“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with
such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I
will not fear what man shall do unto me.”— Heb. 13:5-6
When you turn to the Lord, He saves you and is with you always. His Holy Spirit is in you.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because
greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”— 1 John 4:4
We do not need to be concerned with living to gather riches, or
desiring to what others have or to be as they are. That is our flesh
talking. That is demons whispering.
We can be happy with the things the Lord has provided us, because He
is with us and will take care of us. There is nothing anyone can do to
us. God will find a way. He will make a way where none exists.
God’s way is perfect, and He has perfect timing. Trust Him.
It’s not about looking good for mankind, with the silly notions of what is valuable.
The streets of Paradise are paved with gold. The true wealth are
those things of the spirit. The people you lead to the Lord. The love
you show. The people you help. The Kingdom you build, and the time spent
with the Lord, learning of His ways.
The rest is chaff, useless waste, burned up in the fire.
God is with us. we have a relationship with Him and have no need to
fear. Just “ask, and it shall be given unto you. Seek, and ye shall
find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.”— Matt. 7:7-11
James said “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
God is with us and will never forsake us. He will not help us destroy
ourselves. But, we can trust that He hears and will help us with
whatever we need.
I have seen God answer so many prayers. He has taken care of me. When
I remember the great things He has done in the past it reminds me that
He is with me and will take care of me again. It builds faith.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”— Phil.4:6-7
We thank God in our prayers because our faith leads us to believe He is with us and hears us and is moving. We trust His Word.
He is with me. We have a relationship.
And I am with Him.
I died with Him, and was buried to self, and the flesh, and this
world. To be raised into new life with Him. Born again. (Rom. 6:4, John
3)
And I walk with Him in the Spirit, which is the relationship.
To hear on that last day, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”— Matt. 25
Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from Southern Illinois.
It uses the word charity, which can be described as love in action. (1 Cor. chapter 13)
But there is a charity, that is condescending. A charity that places
one party in a position of superiority over another. This is not real
charity or love.
Love does not think evil of someone. We take those thoughts captive
and bring them under control and force ourselves to love.(1 Cor. 13:5, 2
Cor. 10:5)
This is not easy. It’s part of our battle between flesh and spirit.
We fail, and we confess, and we move on. Praying for help and trying to
do better next time.
But, what if we do not even realize we are doing wrong?
We give and we love, but we don’t see that we act like we are better than other people.
Do we think, “I’m able to help you because I obey the rules and you
don’t. That’s why you’re in a sorry state.” when we help someone? Do we
think they are poor or needy because God is punishing them? But, we are
wealthy because we are good?
I can tell you from experience, that when I joined a church, I was
given charity. People helped me and I felt that they loved me. I
appreciate the help.
But, it quickly dissolved into the charity I described above. I was not a well churched person. I had a lot of faults.
“Well churched” is a term used for people who have gone to church
enough to know all the little rules that the Bible says nothing about.”
Things like manners, and etiquette and all of that.
I wasn’t knowledgeable of the little intricacies of church decorum. I
was rough. I laughed at inappropriate things. I talked about
inappropriate things. And the word spread that I was not a good enough
Christian because of some sin I knew nothing about.
I had a background that was not Christian. I was not forgiven for it, by many.
So, people who had shone me charity and love started to back off. The
people who always ran to shake my hand and pretend to be my friend
quit.
You can tell when you no longer get invited to anything. When you
become a second class citizen. When you’re not part of the “in” crowd
and you’re never asked or nominated to serve or be a part of anything.
You’re not really one of them. And you have to wonder if you ever really was.
I’m not talking about Salvation. God calls us and accepts us and loves us and works on us and with us. He calls us friend.
But, sometimes his servants do not. They shake your hand, then betray
you. They ask you about your views, then twist them and use them to
destroy you later. Because being superior to you is more important to
them, than actually loving you.
