Salvation Changes Things

Posted on June 23, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Jude 1-3 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

When we read our Bibles, we tend to skip the little books. Many people have read and re-read the Book of Revelation, and a lot of Christians have never paid much attention to the little book just before Revelation, the Book of Jude. The Book of Jude is very important because it teaches us that

Genuine Salvation Changes a Life

Evangelist Paul Washer (a wonderful, Spirit filled fire and brimstone Preacher) preached a message to Pastors called “Ten Indictments Against The Modern Church In America”. In that sermon Paul encouraged Pastors to be clear on the utter necessity of the New Birth. Religion will not save a person. When Nicodemus, a highly religious man, came to Jesus, our Lord told him “you MUST be born again of the Spirit” (John 3:3-7). When told this for all his education Nicodemus was puzzled. The unsaved are NOT born again, and cannot perceive nor understand the truths of the Kingdom of God. Paul Washer truthfully said:

“Men today are trusting in the fact that at least one time in their life they prayed a prayer, and someone told them they were saved because they were sincere enough. And so, if you ask them, “Are you saved?” they do not say, “Yes, I am, because I am looking unto Jesus, and there is mighty evidence giving me assurance of being born again.” No! They say instead, “One time in my life I prayed a prayer.” Now they live like devils, but they prayed a prayer! I want you to know, my friends, salvation is by faith alone! It is a work of God. It is a grace upon grace upon grace. But the evidence of conversion is not just your examination of your sincerity at the moment of your conversion. It is the ongoing fruit in your life.”

If being a “good person” is all that’s needed to be saved, then Jude would have been that “good person”. Jude was one of the step brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was born of Mary while she was yet a virgin, born by the supernatural power of God the Holy Spirit. Once Mary had Jesus in Bethlehem she did not remain childless, for Joseph loved Mary, and had many more children by her. The Scripture says that the people of Nazareth knew the family of Jesus. They said:

Matthew 13:55-56 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, JAMES, and Joses, and Simon, and JUDAS {JUDE}? {56} And his sisters, are they not all with us?

Though Jude grew up beside Jesus, the Bible says:

John 7:5 For neither did His brethren believe in Him.

They lived side by side with Jesus. Jesus was the Elder Brother they saw each and every day, the Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus “came unto His own, but His own would not receive Him” (John 1:11).

Though James and Jude would later come to believe in Jesus, and receive Him as Lord and Savior – and write scripture about Him – when He was first revealed they did not believe Him. Why? They were not born again. You cannot “see” or perceive the Kingdom of God – nor its King – unless you are born again!

You MUST be born again. This is not something you can possibly do. Those who are lost are spiritually blind. Unless God intervenes and opens their eyes, they will never believe in Jesus Christ. When people are saved the Bible says:

Acts 2:47 …the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Jesus said “No one CAN COME TO ME, UNLESS THE FATHER which has sent Me DRAW HIM: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

We are given a choice once God opens our eyes. Our choice is either full surrender to Christ – or walk away.

To those who say “You certainly wouldn’t walk away if your eyes were opened”. Yes, you can. Adam was sinless and perfect, and chose to walk away from God and into sin. You must choose. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Once God opens your eyes and you call on the Name of Jesus willingly, repentantly, then God causes you to be born into the Family of God. At one time in His earthly ministry, James and Jude came to see Jesus. We read:

Luke 8:20-21 And it was told {Jesus} by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. {21} And {Jesus} answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

Jesus said “Those who receive Me as Messiah, who hear the Word of God AND DO IT … these are my family”. Raised up with Jesus, neither James nor Jude … though blood related to Jesus – believed on Him. As a result, they were not born again. But once Jude was born again, we read:

Jude 1 (KJV) Jude, the SERVANT {doulos} of Jesus CHRIST, and brother of James

Word Study: Both James and Jude were brothers to Jesus. But Jude does not say that he is Jesus’ brother. He says, “James is my brother”. When Jude was lost, though he grew up near Jesus, to him Jesus was his brother, and just as ordinary as James is. Jude did not see Jesus as the Messiah because he was not born again. But once born again, Jude sees things differently. He says “Jude, the SERVANT of Jesus CHRIST”. The word rendered as “SERVANT” is the Greek doulos, which means “a bond slave, a slave, one who gives up his will to serve a higher power or a greater Person”.

Those who are born into the Family of God recognize Jesus is LORD. We serve HIM.

Before he was born again, Jude thought Jesus equal to himself. But now Jesus is LORD. And what of the other brother, James? How does James regard himself? Is he just the brother of Christ. James came to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior later, and wrote in scripture:

James 1:1 James, a SERVANT {doulos} of God and of the LORD Jesus CHRIST

James equates Jesus not to himself, but to God. As he serves God, he serves Jesus as LORD. Both Jude and James are servants of “the LORD Jesus CHRIST”. That word “CHRIST” literally means “the Messiah”. When you are born again, your view of Who Jesus is radically changes.

For those who are lost, Jesus is a ticket to Heaven, a Heaven without God. I’ll never forget when the whoremonger Huge Hefner, founder of Playboy, and disseminator of godless pornography died, newspapers ran cartoons showing Hefner walking into Heaven between two Playboy “Bunnies”. The Bible is very clear that whoremongers and sexual deviants do NOT go to Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8). The lost want to go to Heaven, but have no love for the God of Heaven. If they could go to Heaven without God, they would be perfectly content. Beloved, let me ask you,

Do you love God?
Do you want to see God?
Do you love God’s Law?
Is Jesus Christ precious to you?
Do you desire to know more of Him?

The Church up the street has on its sign, “Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds.” But is that of God? Phil Robertson (Duck Dynasty) recently went to be with Jesus. He said (and I paraphrase), “People say I have a narrow mind, that I’m narrow minded. But doesn’t Jesus say ‘the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life’ (Matthew 7:14, ESV). If the gate is narrow, my focus, my mind must be narrow.”

Pastor Greg Morse wrote:

“if {Pastors} preach cheap salvation — skipping conditions, muting warnings, and reducing salvation to etiquette and learning the lingo — they blur vital distinctions. Suddenly, everyone’s “on a Christian journey,” no matter the evidence to the contrary. And the church embraces “easy believism,” the idea that one can be saved without true repentance, real love for God, or a changed life. … Saints, don’t be satisfied with a cheap salvation, a shallow gospel, a false assurance.”

New Birth Not Only Changes How You View Jesus,
But How God Views You. You Are SANCTIFIED.

Jude 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father

Word Study: Those who are born again are SANCTIFIED by God the Father. The word rendered “SANCTIFIED” is the Greek hagiazō, which means “to set apart as consecrated or dedicated, to be marked or made holy, acceptable to God”. The same word is used in the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be {hagiazō} thy name.

When you were born a son of man, God looked at you and saw a sinner. But when you received the Gospel of salvation, repenting and calling on Jesus, God’s view of you changed. You were born into the family of man. But NOW through the Holy Spirit you are born into the Kingdom of God. You used to walk in darkness. But God changed you. Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 6:11 (ESV) you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

And again,

Titus 3:3-7 (ESV) For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, SLAVES to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us RICHLY through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Father has declared us JUSTIFIED, righteous in His eyes because of our New Birth. We are not perfect, but we are being changed daily as we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

A Christian is not like the lost person – you have been SET APART by the Father because of the Blood of Christ. God does not love sin. God does not love the world. The Bible says:

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We are not to love the lost world. We are to shine in it. We are to do good in it. But we are NOT TO LOVE IT. Why? Because GOD DOES NOT LOVE THE WORLD. The Bible doesn’t say that. Do you know what the Bible says?

John 3:16 (KJV) 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 no phrase throughout all scripture that says “God LOVES the world”. No, Beloved. It is “God so LOVED {Greek Aorist Active Indicative of the verb agapaō} the world”. The Aorist Tense indicates that the action has happened, not that it is happening. How did God love the world? God sent His Only Begotten Son to the Cross of Calvary. People quote “God is love” and “God so loved the world” as if God loves the world as it is RIGHT NOW. Nothing is further from the truth. The Bible says:

Psalm 5:4-5 (NASB) For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You hate all who do iniquity.

Psalm 11:5 (ESV) The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

I’m sure you have all heard the phrase, “God loves the sinner, BUT hates the sin”. That statement is not Biblical, as I have shown you. God hates sin, and hates the sinner. But God LOVED (past time) all sinners by sending Christ to the Cross to pay for our sins. People read and misinterpret John 3:16, but it makes better sense if you read beyond John 3:16.

John 3:17-18 (KJV) For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The lost person who believes on and receives Jesus as Lord and Savior is moved from the “hated” category into the “loved” category. When you surrender to and fall in love with Jesus, the Father SANCTIFIES you, He separates you from the condemned and brings you into His family. Jesus tells us:

John 16:27-28 (KJV) For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. [28] I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

We were enemies of God when we were without Christ. But once we said “yes” to Jesus, and gave our lives to Him, the Father “sanctified” or set us apart from the world. He changes our status forever! The Scripture says:

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us {speaking of the cross of Christ}, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him {with Jesus} and seated us with Him {with the Father} in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, the born again person is a new creature. We are raised with Christ. We are seated with the Father. We are eternally loved!

Most Christians do not fully grasp how fully blessed we are. We are not of the darkness. We are not mediocre. We are loved with an infinite love. Puritan Pastor John Owen wrote in his book Communion with God:

“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him, is not to believe that He loves you.”

The Christian is a Child of God, loved eternally because we love Jesus, raised to sit in Heavenly places. Praise His holy Name. But Beloved, those who have rejected Christ are rejected themselves, condemned of God at this very moment. To die without Jesus is to incur the eternal condemnation and wrath of God.

Christian (If You Are Indeed One), You Are Preserved

Jude 1 … to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and PRESERVED in Jesus Christ….

