either on this earth or in the Presence of God.

If your treasure is yourself and your things more than God and others, one day you will find yourself suffering eternal loneliness with this temporal trash. Jesus warned us:

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV) Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

We are to seek “the honor that comes from God, not from men” (John 5:44).

Handle God’s Word With Respect

Proverbs 16:20 He that handleth A MATTER wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

Word Study: Though I love the King James Version, there are times when the translators for whatever reason missed the mark. The words translated A MATTER is one word in the Hebrew, dāḇār. The most common translation for the word in the King James is WORD (807 times), though it is also translated CHRONICLES (38 times), SAYING (25 times), or COMMANDMENT (20 times). When I read “He that handleth a MATTER wisely” I have no idea what God is asking me to do. But when I read it as “He that handles the WORD wisely shall find GOOD”, I know exactly what it is that God wants me to do.

God wants us to trust in Him, to trust in his Word. His Word is always faithful. The Bible is TRUTH!

I checked the translation against how other word to word translations defined the verse. I found:

NKJV He who heeds the Word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

NASB One who pays attention to the Word will find good, And blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.

ESV Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

“The Word” listed here is the Word of God, as the second half of the proverb is introduced with AND. What someone thinks or has seen on the basis of human experience is always suspect. Just ask any policeman who is investigating a crime. Various witnesses will tell you what they saw, and often their description is very varied – even as to the color of the perpetrator!

Illustration: I was reading a “Biography” article the other day entitled “For Decades, Titanic Survivors Said The Ship Split In Half. Nobody Believed Them.” There was a lady named Eva Hart who was 7 years old when she boarded the Titanic. When the ship – supposedly unsinkable – struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, Eva survived because she was on one of the few life rafts. Eva and several other survivors said the ocean liner broke in half, “with the bow section sinking away as the stern bobbed in the water for a few minutes before finally descending underwater”. For 73 years the survivors claims were dismissed, until the wreckage was discovered in 1985. The article states:

“The wreckage of the Titanic would not be discovered until 1985, when Bob Ballad and Jean-Louis Michel found it using the side scan sonar during a joint French-American expedition. The ship was found in two widely separated pieces, definitively establishing that the ship had indeed split.”

For years people have suggested that we “evolved” from lower life forms that somehow mysteriously became self-existent. We have heard scientists talk about a “Big Bang”, along with other strange theories. None of these so called scientists were there, neither are the skeptics who mock the idea of God. Yet Someone was there at the beginning.

John 1:1-3 (ESV) IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, and THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, and THE WORD WAS GOD. He was in the beginning withn God. All things were MADE THROUGH HIM, and WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE.

God was there at the beginning. Jesus Christ was there at the beginning. We have an Eyewitness Who can tell us exactly how all things were made, and Who can tell us how all things should be. We can trust God. We can trust His Word, both Living and Written. Let us strive to follow Him, to live confidently for Him.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, the usual suspects will tell us that Jesus was a myth, that either He never existed, or if He existed, that He was killed and His body hidden. They will tell us that Jesus never rose from the grave. But there were eyewitnesses. The Apostles witnessed the resurrection, and wrote of it. Hundreds of people saw the resurrected Savior, and heard Him teach. When Chuck Colson was told “the Apostles made up the resurrection”, he replied:

“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world — and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

The Word is true – and man often is not. Let us trust in Him, and live to learn more of His Word.

Posted in Proverbs, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Bible is accurate, Bible is God's Word, Bible is true, christianity, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, King's Highway, Proverbs, salvation, Word of God | Leave a comment

Obeying The Gospel

Posted on April 14, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 10:16-21 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias {Isaiah} saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias {Isaiah} is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

The Glory Of The Gospel

There is nothing greater than the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! The word “Gospel” is first mentioned in the Bible in:

Matthew 4:23 (KJV) … Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom ..