James speaks of this when he says ” My brethren, have not the faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly
apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have
respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou
here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit
here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are
become judges of evil thoughts?”—(Jas. 2:1-4)
How many people have been driven away from God, because of this fake
charity in church? How many people have been treated like they don’t
belong when they got saved and joined a church?
I know it has impacted my life.
To hear sermons on love, and then be treated like an outsider.
And there’s always excuses as to why it happens, or blame is laid on
all kinds of things. But when this treatment happens over and over
again, and not only to you, but to lots of other people. It becomes
obvious that they do not really love you. You are not imagining it. They
have placed you under their footstool to serve them. They have made you
to be another number on Sunday morning, so they can think they are
growing.
As believers, we are called to “judge ourselves lest we be judged
with the world.” Not make excuses for feeling superior to other sinners.
We are just saved. Not better.
So, what’s our answer to this?
Our answer is to overcome evil with good. Sometimes things happen to
us so we can do better and change things. We see fake Christians so we
can understand what it looks like and avoid becoming one.
That sort of condescending charity is not from Jesus. It’s not from
the Spirit. It’s fleshly. It’s man-made works. Anyone can do it.
If you decide to be a friend, then be a friend, or don’t even start.
We are not required to be friends with everyone. But we ARE called to
love them. If you choose to be friends, then don’t be backstabbing once
you see the ugly in a person. Because YOU, have ugly too, and Jesus died
for you anyway. God calls you friend despite your sin, if you really
know Him.
These last days are moving along, and judgement is coming. Turn to
God. Ask Him to show you your sin so you can confess it, and work on it.
Do not find yourself as a virgin, without oil in their lamp because
they never really knew Christ, and did not grow in faith with Him.
When we study the scriptures on a subject, we go by what the entire
Word says, based upon the guiding of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
will lead us into ALL truth. That’s how it works. (John 16:13, Jas 1:5)
We are surrounded by lots of false teachings, and it is going to get
worse as the last days move forward. This is why being taught by the
Holy Spirit is most important. (1 John 2:27)
Hell and/or the Lake of Fire according to scripture seems to be two
different places. There is a current holding place called Hell, and a
final destination which is the Lake of Fire.
Why two? Because after all is said and done there will be a final
judgement, and at some point God will create a new Heaven and new Earth.
Hell seems to be the containment for this current creation, and the
Lake of Fire is the containment for eternity, after the last judgement
and new creation.
The current containment of Hell along with death will be cast into the Lake of Fire, so nothing escapes. (Rev. 20:14)
This containment system seems to have been created for Satan and his angels.
At some point in the distant past, when Satan fell and led a
rebellion against God, which included angels and all sort of spiritual
beings, God created or “prepared” it for them. (Matt. 25:41)
According to scripture, Satan and his angels are not currently bound
in Hell. We have verses showing Satan visiting God’s throne room in
Heaven and the angels battling each other. We also have verses speaking
of the demonic forces ruling and influencing things on Earth. (The book
of Job, The book of Zechariah, 2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2, Rev. 20:1-3, Dan.
10 )
There are also scriptures that show that some fallen angels or beings
are bound in other places. We see that there is a place called the
Bottomless Pit. So, it seems that the true spiritual cosmology, involves
more than Heaven, Hell and Earth. The Bible doesn’t give us a lot of
info on these places and on the cosmology. I have my beliefs on them,
but let’s stick to Hell. (Rev. 20:1-3, Rev. 9:14)
Hell is eternal death. Death is separation, not an end as we suppose.
Hell/Lake of Fire is a place that is separated from God for all
eternity. It is a holding place for all that is filthy, corrupt and
wicked. It is a place for those who refuse to be washed clean of Sin and
Evil in the Blood of Jesus. Hell exists as a containment for Sin. It is
like a plague that corrupts us. God cannot let Sin into Heaven or
Paradise, or else death and pain and suffering would contaminate all of
eternity. (Rev. 1:5, Rev. 7:14, 1 John 1:7, Eph 2:13, Heb. 10:19)
Hell is best viewed as the garbage dump outside of an ancient walled city. This image gives the best picture.