Word Study: The word translated “PRESERVED” is the Greek tēreō, which means “to GUARD, to KEEP, to WATCH OVER, to KEEP ONE IN THE STATE that he is in, without change”. Those who love Jesus will heed Jesus, and serve Jesus. Jesus said:

John 14:21, 23-24 (KJV)He that hath My commandments, and keepeth {tēreō} them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. … [23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep {tēreō} My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [24] He that loveth me not keepeth {tēreō} not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.

John 15:10 (KJV) If ye keep {tēreō} My commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept {tēreō} my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.

Jesus watches over and guards those who are His. He is the “Good Shepherd” Who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). As a “Good Shepherd”, Jesus knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him (John 10:14). He watches over us with an infinite love. We are children of the Family of God. Jesus guards us.

Do we sometimes sin? Yes, sometimes. But if we sin and do not repent then, as a good Father will do, God will punish us.

Hebrews 12:5-8 (NKJV) And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; [6] For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” [7] If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? [8] But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

There are many who are illegitimate pretenders to Christianity. They walk in darkness, not in light. To them, sin is not an aberration, but a pleasurable way of life. Some have titles, like “Pastor”, “Elder”, “Deacon”, “Bishop”. They are hypocrites. I recently heard of Michael Tait, the famous lead singer of “The Newsboys”. The band became famous through the movie “God’s Not Dead”. I read with horror how Tait was complicit in enticing other people into Cocaine and Alcohol Parties, and even went so far as to move into sexual perversion with men and women he drugged. This has been going on for YEARS, and the band knew it, but hid it from public view until now.

A child of God cannot sin and walk in darkness without the punishing hand of God falling on them. Be sure, your sin will find you out! The same is true of other so called “great men of God” who fell into sin, and brought disgrace to the Church of Christ. Those who belong to God will be redeemed, even from heinous sins. Remember King David, Uriah, and Bathsheba. But remember that David not only lost his firstborn son, but his actions brought a permanent curse to his family.

The Good Shepherd carries both a rod to discipline, and a staff to guide. If you are Christ’s, you WILL follow Christ.

Jude 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Word Study: Let us not forget that you are “SANCTIFIED” by the Father, and “PRESERVED” by the Son. But there is one other thing that is true. YOU ARE “CALLED”. The word translated “CALLED” is the Greek klētos, which means “to be under divine selection and appointment”. God “calls” every Christian to a unique place of service. The Apostle Paul was “CALLED to be an Apostle” (Romans 1:1), but he quickly points out to the Church

Romans 1:6 (KJV) Among whom are ye also the CALLED {klētos} of Jesus Christ:

Your calling is not to live in selfishness, but to honor the God Who saved you.

Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the CALLED {klētos} according to [his] purpose.

Let us live our lives to glorify the Lord Who saved us. Let us be LIGHT, and not darkness. Let us shine to glorify Him. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalms 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

The thief of LEGALISM robs God of His glory by making salvation of us and not of Christ. The thief of LIBERALISM comes whispering that Christ died to give you entrance to Heaven – even though you still live as if you are a twofold child of hell! The thief of LICENTIOUSNESS mocks God by telling us we are saved so we can freely ignore the Word of God.

We are called to serve our Savior, to walk with Him in the light of God. “Open Doors. Open Hearts. Open Minds” is a satanic counterfeit. You are called to serve Jesus, even if the whole world hates you!

Colossians 3:1-8 (KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. {2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. {4} When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. {5} Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: {6} For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: {7} In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. {8} But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Sheep follow the Shepherd. He gave Himself for us, so we who are His give ourselves to Him! I close with this. Pastor W.A. Criswell said:

“One time I looked through a magazine and followed a series of pictures of one of the saddest stories that one could imagine. The first picture was of a vast wheat field in Western Kansas. The second picture was of the distress of the mother who was in a farmhouse in the middle of the wheat field. She had a small boy who had somehow wandered away from the house and into the wheat field. She could not find him, so she called for her husband, and together they searched for the lad. They finally called for the neighbors, who all began looking … they could not find him. The next picture depicted all of the people who heard of that little boy being lost, joining hands in a great sweep as they said, “Let us join hands and let us go through this wheat field … until we find that little boy.” The last picture would break one’s heart. It was a picture of the father standing over the body of his little boy. … Underneath the picture were the words, “Oh God, that we had joined hands before!”

If you are His, get out of the world, and into His will. May Jesus Christ touch your hearts with His Word. Amen.

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True And False Friends

Posted on June 20, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

What Is A True Friend?

In my lifetime I’ve had a number of people who said they were my “friends”. Some of these friends got me in trouble. They would say things like, “Let’s go out drinking”, or “Let’s vandalize something”. They used me for excitement – but when trouble came, they were no where to be found. They were “fair weather friends” that used me, took my company and money – then abandoned me.

I’ve also had so called “Christian friends”, even Pastors that I’ve sought out to pray with and fellowship with. Sadly, I found out that many of these “friends” were just as bad as the lost people that I hung out with when I was a child of darkness. At one Church I pastored years ago, I had five “friends” who were pastors also, who often met at my Church for prayer and fellowship. At one point in my ministry there I was confronted with a decision to make. Deciding one way, I shared what I thought with these “friends”. Without exception every one of them told me “I think that you’re making the right and godly decision”.

Proverbs 11:14 (ESV) … in an abundance of counselors there is safety …

It turned out to be a horrible decision, one I have regretted ever since. Yet God is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and will guard you against the evil one. Further, “all things work together for good to those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28). God used the bad toward my good, and I grew in my Christian faith and ministry.

A few years later one of my pastor “friends” told me “I knew you were making a bad decision, but I never said anything. Maybe I should have.” Beloved, that is NOT a friend.

A true friend is defined by Jesus Christ:

John 15:13 (KJV) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

A true friend will lay down his life for his friends. That doesn’t necessarily mean a friend will die for another friend, but it does mean that a friend indeed will put his friend first. Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down His very life for us. This is true friendship!

1 John 3:16 (ESV) By this we know love, that {Jesus} laid down his life for us…

Jesus laid down His life for us. As the Son of God, Jesus is co-eternal with both the Father and the Holy Spirit.

John 1:1-3 (ESV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, was God, is God, and will always be God.

Enthroned in Heaven, Jesus is the co-Creator of all that we see in Heaven and on the earth (see Colossians 1:16-20). Jesus became incarnate, that is, God became Man so that He might pay for our sins. The Scripture says:

Romans 7:4 (ESV) Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

Jesus did not just die for us to take us to Heaven, but to change out status from lost to found, darkness to light, child of Satan to child of God. Saved people are to lay their lives down for Him Who died for them.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh

Jesus laid down His life for us, and we are saved when we lay our lives down for Him. This is what friends do for one another. The Bible says that:

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

If you would be a friend of God, you must be willing to follow God. Jesus said:

John 15:14 (KJV) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I COMMAND {entellomai} you.

Word Study: The word translated “COMMAND” is the Greek entellomai (pro. en-tel’-lom-ahee) which means “whatever I ask you to do, command, charge you to do”. Jesus Christ is a wonderful Friend Who laid His life down for us. But He does not call us to be “fair weather friends”. A friend of God will follow God.

I was talking with another Christian the other day about “Eternal Security”. This Christian – and he is a good Christian man – had questions about Eternal Security. He asked, “What about somebody who walks the aisle, says they are saved, are baptized – then a few years later walks away from God and Christ? Did they lose their salvation?” My answer is quite simple:

That person was never born again, never indwelt of the Spirit, never a child of God in the first place. That person was a “fair weather friend” to God, a fake, a counterfeit, a Judas Iscariot.

The Bible says:

2 Timothy 2:19 (ESV) God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

I can’t tell for sure “WHO ARE HIS”. The professor may actually just be a fair weather friend. But those who are His, are His because He laid His life down for them … and they lay their life down for Him. Those who are saved by Grace are eternally secure because:

1 Peter 1:2-5 (KJV) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

If you are saved, you are saved by laying your life down for Him Who laid His life down for you. You are a friend of God, and God is your Friend.

You do what God calls you to do because of true friendship. Jesus said:

John 15:15 (KJV) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

We serve God not as slaves, but as friends serving our dear Friend. What a friend we have in Jesus!

The Kingdom Of God Is A Kingdom Of Friends
That Help One Another In Christ

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

When we believe and receive Jesus Christ as God Incarnate and Savior, then God imputes righteousness to us and befriends us. The Bible tells us in:

James 2:20-24 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Abraham was not called the “Friend of God”
(2 Chronicles 20:7) until he offered Isaac to God.

Understanding friendship with God helps us understand Abraham’s decision to “offer Isaac his son upon the altar”. When God came to Abraham and said, “take now thy son, THINE ONLY SON ISAAC, whom thou lovest … and offer him for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham did not hesitate.

IF Abraham’s Friend is a True Friend, a Right Friend, a Good Friend “in Whom there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5); and IF God as Abraham’s Friend told him to sacrifice Isaac, THEN his Friend would not knowingly harm either Abraham nor Isaac.

Abraham laid down his life, and the life of his son, trusting the friendship of God. Beloved, what Abraham did is what we all are called to. The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom based on true Friendship between us and God. We lay down our lives for Him Who laid down His life for us.

Jesus laid down His life for us. We are saved when we lay down our lives for Him. Once saved, we are brought together into the Family of God.

I Don’t Have To Go To Church
To Glorify God

I’ve heard this quite a bit from professing “Christians”, that they need not go to a “Church” to worship God. They forget that the Church belongs to Jesus (Matthew 16:18). Jesus calls His children by faith to band together, and help one another through adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 … a brother is born for adversity

A true Friend lays down his life for you – and a true Brother “helps in trying times”. Within the Church that Jesus is forming, we are called to lift up and support one another.

1 John 3:16 (ESV) By this we know love, that {Jesus} laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

God laid down His life for us.
We are saved when we lay down our lives for God.
Our proof of salvation is that we willingly lay down our lives for our brothers.

We are not saved to be selfish, but selfless. We are to love within the Family of God unconditionally. The Church is a body of believers who are friends with God, and friends with one another.

