Wicked Snared, Just Saved

Posted on October 24, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Shivendu Shukla on Unsplash

Proverbs 12:13-14 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble. 14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

God wants us to be careful with how we use our lips. God is particularly hard on the liar, on the person who uses deceit or tells untruths or is a false witness. Under the Mosaic Law a person was tried and found guilty only under the eyewitness verbal account of two or more witnesses. The Bible says in:

Deuteronomy 19:15 A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

This standard did not change as Christ brought in His Church under the New Covenant. God spoke through the Apostle declaring:

2 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV) … Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

Hearsay was not allowed. To be a witness, you actually had to have seen the event with your own eyes, not report what another had said. When God established the Law of Lex Talionis, the Law of Tooth and Claw, it was a general law that set limits for punishment. This Law of “Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” was particularly applied to the false witness:

Deuteronomy 19:18-21 (ESV) The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Transgression Of The Lips Are Snares

Proverbs 12:13 The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.

The evil person is “snared” or caught because lies eventually are uncovered. The righteous person sticks with the truth, the Word of God, and in time is vindicated. When the Pharisees attacked Jesus (Who “committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22)) with slander and libel, Jesus easily proved them wrong with the Word of God. Jesus said:

John 8:44 (ESV) You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The devil invented the lie in the Garden of Eden, and did so to lead humanity into the Fall.

There are times when “lies” are justified.

For instance, Rahab the Prostitute told the soldiers of Jericho “the spies did come in, but they left. I do not know where they went.” But the Bible says “she brought them to the roof of her home, and hid them with stalks of flax” (Joshua 2:2-4). When Pharaoh demanded that the Hebrew midwives (Exodus 1) kill all male babies, they claimed “Hebrew women are vigorous, and give birth before we get to them” (Exodus 1:19). David’s wife Michal deceived her father, King Saul, in order to protect her husband (1 Samuel 19:13-14).

In each case where a lie is justified in Scripture, it is always to save life, not to benefit the liar. Our God honors truth. In our fallen world there may come times when we must lie – as Christians did in Nazi Germany to save Jewish lives – but never is a false witness blessed of God.

Proverbs 12:14 A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompense of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

The words of the Christian are to be honorable – we should be trustworthy in what we promise, and in what we do. Our mouths should speak “GOOD FRUIT”. When we came to Christ and gave Him our allegiance, God wants us to hold to our promise. Solomon wrote in another place:

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 (ESV) When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake.

Those who will not keep their word do not understand the Way of Christ. We are told in 1 John 2:5, “Whoever KEEPS HIS WORD, in him truly the love of God is perfected”.

If you have a tendency of making promises that you do not fulfill, in time people will come to mistrust all that you say. It will effect your business, your marriage, your home life. Keep your word!

Learn To Listen And Correct Yourself Before God Corrects You

Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

The majority is not always right.

When we speak the good that God tells us to speak, there is blessing in it. When Israel sent 12 spies into the Promised Land, 10 spies spoke against following God into Canaan:

Numbers 13:27-28 (ESV) … We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.

Joshua and Caleb encouraged the people to trust God, and step out of their comfort zone and go into the land.

Numbers 13:30-33 (ESV) Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” 32 So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33 And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.

The faithless speech of the Ten Spies led the people to plan a coup against God and Moses, even though Joshua told them:

Numbers 14:8-9 (ESV) The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.

This foolishness brought God’s condemnation on Israel, and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until all died but Joshua and Caleb. Even Moses and Aaron died just short of the Promised Land. But Joshua and Caleb trusted God, and glorified Him with their tongues. They entered the Promised Land, and were well blessed even unto their old age.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes

The person who will not heed the counsel of God, but who believes themselves right no matter what, is branded as a “FOOL” by God. But we are told:

he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise

Some people refuse to listen to counsel, and they will always be at a loss. But those who heed counsel, the counsel of God’s Word and the counsel of the Elder, are wise.

The Fool’s Tactic Is To Make A Scene

Proverbs 12:16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

We live in a day of fools! People spew lies, then shout lies louder, becoming animal like in their voraciousness, demanding that you agree with them. Such people are “FOOLS” and their anger is called “FOOL’S WRATH”. The Bible says:

Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both

No one likes to be around a “certain” person, especially the “certain” person who, though wrong, will not listen to truth nor correction.

The “FOOL” explodes when challenged, or insulted. The PRUDENT PERSON ignores insults and anger, and judges that which is brought before him on the merit of God’s Word.

Our Lord Jesus often got angry, especially when He saw people mistreated. Jesus was angry when the Pharisees would have a man with a withered hand not healed just because it was the Sabbath (Mark 3:5). But angry, Jesus never allowed anger to control Him. He allowed the Word of God to control Him. Anger is NOT a sin:

Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

The FOOL is controlled by anger. The PRUDENT are controlled by God.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 (AP) Control your temper, for ANGER LABELS YOU A FOOL

The shouting fool can never grow intellectually nor spiritually, for learning requires listening and following. When Jesus was angry, His anger was always CONTROLLED, and the end result was an improved situation. When Jesus was angry at the Pharisees, in the end the man with the withered hand was restored. When Jesus cleansed the Temple, He made a whip with cords, and made a scene by turning over the money changers tables. Yet at the end of the day, the Temple was cleansed.

Uncontrolled fools anger does little to contribute to progress or growth. The Prudent understand the admonition:

Colossians 4:6 (NKJV) [Let] your speech always [be] with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Our speech is not to be SALTY, but SEASONED with SALT. It needs to improve the climate of the room.

Your Tongue Should Not Be A Wrecking Bar, But A Source Of Blessing

Proverbs 12:17-19 He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. 18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. 19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

In verse 17 we are reminded of the words of our Lord Jesus:

Matthew 12:34 … out of the ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS …

Those who habitually speak lies are those who need a new heart. Their problem is spiritual. They need the new heart that only faith in Jesus Christ can bring. God promised under His “New Covenant” (Jeremiah 31:31-34) that He would put a new heart in those who believed in Him. The Bible says that:

Hebrews 12:24 … Jesus [is the] the mediator of the new covenant …

In verse 18 we are told:

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health

Thoughtless or critical speech can hurt others, but words spoken that are endorsed by God’s Word are beneficial, “HEALTHY”. As King, David was well acquainted with evil tongued people. He wrote:

Psalm 57:4 (KJV) My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

The sharp and uncontrolled tongue can wound a person’s soul, much like the claws of a lion or the sharp sword. The Bible speaks of Doeg the Edomite (1 Samuel 22:9) who fueled King Saul’s hatred of David. We should follow the example of the Evangelist Barnabas who told the Church concerning Saul of Tarsus:

Acts 9:27-28 (ESV) Barnabas took [Paul] and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.

Had Barnabas done less, we might never have been blessed with the ministry and writings of the Apostle Paul. In fact, the Gospel might not have went out to the Gentiles. Praise God for the Barnabas believers among us!

Blessed Are The Peacemakers!

Proverbs 12:20-21 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy. 21 There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief.

I have found over the years some in the Church who, when they do not get their way, look for ways to verbally torpedo any forward movement, any growth, and any glory to God. These people are more than likely unsaved mischief makers. Our Lord Jesus said:

Matthew 5:9 (KJV) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

The Peacemakers are believers in Christ, Christians who follow the Lord. They want to see Christ’s Church grow, and God’s Kingdom reign. But there are those who deceive and tell lies, who mean no good to the Church, the community, nor the country.They are self puffed up pretend Christians who only want to promote themselves.The intent of the liar is to deceive others, and to promote themselves. These people are not joyful in their hearts because, as I wrote before, they are not God centered but self centered.

When King David’s son Absalom sought to overthrow his father and steal his throne, he used every deception he could to achieve his ends. Absalom did not care about the glory of God, nor the Kingdom of Israel. He just wanted to be King. He wanted to be the B.M.O.C., the “Big Man On Campus”. In the end, Absalom died a lonely death. So will all who stand against the glory of God and His Kingdom.

Yet God’s children will continue on, for God looks after His people. “to the counselors of peace is joy”. The vessel filled with joy is at peace with God and others. The wicked, however, are “filled with mischief”.

Beloved, how you live your life matters. As the Apostle Paul came toward the end of his life, he wrote:

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (ESV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Paul lived our his life honoring the Lord Who saved him on the Damascus Road. Though it was tough, Paul stood with God and with the truth. We’ll finish with these words:

Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.

As believers we are to speak the truth with love. Only by obeying the truth of the Gospel is a person saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:22). As the light of God dims in our country, let us commit to stand firm in the Word of God, following Jesus with all our hearts. God will bless those who honor Him and His Word. May God fortify us as His Church as we go forward this year. Amen.

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Bad News And Good News

Posted on October 21, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 3:21-24 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Photo by Luis Cortés on Unsplash

Jesus Saves From What?

People do not understand the GOOD NEWS until they first hear the BAD NEWS. I used to see bumper stickers that said “Jesus Saves”, to which I’d reply sarcastically, “From What?” Jesus saves from what? What do we need to be saved from? What do I need to be saved from?

In our opening text God tells us that “Jesus saves”, and shares the wonderful Gospel of Christ. But we skipped the introduction. Before the Apostle shares the Gospel or the Good News, God through him gives us the Bad News.

The “Good News” is not good until you hear the bad news.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

“AS IT IS WRITTEN”. The Bad News is not the Apostle’s opinion, nor my opinion, but God’s judgment. When Jesus Christ was giving us the very words of God (John 6:68-69), He never gave us His opinion. Jesus always used “IT IS WRITTEN”. Jesus referred to the Word of God that God Himself gave to the Jews. As Paul writes “IT IS WRITTEN”, he is not just quoting from one section of the Old Testament. He is quoting various texts from the Old Testament Scripture:

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. [from Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20]

Romans 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre {grave}; with their tongues they have used deceit [from Psalm 5:9] the poison of asps is under their lips: [from Psalm 140:3]

Romans 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: [from Psalm 10:7]

Romans 3:15-17 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: [from Isaiah 59:7-8]

Romans 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. [from Psalm 36:1]

Why this extensive, exhaustive series of quotes from the Scripture, the old Testament Word of God? The Old Testament as Paul is writing this is the only Bible available. The testimony of the only Bible is that people are dead, spiritually dead, totally unable to please God on their own.

We are born dead men – and women – walking.

When the preacher tells people they need Jesus, their response is often:

“I’ll come to God when I’m worthy, when I clean up my life”.

“IT IS WRITTEN by God”

There is none righteous, no, not one

You can never clean up your act, or make yourself right enough for God. Unrighteousness is ingrained into your very soul from birth. You’ll never be worthy, never be able to fix yourself. From infant to ancient of days, within our power we are not righteous. The preacher tells the sinner this. Their response?

“I don’t understand God nor this salvation you are speaking of. Once I understand it, I’ll consider it.”

“IT IS WRITTEN by God in His Holy Word”

There is none that understandeth…

You’ll never understand God. The dead cannot understand the living. The preacher can explain the mechanics of salvation, how when you call on Christ Jesus to save you, God the Holy Spirit will enter your soul and cause your New Birth. The preacher can explain things that the Theologians talk about, the Doctrines of Salvation, Sanctification, and Glorification. But no one ever fully understands, will not even close to understanding, until you come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith.

We cannot understand cancer or Alzheimer’s – how can the dead understand the Living God?

The preacher begs the sinner to come to Jesus, but the lost say

“When I feel I really need God, I’ll seek God out. But I’m doing all right at the moment.”

“IT IS WRITTEN by God”

there is NONE that seeketh after God. They are ALL gone out of the way.

Sinners blinded by sin do not chase after the Savior. No one is born seeking Jesus. Jesus said:

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

Death runs toward death. Sin toward sin. The sin nature in us pursues darkness rather than light, and we run from God, minimize God, ignore God. If you wait till you “need” God you’ll never find God, but you’ll find hell and damnation!

The preacher bids the wanderer to come to Jesus, but instead they say:

“I’ll come to God when I can give Him something, do something good for Him.”

Once more “IT IS WRITTEN by God”:

they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Though God loves every creature that He has ever given life, there is nothing good we can do for God in our own power. It is true that once a person is saved by faith in Christ that they should seek to do the good, seek to sow righteousness, this empowerment comes only by being first bound to Christ. The Lord Jesus taught …

John 15:5 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.

Our every work apart from Christ are profitless, vain, useless. We cannot in our flesh do anything profitable to God. Jesus must be in it. Our faith must be in Him.

In the Old Testament Israel promised to obey God’s Law (Exodus 24:7). “All that the Lord has said will we do, and be obedient”. Yet they could not. Their promises meant nothing, for their hearts needed to be changed – as it is with us all. This is why God says “IT IS WRITTEN”:

Their throat is an open {grave}; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “Out of THE HEART proceed evil thoughts … false witnesses … blasphemies … which defile a person”. The heart we are born with is broken. We need another heart, a heart cleansed by Jesus. Because we are born with broken hearts, our bodies head toward wrong places.

“IT IS WRITTEN by God”

Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known

Oh Beloved, we all need a heart that only God can give us. God promised in the Old Testament that He would bring in a New Covenant. He said:

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant … 33 After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 … they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

The Old Covenant of the Old Testament gave us a Law that diagnosed sin. But the Old Covenant did not give life to the spiritually dead. It did not change the heart of the person. The Bible says that God’s Old Covenant people, Israel, did not truly fear God.

There is no fear of God before their eyes

Because their heart needed to be changed. So God sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus to this earth to be the “Mediator of the New Covenant, to the Blood of sprinkling, that speaks of better things” (Hebrews 12:24). The ceremonies and sacrifices of the Law of God temporarily covered sin. But these animal sacrifices did not save, because God Himself must save us.

God Himself must bear our sins. This is what God did through Jesus.

The Law Diagnosed Sin, But Did Not
COVER It Nor CORRECT It

Romans 3:21-23 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…

Having given us the BAD NEWS of the Old Testament, the Apostle says But now. Under the Old Covenant God gave us the Law to show our need for Him. People are not naturally righteous, and cannot make themselves righteous. We need Jesus. We need a new heart.