Hell/The Lake of Fire is the garbage dump outside the City of God. Outside of Paradise.
When you read in the Old Testament about lepers. This is a picture of
the unsaved in Hell. They were living corpses rotting away and
stinking. They were contagious, and had to stay away from others. They
were forced to cover their face and yell “Unclean!” any time an
uninfected person approached. (Lev. 13:45) Separation.
They were poor, and no one helped them much. They dwelt in the
garbage dump because they could get scraps, and scavenge things thrown
away, and people would leave stuff for them.
The dump stinks. It is where the dogs dwelt eating scraps and
fighting lepers. It’s the same in Hell/Lake of Fire (Revelation 22:15)
(Dogs in the ancient world were vermin and tormentors. They were
scavengers and thieves, who roamed in packs and might even attack a
child, or solitary person. It is not the view we have of family pets.
Course those family pets can turn feral.)
Jesus described Hell as a place where “the fire is not quenched and
the worm dieth not.” He was quoting Isaiah. (Isa 66:22-24, Mark 9)
The fires of trash burning with filthy smoke, choking the lungs and
blocking the light. A place of darkness and misery, without the love and
joy and peace of God. A place where the worms live forever eating the
flesh, filth and corruption. (Matt. 25:30)
This is the basic picture of Hell. A garbage dump separated from God and all that is clean.
Jesus gives us a parable of the torment of Hell. He speaks of the
poor man Lazarus who basically was a homeless man who lived outside a
nameless rich man’s gate. The rich man ignored Lazarus. He could have
loved Him and helped Him. If the rich man really knew God, he would have
done what He could do to help the homeless man. But, He did not. (Luke
16)
Both of them die.
The rich man is in Hell. Again, not because he could earn His way
into heaven by doing good deeds, but because He never knew God. He never
had a relationship with God. If He had, then He would have had
compassion. He would have felt conviction to help Lazarus.
The rich man is thirsty in Hell and and says “Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
There is no water in Hell, it’s hot. He sees Lazarus in
Heaven/Paradise leaning against Abraham’s chest, and makes this request.
(There are teachings about Abraham’s Bosom and all of that, which the
Bible doesn’t really teach. In this parable it is clear that Lazarus is
leaning against Abraham the person, because Abraham speaks. It is not a
place. Locations do not speak. Any doctrines on a place called Abraham’s
Bosom are actually referring to Paradise or Heaven. The place of the
the righteous dead, where the saints go to be with the Lord, and the
other members of their family and saints who were saved as well. Abraham
and all the saints are there. The phrase “Abraham’s Bosom” is actually
poetic language for Heaven/Paradise.)
Abraham tells the rich man that Lazarus cannot give him a drink
because there is a gulf between Hell and Paradise. They can see each
other, but cannot go there. Again separation and containment. Many
ancient cultures had a similar cosmology, because it is true. God told
Adam, and the truth went to Noah, and was taught to the people. Then it
was confused at the Tower of Babel, when people scattered globally with
different languages and different names for past events. But, the basic
idea remains. Because it’s true.
The rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his family, so they
won’t go to Hell. But, Abraham says “They have Moses and the prophets;
let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went
unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they
hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though
one rose from the dead.”
Abraham basically says, “They have God’s Word.” But, the rich man
knows his family won’t read it or learn of it. He assumes his family
would be shocked into turning to God if Lazarus rose from the dead.
But, Abraham says, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Basically, if they won’t believe the Word, they won’t believe anything, even if someone rose from the dead.
In case you missed it, this is a reference to Jesus rising from the
dead; and people still refuse to believe. Just to be clear, a man named
Lazarus also rose from the dead, and people still refused to believe.
(John 11, John 20)
So, that is Hell. But, what about the Lake of Fire?
In my best understanding, Hell is a current spiritual place in the
cosmology. It rests separated by a gulf from Heaven/Paradise. (Luke
23:43, 2 Cor. 12:4, Rev. 2:7)
It is Spiritual. It is out there beyond the veil that separates us from spiritual things.