1 Corinthians 12:24-26 (ESV) God has so composed the body … that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

“A brother is born for adversity”. We encourage our brethren in Christ as they go through the trials and tribulations of this life. A verse that comes to mind is:

Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.

This sounds contradictory. It says “bear one another’s burdens”, but then says “each person will have to bear his own load”. As a brother or sister in Christ, we should help our fellow believers when they are burdened and suffering.

Though I am your friend and brother in Christ, I cannot live the Christian way of life FOR YOU. I can encourage you – but YOU must walk with Jesus!

Believers sometimes make foolish decisions that they will have to pay the consequences for. I can help those who make bad decisions -but only so far. Believers need to understand that actions have consequences that another believer cannot correct.

Proverbs 17:18 (KJV) A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

Word Study: The word translated “STRIKETH” is the Hebrew tāqaʿ (pro. taw-kah’) which means “to reach out and strike or slap hands together”. This is a reference to making a covenant or contract with someone in a hasty manner.

A “man VOID OF UNDERSTANDING”, someone who acts hastily or without wise and careful scrutiny will “become surety” {ʿărubâ, make a contract for another} “in the presence of his friend”. Even though you are friends with others, be very careful and wise when stepping in to help another – especially if they have made bad financial decisions.

Illustrate: Years ago at another Church I pastored, a man named “Robert” came to see me in tears. He was married to “Kathy”, and Kathy had some serious mental issues. She was manic depressive, on lithium, and prone to doing foolish things though she said she was a Christian. Kathy had spent Robert’s entire paycheck foolishly, and Robert didn’t have the money to pay his utility bills that month. They were members of my Church.

My heart melted. I didn’t have the money to help Robert and Kathy out, but put over $800 on my credit card. It was enough to bail them out. I advised Robert to take away Kathy’s access to the bank and credit cards in the future. Less than two months later Robert was back at my door, begging for help again. Kathy did the same thing again. The Church agreed to help, but only if both Kathy and Robert be scheduled for financial counseling.

They refused.

I never got my money back, money I desperately needed for myself and my family. Both Kathy and Robert wandered off to other churches, probably looking for other hand outs. Beloved, you can help a friend – but be CAREFUL about BECOMING SURETY or signing contracts hastily for them. I’ve been burned by this several times in my Christian walk. As friends, we lay our lives down for one another. But sometimes it is best to love a friend by letting them suffer the consequence of their foolishness. The Bible says:

Romans 6:23 … the wages of sin is death

Be careful that you do not destroy your life or the life of your family reaching out to fair weather friends. Do not make hasty contracts to help a “friend” out. Be prayerful, scriptural, and remember that you cannot save others from foolish decisions that they have made.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is say “no, not today”. And make sure that you are friendly with all, but do not befriend trouble makers.

There Are Some People I Love From Afar

Proverbs 17:19 (KJV) He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

The “gate” was the place in ancient times when people gathered to conduct their business, and to make money. Some people love power. They “exalt their gate”, are focused on doing whatever they can to be the top dog, the boss of the crowd. Those who follow this path often destroy businesses and communities – even Churches.

There are also people who “love transgression”. The word “transgression” is the Hebrew pešaʿ (pro. peh’-shah) which means “rebellion against God given authority”. Avoid those who are narcissists. Avoid those who stir up trouble. Never befriend people like these. Share the Gospel with them – with everyone – but do not hang out with them. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV) Bad company ruins good morals.

If you walk with demons, you will begin to think like the devil. The Psalmist said:

Psalm 26:4-5 (ESV) I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

Come to Church. Fellowship with Christians who are friends with God. They will grow your faith. If you fellowship with those who are friends with the world, they will draw you away from God (James 4:4). Prayerfully choose your friends wisely.

May God bless you all. Amen.

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How Do You Smell To God?

Posted on June 18, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Bryan Padron on Unsplash

Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Are You A Pleasing Smell To God?

Opening: I have never understood why a person would purposely run over any creature – especially a skunk. If I see a skunk, or a possum, or a raccoon, or even another human on the highway, I always feel it’s best to avoid running them (or it) over. If I see a turtle crossing the road I pull over, and help it across. I know if I don’t, a mean spirited person will run it over just for the heck of it. You have an added incentive to not run over a skunk. If you smash that little stinker, its evil odor comes out, and lingers for days. I’ve passed over a dead skunk and found out that the spirit may have departed, but the smell lingers on.

We are made in the image of God. Do you know that GOD SMELLS US? You can smell good to God – or you can STINK! How do YOU smell to God?

Obedient Love Pleases God: When Noah got off the Ark with his family – oh how empty the earth was – the Bible says the very first thing he did was:

Genesis 8:20 … Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

God showed us in the Garden of Eden that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and that the covering for sin is the blood. The blood of the innocent animal was shed on the altar under the Old Covenant to make “atonement” for sin. This animal sacrifice was a shadow, a “type” or pattern of what God would one day do in the death of His Son Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. The Bible says that Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19).

When Noah got off that Ark he loved God by obediently covering his sins with the Blood of the Lamb. How did God respond? By loving us all!

Genesis 8:21 (KJV) And the LORD smelled a sweet savor {rêaḥ}; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake

Word Study: Noah’s act of love and obedience caused God to SMELL A SWEET SAVOR. The word translated “SAVOR” is the Hebrew rêaḥ which means “odor, scent”. When the “ram is burnt on the altar to the LORD, IT IS A PLEASING AROMA” (Exodus 29:18, 25). The animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant looked forward to the New Covenant, where we would be under the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord. If saved, Christians are called to …

Ephesians 5:1-2 (ESV) … be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering {euōdia osmē} and sacrifice to God.

When Jesus went to that Cross out of love for us, He did the horrible for our sake! He DENIED HIMSELF for our sake. His action was euōdia, a beautiful fragrance. His action was osmē, a diffusion rising up to God. This is why we are saved. When we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, His glorious fragrant sacrifice – like Heavenly perfume – is put on us. By denying Himself Jesus fulfilled the Law of Blood Sacrifice.

Matthew 5:17 (NKJV) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

The Old Covenant of animal sacrifice, a work of God, was eradicated when Jesus died for us.

Hebrews 10:10 (KJV) … we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Christ came to fulfill the Law of Blood Sacrifice. He “loved us, and gave Himself up for us”. Laying His life down willingly, His sacrifice was and is a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”.

We imitate God by offering ourselves up to Him as living sacrifices. We give ourselves to God without coercion, because He gave Himself for us. This is a FRAGRANT SMELL to God.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NKJV) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

When you imitate God, offering yourself as living sacrifices, you are the “FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST”. When you deny yourself and put God and others first you become …

Philippians 4:18 (AP) A FRAGRANT OFFERING, A SACRIFICE ACCEPTABLE AND PLEASING TO GOD

Jesus denied Himself for you. You are to deny yourself for Him. God does not call us to RELIGION, but to a surrendered RELATIONSHIP with Him and His Children by faith. When we gather, we gather to glorify Him Who loved us, and gave Himself for us.

God tells those who live selfishly:

Amos 5:21 (HCSB) I hate, I despise your feasts! I can’t stand the STENCH of your solemn assemblies.

God tells those who live self righteously:

Isaiah 65:5 (ESV) {Those} who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.

When we come to God broken, surrendered, calling upon the Name of Jesus, the Lord delights in this. It is obedient. It is loving. When we as His Children imitate Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) God smells this, and it is a pleasant aroma, a blessing to the Father. But when we make ourselves first, and focus on being like the world instead of Children of the Kingdom, to God we stink. Beloved, do you stink, or is your life a pleasing aroma to God?

What The Fragrant Life Looks Like

Romans 13:8 OWE {opheilō} no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

God did not save you so that you can live selfishly. God saved you to be LIGHT and LOVE. You are to be imitators of God. You are to be led of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that “If you are LED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW” (Galatians 5:18). The Christian is saved by surrendered faith in Christ Jesus, not by his good works. But once saved, supernaturally saved, gloriously born again, the Holy Spirit of God indwells you. If you are saved and following the Spirit, you are not following the Law like Israel did. You are walking through this life empowered and led by God. You are not saved from the condemnation of the Law so that you can be selfish and sinful. You are saved from the tyranny of sin.

Romans 6:14-15 (NKJV) For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Saved, you are called to the standard of Christ. What does that look like?

Romans 13:8 OWE {opheilō} no man any thing

Word Study: The word translated “OWE” is the Greek opheilō, which means “to be indebted to another”. If you owe someone something, as a Child of God you are expected to pay your debts back. We previously read “Pay to all what is owed to them”. Evil and lost people will connive and borrow without any intent of returning the funds. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 37:21 (ESV) The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives

It is a shame when a Child of God borrows, but will not repay what is owed. We represent Jesus in all our doing. Don’t be a bum. If you borrow, pay it back! If you are given a paycheck, work for it. Don’t be a slacker. Owe no one anything – pay your debts. But there is one debt that you will ALWAYS owe.

Romans 13:8 OWE {opheilō} no man any thing, BUT to love one another..

PREACH THIS – Eternal love saved you. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Being in agony, He prayed earnestly. His sweat, like GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD fell to the ground” (Luke 22:44). He prayed, “If possible, let THIS CUP pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). He had to go. Beaten, His Blood fell to the ground. Nailed to that Tree, His Blood fell to the ground. When He died, even in death He had no respite. A “soldier pierced His side, and out came Blood and water” (John 19:34). His Blood fell to the ground. He died by denying Himself. Eternal Love saved you. Beloved, do you not know that you are indebted to Him forever.

You were not saved so you can be SELF AFFIRMING, but SELF DENYING.

1 John 4:7-12 (ESV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation {that which satisfies God, a covering for sin, hilasmos} for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

What is the proof that we are children of God? “if we love one another, God abides in us”. I heard a horrible thing the other day that happened in our Southern Baptist Leadership. A mega-church pastor abused one of his flock – I’ll not go into details – then told her to “repent, confess her sin, and tell no one about it”. Beloved, this is of Satan, not of God. You cannot twist the Scripture and use it for perverted reasons. That which is Godly, is Loving.