The word “Gospel” is the Greek euangelion, which means “good tidings or good message”. Some say it means “good news”. Jesus called the Gospel the “Gospel of the Kingdom”. The God Who created all that you see is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16). To enter His Kingdom (not a democracy, but a Kingdom) you must heed His Gospel. Jesus preached:

Mark 1:15 (KJV) … The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

What does the Gospel teach us, the glorious Good News from God. The Gospel teaches us that The King of Glory left His Throne in Heaven, and came to this earth to become like us. Without sin, the King, the Great Shepherd laid His life down for the sheep, His Kingdom (John 10:15, 17). Our sins, our willfulness, our unrighteousness, our wickedness separated us from God. We were all hopelessly adrift, unfit for the Kingdom of God. The Prophet wrote:

Isaiah 64:6 (KJV) … we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Our sins and sinful desires took us all away from God. Born into this world as sinners, we all need another birth. We must be born again (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:23). We cannot make ourselves right before God. The animal sacrifices, the ceremonial laws, the Mosaic Code set a standard, a yoke that no one could bear (Acts 15:10).

But then came Jesus. Prophesied in the Old Testament, the Messiah came. The Law said “Do this, and live!” (Romans 10:5). The Law became the king to Israel, but as king it’s purpose was to lead us all to understand how badly we need Jesus. The Bible tells us:

Galatians 3:22-26 (KJV) But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

What is “FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS”? It is to turn to Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We are told:

Romans 10:9-13 (KJV) That if thou shalt CONFESS (homologeo, say the same thing about yourself) with THY mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt BELIEVE in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

To be saved, you must AGREE with God that you are a sinner, lost and desperately need to be saved. We all need Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. We are told that “there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek”. The Jew believed that because they as a nation were “God’s Chosen People” that they needed no salvation. Beloved, “there is no difference”. To prove this to the Jew, the Apostle quotes:

For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed

a quotation from Isaiah 28:16 (NASB) “… this is what the Lord GOD says: “Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone [for] the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes will not be disturbed”. The promise of the Gospel is that:

whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED

What Causes A Person To Be Cursed?

What causes a person to stay lost, separated from God? To whom is the Kingdom of God shut? We are told:

Romans 10:16 (KJV) But they have not all OBEYED THE GOSPEL. For Esaias {Isaiah} saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

To help the Jew understand the Gospel – as well as us – the Apostle quotes the Prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 53 the Prophet foretells the coming of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. He starts with this statement:

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The “ARM OF THE LORD” or the POWER OF GOD is not REVEALED or MANIFESTED to those who do not believe the Gospel.

When the Messiah came, He did not come to rule over an earthly kingdom. When Jesus came, He was born in Bethlehem, of lowly parents. He was raised up in Nazareth, a small town. Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 53:2-3 (KJV) For He {the Messiah} shall grow up before Him {God the Father} as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

The Messiah would not be a movie star. He would not be a beautiful Person. In fact, when He revealed Himself, He would be “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”. The Lord of Glory, God Incarnate, He came to this earth to reveal the heart of God to us. He walked among us, healed and did good. But the main thing Jesus showed us is that we are all – even the Pharisees and Chief Priests – totally lost and undone without the Gospel! The Pharisees attacked Jesus. The Herodians mocked Him, and treated Him as a threat to the Roman throne. The Sadducees despised Jesus because He taught that there was a resurrection coming.

Isaiah went on to prophesy, Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The King of Kings came to this earth, and was rejected by the world He made. He died on a terrible cross on a hill called Calvary. “He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death” (Isaiah 53:9). Jesus died as a sinner, between two other sinners. He died a criminal’s death. Yet it was not a martyrdom, for Jesus said:

John 10:15-18 (AP) .. I LAY MY LIFE DOWN FOR THE SHEEP. Other sheep I have who are not of this fold: them I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd … No man takes my life from Me, but I choose to lay it down …

The Father laid on Jesus the INIQUITY of US ALL! He paid for our sins in full. Jesus Christ is the Key to Heaven, our only Hope.