But, the Lake of Fire is material. It exists in the material world forever.
It seems that at some point, God creates a new heaven and new earth.
The city of God, and Paradise itself seems to come to Earth and joins
with Earth. There is no more Separation. Sin has been contained. Death
has been defeated. Everything is created new and seems to go back to how
it was before the fall of man and the rebellion of Satan. (Heb. 11;16,
Isa 65:17, Isa 66, Rev. 21, Rev. 22 )
The Lake of Fire is a place on Earth at this future time. A material
location, not a spiritual one. It rests outside the City of God. It is
the garbage dump, and containment place for everything and everyone who
refused to washed in the Blood and be cleansed and healed of the Plague
of Sin. Understand that sometime before the final judgement everyone who
is dead will be raised into bodies that can never die. The dead
currently have spiritual bodies. These future bodies will allow us to
either live forever in Paradise, or live forever in Hell/Lake of Fire.
(Rev. 20:12)
Why do I say this? Because it’s what God says, “For as
the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain
before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And
it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one
sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the
Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men
that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither
shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all
flesh.” (Isa 66:22-24)
After God creates a new heaven and new earth. When His city comes to
Earth and Paradise is here. The saints who the Lord has saved, will
gather together on a regular basis to worship God. And part of that
celebration, or after the worship service; people will be able to go out
and look at the Lake of Fire and see Satan, His angels, and those who
followed them in the Lake of Fire.
Now, a Lake of Fire implies liquid fire. So, I personally believe
that it is like a volcano or magma. The City of God and Paradise Earth
is near enough to see it, but there is a separation or gulf. People will
come from all over the new Earth to worship, and see it.
So, let me tell you that our words and current understanding cannot
really explain this. There are gaps in what the scriptures say and our
ability to explain it. We have tried to give a time line. But, from what
I can tell, no timeline or explanation of the events to come is totally
perfect.
We are not supposed to “Intrude into things we have not seen.” (Col. 2:18)
That means that as humans who have never traveled to spiritual
realms, or seen glimpses of the future new creation, we can only give
limited knowledge and understanding.
I’ve tried to connect some dots. and clear things up in order to get
people to understand and get saved or have a hope of the future. I am
not going to say I have it all figured out in such a way that I can
teach it or prove it. I don’t.
This is a simple explanation of what I have learned so far. I hope it helps you in your studies.
“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”—Rom. 7:21
Romans chapter 7 explains to us the purpose of God’s Law.
It’s purpose is to reveal sin in us, so that it can be dealt with.
Paul describes the struggle between law and flesh. He says that when
he saw the law “Though shalt not covet” it was revealed that he had
covetousness in his life.
He sinfully wanted what others had. The law revealed this and since
he realized he had broken the law, he was slain by it. The law killed
him, because the punishment for sin is death. He died in God’s eyes the
moment he knew He had sinned. That’s the law.
But, he did not want to commit the sin. You can plug any sin into
this box. Paul used covetousness, but it could apply to any sin. It was
revealed to him that he sinned, and he was slain by it. He agreed with
the law, because it is good. So, he did not want this sin in his life
any more.
But, he discovered that he could not quit. The evil thoughts
continued. The lusting or fear or doubt or whatever sins continued in
his mind and heart; even though he did not want it anymore because he
saw it was wrong in the Word of God.
Now, God revealed to Him a massive truth that opened his eyes. A truth that many people miss.
If he did not want to do it any more, then it was not really him
doing it. He hated the sin, but yet still did it. He still thought the
thoughts and did the deeds. He could not escape.
This showed him that there was something wrong with him. That he had a
corrupted nature, beyond his control. Something in himself that he did
not want or desire. He hated the sin, but still did it anyway. Therefore
it was not him, but SIN in him.
This is important because when we think about obeying God’s law and
put burdens on ourselves and others; we ignore the truth that we cannot
obey it ourselves because of our corrupted nature. We are fallen. We are
plagued with sin from Adam.