Illustrate: I was putting gas in my car the other day when I noticed a bright red and yellow sticker on the pump. The sticker read, “No need to pre-pay! We trust you!”. I thought to myself, “That’s nice – they trust me. How rare in today’s world.” Yet as I continued to put gas in the car I noticed another brightly colored red and yellow sign attached to a post next to the pump. This sign read, “Warning, you are under video surveillance. A video camera has recorded your license plate as well as your face. Drive offs will be prosecuted.” If they really trusted the customer there would be no video camera, nor would there be a need for one. If people were inherently trustworthy our world would be getting better and better, not worst and worst. The bad news that no one wants to hear is that we are born into this world with corrupt hearts. God repeats His first “IT IS WRITTEN” we studied today,

Romans 3:10 … There is none righteous, no, not one …

Since there are none righteous, God says:

Romans 3:23 … all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

We all are born into this world with damaged, corrupt hearts. None of us are born pleasing to God. So how can we fix this. We cannot – but God can. We can heed the warning of the Law:

Romans 3:20 by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

You cannot make yourself right with God “BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW”. Animal sacrifices do not work. As a pastor, I am always getting cultic stuff through the mail. I came home from Church last Sunday to find a copy of a book entitled “The Great Controversy” leaned up against my front door. This is a book from the cult called “Seventh Day Adventists”. The Seventh Day Adventists believe (and Ellen G. White their founder teaches)

“every time we turn away from the true Sabbath {Saturday}, we turn our backs upon the law of God, and our faces toward the false gods”.

Yet God’s Word through His Apostles says:

Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The Church worships on Sunday because it was the first day of the week that Jesus rose from the grave (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). The early Church had services on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

As God brought LIGHT into creation on the FIRST DAY (Genesis 1:5), God brought the LIGHT of Jesus from the grave on the FIRST DAY.

Beloved, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin”. The Law of God cannot save us, but diagnoses our need for salvation.

Preach this: Every cult that arises – be it Seventh Day Adventist, Catholicism, Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness – always, like the Pharisees, tells us to go to the Law of God and save ourselves. But the Gospel is to HEED the Law and it’s diagnostic, to REPENT and turn fully to JESUS CHRIST for salvation.

The Law Is Not Our Savior.
God Is Our Savior.

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

The Law never promised to save us. God has always been the Savior. The Scripture testifies of this:

2 Samuel 22:3 (KJV) The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior…

Isaiah 43:11 (KJV) I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.

Isaiah 45:15, 21 (KJV) … O God of Israel, the Savior. 21 … there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.

Hosea 13:4 (KJV) I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no savior beside me.

There is no Savior but God. We cannot save ourselves. We are hopelessly lost and undone according to the diagnostic of the Law. What is our Solution? It is Jesus Christ. When He was born in Bethlehem, the GOOD NEWS was:

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

As the Gospel was preached, the Apostles preached the Law as the diagnostic, but Jesus Christ alone as the Savior. They said:

Acts 5:31 (KJV) {Jesus} hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Repent and believe. To whom is Jesus offered? Read again with me:

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

The Calvinist says, “God offers the salvation of Christ to the ELECT, to His Chosen”. I agree. But the Bible says that the offer of Christ is not just to some, but TO ALL.

Salvation by faith in Christ is offered unto all. There can be no charge leveled at God that He was unfair in the offering of salvation. All have sinned, missing the mark of God’s glory. Sin is universal but Jesus Christ is the Universal or Sovereign Remedy for what ails you. Jesus is offered unto all, and I pray that you all accept Him as Lord and Savior! God made atonement or a satisfactory payment for sin through the Cross of Calvary and through the terrible suffering of our Lord Jesus. Hear the words of the Master:

John 11:26 And WHOSOEVER liveth and believeth in Me shall never die . Believest thou this?

There are none excluded. God offers salvation through faith in Christ to WHOSOEVER. Without Christ you are dead in your trespasses and sins. When you die you go to a place called The Second Death or the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:14). Those who have accepted Christ as Savior are priests of God and of Christ (Revelation 20:6). Life belongs with life, and death with death. Those who belong to Jesus rule and reign with Him and those who do not belong to Jesus belong to death.

Listen Beloved – those who die to self now and surrender to God in Christ – not “almost” but surely – shall never see death. That Living Relationship that we call “salvation” is offered to whosoever will – it is unto all.

What effect does this true salvation have on every person who believes? Jesus said:

John 3:15-16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (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 .

There is payment for sin, eternal payment, for whosoever believes in Him. But something else occurs at the point of salvation. You Who believe in Him are radically changed. Christ’s payment on Calvary not only satisfies God (1 John 2:2), but also became the means by which we became a Divine Work in progress (Ephesians 2:10).

The Saved Are Changed By Jesus

Why do you think Jesus healed so many people while He walked on this earth? Why do you think “The blind received their sight, and the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, and the deaf made to hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5). It is to show us that

An encounter with Jesus is a life changing experience.

Jesus said in John 12:46, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness”. Jesus finds you dead, lost, sick, broken, in need of a new heart. But Jesus does not leave you where He finds you. Jesus saves you from spiritual death and eternal damnation.

A far better preacher than I, C.H. Spurgeon, wrote:

“Dost thou believe that Jesus is the Christ? If so, thou art born of God. If thou hast cast thyself, sink or swim, on Him, then art thou saved. … Jesus Christ has taken my poor guilty soul ever since I believed in Him, and has wrapped around me the blood-red flag of His atoning sacrifice, and before God can destroy me or any other soul that is wrapped in the atonement, He must insult His Son and dishonor this sacrifice, and that He never will do, blessed be His name.”

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Grace is undeserved. Grace is unmerited. Jesus Christ died on Calvary to REDEEM us from a just eternal damnation. Jesus Christ rose from the Grave to REDEEM us from being the walking dead, and to bring us into the family of God.

If you are a Christian, the best is yet to come. I close with:

1 John 3:1-3 (ESV) See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

If you have not received Christ as Lord and Savior, I beg you, do so this very day. There is no salvation in keeping the Law. There is only salvation by receiving Him Who loved you, and loves you still. May God the Holy Spirit draw you to Jesus. Amen.

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Wicked And Righteous Contrasted

Posted on October 18, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 12:6-7 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

Do Not Follow Evil
Photo by Tech Nick on Unsplash

The Words Of The Wicked Are Cut Down,
Whereas The Words Of The Righteous Are God’s

Word Study: The “wicked” (Hebrew rāšāʿ) are those who are spiritually dead and without Christ. There are several classifications of “wicked” people. Our Lord Jesus encountered the “religious wicked”, the Pharisees, who used their words as spears to drive people away from salvation. They “lay in wait for blood”, watched Jesus’ every move, and at the worst possible time attacked Him with lies. When Jesus healed people on the Sabbath Day, they struck out at Him for healing a suffering man when they themselves would have pulled an ox out of the ditch on the same day. We read:

Mark 3:1-6 {Jesus} entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

They “lay in wait to accuse Him”, seeking to take Jesus’ life. When Jesus healed the man despite their evil intentions, they took their spear-like murderous mouths out and conspired with the “secular wicked”, the Herodians, to kill Jesus. They lay in wait for blood, to murder.

There are RELIGIOUS wicked and SECULAR wicked. Both live lives divorced from Christ and God’s will.

The wicked have no respect for life. Though they claim to respect life with phrases like “my life, my body”, they care little for life. They just want their own way. The “religious wicked” and the “secular wicked” often conspired together to kill Jesus, because His righteous teachings revealed them as children of Satan and not children of God. They claimed that Jesus did His miracles by the power of Satan:

Matthew 12:22-28 (ESV) … a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

The wicked are marked by sharp, destructive tongues that speak evil against the Word and Will of God. Jesus told the wicked:

Matthew 23:13 (ESV) … woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

The wicked do not, with their tongues, lead people toward the Kingdom of God but away from it. They are self centered, selfish, self focused, self affirming.

Proverbs 12:6 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.

The upright or the child of God by faith in Christ cherishes not the word of man, but the Word of God. They store up God’s Word in their hearts.

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) Your word I have hidden (ṣāp̄an, to store or treasure) in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

When Jesus was attacked, He did not respond with an attack in kind. Instead Jesus appealed to the Scripture. We can address the wicked from the flesh, and be as bad as they are. Or we can do as Jesus did, and address the wicked from the Word of God, the Scripture.

You Choose Your Legacy By How You Live

Proverbs 12:6-7 The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

The reason for following the pathway of the upright and not the wicked has to do with legacy. Dr. Thomas Constable wrote in his commentary:

“The wicked pass off the scene without leaving a lasting legacy—like houses washed away by hurricanes and floodwaters. But the righteous leave a legacy for good that outlasts them.”

Everyone knows the names of Enoch, who walked with God (Genesis 5:24), but have no remembrance of Jared or Mahalalel, the father and grandfather of Enoch. The name of David the Shepherd and King live on, whereas those who strove against him are little known in the mind of history.

The fifteen words written by Solomon in Proverbs 12:7 are actually a summary of what King David wrote in Psalm 37. What David wrote in 40 verses Solomon summarized in 15 words!

Let’s look at just a portion of Psalm 37:

Psalm 37:1-10 (NKJV) Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.

Rather than focus on the secular or religious wicked, David had learned to:

Not FRET (Hebrew ḥārâ, to burn or be kindled)
TRUST (Heb. Bāṭaḥ, to lay face down before) in the Lord
DELIGHT (Heb. ʿānaḡ, spend time enjoying) in the Lord
COMMIT (Heb. Gālal, to roll a burden on)to the Lord
REST (Heb. Dāmam, to become silent in meditation) in the Lord

The wicked may hold power over you momentarily, but only at the permission of God. Before Satan could attack Job, he had to ask permission of God (Job 1:12; 2:6). The Reformer Martin Luther rightly said:

“Even the devil is God’s devil!”

God will one day judge the wicked for the evil they have done, and are doing. Rather than focus on them and allow ourselves to be drawn down to their level, we are to look upward, Godward. We are to immerse our minds and souls in Christ Jesus, in pleasing our Father. Another Pastor notes:

“… the Bible consistently reminds us to trust the long-term value of virtue and not to get deceived by the short-term pleasures of sin. Virtue is not a drug that provides immediate relief; it is a lifestyle that that leads to long-term vitality. Virtue is not a lottery ticket that cashes out the next morning; it is a way of life that builds long-term security. In this proverb, this wise son taught what his father taught …”

Those who love the Lord and abide by His Word have this promise, “the house of the righteous shall stand”. That which is right shall stand. It will have a legacy. But crookedness, evil devices, meanness, that which promotes the flesh and not the Holy Spirit, these things shall fade away.

And God can turn the actions of the evil to good, for our good.

Illustrate: There was an episode of the Andy Griffith Show (Season 7, Episode 23) that illustrated this. The town of Mayberry decided to raise up a statue to commemorate Seth Taylor, Andy and Aunt Bee’s ancestor, who built the first sawmill, organized the first Chamber of Commerce, and loaned the town of Mayberry money during an 1874 crisis. After the $1200.00 statue was carved they discovered that Seth Taylor (Andy’s great-great grandfather) was a swindler who bought and sold land to manipulate the railroad into building stations in Mount Pilot. When it was revealed they built a statue to a swindler, Barber Floyd Lawson reminded everyone that Taylor’s evil actually blessed Mayberry. Mt. Pilot has a high crime rate, and busy crowds, whereas Mayberry is a relatively crime free community, peaceful and quietly prosperous.

God is in control. Focus on Him even when it seems the evil are winning.

God Is Not Impressed By Sin Nor Sloth

Proverbs 12:8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

Word Study: The word “PERVERSE” is the Hebrew ʿāvâ which means “twisted from the norm, distorted, drawn to commit evil or do wrong”. Those with twisted or perverted hearts are drawn to commit evil, to do that which is offensive to both God and man. They shall be “DESPISED” (Hebrew bûz) or “held in contempt”. Those who tout their sinful estate as honorable, and demand that others honor their actions, are “held in contempt” by mankind and by God. The Prophet Job said:

Job 12:16, 21 (KJV) With {God} is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his. …. 21 He poureth contempt (Hebrew bûz) upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

Interestingly King David gave the similar truth:

Psalm 107:40 (KJV) {God} poureth contempt (Hebrew bûz) upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

It does not matter how “on top of the world” you think you are. If you celebrate your evil lifestyle, a lifestyle neither condoned nor ordained by God, then in time God will pour out contempt on you.

Proverbs 12:9 He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

The person who has a “SERVANT” may be held in contempt for his treatment of sin and self, but even this contemptible person is better than the sluggard. The sluggard never wants to do anything, and yet expects everything. When the sluggard is hungry, it is not his fault, but the fault of another, be it a person or a government.

God calls His people to work for Him and His glory.

We will read in the next chapter:

Proverbs 13:4 (NASB) The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Those who are laborers together with Christ – doing good as God has commanded – have enlarged souls, whereas the sluggard is always craving and getting nothing. The Tyndale Bible Commentary notes:

“A lazy person … has desires (craves refers to a deep-seated physical drive or appetite; cf. “craving” in 13:2), but his desires are not satisfied because he is not willing to work. However, diligence enables a person to be satisfied.”

Though Solomon at times departed from God’s will for his life (he had 700 wives and 300 concubines or sex slaves – 1 Kings 11:1-13), and at times even moved into idolatry, Solomon was never lazy or privileged. The Bible says:

Proverbs 21:25-26 (NASB) The desire of the sluggard puts him to death, for his hands refuse to work; All day long he is craving, while the righteous gives and does not hold back…

The righteous understand that life itself is a stewardship from God, a gift that He has given us to reinvest in others. The only riches you can take to Paradise with you are the souls of people that you have won to Christ. How destitute and how it will mar the joy of Heaven to arrive in that glorious place, but find your child or grandchild has gone to hell because you were spiritually lazy!

The lazy Christian is worse to God than the active pervert!

Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are CRUEL.