If you are selfish and self serving, if you will not love sacrificially, then GOD IS NOT IN YOU. Period!

The Law Is About Self Denying Love

When Moses went up into Mount Sinai God gave Israel the Law, beginning with the Ten Commandments. People misunderstand the moral Law of God. The Apostle exposes the TARGET of the Law.

Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

When God gave the Ten Commandments, the first four commandments spoke to loving God. God is to be put above all others. You are not to worship false gods. You are to respect God in how you address Him. You are to set aside one day in seven to gather and worship God (Exodus 20:3-11). Loving God comes first in the Ten Commandments. Then you are to love your family.

Exodus 20:12 (KJV) Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Love begins with God, then with family. Being taught love, we become good citizens. The Apostle doesn’t quote the first five commandments, but starts with the seventh commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Sexual sin destroys a nation. Do you know what else destroys a nation? A lack of respect for life. “Thou shalt not kill”. This is not what God said in

Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not KILL {rāṣaḥ}

Word Study: The word rāṣaḥ {here in the Qal Imperfect} does not mean to just kill, but to assassinate or murder. There are times when life should be taken. God told Noah and us:

Genesis 9:6 (ESV) Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

Life is sacred, because each person is made in God’s image. Those who take life without justification, those are to be executed. God made no exception.

Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet

The Apostle quotes the eighth, ninth, and tenth commandments (Exodus 20:15-17). What your neighbor owns, be it his goods or his reputation, you have no right to take it from him. “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). God takes care of His children. We need not resort to theft, or to slander of another. The godless world does this – but God’s children are to be “the LIGHT of the world” (Matthew 5:14).

if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Beloved, we are to follow His Commandments. We are not lawless, but Spirit indwelt, Spirit led. The command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is first found in:

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

When a Church or a community begins to promote anarchy and self interest rather than loving others, respecting others, it is not long before it fails. We are saved by the Blood of the Lamb, saved by Christ’s self denial, so that we might lift others to Christ. We are told in another place:

Galatians 5:13 (ESV) For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

The proof of your salvation is that you love. You love God, and you love your brothers and sisters. You do not love the world and its godless ways.

1 John 2:15 (KJV) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

If you are saved by faith in Christ, you are saved to love God and to love your brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ Himself placed this obligation on us. This obligation is first of all placed on us as a Command. Our Lord said:

John 13:34-35 (KJV) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (35) By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

This is not an option, nor are any qualifiers placed on it. Jesus did not say “love one another when they speak well of you”. In fact, our Lord warned us in another place:

Luke 6:26 (KJV) Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

We’re not to be people PLEASERS, but God PLEASERS. We’re to love people, but to speak the truth of God’s Word.

When everybody speaks well of you, it may be because you are a false prophet. Though no one likes friction – we all like to be well thought of – I praise God that not everyone always agrees with me. If you preach the truth you will have your detractors. People will not always agree with you or with me. As our world becomes more post modern and as the worldly begin to consider truth to be more fluid and disingenuous you can expect more and more people to disagree with you. Love one another anyway. I heard a sad girl the other day say “Mathematics is racist! 2 + 2 doesn’t have to be 4. White supremacy makes it 4. 2 + 2 can equal 5”. May I say this – truth is not what you make it. Truth is truth. People want to twist truth because they think it will make them happy. It won’t.

Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

You work ill to your neighbor when you say a lie is true. You work ill to your neighbor when you go along with their delusion. You work ill to your neighbor when you do not stand firm on Biblical truth. Truth is truth. What God has said is true, and will always be true.

It’s Time To Wake Up

Romans 13:11-14 (KJV) And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

We cannot be part of the darkness. We can’t. We are the Church of Jesus Christ. We preach the Gospel, not just for a Sunday exercise, but as away of life. What protects us is the “ARMOR OF LIGHT”. Please hear me:

put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof

God gives you a positive, and a negative. Put on the LORD Jesus Christ. Is Jesus your Savior? Then He must be your LORD. The “ARMOR OF LIGHT” is that Jesus is your Savior AND YOUR LORD. The world is not my Lord. You are not my Lord. I am not my Lord. JESUS IS MY LORD. That’s the positive. Put on the LORD Jesus Christ. Immerse yourself in His will. He died for you – now you live for Him.

“Do not make provision for the flesh”. You are not God. Jesus is God. Jesus is Lord. Your desires are not to be your Lords. You have but one Lord, and He is Jesus. What did Jesus say:

Matthew 16:24 (KJV) If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Mark 8:34 (KJV) Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Luke 9:23 (KJV) he said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

If you will not follow Jesus now, you will not follow Him to Heaven then. Those who are His deny themselves, as He denied Himself for us. I pray that God brings conversion to your hearts. Amen.

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Standing For Jesus

Posted on June 3, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Hanna Lazar on Unsplash

Opening: Standing for Jesus will cost you something. And Beloved, you MUST stand for Jesus if you’re saved. Our Lord Jesus made that plain. He said:

Matthew 10:33 (ESV) whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

To deny Jesus is to lose the key to Heaven. To deny Jesus is to lose the blessing of His Presence when tried. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME” (John 14:6). Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:70ff) when pressed by the crowd, but afterward “wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75). Peter repented, and lived out his life standing up for Jesus. Peter was eventually crucified, giving his life for Jesus.

Beloved, if you’re saved, your faith may hiccup. BUT you will not deny Jesus and keep on denying Him no matter how hard pressed!

Polycarp, a disciple of the Apostle John was a Pastor in Smyrna. Roman authorities arrested him for preaching the Gospel of Christ, preaching that Jesus alone was Lord. When brought to trial, Polycarp was told to take an oath to Caesar, revile Christ, and he would be freed. Polycarp told the court:

““86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

Tied to a stake naked and set on fire, the executioner tired of waiting for the fire to burn his body. So he stabbed Polycarp to death. After his death, Christians celebrated to day he died as his “birthday”. They did not mourn him, but rejoiced. Polycarp finished well.

The Proof Of Your Salvation Is Your Response When Pressed. Look At Stephen’s Faith

Mark 8:34 (KJV) Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Salvation is a gift from God. But once you are saved, you MUST follow Jesus. You MUST stand for Jesus. What does it look like to follow Jesus? Let’s look at the example that a young man named Stephen gave us. Turn with me in your Bibles to:

Acts 6:8-10 (KJV) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

Do you love Jesus – or YOURSELF?

Stephen is a believer who loves the Lord Jesus. When trouble reared its head at the widow’s tables of the early Church, the Apostles (who were the Pastors) told the Church to “choose men who are honorable, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). The Church didn’t hesitate. The first man chosen to wait on the widows was Stephen.

Acts 6:8 (KJV) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Why was Stephen so effective in His walk? The Bible says he was “full of faith and power”. Stephen wasn’t full of HIMSELF. He was full of faith. He loved Jesus. He loved the Kingdom of God. He loved the Church.

Stephen vs Judas Iscariot: Compare Stephen to the Apostle Judas Iscariot. Judas was filled with greed. He loved money. Judas was filled with himself. He was focused on his wants and needs. Eventually, Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3), and did the unthinkable – he betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

Beloved, we’re like cups, cups with choice. We can choose to allow the wrong to fill us, or we can submit to God and allow God to fill us. We are saved by faith, but we control what’s in the cup. As Paul told Timothy,

2 Timothy 2:19-21 (KJV) … the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Those who are of the House of Christ (Hebrews 3:6) are to let God fill their cup. The secret to power with God is SURRENDER to God. The Bible says “Without FAITH, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

The Apostle said, “I DIE DAILY” (1 Corinthians 15:31). Stephen died daily. He realized that “my life is not my own, I am bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 16:20). Stephen lived for Jesus. Stephen loved Jesus.

Religion Hates When You Live For Jesus

Acts 6:9 (KJV) Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing (syzēteō) with Stephen.

When Jesus did great works on this earth, it wasn’t long before the Pharisees and Sadducees rose up against Him. Religion hates Jesus.

Who’s Who: The Jewish Libertines were former slaves who came to Jerusalem and formed their own Synagogue or Church. The Cyrenians were Greek speaking Jews. The Alexandrians were Jews from Alexandria, Egypt, and were creators of the Greek Translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. These three groups of Jews formed their own Synagogue or Church in Jerusalem. They were very conservative, very Pharisee in their beliefs.

And they did not believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Word Study: These people “DISPUTED” with Stephen. This is the Greek syzēteō, which means “to examine in minute detail, to put under a theological microscope”. The Pharisees did the exact same thing with Jesus (see Mark 8:11; 9:14).

Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the WISDOM and the SPIRIT by which he spake.

Though they attacked Stephen from all sides, they couldn’t win. Why? Because “Greater is HE THAT IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).Stephen spoke in the power of God from the WISDOM of God. The Bible says that “wisdom comes from God” (Proverbs 2:6; James 1:5).

Stephen was not working from his opinion, but from what the Word of God said. Stephen was not powered by his desires, but by the Holy Spirit of God.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (KJV) … Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness

When the devil and his crew get their claws into religion, if they lose a debate, they will always resort to lies for Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). These religious unbelievers couldn’t stand up to Stephen, for Stephen was standing with Jesus. So what do they do?

Acts 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

Word Study: The word translated “SUBORNED” is the Greek hypoballō. It means “to instruct privately, to coach and bribe someone to give false testimony”. The unsaved religious crowd cares little for God and His Word, though they claim to love both it and Him. The ninth Commandment specifically states, “you SHALL NOT bear FALSE WITNESS against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). We are told in Proverbs 6:16-19 that “God hates a false witness who speaks lies”. When our Lord Jesus was on trial before the Sanhedrin we are told “the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none” (Matthew 26:59-63). They now do the same thing to Stephen. The worst sort of person is a religious unbeliever!