A person goes to hell, eternal damnation, when they will not obey the Gospel. To obey the Gospel is not just to hear it. You have to hear it. We are told:

Romans 10:17-18 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Israel heard the Gospel. You can HEAR the Gospel, even from the lips of Jesus as Israel did, and yet just hearing will not save you. You must OBEY. The ARM OF THE LORD is ONLY REVEALED TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE. The Messiah came, and reached out to Israel.

But they did not believe.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Israel rejected the prophesied Messiah, the Messiah of Isaiah 53

Israel wanted a Messiah that would fix their immediate needs. They wanted a Messiah that would help them overthrow Rome. This happened when Jesus fed the 5000 with two small fish and five little biscuits. They thought, HERE IS THE MESSIAH! Let’s declare Him to be King … and we’ll overthrow Rome! The Bible says:

John 6:15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.

The King of Kings and Lord of Lords did not come to this earth to be another political appointee, a replacement for Herod or Caesar. The King of Glory (Psalm 24:8-10) came to bring us into His Kingdom, to save us by Grace.

Whosoever shall CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD shall be saved!

We OBEY THE GOSPEL by receiving Jesus Christ as He is, not as we want Him to be. Israel wanted Jesus to be a Roman Replacement. He is not a Roman Replacement. We today often try and make Jesus to be what we want Him to be. I was listening to a song today called “No Strings Attached”. It is a pretty song written by Kevin Winebarger. The song puts these words in God’s mouth:

Stop with the striving
Just start being
Stop with the reaching
Just start breathing
No need to try to earn affection
Just listen
Child just listen
You have purpose
You have meaning
For I have loved you since the beginning
You’re my beloved
Always been wanted

It doesn’t matter if you ever love Me back
Still I love you
No strings attached

I liked the song up to those last few lines:

It doesn’t matter if you ever love Me back
Still I love you
No strings attached

I don’t believe that’s Biblical. Listen Beloved,

You don’t know God if you don’t love Christ!

The Apostle wrote:

1 Corinthians 16:22-23 (NKJV) If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! 23 The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with you.

If you do not love the Messiah, the LORD Jesus Christ, YOU ARE NOT SAVED. If you do not love God, YOU ARE NOT SAVED. When asked the question, “What is the first and great commandment?”, Jesus answered:

Matthew 22:37 (ESV) You shall LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind

Later Jesus would tell His followers:

Matthew 10:37 (ESV) Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of me.

That doesn’t sound like the song said, “It doesn’t matter if you ever love Me back, Still I love you. No strings attached.” No, Jesus loves you. But to be saved, you must love Him back. You must surrender your life to Him. You must listen to Him. Where does Grace come from? The Apostle said:

Ephesians 6:24 (ESV) Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

And Jesus said,

John 14:21 (ESV) Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.

Oh Beloved, you are “Beloved” because Jesus Christ is God’s Only BELOVED Son. You are BELOVED because you love the BELOVED. And why would we not love Him?

The Apostle wrote, 1 John 4:19 “We LOVE HIM because He FIRST loved us”. Jesus loved us enough to die for us. He loved us enough to redeem us, though we were far from God, dead in trespasses and sins. Once God opened our eyes, and we CONFESSED that we were sinners, we REACHED OUT in surrender to Him Who loves us, to Jesus Christ. Our love for Jesus defines us as Children of God. Pastor John Piper writes:

“Listen: one of the big issues we face over and over again in a multicultural situation, where lots of religions are coming together, is, “Don’t we all worship the same God? And you go through Jesus; I go through another prophet.” Loving Jesus is the test of whether you love God. Here’s what Jesus says. In John 8:42, Jesus looked right into the eyes of the Pharisees, the Jewish leaders, and said, “If God were your Father, you would love me.” He’s saying to the most religious, the most God-oriented, Old Testament–saturated people on the planet, “You don’t know him. He’s not your Father.” In fact, he goes so far as to say, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). … What’s the litmus paper for knowing whether somebody is a lover of God? Answer: Do they love Jesus? Do they embrace Jesus for who he really is — not just some human teacher, not just some prophet alongside other prophets, but as the Son of God?”