The righteous person – a person who is born again by the Blood of Christ – realizes the value of all life. Yet the wicked person has no regard for life. You can see this in the pro-life vs pro-choice movements in America. Comedian Bill Maher recently said on his television show:

“I don’t understand the 15-week thing, or Trump’s plan ‘let’s leave it to the states.’ You mean, so killing babies is OK in some states? I can respect the absolutist position, I really can. I scold the Left when they say, ‘oh you know what? They just hate women. People who aren’t pro-choice.’ They don’t hate women.

[The Left] just made that up. [Pro-life absolutists] think it’s murder. And it kind of is. I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean there’s 8 billion people in the world. I’m sorry, we won’t miss you. That’s my position on it.”

On the horrible show called “The View”, Actress Anne Hathaway said:

“My own personal experience with abortion and I don’t think we talk about this enough, abortion can be another word for mercy.”

How can abortion be merciful? In the first trimester, abortion is by vacuum aspiration. The child is broken up and drawn from the womb with a type of vacuum cleaner, like so much trash. In the second trimester, abortion is likely by dilation and evacuation (D&E), where the child is cut up into pieces and extracted. In the last trimester, abortion can be partial birth where all of the baby but the head is delivered. A knife is driven into the brain, killing the child before the head is delivered. Or some babies are delivered, but put on a gurney to lay crying until they succumb to death.

None of this is merciful to the child, who is a human. In heard another comedian joke about abortion, and described at as making a cake. He said, “If I make a cake and put it in the oven, and you come along and pull it out of the oven and throw it in the trash, I’d be mad at you. I’d say, ‘Why did you destroy my cake?” You’d say, ‘But it wasn’t a cake yet!’, to which I’d reply, ‘It would have been if you’d have left it alone!”. Again, this man was fine with abortion, but he was honest about it. Abortion is murder, not mercy. Life is sacred because it comes from God.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast

Though the Bible gives us allowance to eat meat, the righteous person, the child of God, does not torture a beast to death. The child of God does not eat an animal one piece at a time, keeping it alive. Such a thought is horrible! The beast is slaughtered quickly and as humanely as possible. But a child is not a beast, an animal. A child is made in the image of God!

The lazy person cannot impress God. The mentally lazy person does not impress the Lord either!

Proverbs 12:11 He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth VAIN (Hebrew rêq, empty, without substance) persons is void of understanding.

The person that works for his living is satisfied with what he has earned. But the person given everything, the person who lives with a silver spoon in their mouths, or depends on others for everything, that person is never satisfied. When I was growing up all children did “chores”. We received a small allowance for doing our “chores”, and were grounded or “whipped” if we refused to do our “chores”.

The word “chore” or “chores” is not found in the Bible, but it’s concept is there.

The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that “chore” is borrowed from the Latin “chor” which meant “chorus”. Those who learn to work and earn are best able to live in harmony with society itself. Too often we see spoiled grown up children who were given everything but earned nothing. These grown up children spend their days protesting, defacing, and generally doing anything they can do to disrupt civilization. The Bible says:

Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

The child given everything will grow up to be “vain” (rêq) or empty of substance. They will be like the idiom “amount to nothing”. As Bible Scholar F.B. Meyer wrote about evil King Amon:

“Amon’s reign was short and inglorious, and was ended by assassination (2 Kings 21:26). He was not stayed by the example of his father’s sins or regrets from following the sinful courses to which from childhood he had been inured. “He forsook the Lord, … and walked not in the way of the Lord” (2 Kings 21:22). As the twig is bent the tree grows. Oh parents, remember that example is more decisive than words. You may adopt for yourselves, in maturer life, a holier and better course; but you can never eradicate the evil influences exerted on your children.”

May God cause us all to draw closer to Jesus every day. Amen & Amen!

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The Most Deadly Thing

Posted on October 16, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 3:1-9 (KJV) What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin…

Photo by Gidon Wessner on Unsplash

In 2019 we were told that the greatest threat to humanity was attacking the world. Called the “Coronavirus Disease” or “Covid-19”, nearly every nation in the world ground to a halt. Governments shut down businesses, gymnasiums, beaches, restaurants, and Churches. From its initial outbreak in late 2019 to April 13, 2024 there were 7,010,681 deaths worldwide from Covid. So is Covid the most dangerous thing in the world? It is dangerous, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control tells us that mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest creature. It causes 700,000 deaths worldwide each year. Which is more deadly – Covid, or mosquitoes?

There’s something more deadly than Covid-19, mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, or spiders. The most deadly thing in the world is what God calls “Sin”.

Sin is more deadly than cancer. If you go to your doctor and he diagnoses you with cancer, there are options that you will be given to combat that cancer. Very few people tell their doctor to “go fly a kite” when he gives them the diagnosis. The cancer patient takes the doctor seriously, and heeds the doctor. But when God tells us that sin is deadly, we ignore both the Word of God and the Pastor who tells us about it.

Sin spreads like a cancer. When not addressed and ignored, sin leads us into deeper sins. Ted Bundy before he was a mass murderer worked for the Seattle Suicide Center, saving lives. Before Adolf Hitler engineered a World War and murdered millions of people in concentration camps he was an animal lover, going so far as to be a vegetarian because he could not stand to see animals killed. He sponsored and passed the Animal Protection Act (1933) which criminalized the mistreatment of animals throughout Germany, and instituted anti-hunting laws. The mobster Al Capone, A.K.A. “Scarface” funded a soup kitchen in Chicago to insure people weren’t starving. The criminal Pablo Escobar built hospitals and housing, and was elected to Columbia’s Congress in 1982. One of God’s own men, the Shepherd King David allowed sin to enter his life. David loved God with all his heart, but had an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. He then sought to cover up that relationship with murder.

Sin is insidious. It starts small, and spreads. Though many have never been infected with Coronavirus, all have been touched by sin. Sin kills. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Sin Cannot Be Fixed By What You Do

If confronted with cancer, we realize we cannot “fix” it unless we submit to medical science. Even then, cancer may not be fixed or stayed – but we will submit to chemotherapy or radiation treatments if our doctor advises it.

And yet, we try to fix SIN.

Romans 3:1-2 (KJV) What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

When it comes to sin, “What advantage does the Jew have”? Do Jews get a pass on sin? No, they don’t. But we are told

Word Study: “unto them were committed the oracles of God”. What does that mean? It means that God introduced Himself to humanity through the Jewish Nation. The word translated “ORACLES” is the Greek logion (pro. log’-ee-on) which means “The UTTERANCES or the WORD of GOD”. The Bible itself is 66 books written by 40 human authors. The Scripture tells us that the authors or “PROPHETS”:

2 Peter 1:21 (ESV) … no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

“We have a SURE WORD FROM GOD” (2 Peter 1:19, AP). God moved in 40 human authors. If you look at the Bible,

The Book of Job (which predates Jacob or Israel)
The Book of Nahum (a Prophet from Elkosh in Iraq)
The Gospel of Luke (a Gentile Physician)
The Book of Acts (written by Luke)
The Book of 2 Timothy (also written by Luke)

These 5 books were written by Gentiles. The three New Testament Books written by Luke were words dictated to him by the Apostles, Jesus’ hand-picked Prophets. So in reality 35 of 40 books of our Bible were written by Jewish Prophets, and 3 books were dictated by Jewish Apostles. God gave us the Bible through the Jews, through the nation Israel.

So we come back to the question, “What advantage then hath the Jew?”. Why did God choose the Jewish nation? Was it because they are better than all the other nations? Absolutely not. God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations …

God told Israel “I chose Israel because I AM FAITHFUL and YOU ARE WEAK”. Israel was not a powerful nation when God founded it. Israel came out of a man called Abraham, a man unable to have children. God told Abraham in effect:

“You are a weak and impotent man. If you will follow Me and go where I say, if you will obey and honor Me, I will make from you a mighty nation – and bless all the nations of the world through you.”

Abraham heard what God said, and began to follow God. Was he perfect in following? Absolutely not! But the Bible says:

Romans 4:3 (ESV) “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Galatians 3:6 (ESV) Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”

Abram (his name before God changed it) was living life his own way, doing his own thing, following his own gods. But then God called him to repentance, and made His case. Abram heard what God said, repented, and began to follow God no matter what God told him to do. God caused a new heart to be in Abram. He was “born again of God’s Spirit”. When a child is born, what is the first thing you do? You name it. God named Abram as Abraham. He was not as he was – he is now a child of God. The Bible says:

James 2:23 (ESV) … “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

When God wrote the Scriptures, He started by calling Moses, a Jew adopted into the household of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Israel at this point in history was slaves to Egypt, and slaves to the Egyptian gods and goddesses. God raised up Moses, and through Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the Books of the Law. As Moses wrote these books under God’s direction, one theme was recurrent.

Mankind – males and females – are all born sinners.
The wages of sin is separation from God and death.
Though God allowed animal sacrifices, we cannot fix our sins.
Animal sacrifices were REPEATEDLY committed.
The Law diagnosed sin, but gave no remedy.
Mankind – males and females – are all born sinners.

God wrote His Word, our Bible, through broken and undone people who REPENTED and BELIEVED in Him.

Romans 3:2 (KJV) … what profit is there of circumcision?

It was to Abraham and the future Israel that God established the act of “circumcision”. In circumcision, the male foreskin is removed, a very painful situation. God established that every male child would be circumcised on the 8th day following birth. Circumcision was a command unique to Israel.

But physical circumcision had NOTHING to do with salvation. It was an external act of obedience from a believer. God told the Israelite that:

Genesis 17:14 (NIV) Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

God did not say that the uncircumcised would be cast into hell, or lose eternal life. God said that the uncircumcised would be cut off from Israel. If circumcision had to do with salvation, then both males and females would be circumcised. But females were NOT circumcised. Circumcision was a man-specific action.

  • First of all, it was crippling to an adult male. When circumcised you wouldn’t be able to fight or defend your homes until you healed.
  • Second, circumcision was the willing shedding of blood of a man. You had to choose to be circumcised, or be cut off from Israel. But you had a choice.
  • Third, circumcision as the willing shedding of man’s blood looked forward to the Cross of Christ. As sin came by Man (Adam), sin would have to be paid for by Perfect Man (the Lord Jesus Christ). My shedding of blood does nothing for me. But through circumcision God repeatedly reminded Israel that sin is only covered by the Blood of the Innocent.

Romans 5:12, 15 (ESV) … sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned … 15 many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

God’s promise and covenant with Israel was that the Messiah, the One Who COULD fix sin, would come through that nation. Thus God chose the weakest, most impotent and enslaved nation as His own. He built that nation from nothing, and demanded that all who were His Chosen REPENT and BELIEVE in Him.

Israel Was Chosen As God’s Tool To Bring Messiah Into The World – Though Israel Often Failed To Believe

Romans 3:3-5 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

Throughout the history of Israel there were many Israelites that were circumcised, but did not believe in God. God planned to bring the Messiah, Jesus Christ our Lord, to this earth through Israel. The Bible says that when Jesus came,

John 1:11 (NKJV) {Jesus} came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

God sent His Son to this earth to be born of a virgin, to be born of the Household of King David, to be born a Jew in Bethlehem – and yet the Jews largely rejected Him.

They would not believe on Him. The Pharisees insinuated that Jesus was born of sin (John 8:41). They openly declared to Jesus:

John 8:48 … “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

The “Samaritans” were hated of the Jews because they were not pure Jew. Claiming Jesus to be first of all a “Samaritan” and second of all “demon possessed”, they are saying Jesus was NOT of Israel, and thus could NOT be the Messiah.

Did Israel’s disbelief and faithlessness undo the faithfulness of God? Absolutely not!

God made promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. The Bible tells us that:

2 Timothy 2:13 (NKJV) If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

God was going to send the Messiah – the Fixer of our sins – through a broken people called Israel. God could not deny Himself – would not break His Plan.

Though Israel repeatedly through her history rejected God, and fell prey to nations like Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Medo-Persia, Rome, and more recently Germany … our God is still faithful. The faithlessness of Israel did not change the plan of God, but

Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

The Jew that leaves this life without faith in Jesus are nonetheless CONDEMNED TO ETERNAL DAMNATION. The Jew does not get a free pass to Heaven because Israel is “Chosen”. If the Jew does not respond to the Fixer of Sin, Jesus Christ our Lord, their fate is just as bleak and terrible as is the fate of Adolf Hitler, Ted Bundy, Al Capone, or Pablo Escobar. The Bible says:

John 3:18-21 “He who believes in {Jesus} is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

God sent the Messiah through Israel. Jesus came “for the Jew FIRST, and ALSO for the GENTILE” (Romans 1:16; 2:10). The Jew who rejects Christ is NOT God’s Chosen People, for they have hardened their hearts to the Fixer of Sin, the Great Physician Jesus Christ. The Evangelist Billy Graham wrote:

“God prescribes the remedy for the ills of the human race. That remedy is personal faith and commitment to Christ. This happens when we humble ourselves in repentance of sin against Him and call out to Jesus for His forgiveness. He grants salvation to all those who will turn to Him and receive Him as Lord and Savior, but multitudes reject the greatest remedy offered to mankind.

When we’re sick, we see a doctor who prescribes medication. If we decide to ignore the advice and refuse the prescription, the symptoms can grow worse. Should we hold the doctor responsible? No, because we’ve refused the remedy.

The disease of sin that has infected the entire world has a remedy—God’s salvation—but it must be received. If we refuse it, we suffer the consequence; we cannot blame God.

People magazine once carried the story of Lem Banker who said, “Never bet what you want to win, only what you can afford to lose.” No one can afford to lose their eternal soul. The Man we often refer to as the Great Physician is based on Jesus’ words: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17). The remedy is clear: receive Jesus today.”

Sin Is A Horrible Disease That Jesus Defeats

Romans 3:7-8 (KJV) For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

Some today try to change the nature of sin, to normalize it. This has been a tactic of Satan and the world from the beginning. The devil first – through the religious Pharisees, the Jews – tried to make Jesus out as a con-man, a liar, not of Israel. They said that Jesus was demon possessed, an illegitimate Child, a Samaritan. And yet, people began to hear the Gospel, repent, and be saved. So how does the devil and the world attack the Gospel once received. They say “The Gospel frees you so that you can “do evil, that good may come”. Once saved, you can sin with impunity, without regard to the consequences. After all, Jesus paid for those sins on the Cross. We are told in:

Jude 4 (NKJV) For certain men have crept in {into the local Churches} unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, UNGODLY MEN, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The devil has had his agents in the Church from the beginning. These unsaved in heart whitewashed mausoleums normalize sexual sins of all types, saying “You can be a Christian and do these things”. Yes, Christians do often fall into evil sins. But the Christian confronted by the Word of God – like King David when the Prophet Nathan exposed his adultery and murder –

The Christian will REPENT of sin and RETURN to following Jesus. The Christian knows that God does not save us IN our sins, but FROM our sins.