Our sins we commit are like symptoms of a deeper plague in us.
We don’t see how wicked we are until the light of God’s Word reveals
it to us. Our flesh is totally corrupt and we are incapable of stopping
it, in such a way that is true. If we stop one thing, we sin somewhere
else. Trying to quit sinning is a torturous never ending hell, full of
fear that God is watching and wants to destroy you.
When we have a works based doctrine, that’s where we are. We believe
we must quit sinning, but we cannot. We want to please God, but fail
constantly.
But, the law actually is supposed to reveal that you cannot quit and
that it is not even really you committing the sins, it is something in
you. The corrupted nature.
God’s law is far more than just the ten commandments. We can’t even
obey the ten, let alone the rest. And don’t even start on the sins of
thoughts. The sins of omission. or sins of Pride, Doubt, Fear, and other
things we do, that we do not even realize we are doing.
The law reveals it. This is why the law is good, as Paul says.
It is like a mirror.
But, our response is to change. We cannot. It won’t work. A sinful being cannot change his sinful nature, he needs God to do it.
Now, ask yourself, why would God provide a means to have your sins covered through the sacrificial system?
Because He knows we cannot obey. He wants it. He demands it. But we
cannot, because of the corrupted nature in us from Adam. He knows this.
God is not ignorant of our sins and failures. We try to hide these
things and try to quit or deal with it ourselves but it doesn’t work. It
gets worse.
Have you ever seen a child who plays with magic markers? They color
themselves, they color the walls, they color everything. But, there
often comes a point where they realize they messed up. Sometimes they
realize it on their own (Spirit or Conscience), or sometimes it’s when
the parent reveals it to them (law).
The child tries to fix it and might get a wet rag to wash it with.
But it just smears it on themselves and the wall. They cannot fix it,
and it’s there before them all the time. They need an adult to help
them.
That is what happens with us. Even if a person doesn’t believe in God
or has some other belief system, it doesn’t matter. God created us and
this is what happens. This is what ALL religions deal with. This is why
people go to therapy or drink to escape.
This thing in us torments us, because we know we are wrong and cannot
get right. We try to fix it by fleshly means because that is all we
know. But, it won’t work for eternity. It is a fleshly band aid at best,
or makes things worse.
Look at Adam and Eve. When they fell from God, they saw they were
naked and tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. That is religion,
and every other thing we do to fix our problem in us. It’s nothing but
fig leaves.
But, God showed up and revealed the sin in them and fixed it Himself. That’s Jesus.
We cannot fix it ourselves.
Paul says “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”—Rom. 7:24.
In the very next verse He thanks God.
“I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
He thanks God that the law has revealed to him that there is
something wrong, and it is not him doing it. He serves God, but there is
also the corrupted nature and he realizes that it is not him that does
it but sin in him.
The very next verse is Romans 8:1, a new chapter and he reveals why he is thankful.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
He reveals the solution. God came in the flesh to die for us, because
of our sins and corrupted nature. He washes us clean in the Blood of
Jesus when we turn to Him.
Our eyes are opened to the truth and we believe it. We turn to God,
and ask Him to save us, confessing Jesus is the Lord, and we make Him
our Lord.
God washes us clean of all sin. Past, present and future. He fills us
with His Holy Spirit, and we grow in relationship with Him. We are no
longer condemned. We are friends of God. We are righteous. Not because
of what we do or don’t do. But, because of what Jesus did for us.
Our growth in Christ works to reveal and purge the things that we do
in the flesh, as we confess our sins to Him. But, it is Him that does
the work in us, not us. Even in our saved state, if we get in the habit
of living a life trying to not sin, we are not really living in faith
that Jesus has washed us. We think we must obey and do it ourselves. We
forget that we cannot. This is why Paul says there is power in weakness.
We admit our failure and give it to God and let Him do it.