Acts 6:12-13 And they stirred up (sygkineō, agitated, incited to riot) the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him (synarpazō, seized by force so as to carry away), and brought him to the council, 13 And set up (histēmi, put in place with conspiracy) false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

Preach! They incited the people. Like the network news does today, Satan did back then. Twist someone’s word. Tell lies loudly. Shout at people. Get the people incensed. If we can’t prove this Stephen is a liar, let’s smear his character, and make him out to be a blasphemer. Let’s say Stephen hates the Church and the Word of God. When I was cast out of my first Church for bringing black children to Church, the Church leaders called every Church in that area and painted me as a disruptor, a troublemaker. If you stand for Jesus, expect this kind of thing – especially from the religious unsaved. These are not strangers to the Temple, Gentiles doing this to Stephen. These are Church going leaders, Temple movers and shakers. They are lost, but wolves in sheep clothing(Matthew 7:15; 10:16).

Falsely Accused, beaten up, dragged to Jewish court, all alone in a crowd of irritated, lying religious people, Stephen must have been a nervous wreck. Right? Wrong! We read:

Acts 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

They claimed he was a devil, that he blasphemed God’s Word – but Stephen kept his eyes on the Lord. False witnesses have smeared his character. They have told lies about Jesus. But Stephen kept his eyes on the Light of God. This is what the Bible tells us to do:

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV) let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Illustrate: The powerful prophet Elisha asked his mentor, Elijah, “please let a DOUBLE PORTION of your Spirit come on me” (2 Kings 2:9). Elijah told him, “Keep your eyes on me as I go to God”. When Elisha kept his eyes on Elijah as he went up by whirlwind into Heaven, he caught the mantle or cloak that Elijah tossed down to him. He had power because he kept his eyes on Elijah. Stephen did the same thing with Jesus. He kept his eyes on Jesus – and Jesus threw the Mantle of God, the Holy Spirit down on him.

The High Priest gives Stephen an opportunity to speak. Stephen doesn’t defend Himself, nor does he immediately correct the lies they have told about Jesus.

A Vessel Of Honor Speaks Jesus

The religious unbelievers have twisted Scripture, and violated God’s Law by seeking out false witnesses. But Stephen goes straight to the Bible. I don’t have time to go through all that Stephen spoke – it’s rather lengthy. In Acts 7:2 Stephen starts with the called of Abraham. God gave Abraham the Promised Land, and the Covenant of Circumcision. Stephen talks about the birth of Isaac, and of Jacob and the twelve tribes of Israel. Stephen talks about the rise of Joseph, and the growth of Israel in Egypt. He continues with Israel becoming enslaved in Egypt, and how God raised up Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt. Stephen talked about God’s calling of Moses at the burning bush, and how God used Moses to lead Israel to Mount Sinai. I want to touch on

Acts 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.

Israel continually rejected Moses, making golden calves and false gods. But Moses spoke of a Messiah Who would come, Someone Who would replace him when he died. God gave Israel His love, and a land, a Law, and a Temple. And yet Israel continued to reject God’s grace.

Giving the history of Israel, and how good God had been with Israel though they often moved into idolatry, Stephen now speaks the truth. God is faithful, but religious Israel is faithless.

If you’re going to stand up for Jesus, you have to speak the truth. Stephen doesn’t temper what he has to say.

Acts 7:51-53 Ye STIFFNECKED and UNCIRCUMCISED in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

The men that Stephen is standing before have not acted honorably. God promised the Messiah in the Garden. God promised the Messiah to Abraham. God promised the Messiah to Isaac. God promised the Messiah to Jacob. God raised up Israel as a nation. God saved Israel from Egypt. God brought Israel to the Mountain of God, and gave them the Law. God used Israel to write the Scriptures. Though Israel was faithless, God was faithful. God preserved Israel, because Messiah must come through Israel.

Then when Messiah came, Israel through its Temple leaders betrayed and murdered the Promised JUST ONE, the Messiah.

Stephen doesn’t sugar coat it. Stephen isn’t nice about it. He is speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). A lie will not bring repentance. A lie will not lead to salvation. These people are drinking the poisoned Kool Aid in Jonestown. These people are like the Ten Spies who incited the people of Israel to stay out of the Promised Land. These people are not righteous, but colorful but poisonous “broods of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). They are Satan’s children dressed up in Church clothes, with titles like “Elder” and “Priest”. Stephen tells them the truth. They are …

Acts 7:51 … STIFFNECKED and UNCIRCUMCISED in heart and ears,

STIFFNECKED is what God called the Israelites that would not follow Him (Exodus 32:9; 33:3; Deuteronomy 9:6). Why did God call Israel STIFFNECKED? They were lifted up with pride. They would not bow down to God. They thought they made the rules. They thought they were better than others. They refused to repent or change. They were focused on themselves and their pleasure, rather than God’s glory. And though often chastised of God, they would not admit wrong.

Stiffnecked people have a lot of drama. Something’s always going on in their lives, and something’s always wrong. They’re in trouble, but the trouble is none of their making. Drama kings and queens make things miserable for everyone. We lose the Promised Land because Drama kings and queens cry over the giants instead of glorifying God.

Stiffnecked people are always in conflict. They have problems with everybody all the time. They hop from Church to Church, never examining their lives, but use their conflicts to seek control of their environment. They may say they don’t like conflict, but there’s always conflict around them because they have created that pattern of behavior.

Stiffnecked people are complainers and blamers. They don’t take accountability for their actions. Nothing is their fault. They are perpetual victims, but never victors. If you have a goal in life, complaining and blaming keeps you from achieving your goals. Why? Because it’s this person’s fault, that person’s fault … but never YOUR fault. This person does not go into the Promised Land – then blames God for withholding the land.

Stephen also called them “UNCIRCUMCISED in heart and ears”. They had the outward marking as God’s people. Their foreskin was removed, just as God decreed (Genesis 17:14). They did the OUTWARD, but the INWARD they refused.

Their hearts were not TENDER toward God. Their ears were not TUNED to God’s Word.

Again, this was Scripture. God said in

Jeremiah 6:10 (KJV) To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

Jeremiah 9:26 (KJV) all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

The Righteous Would Have Responded To Rebuke. The Religious Will Not

Stephen used the Scripture. He spoke the truth in love. What was the result? These people were instrumental in killing Jesus, Who is God incarnate. They can’t kill God again – so they shame and seek to kill Stephen. Chewing on him like rabid dogs rather than repenting with the mouth (Romans 10:9). What does Stephen do?

He finishes well.

Acts 7:54-56 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

The Word of God circumcised their hearts (they were “cut to the heart”) but rather than repent they attacked Stephen. Stephen didn’t notice. You see,

Stephen wasn’t full of himself. He was full of faith. He was full of the Holy Spirit. He was fully committed to glorifying the Lord Who saved him.

Stephen didn’t feel their teeth on his flesh. He didn’t feel the stones as they beat him to death. Stephen looked up. What did he see? Jesus told us following His resurrection:

Luke 22:69 (KJV) Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father, “making intercession for us” (Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 12:2). But as Stephen looks into Heaven, Jesus is standing on God’s right hand. Our Lord stood up, and gave Stephen a standing ovation. He lived for Christ, and he finished well.

How about you? Will you finish well? Oh Beloved, the strength of your faith and obedience to Christ proves your salvation. As Stephen died, he

“called upon God, saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”
(Acts 7:59)

May God draw us all away from surface nominal Christianity, into a supernatural daily walk with Him through His Word. May God the Holy Spirit take His Word deep into your hearts. Amen.

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Kingdom Values

Posted on June 3, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Sarah Penney on Unsplash

Romans 12:10-13 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; 11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Romans 12:14-16 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Your Life Proves Your Salvation

A few weeks ago I preached a message from Romans 12 called “Products of Grace”. The Christian is a product of Grace.

When God saves us, He has a goal for us. His goal is not to bring us to Heaven, but to use us to bring Heaven to earth.

The Church is a precursor of Heaven, the Kingdom of God on earth. Saved by Grace through the sacrifice of His dear Son Jesus, we are called to live as citizens of His Kingdom. The Church is to be a place of life and light, hope and joy. Those who are in the Church are supernatural beings, born of God, indwelt by God, to the glory of God.

What we are looking at today is not the works you must do to be saved. These are the works that come from a saved life. These are to evidence that saving faith has occurred in a life.

Biblical Salvation is both a supernatural event and a supernatural process.

When you repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then God applies the Blood of Jesus Christ to your spiritual account. We are saved because Jesus bore our penalty. We are saved because the Son of God became the Son of Man, and as the Son of Man died in our place. The Bible says:

Ephesians 1:7 (AP) {In Jesus} we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace

Coming to God with empty hands, we reach out in faith to Jesus. We are broken creatures, without hope save for Jesus. God applies the Blood of Jesus Christ to our lives, and changes our eternal status before Him. We are …

Romans 3:24 … justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

When God saves us through Christ, He saves us not IN our sins, but FROM our sins. The salvation event changes our hearts. We come from DARKNESS and into LIGHT.

Whereas before Christ we were “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) God moves into our lives. Through His partnership with us we are changed. Jesus did not just die for us so we could continue in sin. He died for us to free us from sin and death, to bring us into HIS Kingdom.

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) {Jesus} Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.

The Christian daily dies to sin and lives to righteousness. The Christian is not the same as a lost person. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Through the Event of Salvation, you have been moved from one state to another. The Scripture says:

Colossians 1:13 (KJV) {God} hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son

If you are a Christian, you have been changed, and are being changed. None are ever good enough for God’s righteousness. Born into this world, “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). But born again by the power and Spirit of God (1 Peter 1:23), that self same Spirit indwells the Christian (Romans 8:9) and begins to draw you away from the darkness and into the light of God.

Christians Are In The Family Of God,
and MUST Show It!

The Family of God has standards that God will draw you to. If you are indeed saved, you love the family of God. If you are religious, you love yourself.

The Mark of the Christian is a love not of self, but of others in the Body of Christ. The dead love themselves. The living love the Lord & His Kingdom.