David repented with bitter weeping once exposed, and returned to God. And yet, there are consequences to sin. Sin is the most horrible thing in the world.

Romans 3:9 … we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all UNDER sin

Sin is horrible. It cripples us. It robs us. It is the Thief that Jesus spoke of in:

John 10:10 The THIEF does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Preach Verbatim: The “THIEF” is sin. Sin robs us of God’s best for us. Sin robbed Adam of Paradise, and robbed Eve of peace in childbearing. Sin robbed Abel of his life, and made Cain a wandering marked man. Sin robbed the world of life in a Great Flood, killing men, women, children, and babies. Sin caused God to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah by fire. Sin causes a husband to step out on his wife, or the wife to fall to another man. Sin causes children to be robbed of their childhoods, molested by parents, or raised without parents. Sin takes a sane person and addicts them to alcohol or drugs. Sin robs society of children and their children and their children, perhaps taking the life of the one that would cure cancer, heart disease, stroke, or some other horrid malady. Sin robs Churches of peace, as Shepherds who should know better toy with the sheep. Sin causes murders, rapes, heartache, and misery. Sin is laughed at on television, promoted on “The View”, and endorsed by political candidates as “normal”. Sin is the most horrible thing in the world …..

which is why God sent His Son Jesus through Israel.

There is the Jesus that none could find sin in. The Faultless Son of God. Beaten, bruised, so horribly wounded on by sinful man. Nailed to a Tree. Adam’s sin cursed us all. Adam’s sin cursed our world. Adam’s sin cursed the ground itself (Genesis 3:17).

But because God is faithful, He sent Jesus to take the curse of sin on Himself. “Cursed is He Who hangs on a Tree” (Galatians 3:13).

Jesus became a curse for us. Sin is the most horrible thing in the world, but what Jesus did for us in the greatest thing in the world. “By His stripes WE ARE HEALED” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

We are “fixed” when we come to Jesus Christ, repenting, believing. When we give our lives to Him Who gave His life for us, God “fixes” us. He changes our mind about sin. We know the right from the wrong, and when we do the wrong we REPENT and do so AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. It is “the Blood of Jesus Christ” that brings us into the family of God (Ephesians 2:13). It is the “Blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son that cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is the Blood willingly shed that fixes us, and removes us from the insanity of sin.

Do you know Him? Have you believed that He died for your sins, and rose from the Grave. Have you heard Him call you to salvation? Have you responded? Have you said, “Yes Lord, I will follow You”. Oh I pray you have done so this very day. Do not delay. The only escape from the worst thing in the world – sin – is reliant faith on Jesus. Amen.

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God Will Be Exalted

Posted on October 11, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

When I first entered the Air Force I thought I was going to be a “Dental Technician”. That was what my recruiter told me I could be, and so he had me sign paperwork that gave me a “Guaranteed Field”. I found out later that this was actually double talk, a government lie created to fool new recruits. My “Guaranteed Field” was the “General Field”, of which there were about 100 menials jobs. I was not given a “Guaranteed Job” but a “Guaranteed Field”. Because of that, after Basic Training I was made a “Food Service Technician” (a Cook) inside of the “Guaranteed General Field”. When I protested, I was told that I could go be a “Food Service Technician” or I could go to Leavenworth and make rocks into gravel for the next 4 years. I became a Cook.

That was a very good learning experience for me. I found out that people can lie like a rug on the floor without even batting an eye. The recruiter knew he was lying to me. The commander of that recruiter knew he was lying to me. I suspect the government knew it was lying to me. But I was and am still a Christian, and I know that GOD DOES NOT LIE TO ME. God has never lied to me. God has said,

Romans 8:28 All things work together FOR GOOD to those who LOVE THE LORD, to those WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

God is in control of all things, and God is good. God sent His Only Beloved Son to this earth to give Himself for my sins.

God gave His best to save the worst.

The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is FAITHFUL, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Adrian Rogers: As God is faithful, and has given His best and noblest for us, He deserves our worship. I was listening to Adrian Rogers this morning who noted that the word “worship” is formed of two words: “WORTHY” and “SHIP”. The word “SHIP” means to “transport or convey something, from one place to another”. Since our God is WORTHY we speak His worth. Worship is speaking the worth of our God to others, and to Heaven itself.

We WORSHIP because our God is WORTHY.

What you worship says a lot about you. The Pharisees worshiped RELIGION. They were not concerned about a relationship with God. They were concerned about how good they looked, and made the Law of God into a game of one-upmanship. The Pharisees worshiped themselves, declaring themselves worthy because of their works. The Herodians and Sadducees worshiped POWER and HUMANTY. Again, the center of their worship was themselves. They basked in the infamy they had, their popularity, their status as being above the common man. Yet among humanity God has said:

Psalm 14:3 … there is none who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:23 … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Humans are not worthy of worship. Money is not worthy of worship. Things are not worthy of worship. Only God is worthy of worship.

Only Jesus Christ is worthy of glory, and honor, and exaltation.

God declares …

Psalm 46:10 … I will be EXALTED among the heathen, I will be EXALTED in the earth.

Word Study: Once a Christian is saved, it is our calling, our purpose, to EXALT the Lord. The word “EXALTED” is the Hebrew rûm (pro. Room). The word means to “lift up above all else, to glorify, to extol, to magnify”. God is to be put above all else in our lives.

The Church exists to exalt the Lord.
To be a LIGHTHOUSE magnifying Christ.
The Christian should give God his best, not his leftovers.
The Christian and the Church must not cease to lift up God.
Our God is worth it all!

Word Study: God says “I will be EXALTED among the HEATHEN”. The word “HEATHEN” is an Old English word for “those who are NOT God’s people”. This is the Hebrew gôy (pro. go’-ee), a word that was used by Israel in the Old Testament for the Gentiles. Under the Old Covenant, the descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, were God’s people, and all others were gôy (pro. go’-ee). Rather than spread the Gospel of God that He calls all to salvation, the Israelites became self focused. The Bible prophesied that the Lord Jesus would be the:

Luke 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Preaching Here: The Gentiles were never to be rejected as gôy (pro. go’-ee), but God told Israel repeatedly that it was His desire that “My Salvation may reach the end of the earth (ESV)” (Isaiah 49:6). Israel was to be the LIGHTHOUSE that promoted by exaltation the Son of God, the One to Whom “The Nations (gôy (pro. go’-ee)) shall come to Your Light, and the kings to the brightness of Your Rising (ESV)”. Israel was to exalt God among the gôy (pro. go’-ee), to speak of the Coming Messiah. When Christ was manifested by God, Israel was supposed to exalt Him as the One Who “open(s) the eyes that are blind, (Who) bring(s) out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness (ESV)”.

Israel would not listen to God. Oh, many were saved. But like many Churches today, Israel made God second place, and gave Him only the leftovers. They forgot that God said:

Psalm 46:10 … I will be EXALTED among the heathen, I will be EXALTED in the earth.

God will be glorified. The Gospel will go out.

When Jesus rose from the Grave, He commissioned His Apostles, saying:

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God WILL BE EXALTED. The message of the Gospel MUST go out. Israel forgot that. Jesus told His Apostles before ascending into Heaven:

Acts 1:8 (ESV) … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The Apostles were to start in Jerusalem and Judea. God wants to save Israel. But God does not want His Church to imitate Israel. The Gospel is to go to “Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. The Church must exalt God among the heathen. The Church must exalt God among those who are not children of God. The Church must continue to spread the Word of God by whatever means necessary.

Did the early Church do this?

No, but the Apostles sent a great deal of time in Jerusalem in Solomon’s Porch – at the Temple – preaching Christ. That is not a bad thing, for God wanted to reach Israel. God wants to save Israel by exalting Christ, by sharing the Gospel to that deceived and largely unsaved nation. But God also wants the Church to reach out to all people, to share the Word of God, the glorious Gospel of Salvation.

It is the sharing of the Gospel that brings “those were once far off from God into the Presence of God” (Ephesians 2:13). God will be exalted among the worldly. Christ will be magnified among those who are yet to be born again.

The Only Thing That Endangers The Church Is To Go Against The Exaltation Of God, The Spreading Of The Gospel!

Again we read:

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

We are to rest in the Gospel that saved us. We are to “BE STILL”. We are not to tremble in fear at that which is coming. We are told:

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

God is where we hide ourselves. He is the “REFUGE” for His people. “I will say of the LORD, He is my REFUGE and FORTRESS: My God; in Him will I trust.” (Psalm 91:2). God is our “STRENGTH”. He fights our battles for us, as we exalt Him in the earth.

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

When we exalt our God, when we put Him first, He is in our midst. God is our Help, our Protector, our Comforter. I end this devotion with a repeated text. We see this in:

Psalm 26:7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psalm 46:11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

God is the “LORD OF HOSTS”. He rules all the armies of Heaven and earth. Our God is in control. The same God Who made this planet and all that is on it, the sun and the moon, the stars without number. This God is our God. This God sent His Only Begotten Son to secure our salvation, that “whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This God, the “GOD OF JACOB”, He is the One we hide ourselves in. We exalt Him. We glorify Him while we can.

There will be a day when we all shall stand before Him, and our works shall be judged. For the unbeliever, they will stand before Him at a Great White Throne, and their works will not help them ascend into Heaven. Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you – depart from Me, You workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23, ESV). Rather than come to Christ in humility and receive Him as Lord and Savior, they exalted themselves. Because they exalted themselves, glorifying themselves rather than God, they will spend an eternity in a Lake of Fire, a place of torment (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15).

The lost will enter the Lake of Fire because their name was NOT found in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15).

The saved also will be judged. This judgment, called the “Judgment Seat of Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The Bible says:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV) For we MUST all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

God says “I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Our works will be judged as to whether we exalted God or not, as to whether we helped spread the glorious Gospel of Christ or not. May God the Holy Spirit work in our hearts to encourage us to go and grow for Christ, to exalt the One Who gave so much for us.

May God touch your hearts with his Word. Amen.

A devotional preached in our October 9, 2024 Business Meeting. DEB.

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The Fruit Matters

Posted on October 1, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 2:8-11 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Photo by Arturrro on Unsplash

Summary: God has no favorites, but will judge each person on the fruit of your life. The fruit of your life matters both now and into eternity. The fruit of your present life shows whether you are born of sin, or born again of the Son.

In 2017, Pope Francis said “Is it possible God has some children He does not love? No! We are all God’s beloved children.”

That’s not what God tells us. We have seen that there are two categories of people according to God. There are those who are “Beloved” (Agapetos) and those who are “Of Humanity” (Anthropos). The “Beloved” are beloved children of God because they have believed on God’s Beloved Son (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17). Receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit causes the heart of the recipient to be “born again”. Those who reject Christ are “condemned already, because they have not believed in the Name of the Only Begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). These people are “in the flesh” (Romans 7:5), they are “of humanity” (Anthropos). They are a creation of God, but are not children of God.

God can look at a person and see what is in their hearts. He can look at you right now and tell if you are saved by faith in Christ (Beloved), or lost and in the flesh (of humanity, Anthropos).

1 Samuel 16:7 … (ESV) the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

The Fruit Of Your Life Matters To God. The Beloved produce good fruit from born again hearts. The Anthropos, the fleshly, produce bad fruit from spiritually dead hearts.

Jesus said in 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.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, our Lord sends the Holy Spirit of God into our hearts to change them, to make us “born again”. Jesus said “You must be BORN AGAIN” (John 3:3). The New Birth is a supernatural event, engineered by God, purchased by Christ. You cannot make yourself “born again” no more than you made yourself come from your mother’s womb in your first birth. This is a Spirit created state. The Biblical synonyms for “born again” are:

Converted (John 12:40; Acts 3:19)
New Birth (1 Peter 1:3, NIV)
New Life (Acts 5:20; Romans 6:4, NIV)
Transferred (Colossians 1:13)

Once you give your life to Jesus, He gives life to you. You are changed. Your heart is changed. Following salvation, you follow Christ. With a new heart, the fruit of your life changes.

And God will judge that fruit.

The Lost Produce Dead, Godless Fruit

Romans 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath

Word Study: The lost who continue to reject Christ as Lord and Savior are “contentious”, the Greek eritheia, which means “to court distinction, to put yourself forward as first”. The contentious are those who are constantly focused not on others and their welfare, but on “I, Me, Mine”. These people – though they may be on a church roll – are NOT saved. The basis of salvation is to first REPENT, that is, to DENY YOURSELF. Jesus said:

Mark 8:34 (NASB) … If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

The mark of the lost contentious person will put themselves FIRST, and God LAST. The lost person also will not “Obey the TRUTH” (John 14:6), that is, obey Jesus Christ. The lost person follows the crowd. The lost “OBEY UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”. They do not care what God has said, but minimize the will of God and the word of God in order to celebrate themselves. God promises to those who leave this life without Jesus that they will have “INDIGNATION AND WRATH”.

Jesus’ greatest critics were the Jews, His own people. They hardened their hearts against God, against Jesus. The Jews – particularly the Pharisees – were PUFFED UP because they kept the ceremonial Laws of God. Since they kept these Laws, the Pharisees felt that they had a front row seat to Heaven. They didn’t. Rejecting Jesus, “The Way, the TRUTH, and the Life” (John 14:6), the Pharisees hardened their hearts to God and did evil.