If we go a few verses more in Romans chapter 8 we see this struggle
continues in us even though we are saved. The flesh battles with the
Spirit. We walk in the Spirit, by abiding in Christ, growing the
relationship, turning to Him and confessing our sins, being in prayer,
loving God and others. We realize that the sinful nature is not us
anymore. We are dead to it. We died with Christ and rose with Him to new
life. Those fleshly things no longer impact our spirit or salvation.
They can cause trouble in this world, by opening the doors for demonic
forces to attack us, but not our souls. Not our eternal spirits.
Here’s the verses
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do
mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.”
It’s about knowing Him, and He works to heal us and change us.
Walking in the Spirit is walking with Him. It is letting Him take
care of it. because if we try to do it ourselves, or ignore it, we are
walking in the flesh, and that leads to death.
What is death? Death is separation. It is not an end, as we suppose.
When someone dies, they do not end, they are separated from us and from
this fleshly world, and that body of flesh stays behind.
Eternal death is also separation. Nothing really dies or ends. it
just changes form and continues on. We will all get a spiritual body
that can never die. A vessel for our souls and spirits to dwell forever.
But, if we are not washed, that spiritual body will become corrupted
by the corrupted soul, and dead spirit. It must then be separated to
another place where nothing good dwells, because all good things are
wrapped up in God. God is love. There is no love in separation. There is
not love in that quarantine place of separation called Hell and the
Lake of Fire. It is darkness and no light. It is separation from God.
If God allowed the corrupted nature into Paradise or Heaven, then all
of eternity would be full of pain and evil just like this world.
Separation occurs to protect God’s eternal kingdom and creation.
If we know Him we shall be with Him forever in Paradise. That’s the promise. Just like He told the thief on the cross.
All we have to do is turn to Him and ask, and believe. He will take
care of the rest. We cannot change ourselves, He will do it, if we trust
Him. And that is the difficulty of walking in the Spirit. Trusting and
believing He’s got you. It builds patience. It builds meekness. We
submit to Him and grow. Not by works, lest any should boast.
For the past week meteorologists have been warning about a coming
winter storm. It’s freezing rain and snow will cause problems, they say.
And folks believe them. They stock up on bread and milk. They buy icy
melt. They break out the snow gear and the shovels. They check on
family. They stay home to keep roads clear and safe. They close
businesses to keep people safe.
Because they believe what they are told.
The Word of God tells us that there will come a time in the future when the world will face great trouble.
The Word tells us that we will face trouble in our own lives.
The Word tells us that we will face death someday.
A storm is coming.
Are we going to believe it? Are you prepared?
When an ice storm is coming, we listen to the experts. We listen to
the people who have seen it before, and we rest in the experiences we
have had in the past. This helps us to prepare for the coming storm.
Likewise, we can turn to God to save us and see us through the future
storms of life and death. He can save us for eternity. We can trust
Him. We can trust His Word.
When we believe the warnings of the ice storm we respond.
When we believe the Word of God we can respond also.
Belief leads to response. Faith leads to action.
Jesus told the paraplegic man to take up his bed and walk. (John 5)
But, what if the man had not done it. Would he have been healed?
He was healed because He believed and responded to the Word given him.
We are told “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”—
Rom. 10:9-10
When we read this verse do we believe it? Or do we doubt?
Do we say “Yeah but there has to be more to it than that. How can a
person just say some magic words and get saved? Don’t they have to love
God and obey Gods law?”
We make up all kinds of excuses because we cannot believe the simplicity of salvation and the love of God.
Satan is more than happy to give us excuses to get us to doubt God’s
goodness and Word. It’s the same thing He did to Eve in the Garden.
(Gen.3)
Our belief leads to a response. The response is to turn to God
(repent) and confess Jesus is the Lord and He is our Lord, and believe
that He rose from the dead. Which is believing the Word we have been
given.
Do you believe it? Do you believe He died for you, and rose from the dead? Do you believe He is God?
Yeah but… “Faith without works is dead.” Some will say. — (James 2)
Belief or faith requires a response, and the response is confessing
Jesus as our Lord. Confessing is a work. Baptism is a work. Communion is
a work.