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

Word Study: Those in the Family of God are to be “kindly affectioned”. This is but one word in the Greek, philostorgos, which means “to love those and show affection toward those in the family”. Pastor Cliffe Knechtle was asked the question, “Why aren’t you Catholic?”. His response was spot on! He said:

“We are Orthodox {Bible Believing} Christians, which means I really don’t care if you’re Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, whatever. Too many Catholics don’t know Christ. Too many Protestants don’t know Christ. The issue is not simply are you Catholic or Protestant. The issue is how have you responded to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ?”

Have you genuinely put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Christianity is not an ethics code, nor a moral platform, but a supernatural change that God brings to your life.

The Christian lives in a supernatural relationship with God daily, and that relationship encompasses others like you. As Jesus is, we are being changed to be.

Christians love other Christians. In fact, the world teaches “put yourself first”. But our faith teaches:

Romans 12:10 in honor preferring one another

The New King James translates this is “in honor GIVING PREFERENCE to one another”. The New International Version translates this as “Honor ONE ANOTHER ABOVE YOURSELVES”. The intent of the passage is that, if you’re saved, put your fellow believers first. There is a spiritual problem when a person says “I’m a Christian” and yet shows the same selfishness that the world shows. Jesus said:

John 13:34 (KJV) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 (KJV) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

IF you have been born again, IF God is in your life, IF you are members of Christ’s Kingdom, THEN it stands to reason that you will strive to bless others rather than be waited on.

Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord

Word Study: In the Church, you will love your brothers and sisters. But outside the Church you won’t be a bum. You’ll not be slothful, oknērós, sluggish, causing grief. Those who love Jesus are uniters. They are team players. They are “FERVENT IN SPIRIT”, zéō, which means “to be on fire”.

Christians are excited in their service for the Lord. You are not to give of yourself grudgingly, but willingly, as for the Lord.

In the Parable of the Talents Jesus spoke of three servants (Matthew 25:14-30). Jesus said:

Matthew 25:15 (KJV) unto one {servant} he gave five talents, to another {servant} two, and to another {servant} one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

When the Master returned, the first two servants doubled what they were initially given. But the third servant did nothing. He was slothful, oknērós. The Master took away his talent, and gave it to the most fervent servant. Jesus said,

Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

What is that “outer darkness”? Is it a reference to hell? I don’t think so. The Bible tells us that “God is LIGHT, and in Him is no darkness” (1 John 1:5). When you are slothful, God withdraws His blessing. God withdraws His Presence.

God will not walk with you if you are slothful, lackadaisical, Laodicean. God will not walk with you in the dark.

Jesus told the Laodicean Church:

Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

When we walk slothfully in our faith, we come under the present judgment of God. When God withdraws His Presence, then there is “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth”. It’s a place of misery. Oh Beloved, don’t go there!

Tried, We Don’t Give Up, But LOOK UP!

Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant (proskartereō, to be earnestly devoted to) in prayer;

Those who love the Lord and His Church “rejoice in hope”. When Abraham was yet childless, he kept looking toward the Promise of God. The Bible says:

Romans 4:18 (KJV) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Our God is faithful! Focus on God and His promises. Focus on Him when things get bleak. You very rarely see Abraham not waiting and praying to God. Our Lord Jesus Christ often prayed all night long. You can focus on the bad thing – or you can focus on God in prayer.

When Israel stood at the brink of the Promised Land, they focused on the giants in the land and not on the Great God Who sent them. When we try to do it in our own power, we will inevitably fail.

Beloved, you were not saved by your works. You will not progress in your Christian walk by your own power. Seek Him Who is able. ABIDE in HIM.

Abide not in fear. Abide in HIM.
Abide not in uncertainty. Abide in HIM.
Abide not in darkness. Abide in Him.

Run to cover. Run to Him. Run to Jesus, the One Who saved you, and now possesses you. I love that wonderful Psalm 91.

The devil will tell you that you can be saved, and follow evil or the darkness. But God tells you that you MUST ABIDE in Christ. When you ABIDE, we are told … listen to me, Church!

Preach This! Psalm 91:1-7, 9-11 (KJV) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. 3 Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the arrow [that] flieth by day; 6 [Nor] for the pestilence [that] walketh in darkness; [nor] for the destruction [that] wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. … 9 Because thou hast made the LORD, [which is] my refuge, [even] the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

The “the secret place of the most High” is the Grace of God, the narrow way of Jesus. The world takes that WIDE path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13), but we who are His take the NARROW WAY (Matthew 7:14), the Way of Christ. Those who walk with God believe “in Him will I trust”. He is with His children. He will not abandon His Beloved. Abide in Him Who saved you.

The Grace Oriented Mind

Romans 12:13-16 Distributing to the NECESSITY of saints; given to hospitality. 14 BLESS them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

The Christian is given Grace. We, in turn, are Gracious to others. We give where needed. We give hospitality. We love the unlovable. We give empathy to others. We treat others the way that we want to be treated. We are not puffed up.

Most of all, we choose not to be land fills.

I heard this the other day, and it helped me so much. I hope it’ll help you. Many people live their lives outside of the will of Christ, and as a result the garbage of sin builds up in their lives. As their garbage grows, they become like garbage trucks. You pass by these people frequently as you go through life.

The ROAD RAGER who nearly runs you over, then curses you.
The LINE CUTTER who jumps in front of you.
The CRITIC who is always finding fault.
The KNOW IT ALL who is superior to you.
The RELIGIOUS NUT that wants to run your life.
The PERPETUAL VICTIM who blames everyone.
The BELITTLER who tell you you’re worthless.

I could go on and on. There are more like that. You’ve met them. You know what I’m talking about. These are people who have chosen not to abide in Christ, but in self. The Bible says of those who toy with sin:

Romans 3:17 … the way of peace have they not known

Isaiah 59:8 … The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways..

They have no peace. Sin has brought GARBAGE into their lives. Wherever they go, they carry cast off junk and rotted stuff – they cling to this like garbage trucks. These garbage trucks let things build up, then they want to come to YOU, and dump their garbage on GOD’s PROPERTY (which is YOU).

Beloved, you are not a landfill. You are a child of the King. You are the Light of the world. You are Priests unto God. Don’t let others dump their garbage on you – for YOU belong to God!

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

Refuse to receive their garbage. Live in the sure certainty that God loves you. Share grace with the struggler, and do good toward them when they do evil towards you. Don’t let them anger you. Don’t let them control you. You are not a land fill – you belong to Jesus.

The way to Heaven is always ascending, not descending. It’s hard at times. But refuse to be a landfill. Be a light. Be a Child of the King. Our hymn of invitation is “Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go”. You’ll be singing this in just a moment. Listen to the words:

Take up thy cross and follow Me
I heard My Master say
“I gave My life to ransom thee
Surrender your ALL today”
Wherever He leads, I’ll go
Wherever JESUS leads, I’ll go
I’ll follow my Christ Who loves me so
Wherever He leads, I’ll go.

May God touch your hearts with His Word. Amen.

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Loving, Forgiving, Heeding and Living

Posted on May 30, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Pascal Debrunner on Unsplash

Proverbs 17:8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

Generous Love To Others Will Prosper You

Illustrate: A gift given out of affection and a desire to show respect to and to elevate another will prosper both you, and the person who receives it. I knew a man once who said “My wife and I never give one another gifts”. Yet when I watched the marriage, his wife regarded him with suspicion. She told me in private, “He’s never really loved me”. Before the dear, embittered woman died she told me, “He’s not the man you think he is. He’s changed over the years.”

He, on the other hand, sneaked around and bought things behind her back. He’s hide things from her. Their marriage wasn’t a marriage at all – but a battlefield where it seemed that two enemies conspired against one another. They were both Christians – but their marriage was a shamble.

That which you own, the things that you have, are all temporary and ultimately of little value. But the deep relationships you build with your spouse, your children, and your close friends will last into eternity.

Do not just invest your goods in others, but your life. This is the Way of Christ. The Bible tells us that:

Mark 2:15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

Jesus gave the greatest gift He could give – His life – to those who were shunned by the religious crowd. Jesus never participated in their sins, but made Himself available to minister to them. This so impressed the publicans (tax collectors) and sinners that “THEY FOLLOWED HIM”.

Jesus ALWAYS called out sin, and never condoned the action of the sinner. To the woman taken in adultery Jesus said:

John 8:11 Neither do I condemn you. GO, and SIN NO MORE.

We are never to justify evil, nor to twist the Law of God. We are told later in this chapter:

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to PERVERT the ways of judgment.

We cling to God’s standards – but give graciously to those around us. As we have received grace, so we give grace. Giving graciously sooner or later “Prospereth”

Illustrate: A good example of this is the life-long friendship between David and Jonathan. When God sent David to live with King Saul the Bible says:

1 Samuel 18:1-4 (NKJV) … the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. … 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

Jonathan not only gave David comfort and friendship in Saul’s home, but he gave David his armor, which was made for a prince. His sword and his bow were very fine – worthy of the son of the King. When Saul began to plot and planned to kill David out of jealousy, often his son Jonathan was David’s only friend. Jonathan went against his father to save David’s life.

Many years later when both Saul and Jonathan were dead and David had become King, the Bible says:

2 Samuel 9:1 (NKJV) David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

David may have still been wearing Jonathan’s armor, and doing battle with his friend’s sword and bow. Jonathan had a living son who was lame in the feet (2 Samuel 9:3) named Mephibosheth. David had Mephibosheth brought into his palace, saying:

2 Samuel 9:11 (NKJV) As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.”

Gifts given in love and respect will prosper the one so blessed. Give of yourself, of your goods. In time you will prosper from it.

Give Forgiveness To Find Love

Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

A petty and unreasonable person will often find themselves friendless and alone. When others offend us, we should strive to “cover the transgression”, to forgive it. Godly discretion doesn’t mean to ignore offenses or justify sin, but to be ready to forgive offenses. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us to pause before seeking retribution:

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth

Back before Israel had either Kings or Judges, God required that the Levitical Priests judge matters and inflict appropriate punishment on offenders. God wanted the punishment to be balanced, so He established Lex Talionis, the Law of Retaliation.