Beware The Leaven Of The Pharisees And Of Herod

Right after Jesus fed upwards of 4000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish (He had previously done this same thing with 5000 Jews) (Mark 8:1-9), Jesus had His disciples go with Him to the district of Dalmanutha. The disciples got on the boat, but forgot to bring the seven baskets of leftover bread with them. Jesus told them,

“Beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, and the LEAVEN of Herod” (Mark 8:15)

Now you’ll not understand this unless you understand what “LEAVEN” is. “LEAVEN” is the rising agent that you put in flour when you are making bread. Yeast is a leaven, as is baking powder. If you make bread without leaven, it will be hard and difficult to eat, like the bread we partake of during the Lord’s Table (Communion). Leaven or yeast feeds on sugars in the dough mixture, and expel a non-poisonous gas that causes pockets and rises to form in the bread. Leaven makes bread soft because leaven “puffs up” the bread.

When Jesus warned us “Beware the LEAVEN of the Pharisees and the LEAVEN of Herod” He was warning us to not let that which “puffs up” the Pharisees and Herod enter into our lives. What was the “LEAVEN of the Pharisees”? It was self pride, a puffed up attitude because they kept the ceremonial laws perfectly. They went about arrogant, judging others, mocking those they considered beneath them. The Leaven of the Pharisees says “I am so good, I’ve earned my way into Heaven”. Yet the Pharisees in keeping the ceremonial laws ignored the most important things. They ignored the suffering of those around them. As long as they had their Synagogues and their pew and their fame among the people, they were satisfied. They cared for no one else but themselves. And they will be judged.

The “LEAVEN of Herod” was also a puffed up attitude, but it was without the Law of God. This is the root of Humanism. Herod felt that he was king, and thus better than anyone else. He had little love for the people he ruled, as long as he was center stage. What were the Pharisees and Herod missing?

They were missing Jesus. Jesus told the disciples:

Mark 8:17-21 (ESV) … “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

The Jews (like the Pharisees) thought because they kept the Law, they were right with God. Herod felt that since he was king, he was above God. It was Jesus Who fed the 5000+ Jews. It was Jesus Who fed the 4000+ Gentiles.

We are not to be “puffed up” by religious ceremony nor by human ability. We are to be surrendered to Jesus Christ! We are to be empowered by the Spirit of God.

Your works matter. Your fruit matters. If you do evil, you have God’s promise:

Romans 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every SOUL of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

A judgment day is coming where the SOUL of every person will stand before God. For the Jew who wallowed in the Leaven of the Pharisees, they shall have tribulation and anguish. Judgment day for those who have rejected Christ in favor of their own good works apart from Christ will not have a soft landing in eternity. Yes, dear ones, Jews WILL go to hell, just as do Gentiles. For those who “DO EVIL”, they shall receive the wage of their evil one day. Neither Jew nor Gentile shall escape.

Romans 2:10-11 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

To those who are “born again” by faith in Christ, who are following Jesus and doing God’s Will, they will receive “glory, honor, and peace”. There is a joy in following Jesus both now and into eternity. The Prophet said:

Isaiah 32:17 (ESV) And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

Jesus took our punishment on the Cross so that we could be born again. Once born again, we are “MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM” (2 Corinthians 5:21). When we are saved, we

Isaiah 2:5 … walk in the light of the LORD.

1 John 1:7 … we walk in the light, as He {Jesus Christ} is in the light ..

Those who are saved walk with Jesus, for Jesus, to honor Jesus in this life. Those people we be honored and blessed both now and into eternity.

Keeping The Law Cannot Save You,
But Sin Will Curse You

If you do not invite God into your life – if you do not repent and call on the Name of Jesus for salvation – you shall stand in judgment before God judged by His Law. God does not wink at sin. Sin is an affront to God, an abomination, a bad decision made in the darkness that ultimately destroys God’s best for us. There is no respect of persons with God. When you stand before God, He will not care whether you are Jew or Gentile. He will not care whether you are black, white, brown, yellow, red, or polka dotted. God doesn’t care!

What God cares about is “Did you obey My Son
– or did you obey Sin?”

Romans 2:12-13 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Those who sinned “without Law”, a reference to the Gentiles, “shall also perish without law”. When you stand before God one day you will not be able to say, “But Lord, I never knew”. Every person – Jew or Gentile – has the basics of the Law of God written in their hearts. People know that it’s wrong to steal, wrong to kill, wrong to rob others. The Ten Commandments were written on stone and given to Israel, not to the Gentiles. But the Gentiles know. When we sin without the Law that Israel had, we still perish though without law – for the wages of sin is ALWAYS death (Romans 3:23).

For the Jew, those who sin in the Law will be judged by the very Law they hide behind. God doesn’t care that you KNOW the Law, but that you DO the Law. When a policeman stops you, his first question is always “Do you know how fast you were going?” He wants you to know that you have broken the law. If you say, “Yes, and I was 15 miles over the speed limit”, the next question is “Then WHY didn’t you obey the Law? Here’s your ticket!” If your reply was, “Was I going too fast? I thought that WAS the speed limit!” Then the policeman will say, “No, you were breaking the Law. Here’s your ticket.”

We all know the Law of God. The Apostle brings this out in:

Romans 2:14-15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

We may delude ourselves. We may harden our hearts. But we all know that there is a God, that He made us, and we know what is right and wrong. We shall all stand before Jesus Christ one day and be judged.

Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

We hide our sins from others, or else deceive ourselves into believing that what is clearly sin is not. Judgment day is coming. Every sin we kept secret, every thing we hid or thought we his from God and others, we will be judged by Jesus. All judgment belongs to Jesus. Jesus told us:

John 5:21-24 (ESV) For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

We will all be judged by Jesus one day. For those who were contentious, that chose to ignore the truth of His Gospel and live their lives without Jesus, they will find a bad judgment day. But those who have repented and called on Jesus for salvation, who followed Him in this life, will have their works judged. Yet their salvation will not be in danger for Christ’s sake.

The Jew Without Jesus Is Not God’s “Chosen”

The Lord now addresses the Jew through the Apostle Paul. Before Paul was “Paul”, he was “Saul”, a Jew of Jews, a Pharisee, a member of the ruling council of Jews called the Sanhedrin. As Saul, Paul felt that he was serving God as he pursued and captured Christians, bringing them back to the Temple to be judged and executed. Saul was a Jew, but he was not one of God’s chosen. Why? Because – until his Damascus Road experience – he rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Romans 2:17-20 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and rest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.

Saul like other Jews who have rejected Jesus thought that their knowledge of what the Law of Moses taught – the ceremonies, the feasts, the tithing, etc – made him God’s “Chosen”. Though Saul and other unsaved Jews wrapped themselves in the cloak of God’s Law, the fruit of their lives was still that of a lost person. Why? Because they were still lost. We read:

Romans 2:21-25 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

There are people who, like the Jews, wrap themselves in the Law of God or the Laws of Humanism. They look good on the outside. But like the Pharisees Jesus chastised:

Matthew 23:27 (ESV) … you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

You can paint the mausoleum, but what’s inside is what matters. The Jews declared they were God’s “Chosen People” because they were Jews, because they kept the Law. And yet the fruit of their lives was just as evil as those around them. They may have been outwardly circumcised according to the Law of Moses, but their hearts still belonged to sin. We saw this at the trial of Christ. The Bible says:

Matthew 26:59 … Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none …

They actively looked for people who would lie about Jesus’ ministry, a clear violation of the 9th Commandment. The fruit of their lives was evil. Why? Because they were not saved by faith in Christ. They were not born again of the Spirit. No, they were pigs dressed up in silk finery. They were wolves wearing sheep clothing.

By violating the very law they proclaimed to love, the fruit of their lives proved they were “uncircumcision”, that is, not of the Family of God.

Romans 2:26-29 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

The Jew said “The Gentile cannot be of the Family of God, for he has not been circumcised”. Yet though the Gentile who believed in Christ was not circumcised, that Gentile strives to follow the Law of God, the Ten Commandments. If the Gentile strives to follow the Law of God – if the FRUIT of that person’s life strives to glorify God – then isn’t that person a member of the Family of God? This is what the Apostle is asking in verse 29:

Romans 2:29 he is a Jew, which is one INWARDLY; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God

It doesn’t matter what you look like outwardly. Are you living your life to glorify God? Are you striving to please Jesus in the fruit you produce? You may be outwardly called “Jew”, “Baptist”, “Christian”, “Pastor”, “Teacher”. But is the fruit of your life honoring to Him Who saved you? Or do you just possess a title, but your works are ungodly?

Judgment day is coming for us all. We will all stand before Jesus Christ one day, and our works will be judged. What will Jesus say to you in that day? Will He say,

Matthew 25:21 …. Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

or will He say,

Matthew 7:23 (ESV) …. I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

Your fruit will be judged. Give yourselves to Jesus today. Do not delay.Billy Graham wrote:

“A born-again Christian is someone who has repented of their sins and turned to Christ for their salvation, and as a result has become part of God’s family forever. All this takes place as God’s Spirit works in our lives. … Jesus Christ came to save us and to make us part of His family forever! He did this by dying for our sins on the cross and by conquering death through His resurrection. You see, as a human being you were born into a family—and nothing can ever change that. But when we come to Christ we are spiritually reborn into another family—the family of God. The Bible says to Christ’s followers, “You have been born again … through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).”

Repent! Deny yourselves. Take up His Cross. Embrace Calvary. Believe that Jesus gave His life for you, and that He gives eternal life to as many as receive Him. Oh Beloved, do not delay! Surrender to Christ this very day. Amen and Amen.

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Judgment Day Is Coming

Posted on September 27, 2024 by bibleteacherorg

Romans 2:1-6 (KJV) Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds…

The Lost Have No Excuse

When we were in Romans chapter one the Apostle was addressing the Church of the Lord Jesus. We know this because he wrote:

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Word Study: The Apostle addresses the “beloved of God”. The word “BELOVED” is the Greek agapētos, which certainly means “BELOVED”, but it means also “those well favored, those worthy of love”. The believer in Christ is worthy of love because he is a believer in Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s “BELOVED Son” (Matthew 3:17). God told the Prophet Isaiah of the Lord Jesus, saying:

Matthew 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior you are “BELOVED” for His sake. You are “called to be SAINTS” because Christ’s sacrifice is reckoned to your life. As father Abraham believed on and received Christ, we do as well. Christ’s righteousness is “imputed to us, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offenses, and raised for our justification”.

But as we come to Romans chapter two, the Word of God does not address the Church, but the lost world. We read:

Romans 2:1 … Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man …

Romans 2:3 … And thinkest thou this, O man …

Word Study: It is not the “BELOVED” that is addressed, but “MAN”, the Greek anthrōpos which means “human being, whether male or female”. The Beloved of God, the Christian is to “let your light so shine before MEN (anthrōpos), that they (the lost) may see our good works, and glorify our Father Who is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Whereas agapētosor “Beloved” is used to address the Christian, the lost are called anthrōpos or “mankind”.

It is the lost who were addressed in Romans 1:18-32 who have clearly seen the evidence of God all around them, and yet have rejected that evidence in order to create their own idols. We have seen – especially during this election season – how people have judged, condemned, ridiculed, and tormented others so as to make themselves feel superior. Anthrōpos or humanity – the lost world – has no excuse for rejecting the Gospel. They judge one another. They judge the Beloved of God when they misstep. They judge people around them rather than judging themselves.

The very fact that people judge one another is proof of an internal, God ordained conscience.

What makes it so bad, the Apostle tells us, is that

Romans 2:1 … thou that judgest doest the same things.

The devil loves to lure people into the judging game. In the fall of Adam in the Garden, when man sinned and was questioned by God, rather than confess the sin man decided to judge others. Adam told God:

Genesis 3:12 (ESV) … “The woman whom You {God} gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Adam judged God first, then the defective woman that God gave to him. This is what people – lost people (and Adam was lost at this moment) do when they themselves sin. They look for someone to blame. Adam blamed God and Eve. When asked, Eve said “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13). Rather than repent, the lost look for someone to blame!

Looking for someone else to blame fixes none of the problems in your life. It is dangerous deflection!

People say “If God controls all things, then why is there so much evil in the world? Obviously God is either not good, or not all powerful!” People make statements like, “Since I’m a homosexual, or a child molester, or a whore-monger, God made me this way. Who is He to judge me, if He is the Creator?” The Bible tells us that God is indeed all mighty, all powerful, and all knowing. The Lord says:

Isaiah 45:7 (ESV) I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.

And again, in Isaiah 46:9-11 (ESV) … remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

God is God. He is all mighty. He is all knowing, and all loving. God’s purposes will ultimately come to pass, for God is ultimately in control. If that is true, why not blame God when things go in ways we don’t want or expect? Because God in creation made us in His image and in His likeness. God in creation gave us domination over the creatures of the earth, and even earth itself.

God has given us free will, the ability to choose good or evil, right or wrong. God is continually reaching out to the lost world, calling the sinner to REPENT and COME TO CHRIST as Lord and Savior.

As my commentary notes:

“When we blame God, we make ourselves His judge and jury. But mere human beings have no right to pass judgment on the Almighty. We are His creation; He is not ours: “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? Woe to the one who says to a father, ‘What have you begotten?’ or to a mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’” (Isaiah 45:9–10)”.

Romans 2:2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

God’s ways are always true and right. As God is love, His every action is designed to bring humanity to the best state it can be brought to. As we are NOT God, we need to understand that while we may blame God rather than repent, our blaming of the All Mighty will not change our judgment in the least bit. What is particularly ironic is that, though you may blame others and point them out to God, the final state of your own soul will ultimately be judged not on what someone else did or didn’t do. The final state of your soul is going to be based on what YOU did or didn’t do.

Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

The lost person judging others is no more than another HYPOCRIT! You judge others. You judge God. But if you would look carefully at your life, you’d realize you do the exact same things you are accusing others of doing. I have heard people lambaste the Church, saying “I don’t go to Church because there are so many hypocrites there”. Dr. M.R. DeHaan of the Radio Bible Class Ministries says:

“The biggest hypocrite of all, however, is the man or woman who refuses to come to Christ because there are so many hypocrites in the church. Such a person is being inconsistent. Business is full of hypocrites, but that does not stop him from doing business. Society is full of them, but he does not decide to become a hermit. Hell is full of hypocrites, so if a person doesn’t like hypocrites he had better make sure he’s not going there.”