To Obey The Gospel Is To Surrender
To Christ’s Love

Christ offered His love to Israel – but they rejected Him. But again, this was according to prophecy. We read again:

Romans 10:19-21 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

God knew that Israel would have their Messiah crucified, that they would reject Him. God knows everything.

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV) Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure …

God knew when Messiah came that Israel, a stiff necked and disobedient people, would have Him crucified. The Apostle quotes what God said in:

Deuteronomy 32:21 They have made Me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

Israel’s disobedience did not thwart the love of God, but He fulfilled His Promise to Abraham that in him the whole world would be blessed. The Gentiles – that’s you and I – Jesus reached out to the Gentiles when Israel rejected Him. The Church became the Kingdom of God, because of Israel’s rejection. God’s people became the whosoever will love Jesus, love the LORD Jesus CHRIST, the One and Only Messiah.

In the Old Testament, God always intended to reach out to the Gentiles. Jesus was to be:

Luke 2:32 A LIGHT TO LIGHTEN THE GENTILES, and the glory of Thy people Israel …

God was always going to save Israel, and through Israel save the believing world. When Peter spoke to the Church, he said:

1 Peter 2:10 (ESV) Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

How is one saved? By falling in love with Jesus. By submitting to Him as Lord and Savior. When you stop following yourself, stop trying to re-make God or make a golden calf of Jesus, and surrender to His love, He changes you.

Titus 3:3-7 (NKJV) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

God will one day save Israel. One day, in the midst of GREAT TRIBULATION, a time called “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, that nation will repent and cry out to Him. He loves Israel still. When Israel calls out to the Messiah, loving God, surrendering to God, they shall be saved.

What of you? Are you saved?

Not if you don’t love Jesus. If you love YOU more than you love Jesus, you are lost. A golden calf will not save you. Only Jesus. Only Jesus. Oh Beloved, fall in love with Him! Loving Jesus is the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Or suffer eternal damnation. Amen.

Posted in Romans, Sermons Preached | Tagged Bible, Faith, Following Christ, God, God Is Faithful, gospel, Gospel truth, Idols Need Not Apply, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Only, love God, No Golden Calvers, salvation | Leave a comment

The Heart Drives The Lips

The world and its false prophets speak lies from human tradition and human desire. Lies enslave the liar.

God Gives Us The Poor For A Reason

Those who have much often have no need of God. “God is their belly” (Philippians 3:19). In the midst of want we will look up. In poverty, we will seek God.

Children And Grandchildren Are A Blessing From God

Good Rulers Speak Truth

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The Christian Is A Product Of Grace

God Saved You – You Didn’t Save Yourself

Grace makes the Christian. Grace calls the Apostle. Grace is the life blood of the Church.

The M.O. Of The Christian Is GRACEIn The Mind, and In Your Actions

The God Who Saved Us, Who Gave Us Faith, Gives Us Gifts

Dear friend, if you are saved, you are saved to serve. If saved to serve, you do that which pleases your Lord and builds up the Kingdom of God, the Church.

If I love you, I will care enough to tell you if you’re trying to drink poison, or handling a deadly viper. Sin is poison. Sin kills.

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God Does Not Want You RELIGIOUS,But RIGHTEOUS, In Line With His Word

What made Paradise a paradise? Man was in union with God, following the Word of God, and man was in union with his God given family.

God does not promise us material riches, but “riches of His Grace” (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7). We are promised “riches in Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

Where God is, there is peace among His people, though they will be at war with Egypt.

God Calls His Children To Obedience,For In Obedience Is Safety

God Fine Tunes His People Through Trials

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God made a promise to Adam, andGod keeps His promises.