Leviticus 24:19-22 (NKJV) ‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him— 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. 21 And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the Lord your God.’ ”

This was the Law for Israel at that time. But now the Lord Jesus Christ has come. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17). Before there were Kings and Judges, this was the Law of the Righteous. But now Jesus Christ, the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16) says:

Matthew 5:39-42 I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Cover the transgression with GRACE. Understand that God is our Avenger. The Bible says:

Romans 12:19-21 (KJV) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

If you feed the injustice committed to you, if you allow anger and a victim mentality to seize your life, there will never be peace. Love graciously as Jesus loved. The King said:

John 13:34-35 (ESV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Though we frequently offend God, the Lord is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). The Apostle said:

Romans 12:10 (ESV) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

We are not to bear grudges in the House of Christ, but to maintain peace and unity. We were told in Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” We are told by the Apostle:

Galatians 6:1 (ESV) Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

Forgive the sin for Christ’s sake. Perhaps you will lead a soul to Christ!

The Saved Give Heed To Reproof

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

We live in a “let’s be offended” age. Students used to go to college to learn how to think critically. Now they go to college and have “safe spaces” where you can’t say anything that might offend them.

This is clearly satanic.

Author Salman Rushdie wrote a book called “The Satanic Verses”, which explored the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The book offended the Muslim world, and religious leaders issued a fatwa, a death warrant issued by the supreme leader of Iran. In 2022 Rushdie was brutally stabbed in Chautauqua, New York. He lost his right eye, and his liver and hands were damaged. Rushdie stated:

“Nobody has the right to not be offended. That right doesn’t exist in any declaration I have ever read. If you are offended it is your problem, and frankly lots of things offend lots of people.”

As a Pastor, I have often been “canceled” by those offended by what I said. Righteous people are not afraid of the truth, nor are they afraid of being offended. It is the fool who will not hear truth.

People say, “You need to be NICE”. No, we need to be truthful. We need to be kind. These words are in the Bible, but the word “NICE” is not in the Bible, any version. We need to be biblical. As John MacArthur said, “Jesus was not crucified for being nice. Nice people do not get crucified.”

The “fool” or godless person will not hear wise instruction nor reproof. A wise man will. The “fool” is a fool because they are self focused. If beaten, the fool will blame the whip, not his failure that brought the beating. When John the Baptist rebuked Herod the tetrarch:

Luke 3:19-20 (NKJV) Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by {John the Baptist} concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

Herod was living in sexual sin with Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Rather than repent, Herod imprisoned John, and eventually had him beheaded. Herod was a “tetrarch”, a king appointed by the Roman Cesar to oversee Jerusalem. But Herod continued in his arrogance. We are told that:

Acts 12:21-23 … Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

The fool will eventually bring his own destruction on himself, just as Herod did. Had he repented and sought God’s Grace when John the Baptist warned him, he wouldn’t have died as horribly as he did. People need to stop being offended, and start hearing Biblical truth. If Herod can be eaten by worms and die, God can do the same to us!

Evil Will Be Put Away

Proverbs 17:11-13 (NKJV) An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him. 12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. 13 Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

The foolish, godless, proud and insubordinate man hates to follow any authority other than his own. The Bible teaches that “what goes around, comes around”. Eventually the evil a person does will come back on them. The “evil man seeking rebellion” will have a “cruel messenger sent against him”.

What is this “CRUEL MESSENGER”? It is whatever means that God uses to chastise the evil person.

Sodom and Gomorrah had two cruel messengers sent to them for their evil sexual sins. The cruel messengers rained fire and brimstone down on these cities, destroying men, women, and children.

Rebellious Israel had various cruel messengers sent to them. God used the nations of Babylon, Assyria, Medo-Persia, and Rome to punish His people because they would not repent.

Our rebellious world had a cruel messenger sent to it in the days of Noah. Refusing the Grace of God, all of creation drowned save for those on board the Ark.

Our God WILL punish evil, regardless as to who you are. Rich or poor, male or female, white, black, yellow, red, or brown, God will punish sin. He says:

Colossians 3:25 He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons

It is better to meet an angry mama bear right after you captured her children than to be a fool reclining in folly and sin. When you are given good, and you return evil for it, you shall suffer evil itself.

Illustrate: This brings us to the story of Joab. Joab was David’s nephew, his sister Zeruiah’s second son (1 Chronicles 2:13-17). In 1 Chronicles 11:6 King David was in battle. He said:

1 Chronicles 11:6 Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander-in-chief.’ Joab son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

Though Joab bravely volunteered to lead the charge, what David didn’t know is that Joab was bloodthirsty, and conniving.

He was a strong tactician and a powerful General, but he regarded human life as nothing. When King David was dying, he called his son Solomon to his side. David told Solomon:

1 Kings 2:1-4 (NKJV) Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

David’s first command was that Solomon love and honor God. But his second command was about his nephew Joab:

1 Kings 2:5-6 (NKJV) Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to ABNER the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

Joab was a bloodthirsty man. When Absalom David’s son revolted against him, David ordered that no one kill his son (2 Samuel 18:5, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom”). When Joab found Absalom caught in a tree by his long hair (2 Samuel 18:9) he could have captured him and taken him back to his father. Rather than do this, the Bible says:

2 Samuel 18:14 (NKJV) {Joab} took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.

Joab not only murdered Absalom, but also Abner and Amasa (both relatives of David). Knowing that Solomon was David’s successor, Joab allied himself with Adonijah to seize the throne of David from Solomon. Though David did not punish this murderer while he was King, he ordered Solomon to do so. David advised Solomon “do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace”. The Bible tells us that the government – and King David was the government – has the power to prosecute and execute murderers. When Solomon ordered Joab’s death, he said:

1 Kings 2:31-32 (NKJV) … strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. 32 So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it.

In this case, Solomon was the cruel messenger coming for the rebellious Joab. God will balance it out in the end.

Trust God To Handle It, And Do Not Strive

Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

My commentary notes:

“A leak in a dike could be stopped with a pebble if noticed at the beginning. But if neglected, it will grow greater and greater until, at last, the inrushing waters will carry away everything in front of them. So it is with strife. How many a lifelong contention has begun with a few hasty words. If repented of and apologized for at once, the quarrels would have ceased immediately and years of sorrow averted. ”

It is best to resolve battles and arguments quickly. Our Lord Jesus advised in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison

Stay True To God’s Truth

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

In our day our society demands that we affirm what God finds abominable, and shun that which God finds pleasant.

The public is happiest if Barabas is released, but Jesus crucified. God despises it when we declare evil “good” and good “evil”. God spoke through the Prophet:

Isaiah 5:16-20 the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness. 17 Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture, And in the waste places of the fat ones strangers shall eat. 18 Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; 19 That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it.” 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

God will punish those who pervert His justice. What is opposed to justice is an abomination. Stand with the King of Kings.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

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How To Defeat The Enemy

Posted on May 28, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by GR Stocks on Unsplash

Opening: A small Church lost its air conditioning one morning, and the people began to murmur and complain. “How can we worship in this heat? We give good money to the Church – why can’t we sit in comfort?” The murmuring grew and grew, effecting the song service itself. When it came time for the Pastor to preach, he stood in the pulpit and looked out over the congregation – most of whom were sour and muttering to themselves. The Pastor said, “I know you’re uncomfortable this morning, so this will be the shortest sermon I’ve ever preached. Then we can dismiss, and you can go home. It’s only seven words. Are you ready?

“If you think its hot now – wait!”

The Christian way of life is a surrendered way of life. When we come to Jesus by faith, we cease to be our own. What does the Scripture say? When we are saved, your very body becomes indwelt by the Spirit of God:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) … do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

There is no salvation without surrender. We must “DENY OURSELVES, take up His Cross DAILY, and FOLLOW CHRIST” (Luke 9:23). The true Christian wants to get closer to Jesus. We want more of Jesus, not less.

I believe you want more of Jesus, because you are here on a Sunday night. This is a Memorial Day Weekend. You could have been in other places – but you are here. I told you that tonight’s sermon would be “How To Defeat The Enemy”. Turn with me in your Bibles to:

James 4:1-10 (KJV) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Who Was James?

After the little virgin named Mary had the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), she went on to love her husband Joseph and have other children through natural, God given means.

Jesus had brothers and sisters – step family – born of Joseph and Mary (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55)

Jesus’ oldest stepbrother is James. These other children of Mary lived with Jesus for 30 years, grew up with Him, and spent every day in intimate contact with Jesus. And yet the Bible says:

John 7:5 (AP) For even Jesus’ BROTHERS DID NOT BELIEVE in Him

You might find that incredible that Christ’s brothers James, Joses, Jude, and Simon did not believe in Jesus, did not believe He was the Messiah, but its true. Though James and Jude would go on to write Scripture, when Jesus walked the earth they did not believe He was Messiah. In fact, when Jesus came to Nazareth as Messiah the Bible says “when His family HEARD IT, they WENT OUT TO SEIZE HIM, for they were saying ‘He is OUT OF HIS MIND’” (Mark 3:20). Though James and Jude would later come to believe on Jesus, at this point they did not believe Him. He was out of His mind.

Before he was saved, James thought Jesus was ‘out of His mind’. After he was saved, James realized it was he who was ‘out of his mind’.

There are three enemies that try and keep us ‘out of our minds’. There is SATAN or the DEVIL, THE LOST WORLD around us, and we have the FLESH, our brokenness within. How do we defeat these enemies of faith? First, let’s

See The Enemy Clearly

James 4:1-3 (KJV) From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

The Christian way of life is meant to be a life filled with GRACE and GRACIOUSNESS. It is meant to be a life of “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). We are to “let the PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEARTS … as we are called IN ONE BODY” (Colossians 3:15). And yet many Churches are embattled, fighting and warring among themselves. Why do these things happen?

Within each of us, there is an enemy. This enemy is called “the flesh” or “the old sin nature”.