There’s no bigger hypocrite than the person who pretends that he doesn’t need Jesus.

The Lost Judge God Only When The Bad Happens

Have you ever noticed when good is happening, people thank their idols, be it “lucky stars” or “good karma”? But when the bad happens, they blame God.

There is a type of lost person the Bible calls “The Fool”, the Atheist who says “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). They are fools because they have standards of right and wrong, but ignore Him Who gave those standards.

Imagine If: acclaimed Richard Dawkins, a British Atheist (what God calls “the Fool”) was in Africa, and came across a tribe of cannibals who seized him and prepared to eat him. Dawkins would no doubt plead with the cannibals to spare his life, that “murder is wrong!”. The cannibals ask, “Why is it wrong for us to eat you?” Dawkins would no doubt say “Well, I’m a human!” As the cannibals sharpen their knives they say, “But you say there is no God, and that humans are just animals evolved from other animals. As that’s true, and we eat deer and antelope, why can’t we eat YOU?”

“If humans are just animals, and we eat animal meat – then why can’t we eat YOU?”

The fool, the Atheist would say “But it’s MURDER to kill a human?” But why is it murder to kill a human, and not murder to kill a pig, or a deer, or a beef? There is no logic to the fool, though I will tell you the difference. Animals often mate within their families. If we are animals, why is it wrong for us to do so? Animals steal meat other animals have killed, and eat their own kind. Animals eat rotted food, maggot infested food. Animals many times eat their food alive, kill the weakest in the pack, leave the elderly behind to die and be eaten. All this begs the question, are humans animals?

The Bible says NO!

God made humanity above the animals. Though I may kill an animal to eat its meat, I may not kill a human, who is NOT an animal. Though I may kill an animal to eat, I will not torture it to death, nor eat it while it screams. We know better. Dawkins is not an animal, and his very conscience tells him so. Most people are not as stupid as atheists like Richard Dawkins!

Illustration: Animals never thank God for their food. A young boy was invited over to eat at a friend’s home. When the meal was served, they all dug right in … all except the little guest. The head of the house asked, “Son, why aren’t you eating?” The little boy said, “At our home we never eat until we thank God for the food.” The father said, “We don’t believe in God, so we just eat.” The little boy replied, “I guess that’s all right. When I feed my dog, he never thanks me before he eats.” Those who move away from God become like the animals. We read:

Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Common Grace: If most of us would just stop and think for a moment, most of our lives have been GOOD. God has been good to us all. The theologians call the goodness of God to His creation “Common Grace”. God graciously provides good to all of His creation, saved or unsaved. Jesus spoke of this when He said:

Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV) But I say to you, 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.

God blesses the good and the evil every day. He gives us the beauty of life, the wonderful blessings that we receive day by day. The lost usually do not thank the Lord for the food they have received, or the body that processes that food. The lost enjoy the wonders of sight and sound. The lost have so many blessings in life, and yet ignore the God Who makes these things possible.

God is so good!

When the lost get in a terrible traffic accident, and miraculously walk away, they say “wasn’t that LUCKY?”, as if fate had anything to do with it. The Bible says “The dice are cast into your lap, but it’s every decision is FROM THE LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). The All Mighty God controls everything – even the outcome of the cast dice. Every blessing is from God. The stepbrother of Jesus wrote:

James 1:17 (ESV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

It is God Who gives us life. We grow from fetus to baby in the womb, but it is God Who gives that spark of life. When John the Baptist began to lose converts – people who used to follow him who now chose to follow Jesus – John said:

John 3:27 (ESV) … A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.

It was God Who gave John life. It was God Who called John into ministry. It was God Who sent the converts to follow John as he baptized in the wilderness of the Jordan. It was God Who fed John locusts and wild honey while he ministered. It is God Who has given us everything that we have, and He has put more good on our plates than He has put bad.

As the lost person curses God’s name, dragging His goodness in the dirt, God in His goodness allows that person to blaspheme and mock His holy Person one more day. Why would God do this? Because He is LOVE.

The Scripture says “{God is} … patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

God in His goodness allows the Atheist Richard Dawkins one more day to mock, and ridicule, and make money off of his foolishness and dark books. Why? To give him an opportunity to repent and come to salvation.

God allowed Atheist Christopher Hitchens to make statements like “I am not an atheist, but an Anti-theist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation … someone who is RELIEVED that there’s no evidence {that there is a God}”. God allowed this godless soul to live until, at 62 years old, he died of cancer induced complications leading to pneumonia. He is now in a burning hell for rejecting the the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus told us:

John 3:16-18 (ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only 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.

Ignoring the goodness of God and the Grace He offers through Jesus Christ, Hitchens stepped off into eternity mocking the One Who made him. He and others ignore the goodness of God. The hardened lost would have no authority over them, none whatsoever, lest it interfere with the idol that they have erected. But the goodness of God toward the lost eventually wears out.

The Horror Of The Hardened Heart

Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God…

Those who reject the clear evidence of God in the world around us, in our bodies, and who harden their hearts to His goodness – rather than put Christ in their eternal treasury they put the wrath of God into their eternal bank account.

Word Study: Whose fault is it that the lost will eventually incur the wrath of God? It is their fault. They will not repent. They hear the Gospel, and reject it time and time again. Our text speaks of their “hardness and impenitent heart”. The word translated “HARDNESS” is the Greek sklērotēs (pronounced sklay-rot’-ace), which means “calloused, stubborn, hardened”. When a person hears of Christ and senses the Holy Spirit of God encouraging them to repent, but hardens their heart because they do not want to turn their life over to God. They are “IMPENITENT”, they refuse to repent or turn to God.

Right after Jesus fed upwards of 4000 with seven loaves of bread and a few fish (He had previously done this same thing with 5000 Jews) (Mark 8:1-9), Jesus had His disciples go with Him to the district of Dalmanutha. The disciples got on the boat, but forgot to bring the seven baskets of leftover bread with them. Jesus told them,

“Beware of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, and the LEAVEN of Herod” (Mark 8:15)

Rather than listen to Jesus, hearing the word “LEAVEN” – which is yeast used in bread production – they began to argue about the bread they left behind. I can hear them now. “Who forgot the bread? You idiot, how are we going to eat? It wasn’t my job to bring the bread, Peter. You’re the leader of this ragged band.”

Jesus looked at the disciples and said:

Mark 8:17-21 (ESV) … “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Jesus was warning them to not become like the Pharisees, the religious crowd, or like Herod, the political crowd. These two groups were godless. They did what they did to be seen of men, but rejected the Christ Who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). The Pharisees worshiped the Law of God, but rejected the Author of the Law, Jesus Christ the Son of God. The Herodians worshiped the Law of Politics, but rejected the Creator of nations and governments, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The disciples were hardening their hearts just as the godless Pharisees and Herodians were hardening their hearts. Oh, what a horrible thing the hardened heart is!

The hardened heart – like skin being rubbed by an abrasive – becomes deaf and dumb to the things of God. Those so afflicted forget that Jesus is the Bread of Life, that Jesus is both Savior and Lord. Those with a hardened heart forget that there is coming a Judgment Day. We read:

Romans 2:5-6 the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

A Judgment Day is coming for every person who has ever walked the face of this earth. We are told that God will “render to every man according to his deeds”. It is certain that no person is saved by their good works. The Bible is clear that “there is NONE GOOD BUT ONE, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17). The Apostle will tell us in the next chapter,

Romans 3:12 (KJV) … there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, not one..

This is why God the Father sent His Son Jesus to this earth. Jesus took upon Himself humanity, being made “lower than the angels for the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). As humans are made in the image of God, and as humans are universally born in a spiritually dead state, Jesus came to take our penalty upon Himself. The wondrous Gospel calls out to whosoever will, saying:

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV) … We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When you receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit causes you to be “born again” (John 3:1, 3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3, 23). You are changed – and God does the changing. He calls you to walk with Him, “in Christ” (Romans 8:1-2), a child of the King. One day your WORKS will be judged, the WORKS you started doing as a supernatural result of coming to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life

Those who are God’s children ACT like God’s children. They glorify Jesus and honor the Father with their lives. God’s children know that their works will be judged (which is another sermon), not for salvation, but for reward or loss (see Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Romans 2:8-9 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

But to those who reject the truth which is Christ (John 14:6) and will not obey Him (for Beloved, He is BOTH Savior and Lord), these people are not born again. They will one day receive the reward for their evil works: the “INDIGNATION AND WRATH” of God. That will be horrible. Horrible. But it is a reality that will come.

Romans 2:10-11 But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Are you “born again”. Have you called upon Jesus Christ, giving your life over to Him? Or do you reject Him so that you can continue in your idolatrous lifestyle? Judgment day is coming, and we all shall be judged. Do not enter eternity – or even live one more day on this earth – without receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.

May God draw you to Him Who is the Bread of Life. Amen and Amen.

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Love Instruction Love God

Posted on September 27, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Oliver Morgan Media: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-walking-on-a-grassy-hill-near-the-ocean-27576233/

Proverbs 12:1-5 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. 2 A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 3 A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 4 A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

Opening: I very rarely read Facebook – I just generally use it as a tool to spread the Gospel. But I recently read – and enjoyed – a post made by Jason Lowrance that I thought was very good. I’ll read it to you:

“The devil appeared to three Pastors and said to them: “If I gave you the power to change something in the past, what would you change?” The first of them, with great apostolic fervor, replied: “I would like to prevent you from leading Adam and Eve to sin, so that humanity does not separate from God.” The second, a man full of mercy, said to him: “I will prevent you from straying from God and condemning you forever.” The third of them was the simplest and instead of answering the tempter, he knelt down, bowed his head and prayed: “Lord, deliver me from the temptation of what might have been and what was not.” The demon, screaming and trembling with pain, fled. The other two were surprised and said to him: “Brother, why did you react like this?” And he answered them: “First, we should never talk to the enemy.” “Secondly, no one in the world has the power to change the past.” “Third: Satan’s interest was not to prove our virtue, but to trap us in the past, so that we neglect the present, the only time God gives us His grace and we can cooperate with Him to fulfill His will.” Of all the demons, the one that most holds men back and prevents them from being happy is “what could have been and was not.” The past is left to the mercy of God and the future to His providence. Only the present is in our hands. Live today loving God with all your heart.”

I like the response of that third Pastor. Our Lord Jesus spoke directly to the Devil when tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but never used His own ideas or opinion. Jesus instead told the devil “It is written”. The Bible tells us about a battle between the devil and Michael the Archangel over the body of Moses. We don’t fully understand what that battle was about – perhaps the devil wanted to possess Moses’ body for some nefarious reason. We don’t know. But we do know what the Scripture says:

Jude 8-9 (KJV) Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

When battling evil neither Jesus nor Michael the Archangel used their own power, opinion, or desires – even though Jesus is God become flesh (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16). The All Mighty in human form relied on the Word and power of God. The Archangel, more powerful than we can imagine, relied on the Word and power of God.

The power for abundant living is found in knowledge of God’s Word. To reject God’s Word is to become “brutish”.

The devil often comes to us and through our sincere emotions seeks to manipulate us into doing that which is contrary to God’s Will and God’s Word. Sincerity is no proof of truth. The truth is in God’s Word. Jesus said

John 17:17 (KJV) {Father,} Thy Word is TRUTH” (John 17:17).

The Psalmist wrote,

Psalm 119:160 (KJV) The sum of Your Word {O God} is TRUTH, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.

Our souls are only purified when we obey the truth of God’s Word. The Apostle wrote:

1 Peter 1:22-23 (ESV) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again. …

And the stepbrother of Christ wrote:

James 1:21 (ESV) put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

The Wise Person Knows That The Instruction Of God’s Word Can Only Improve His Life

Proverbs 12:1 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Word Study: We should – if we are born again – “LOVE INSTRUCTION”. The word rendered “INSTRUCTION” is the Hebrew mûsār (pro. Moo-sawr’), which means “chastening, discipline, correction”. The Bible says:

Job 5:17 (KJV) Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the CHASTENING {mûsār} of the Almighty …

God teaches us His Word through the Holy Spirit, and then calls on us to adhere to His Word through the trials of life. We have a tendency to hate pain and suffering. But God uses pain and suffering to strengthen us, to make us more like Jesus. Humans must learn obedience to God by heeding His Word and living by it. Jesus talked about the “wise man who built his house on the Rock” (Matthew 7:24), and the “foolish man who built his house on the sand” (Matthew 7:26). God allowed the “rains, the floods, and the wind” to hit both the wise man and the foolish man. When these trials came to the wise man, his house did not fall, but was proven strong because it was built “on the Rock that is Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). But for the foolish man who built on sand, his house fell under the same pressures and trials. His faith was in vain.

It never occurred to me until I worked on this study that both sand and rock are ROCKS. Sand is weaker rock that has broken down by trials. Sand is the destroyed foundations of humanity, the DEI, the willfulness of man, humanism, atheism, evolution, pagan religions, idolatry, et al. Some people build on the shattered rock of humanity and when trials come are dismayed that their lives fall apart. They shouldn’t be – but are blind!

Proverbs 12:1 (KJV)Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Word Study: Two key words we need to look at in the last part of this verse is “REPROOF” and “BRUTISH”. The word rendered “REPROOF” is the Hebrew tôḵēḥâ (pro. To-kay-khaw’) which means “rebuke, correction, reproof, punishment, chastisement”. The word “BRUTISH” is the Hebrew baʿar (pro. bah’-ar) which means “foolish or stupid”. The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon notes:

Those who live by God’s Word and go through the trials of life relying on God’s Word are children of God becoming more like the Son of God. Those who reject God’s Word and build their lives on the word of man (sand) become like animals, stupid animals. Such people never find the abundant life that God wants to give to them through Christ.

It’s Not Karma. It’s God. There Are Benefits To Obedience

Proverbs 12:2 (KJV) A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

When the Bible speaks of the “good man”, it is not talking of a morally right person. There are many people who walk through this life and are regarded as “good men or women” by society, by culture.

“Good” in the scripture is not what humans are born to, but is what we are born again to.