How Can I Reach Those Around MeFor Christ?

We are not to be HOLIER THAN THOU, but WHOLLY IN CHRIST.

Stand Together Against Worldliness

Too many who profess Christ are doing this sdrawkcab {pro. Strawcab}.

Godly transformation comes from Scriptural meditation.

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God “Foreknew”

When man reaches for God, this is called “religion”. But when God reached for man, we call this “Christmas”.

Is God Done With Israel? With America?

This morning the Tomb was empty. An Angel reminds us, “He is not here, but He has risen! Just as He said (Luke 24:6).

Oh, How Tired We Believers Get At Times

I love the message of Easter, because in it we learn “God is faithful, and God won’t give up”. We don’t need to give up either.

Like Elijah, Paul thought that he was all alone. But God spoke to Paul the same truths He spoke to Elijah.

There Is No Salvation Without The Election Of Grace

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Revivals Are For The Church, The Saved

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.

Lost people are blind – blind to their sin. They think they’re GOOD. They’re blind to Who Jesus is.

Love The Lord Jesus Christ, or be ANATHEMA

The ACCURSED false gospel says that Jesus saves you to go to Heaven, but you can walk like a child of Hell on this earth.

If You Do Not Love Jesus, ANATHEMA!

Jesus gave His life on Calvary as the Lamb of God, and gives His life now sitting on the right hand of the Father, making intercession for US.

Beloved, God doesn’t hate you. But His Word stands true.

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Old age has little to do with the crown of righteousness.

Grace in action is the glory of old age.

Control Your Temper

There are only three times Jesus showed anger when He walked this earth.

When the Gospel of God is misrepresented, the Glory of God is diminished. Jesus hated that!

God Is In Control

Is Your Inside Out?

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Gentle, Then Harder Is More Effective

Jesus’ intent was to lead others to the Word of God, the Wisdom of God. If He could teach others gently, He did so – but without compromising the Word of God.

I saw a Jeep wheel cover today that had on it “Not all wanderers are lost”. People choose to wander, to forsake God and His Word. They don’t know they are lost!

The Growing Christian Is A Disciple

The Christian Walks The Way Of Life, Of Christ

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Do You Have The Right Treasure?

A young lady asked a Pastor “How can I know that I am saved?

The HIGHWAY of the UPRIGHT is to DEPART FROM EVIL

Compare the lives of David and Samson to the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Humble Yourselves To Be Blessed

This verse is the middle verse of the Book of Proverbs. This is an anchor verse of Scripture.

We are made in the IMAGE of GOD, but we are not gods.

You cannot serve God and yourself. You cannot walk the King’s Highway in pride. Growth as a believer is self sacrifice UPWARD, love OUTWARD.

Those who “divide the spoil with the proud” will one day enter a terrible hell, either on this earth or in the Presence of God.

Handle God’s Word With Respect

God wants us to trust in Him, to trust in his Word. His Word is always faithful. The Bible is TRUTH!

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The Glory Of The Gospel

What Causes A Person To Be Cursed?

The Father laid on Jesus the INIQUITY of US ALL! He paid for our sins in full. Jesus Christ is the Key to Heaven, our only Hope.

Israel rejected the prophesied Messiah, the Messiah of Isaiah 53

You don’t know God if you don’t love Christ!

Oh Beloved, you are “Beloved” because Jesus Christ is God’s Only BELOVED Son. You are BELOVED because you love the BELOVED. And why would we not love Him?

To Obey The Gospel Is To SurrenderTo Christ’s Love

The M.O. Of The Christian Is GRACE
In The Mind, and In Your Actions

God Does Not Want You RELIGIOUS,
But RIGHTEOUS, In Line With His Word

God Calls His Children To Obedience,
For In Obedience Is Safety

God made a promise to Adam, and
God keeps His promises.

How Can I Reach Those Around Me
For Christ?

To Obey The Gospel Is To Surrender
To Christ’s Love