Uncontrolled, this enemy creates “lusts that war in your members”. This enemy within follows selfishness, self centered desires, and creates factions of power and cliches within the Body of Christ, hurting our ability to be light and salt to a dark and needy world. It was this internal enemy that kept James and Jude from seeing Jesus as the Christ while He walked the earth. The Apostle Peter talks about this internal enemy:

1 Peter 2:11 (KJV) Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts (sarkikos epithymia), which war against the soul

Though the Holy Spirit resides within the Christian (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) the old sin nature battles against the Spirit. We are told by the Apostle Paul:

Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV) Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

The enemy within is the flesh, the resident old sin nature. There are also two external enemies we must battle. We read:

James 4:4 (KJV) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

There is the lost world and its practices. We have an internal old sin nature, and outside of the Church a world that bids we endorse sin and make peace with evil. Yet we cannot do this. Why? Because God the Holy Spirit indwells the Christian. This is very important.

A person is brought from spiritual death to spiritual light by the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus told Nicodemus:

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

New Birth is not something you earn or deserve. It is a state that is brought on a believer in Christ by the Spirit of God. Jesus said:

John 3:7, 9 … Ye must be born again. … so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

New Birth comes when the Abiding Word, the Scripture is preached, and the Living Word, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to its truth. Peter wrote:

1 Peter 1:23 {we are} born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Paul said in Titus 3:5-6 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, {New Birth} and renewing of the Holy Spirit; Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior

The Old Sin Nature, the resident “flesh” of our human birth, whispers to us. It is the enemy within. The enemy without is the lost world itself, who bids we be “tolerant”, that we “go with the flow”. We are bombarded daily through television and internet. On top of this the devil, Satan, that fallen angel once called “Lucifer” speaks lies to draw us away from God (John 8:44). The Bible says that the devil masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and that Satan raises up false apostles, deceitful workers who pretend to be apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13).

We cattle the world and Satan by …

Remembering That God Indwells Us

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Word Study: Though the King James does not do so, the word rendered “spirit” should be capitalized to “Spirit”. The text is speaking of the Holy Spirit of God Who indwells every believer. The Bible is clear about this:

Romans 8:9 (NKJV) … you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

The Holy Spirit Who caused you to be born again, literally “DWELLS IN YOU”. The Bible says that “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”. You are NOT SAVED if the Holy Spirit does not indwell you. The Bible tells us that:

1 John 4:4 (NKJV) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The Holy Spirit is greater than the world, greater than the lost, greater than Satan himself. Absolutely! When James says:

James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Word Study: James is quoting Old Testament Scripture. Not just one Scripture, but the general teaching of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit Who indwells you is God. And the Holy Spirit “lusteth to envy”. This is the Greek epipotheō pros phthonos, which means “earnestly desires or pursues with love JEALOUSLY”. Throughout the Old Testament Scripture (which is what James is quoting) God repeatedly tells His people saved by Grace:

Exodus 20:4-5 (NKJV) You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God ..

Exodus 34:14 (NKJV) (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)

Deuteronomy 4:24 (NKJV) For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Deuteronomy 5:9 (NKJV) you shall not bow down to them nor serve {idols}. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God

Deuteronomy 6:15 (NKJV) (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

James says, in effect “Do you think that God was JOKING when He said ‘I am a JEALOUS GOD?’”. Was God just teasing us in the Scripture? No! And especially now. Israel was saved by God’s Grace. He brought them out of Egypt, gave them the Promised Land, wrote Scripture through their prophets. And yet, though God blessed Israel, He never INDWELT HIS PEOPLE PERMANENTLY. Jesus promised that “the Spirit of truth SHALL BE IN YOU” (John 14:17). This was not possible until our Lord went to the Cross, making payment for our sins.

Under the Old Covenant the Holy Spirit visited God’s people (Genesis 21:1; Exodus 4:31; Ruth 1:6; 1 Samuel 2:21; Psalm 17:3; Isaiah 29:6) – but did not INDWELL them.

Now God INDWELLS us. He is in us where ever we go. And God purchased us at a great price, and is JEALOUS over us. Only an idiot would cheat on his wife while she was in the room. God is ALWAYS in the room. We defeat the enemy by realizing this.

We Humble Ourselves Before God

James 4:8-7 (KJV) But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

God is in us. “But He giveth MORE GRACE”. It is GRACE by which we are saved, born again of the Spirit. It is GRACE that allows God to indwell us, GRACE made available because of the sacrifice of Christ.

Illustrate: In the Old Testament there is a perfect picture of God’s Grace to us. The Book of Ruth tells us the story of a great famine in the land. A man named Elimelech, a man of Bethlehem, went from his home to Moab. Don’t miss this! “Elimelech” literally means “God is King”. Elimelech carries his wife Naomi (her name means “my delight”) to Moab. Naomi had two sons while they were in Moab, and the sons grew up and married two Moabite women. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, born of Lot through incest with his daughter. The Moabites worshiped the god Chemosh. Because the Moabites were godless, the Lord cursed Moab (Deuteronomy 23:3-6), saying:

“The Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord … you shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity ALL YOUR DAYS FOREVER..”

The sons of “The Beloved” married Moabite women, contrary to the command of God. But God had a purpose in this. In time Naomi’s husband died, as did her two sons. Naomi was left with two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth. Though Orpah went back to live with the Moabites, Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law “Beloved”. Ruth told Naomi:

Ruth 1:16 (KJV) Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God

Ruth surrendered her life to Naomi, and to our God. She became a believer in Christ. Though a child of curse, a worthless Moabite, our God “Giveth more Grace”.

Naomi and Ruth return to the Promised Land, and relying on the Grace of God and His people gathered food that was left over from harvested fields. Here she catches the eye of Boaz, a wealthy farmer. Boaz told Ruth to “stay in my fields, and under my protection” (the gist of Ruth 2:7-9). I was listening to a sermon:

Adrian Rogers said that what happens next is a picture of what God wants us as believers to do to draw closer to God.

Naomi tells Ruth to draw near to Boaz, a picture of God in His Grace. She tells Boaz:

Ruth 3:3 (KJV) Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor…

How do we defeat the enemy, and draw near to God (Boaz)? “Wash thyself” or as Adrian said, “Be freshly CLEANSED”. You cannot draw near to God with filthy hands. You cannot be blessed of God with open sin in your life. James tells us:

James 4:8 (KJV) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners…

James is not addressing the lost world, but the believer in Christ. Ruth was a believer in Christ. God is jealous over us. We cannot draw near to God with active sin in our lives. The Christian life begins with repentance, and continues with repentance DAILY. We cannot come to God with a double mind. We worship Him and only Him – nothing else. The Apostle Paul said:

Philippians 3:13 … this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (KJV) Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

How do we cleanse ourselves? By taking our failures to the Cross. By casting our sins upon Christ. When our prayer life is dead, and it seems as God will not hear us, examine your life. God tells His people:

Isaiah 1:15-16 (KJV) … when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil…

Our God is a Jealous God! He loves us so much that He gave His life for us. He wants us to be near – but not with open sin in our lives. We repent, coming to the Cross. One of my favorite Scriptures is in:

1 John 1:6-9 (KJV) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We wash ourselves by turning from the world, and toward the God Who loves us. The Blood of Jesus Christ CLEANSES us – God CLEANSES us. We agree with God about our sin.

We Not Only Wash Ourselves, But We ‘Purify Our Hearts’ By The Word Of God

James 4:8 (KJV) … purify your hearts, ye double minded.

How do we “PURIFY OUR HEARTS”. We focus on what God has said in His Word. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 119:50 (KJV) … Thy Word hath quickened me.

Psalm 119:11 (KJV) Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

It is so sad that the average American spends 6 hours and 38 minutes per day online and watching television. If you live to 80 years old you will spend 17 years of your life feeding the fleshly mind.

You cannot draw near to God if you clothe yourselves with worldliness. You cannot defeat the enemy if you allow your hearts to be filled with Satan’s propaganda, but enjoy little of God’s Word.

We must turn from the word of man, and turn toward the Word of God.

The Apostle wrote in Romans 13:11-12 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Feed your soul the Word of God. Read the Book. Pray the Book. Take God’s Word at face value. We prove we believe God’s Word by how we act on it. Whether the world agrees or not, we who are Christ’s submit to God, not to the world or the devil.

James 4:7, 10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

When you submit and humble yourself to God and His Word, the devil cannot stay. The Bible says “Greater is HE Who is in you, than HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD” (1 John 4:4). The enemy can be defeated, and must be defeated.

A little girl was in Church, drawing as the Pastor preached. Her mother leaned over and whispered, “What are you drawing?”. The little girl said, “A picture of God”. Her mama whispered, “Honey, nobody knows what God looks like!” The child stopped drawing, looked up and whispered, “They will when I finish drawing His picture”.

Draw near to God. Draw near to His Word. Reject sin, reject Satan. Repent, and God will destroy the enemy in your lives. Amen.

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Lips For The Lord

Posted on May 23, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Nsey Benajah on Unsplash

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

The Heart Drives The Lips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Gives Us The Poor For A Reason

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To whom was the Gospel given? Jesus said:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Children And Grandchildren Are A Blessing From God

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

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

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

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

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

the GLORY of children are their fathers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Children’s children are the CROWN of old men

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

Good Rulers Speak Truth

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

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

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

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

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

Excellent speech becometh not a fool

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amen!

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Products Of Grace

Posted on May 20, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Photo by Kellen Riggin on Unsplash

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

The Christian Is A Product Of Grace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beloved, you REPENT. Salvation is:

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

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

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

God Saved You – You Didn’t Save Yourself

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The only “His Holiness” Is God in Christ!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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God Calls Us To Righteousness

Posted on May 20, 2025 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Akshay Patel on Unsplash

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

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

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

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

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

This is what brings destruction. Back to our proverbs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

an house full of SACRIFICES with STRIFE

is an anomaly.

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

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

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

It was the Amish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The saved are to serve!

God Fine Tunes His People Through Trials

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 15:4-5 (KJV) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

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