The Bible tells us that “there are none good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:10, 12), and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Apart from God our “righteous acts are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:5). The “good man” is the person who has found the Lord Jesus. God says:

Proverbs 8:35 (ESV) For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord …

Acts 11:24 (ESV) … {Barnabas} was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

It is God Who makes is “good” by His Grace. It is God Who gives us the power to do good. God blesses those who follow Him and do as He says. We who are obedient gain the “favor of the Lord”.

Proverbs 12:2 (KJV) … but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

But to those who ignore the correction of God, who ignore His call to salvation, He will condemn them. They may seem to prosper on the earth, but they will eventually come before God for eternal condemnation.

Proverbs 12:3 (KJV) A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

There is no foundation to wickedness, to evil, to disobedience to the command of God. I am often asked if an eight year old child can be saved. My response is:

“If an eight year old can become an effective King by obeying God’s Word, then an eight year old can be saved by hearing and obeying the Gospel”.

I refer to the youngest King Israel ever had, King Josiah. He is found in:

2 Chronicles 34:1-7 (NKJV) Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images. 4 They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars which were above them he cut down; and the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali and all around, with axes. 7 When he had broken down the altars and the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Josiah sought God when he was young – probably long before he was eight years old. Seeking God, Josiah used his throne to purge the idolatry out of the land of Judah. He took an active part in the destruction of the pagan altars. When he was eighteen years old Josiah ordered the “repair {of} the house of the Lord his God” (verse 8), the Temple which had fallen into disrepair. Once the Temple was repaired, the Bible says:

2 Chronicles 34:14 (NKJV) Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses …

Judah had gotten away from God’s Word. It was ignored, like the Bible on the shelf, or the King James on the coffee table. The previous King Manasseh, who took throne at 12 years old, was evil and idolatrous, without Christ (2 Chronicles 33:1-2). Because of his evil God caused the Army of Assyria to capture Jerusalem, and bind Manasseh with hooks and fetters, and carry him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11). Intensely suffering, Manasseh repented, and God allowed him to once more ascend the Throne of David. The seed of disobedience and evil that Manasseh did was planted in his son King Amon, who assumed the throne at 22 years old (2 Chronicles 33:21). King Amon was assassinated after just two years – which brought Josiah to the throne.

Josiah had seen the evil of his grandfather and his father, so that even as a young boy he wanted none of it.

When the Law of Moses was found, Josiah mourned, ordering his staff:

2 Chronicles 34:21 (NKJV) Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.

Because Josiah sought God’s Will and Word, the Lord promised him that he would have peace in his reign (2 Chronicles 34:27-28). Interestingly this was prophesied by a woman prophetess named Huldah (vs 22). When the men will not do God’s Will, the Lord will raise up women to do so. Hearing the prophecy of Huldah, Josiah continued pushing idolatry out of the land, and leading Judah to follow the Lord. The Bible says:

2 Chronicles 34:33 (NKJV) … Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.

Josiah understood Proverbs 12:3 A man {nor a King, nor a nation} shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. The place for abundant life is in the will and Word of God.

Not Just Men, But Women Are Called To Virtue

Proverbs 12:4 (KJV) A VIRTUOUS woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

Word Study: The word rendered “VIRTUOUS” is the Hebrew ḥayil (pro. khah’-yil), which is a very interesting word. It means “excellent, valiant, focused”. It refers to a woman who is “strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10). The woman who is focused on the Will and the Word of God is a “crown to her husband”. She lifts him up toward God. She helps her husband as he serves the Lord. A crown brings glory to the wearer. The virtuous woman brings glory to her husband. She is like Huldah the Prophetess, who is described as:

2 Chronicles 34:22 (NKJV) … Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.)

When Josiah told his staff “Go, inquire of the Lord for me”, without hesitation these men sought out Huldah. They did not seek her out because she had a title, but because they knew her as a virtuous woman. Though God has established the office of the Pastor to be filled by men (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6, “the husband of ONE WIFE”), God still uses women of virtue – especially when men will not step up to the plate. The Bible says that during the time of the Judges:

Judges 4:4-5 (KJV) Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Deborah was known as a “virtuous woman”, a woman who loved the Lord. Her home was well known, “and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment”. Is it any wonder that God used her to spur Barak to lead the army of Israel against Canaanite hoards?

God raised up a virtuous woman named Ruth (Ruth 3:11), a Moabite who converted and gave her life to Christ. God chose Ruth to be in the lineage of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5)when she married Boaz. Their son would be the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.

Sarah the wife of Abraham was a virtuous woman, and is used as a model for Christian women today. The Apostle wrote:

1 Peter 3:1-6 (ESV) Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

The antithesis of the virtuous woman is Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab. It was Jezebel that introduced pagan worship of Baal into Israel, and who supported the evil reign of her husband. The Prophet Job was married to a shrew who, when he was in his greatest suffering, counseled her husband:

Job 2:9 (NKJV) …. Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!

Such a woman is not a crown to her husband, but a knife in his back. I know of a woman like this who, professing to be saved by grace, does all she can to insure that her lost husband stays lost. I’ll end with this:

Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

The righteous woman, the virtuous woman, will think Biblically. Her thoughts will be right, and she will counsel her husband and those around her to that which is right and righteous. The wicked, however, are prone to deceit. They use twisted logic. They play the “blame game”, and deflect Biblical teaching so that they might wallow in their sinful ways. Such a woman is not a crown to her husband, but a hindrance.

Let us all pursue the Will of God by studying the Word of God. For His glory. Amen and Amen.

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Who Said That? Jesus or Satan?

Posted on September 17, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Mido Makasardi ©️: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-holding-microphone-while-talking-to-another-man-2872418/

I was watching a video the other day where they were conducting “Man (or Woman) on the Street” interviews. The reporter was asking each person, “Who said this?” and then they named two political candidates.. What interested me is that most everyone guessed wrong on “Who said this?”. That got me to thinking about doing the same thing, but in a sermon. No, not politics – we’ve got enough of that on television. But on things we hear every day. I’m going to ask quite simply, “Who said this – Jesus or Satan?”

1. Who said “Follow your heart” – Jesus or Satan?

If you thought “Jesus”, you’d be wrong. Jesus never told us to “follow your hearts”. When Jesus came from glory to this earth, He came bearing the Word of God, that which God had said from eternity past. God told us through the Prophet:

Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT) The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

The wisest man who ever lived was King Solomon. He wrote in:

Ecclesiastes 9:3 (NKJV) … Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live…

Did Jesus say “follow your heart?” No! Jesus saw the heart of mankind as the source of all evil. Jesus said:

Matthew 15:19 (NKJV) … out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

And in Mark 7:21-23 (ESV) For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

The heart of mankind (and womankind) has been warped from the time of Adam’s sin and fall from Paradise. God gave Adam a very clear order and a clear warning. He said, “You may eat of every tree in the Garden, BUT the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Genesis 2:16). Satan appealed to the heart of man when he called on Adam and Eve to “Follow your heart”. Satan said, “You will not die when you disobey God. You will become like gods, knowing right and wrong, establishing your own truths”. Jesus never told us to follow our hearts.

Jesus said “Follow Me”.

To the men who loved to fish with all their hearts, Jesus said “FOLLOW ME, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).

To the ones who had lost loved ones, who said “Let me first go and bury my father”, Jesus said “FOLLOW ME, and let the dead bury the dead”. (Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:59).

To the rich man who loved his money with all his heart Jesus said, “If you would be right with God, go, sell all you have. Give your money to the poor, and come FOLLOW ME.” (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22).

In fact, to be saved you must specifically NOT follow your heart. Jesus said:

“If anyone would come after Me, let him DENY himself, and take up his CROSS, and FOLLOW ME.” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).

Judas Iscariot followed his heart when he sold Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver. After Judas saw Jesus in chains, beaten and bruised, he realized the evil he had done. Judas followed his heart. He took the thirty pieces of silver back the chief priests and elders and tried to give it back. Following his heart, Judas told them “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). The elders said, “That’s your responsibility, not ours”. Throwing down the money, Judas continued to follow his heart. Judas went away, and hung himself. (Matthew 27:5). Had he repented and followed God, he would have lived. But following his heart Judas found no recourse. He died a terrible death, “his body burst open, his intestines spilled out” (Acts 1:18).

Pilate the Governor of Judea found no fault with Jesus. Washing his hands (Matthew 27:24), he followed his heart, and had an innocent Man crucified to please a crowd that was following its murderous heart.

The devil loves when we follow our hearts. The Bible tells us to follow Jesus, and to “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:23). Fill your hearts with the Word of God and follow the Lord. That is where joy is.

2. Who said “Be TRUE to yourself” – Jesus or Satan?

I came across this quote the other day, and like it:

“Society preaches three seemingly innocent phrases: “Be true to yourself;” “You be you;” and “You do you.” They all communicate the same philosophy: everyone should unapologetically do what he or she wants, because that’s the path to freedom.”

I’ve already quoted this – but I’ll do it again. The Christian way of life – the Way of Christ – is not in pleasing self but in denying self. In order for God’s work to be done on this earth there must be a denial of self. At one point in His ministry the Bible says that:

Matthew 16:21 (ESV) … Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised …

The Bible tells us that (vs 22-23, AP) “Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him, saying, ‘No Lord, You’re not going to do this. This shall never happened to you’. Jesus told Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan – that is devilish thinking. You are hindering Me. You are setting your mind – your HEART – on the things of Man, not God”. At that point Jesus went on to say:

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV) … If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

God does not call us to “Be True To Yourself”, but to “Deny Yourself” and follow Jesus in carrying the Cross. As my commentary notes:

“Remember, when Jesus invited/commanded his disciples to follow Him:

they left their boats and nets (their identity & livelihood)

began to obey His other commands (leaving their own priorities)

began to learn from Him (beginning to leave their own opinions)

began to imitate Him (beginning to leave their self-righteousness)”

Christians are “New Creatures in Christ”. Accordingly the Scripture tells us not to be true to OURSELVES, but to be true to JESUS. The Bible says:

Romans 13:12-14 … Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

We are to deny ourselves, and be true to Jesus. Period. Any other way is of Satan.

3. Who said “Believe In Yourself” – Jesus or Satan?

The false prophet Norman Vincent Peale (writer of “The Power of Positive Thinking”) wrote:

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy”.

Jesus never told us to believe in ourselves – this is the devil’s whisper. The pagan religions teach “Believe in yourself”. Hindu Swami Vivekananda said, “You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself”. But what didJesus say?

John 14:1 (ESV) Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

As we believe in GOD, we are to believe in JESUS. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Great I AM, God manifest in the flesh. Jesus is the One Whom God has sent to show us the way of light. When Israel believed in themselves, they lost the Promised Land. God told Israel that every 7th year was to be a Sabbatical Year where Israel believed not in themselves, but in God. God gave Israel numerous Sabbaths where they were to cease their own works, and believe in God. Yet Israel believed in themselves – and lost the Promised Land and their freedoms. We are never to believe in ourselves – but in God and in Christ. Jesus said:

John 12:44-50 (ESV) …. Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.

We are not to believe in ourselves apart from the power of Jesus. The Scripture does not say “I can do all things”, but “I can do all things through CHRIST WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME” (Philippians 4:13, KJV). The Christian is saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Christian is sanctified – made more godly – by faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said:

John 11:25-26 (KJV) … I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Well, do you?

4. Who said “Live Your Truth” – Jesus or Satan?

The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (Essays) wrote:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

The concept of “Live YOUR truth” implies that each person has a truth deep within their soul that they must discover and live out. The thought is that your truth may not be the same as my truth – just live YOUR truth. This is not a new idea, but has been around since ancient times. When Jesus stood in front of the Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, he asked Jesus “Are You a King?” Jesus replied:

John 18:37 (AP) I was born and came into the world to bear witness to THE TRUTH. Everyone who knows THE TRUTH hears My voice …

Pilate replied, “What is TRUTH?”. Like most of the world, people want to define truth their way. But Jesus said “I bear witness to THE TRUTH”. In another place, Jesus said:

John 14:6 I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.

Jesus is THE TRUTH. Jesus bears witness to THE TRUTH. Jesus prayed for the Church before He went to the Cross for us all:

John 17:17 (KJV) {Father}, Sanctify them {the Church} through THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH.

We do not each have a “truth” within us. There is but One Truth, and that Truth is found in the Word of God, in following Jesus the Faithful Witness of the Truth (Revelation 1:5). Jesus is “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14), God’s Word embodied in perfect Man. If Jesus said it, you can guarantee it is true. We are to not live our truth, but are to live like Jesus, to imitate Him, to let Him as “The Truth” dominate our lives. The Apostle wrote:

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Our worth comes from God. It is He that made us, and He Who determines what is and is not truth. Rather than “Live Your Truth”, the way of God is to “Live God’s Truth” and “be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29).

5. Who said “As Long As You’re Happy,
That’s All That Matters” – Jesus or Satan?

Happiness is a temporary emotion. The word “happiness” comes from the Old Norse word “hap”, which means “chance, luck, fortune, fate”. The Norse or Vikings practiced polytheism, the belief in many gods and goddesses. The concept of “happiness” was embedded in American culture by our Declaration of Independence which states:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

Thomas Jefferson – a Deist and NOT a Christian – borrowed the phrase “pursuit of happiness” from the English Philosopher John Locke, and incorporated it into the Declaration of Independence.

As a Deist, Jefferson valued reason over revelation, and rejected traditional Christian doctrines. Jefferson did not believe in the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection of Christ, or the Biblical Doctrine of original sin. The Philosopher Locke wrote:

“The necessity of pursuing happiness [is] the foundation of liberty. As therefore the highest perfection of intellectual nature lies in a careful and constant pursuit of true and solid happiness; so the care of ourselves, that we mistake not imaginary for real happiness, is the necessary foundation of our liberty. ” (An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, pg 348).

The concept “As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters” has permeated our culture from its inception. But is it Biblical, something that Jesus endorsed? In His Sermon on the Mount in a section commonly called The Beatitudes, Jesus showed us that Godly Happiness comes not from “the care of ourselves, our self satisfaction”, but in laying ourselves down in service to others. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:3-11 (NKJV) BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [4] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. [5] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. [6] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. [7] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. [8] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the pure in heart, For they shall see God. [9] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. [10] BLESSED {makarios, happy} [are] those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] BLESSED {makarios, happy} are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Jesus saw happiness not coming from self care and selfishness, but from laying your life down for a greater good. Happiness is only found in pursuit of God, in the enjoyment of Jesus Christ, in following Him. After washing the disciples feet – the act of a slave – our Lord Jesus said:

John 13:13-17 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. [14] If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. [15] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. [16] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. [17] If ye know these things, happy {makarios} are ye if ye do them.

There is no happiness in self care, in pandering to our every want and desire. Jesus saves us freely when we come to Him by faith, when we repent of serving ourselves as gods and come to Him as the Son of God and God the Son. Once saved by faith, we serve Him as Lord, doing good to others. This is why Jesus told us to “love your enemies. BLESS them that curse you, DO GOOD to them that hate you, and PRAY for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).

The Happy Christian is not the selfish Christian,
but the serving Christian.

Keep His commands and you will have His joy. If you are saved, follow Jesus. Jesus said:

John 15:9-11 (KJV) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. [11] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are called not to be selfish, but to serve and love others. You are to show love to others, whether they show it to you or not. Period. You do not do this to work your way to Heaven, but because, saved by faith in Christ, you are a son or daughter of God. You are children born of love. If you are not saved, I invite you to come and receive Jesus as lord and Savior this very day. As the Scripture says:

Romans 10:9-13 KJV That if thou shalt confess 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.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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The Dangerous Confusion Of Idolatry

Posted on September 9, 2024 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Ahmed ツ: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-a-beige-coat-and-headphones-walking-in-a-street-with-a-coffee-and-phone-20447502/

Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Opening: What is the most deadly poison in the world? If you ask scientists, they will tell you that it is not snake venom, nor black mold, nor even radiation poisoning. The most deadly poison they say is not cyanide, arsenic, or strychnine. It is Botulinum toxin. A tiny particle – 1 nanogram, a billionth of a gram … and a gram is 1/30 of an ounce – will kill you.

There is something even more deadly than Botulinum toxin, and what makes it so deadly is that it can creep up on you. No, I’m not talking about Covid or the Flu.

The deadliest thing ever was introduced to our species not by a monkey or a sheep, but by a snake in a garden. This deadly thing is idolatry.

What makes idolatry so deadly is that it’s sneaky. Idolatry turns the truth of God into a lie. Idolatry tells us to not worship the God Who made us, the God of the Bible, but to worship created things. In the Gym that I visit each week there is a mirror that stretches along one of the walls – a HUGE MIRROR. I was walking on the treadmill the other day , and watching people working out with weights while looking in the mirror. There is one woman who is there quite frequently. She’ll work out for a while, then stop, turn and stare at herself in the mirror. I wondered what she was looking at. As I wondered the Lord spoke to my heart, saying: “She’s worshiping her idol”.

Our text defines idolatry.

WORSHIPED and SERVED the CREATURE MORE than the CREATOR

It is God Who made us. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 100:3 (AP) Know that the LORD HE IS GOD: It is HE WHO MADE US, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the Sheep of HIS PASTURE

It is God Who created us, created this world, and all that is in it. The Scripture says:

Psalm 24:1 (NKJV) The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.

As Creator, God deserves our respect and our worship. He is the Owner of all things, including us. As such, God expects us to serve Him. And yet, so often we expect God to serve us. We ignore God until we have a need in our lives, then we call out to God and demand that He fix what ails us. We want Him to wait on us, instead of what the Scripture says. God wants to bless us. The Scripture says:

Psalm 27:14 (ESV) WAIT {qāvâ, kaw-vaw’ look for with expectation} for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; WAIT {qāvâ} for the Lord!

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) but they who WAIT {qāvâ, kaw-vaw’ look for with expectation} for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

As God’s creatures, His creation, we have the right to LOOK FOR the Lord when we are tried. But we must always remember.

He is THE LORD!
He’s not our Servant.
He’s not our Genie.

He is the CREATOR and SOVEREIGN over all.

This means that we are to put God first in our lives. When we

WORSHIPED and SERVED the CREATURE MORE than the CREATOR

then we have fallen into idolatry. When we put ourselves first in all things, we are guilty of idolatry.

Idolatry Worships The Human Above The Holy

Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

In idolatry we ask ourselves, “What pleases ME most” as opposed to “What has God said?”

Idolatry began in the Garden of Eden, and was introduced into this world by Satan who took the form of a Serpent. Satan is called “the Great Dragon, the Devil, and that Old Serpent” in Revelation 12:9 and 20:2. He has the power to possess those who are open to his ways. In Ezekiel chapter 28 God condemns the King of Tyre:

Ezekiel 28:1 (ESV) … Thus says the Lord God: “Because your heart is proud, and you have said, ‘I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,’ yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god ….

The King of Tyre made an idol of himself, making himself out to be “a god in the seat of the gods”. The King was following a pattern that the Devil, that old Serpent followed in the Garden of Eden. As God chastises the King of Tyre, He says:

Ezekiel 28:12-17 (ESV) … “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering… You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

The God Who made the King of Tyre, and Lucifer the Arch Angel, made these creatures with wisdom and beauty. Lucifer the Angel was “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty … in Eden, the garden of God”. Lucifer was given a great job. As an Arch Angel, he was “on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire”. Lucifer ruled the other angels as an Arch Angel, just as the King of Tyre rule a great kingdom that God gave him. Both Lucifer and the King of Tyre began to look at themselves, and forget their purpose. In forgetting their purpose, they stared at their beauty. “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor”. They forgot who made them.

And God cast them down!

The King of Tyre lost his kingdom because of idolatry. Lucifer lost his position as Arch Angel over the other angels. And so it is with all who move into idolatry, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. When you misplace your God and make yourself a god, then your life falls apart.

Romans 1:26 For this cause GOD GAVE THEM UP unto VILE AFFECTIONS: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Word Study: The phrase “GAVE THEM UP” is the Greek paradidōmi (pro. par-ad-id’-o-mee), which means “to give into the hands of another, to transfer custody to another to be judged, scourged, or condemned”. The word is used in Matthew 4:12 when it states “John the Baptist was CAST INTO PRISON {paradidōmi}”. The woman who looks at herself in the mirror and begins to worship herself, to set her pleasure above the will of the God Who made her. Fixated on herself, God paradidōmi, turns her over to what she is pursuing. These are not godly desires but “VILE AFFECTIONS” {atimia pathos}, “disgraceful or dishonorable suffering passions”. Though this is what the woman pursued, wanting it, it brings with it its own suffering and pain. It is not what the woman was designed for, but something lesser, without actual created purpose.

It is AGAINST NATURE, against created order.

Romans 1:27 And LIKEWISE also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, BURNED in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

Word Study: The man that begins to worship himself rather than the Creator Who give him life is “LIKEWISE” turned over to another. They “BURNED” in their lust. This is the Greek ekkaiō (pro. ek-kah’-yo) which means “to set on fire, to burn out”. The picture here is of the man or men who, dousing themselves with gasoline, strike a match and immolate themselves. The “BURNING” they initially chase in passion eventually takes its toll on the creature. Satan through idolatry has convinced them that such behavior is not only normal, but beneficial … but in reality it is destructive and damning.

Sexual Sin Is Not The Only Idolatry

Though God is calling out the LGBTQ+ lifestyle in these passages, He is condemning ALL FORMS of idolatry. It is easy to look at these passages and say with a sense of superiority, “Well, I’m not homosexual or lesbian, so it has nothing to do with me”. But it does. In the next verse we read:

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Let’s look at that first phrase: “they did not like to retain God in their knowledge”. The idolater does things without any consideration of God. They do not want to “RETAIN” {Greek echō, to have and hold} God in their “KNOWLEDGE” {epignōsis, the knowledge you have in daily life}. They lived their lives divorced from God. Pastor Chuck Smith wrote in “The Gospel According to Grace”:

“Man becomes perverted because he doesn’t want to retain God in his mind. He refuses to glorify God as God, and he seeks to make a god after himself. God gives him up to these vile affections because he has rejected the truth of God within his own heart.”

The idolater always asks the question “What do I want?”, but never asks “What does God want me to do?”

In the marriage, the idolater puts himself or herself FIRST, ignoring the needs of the partner. The idolater doesn’t see the partner as a gift from God, or made in the image of God. That person is just there to fulfill THEIR needs.

In the family, the idolater does not discipline the children, setting standards that they must keep. Children are either ignored, or spoiled. They are raised without any direction from the Word of God.

In the community, the idolater has no concern for what God would have them do for others. The idolater is always looking out for number 1, for what he or she can get.

In the Church, the idolater is constantly moving from congregation to congregation, looking to where he or she feels best served. The question is never asked “Where is God leading me to attend and serve?”, but rather “Which Church will best cater to my wants and desires?” The idolater is often easily offended by clear scriptural teaching – and wants as little of it as possible.

In The Kingdom of God the idolater does not heed the call of Christ, Who commanded those He has saved:

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV) Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Idolatry is self satisfaction, but Christianity is first of all SELF DENIAL. We are not gods. He alone is God. What we do, we do to serve Him, not ourselves. Christianity is to TAKE UP YOUR CROSS. Idolatry is comfortable, myself laying in a recliner all the live long day. Christianity is uncomfortable. It is standing with Christ in the Light of God.

Isaiah 2:5 … come and let us walk In the light of the LORD

1 John 1:7 … if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus was hated for walking in the Light of God. We will be hated for walking in the Light of God. We are to “FOLLOW CHRIST”. We FOLLOW Him, not LEAD Him. We go where Jesus bids us go, and avoid the things He tells us to do. We want to retain God in our knowledge if we are saved. God warns those who reject Him for their own idols:

Isaiah 50:11 … all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.

If you reject God, and cling to yourselves, becoming idolaters, God tells us that He will turn us over to another.

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Word Study: Rejecting God and His call to salvation, refusing to heed Him but instead becoming their own gods and goddesses, God turns them over to a “REPROBATE MIND”. The word translated “REPROBATE” is the Greek adokimos which means “something rejected, cast away, discarded as unfit”. When you will not put God first in your minds, making His will and His Word a priority, God will turn away from you.

Fill your minds with God and Christ and you will do divine things. Empty your minds of God and Christ and you will do useless and harmful things.

Where Does The Troubles Of This World Come From?

Romans 1:29-31 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Someone once asked me, “If there is a loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?” Here you have your answer. The reason there is so much evil in the world is that people refuse to repent and turn to Jesus. They choose instead to build their own gods and goddesses. If God is not in your life, if your heart is not filled with Jesus, then you can BE FILLED WITH ALL else.

God in His Word warns us against idolatry. Our Lord Jesus said:

Luke 14:25-26 (ESV) Now great crowds accompanied {Jesus}, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not HATE his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Word Study: I have heard preachers try to explain away Jesus’ use of the word “HATE” in this passage. I have heard them say “Jesus really didn’t say HATE, but LOVE LESS. You need to love others LESS than Jesus. That’s all He was saying.” Beloved, God chooses His Words very carefully. The word rendered “HATE” is the Greek miseō (pro. mis-eh’-o), which literally means “To DETEST or HATE”. Jesus used the word repeatedly in texts like:

Matthew 5:44 … do good to them that HATE (miseō) you …

Matthew 10:22 … you shall be HATED (miseō) of all men for My sake

Luke 6:22 … Blessed are you when men shall HATE (miseō) you …

John 15:23 … He that HATES (miseō) Me HATES (miseō) My Father

You get the point. The word HATE (miseō) just means “to HATE or DETEST”. So what was Jesus saying when He said the saved need to HATE (miseō) their father, mother, wife, husband or children? The Fifth Commandment of God is to honor our father and mother (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 19:19; Ephesians 6:2). Jesus didn’t mean to dishonor any of our family, or even our own life. But what He was saying is

Don’t make an idol out of your family, of out of yourself. Love Jesus so much more than you love anyone else, even if your family thinks your service to Him is hateful to them.

Not far from this Church there is another gathering of professing Christians. The pastor of that flock believed the Bible, and upheld its teachings until his son came out of the closet and openly professed he was homosexual. At that point the Pastor did a 180 turn and began to preach that homosexuality was perfectly normal, that “Love is love” no matter how it is expressed.

But what does God’s Word say?

The Word of God is always right, and Christ is always right. Jesus defined marriage as one man and one woman. The pastor of that Church is an idolater, as is the pastor of every church that affirms what God condemns. The Scripture says:

Romans 3:4 … let God be true but every man a liar

The further a nation gets from God, the greater the anarchy and lawlessness reigns. People know that sin is wrong. But we believe if we create a law like Roe Vs Wade or Obergefell v. Hodges, and get the majority to say that it’s fine, then God will overlook it. We think that we can name a month of the year after evil, and build television stations dedicated to that which God condemns, then it will be all right. Beloved, when you sin, you sin against the Lord, and your sin shall find you out (Numbers 32:23).

King David thought he could get away with murder and adultery.

Nathan brought his sin to light.

Queen Jezebel thought she could spread idolatry throughout Israel.

Her payday came, and dogs ate her for lunch.

Samson though he could play with prostitutes because he was strong.

Delilah gave him a bad haircut, and the Philistines an eye exam.

Israel thought as God’s Chosen they could chase after idols.

They were chased out of their homes and land for their foolishness.

When King Solomon looked over His Kingdom, he wrote:

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 (ESV) …. I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

Dear ones, you cannot get away with sin. You cannot get away with idolatry. You may think you can, but there is coming a judgment day. On that day you will stand before God, and your life will be examined.

Do you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sin, your idolatry, and turned to Him Who gave Himself for you? Or are you putting off Jesus so you can continue in the darkness of idolatry and sin? Our last verse notes:

Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Those who pursue sin are “WORTHY OF DEATH”. A judgment day is coming. Which Judge will you stand before? If you reject Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, you will stand before a Great White Throne, and will go into a Lake of Fire for all eternity. But if you put down your idols, and turn to Him Who died for you, calling Him “Lord”, then you have eternal life. Our Lord Jesus said:

John 3:16-21 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

May God the Holy Spirit lead you to put down your idols, and turn to Him Who loves you so. Amen and Amen!

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