What did the thief on the cross do?
He confessed Jesus as Lord, then he told the other thief about Jesus.
That’s it. And Jesus said “Today you will be with me in Paradise”–Luke 23
Likewise, when we confess Jesus as Lord, and tell others about Him, we will be with Him in Paradise, when we die or He returns.
That’s it. Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”—Matt.
10:32
We confess because we believe. Belief leads to a response.
God’s grace and our belief and confession is how we are saved. That
salvation leads to a relationship with God as we see Him moving in our
life. Our faith and belief grows in Him.
We trust that He forgives us. We trust that He is with us and will
never leave us. We trust that He loves and cares for us and will take
care of us, and we see Him moving and doing it. This leads to praise and
thanksgiving which helps grow the relationship, faith and trust.
That is belief. That is faith. Our response is to confess Him as
Lord, love others and build the kingdom. We are saved and healed so we
lead others to be saved and healed in Jesus name.
But, there’s a storm coming.
Storms in our lives and in the world.
Trouble comes, and we can turn to Him and He will move. Stand on the
promises of God in His Word. Trust Him. And when you see Him move it
will build your faith and relationship.
But, the coming storm will be of darkness without hope. Some say believers will escape,
but that has not been proven. God will be with us through the storm.
Just like He was with the disciples on the boat, and with Israel through
the plagues.—(Luke 8, Exodus)
He will be with us as this world gets worse and worse. As terrible things fall upon the Earth preparing for Christ’s return.
Do you believe it? Are you preparing for the times of trouble and His
return? Are you getting people saved, and preparing your own self?
The scriptures are clear that when He returns there will be church
people who thought they were saved but were not. People who prayed a
prayer, or people who sat in church every week. But, never believed.
They never really confessed Him as Lord. They never fully trusted Him to
save them but instead trusted their own works. They never had a
relationship with Him.
The storm is coming.
But, many do not believe.
These false brethren will fall away when the trouble comes. They will say “Where is the promise of His coming.”. They will wonder why He has delayed His return. —(2 Peter 3:4, Luke 12:45-46)
Then, they will form the apostate church and help the Anti-Christ
persecute the saints. They will beat the men servants and maid servants.
They will go back to living for the world. They will be like Judas the
betrayer. —(Luke 12:45-46, Rev. 6, Matt. 24, )
And when He returns they will be foolish virgins without oil. (Matt. 25)
They will have taken the gifts and talents and salvation the Lord
gave them, and buried it in the sand instead of responding in belief and
serving the Lord. (Matt. 25)
They will stand before Him saying “when did we see you naked?”
Because they never believed and turned and let the Holy Spirit lead them
to serve others and love people and help them. (Matt. 25)
They will not be clothed in the wedding garment because they never knew the King. (Matt. 22)
They never had a relationship with Him or confessed Him as Lord.
They just went to church every week, judged others, and tried to obey rules.
And He said “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
The storm is coming. Do you really know Him.
Can you trust Him when they are killing your church? Can you trust
Him when they threaten to fire you from your job if you won’t take the Mark of the Beast?
Can you trust Him, when people who call themselves Christians lie to
you, attack you, betray you and destroy your life, or lead you to death?
Can you trust Him when you face homelessness and starvation? or will
you turn back like Lot’s wife, desiring the comforts of the world?.
(Gen. 19)
The storm is coming, the Word says.
Turn to Him,
and ask Him to save you. Confess Jesus as your Lord. Believe He rose
from the dead. Believe the Word, given to you. Tell others about Jesus,
building the kingdom.
The Holy Spirit will come and teach you and lead you into all truth. (1 John 2:27)
And you will know Him and have a relationship with Him.
And when the storm comes you will be safe in the Ark, that is His salvation and care.
When the waters rise and beat upon you, you will stand firm because
you’ve built your house on the Rock of Jesus Christ, who is the living
Word. Not on the sand of your own works and power. (Matt.7)
As Saints we need to understand the Word, and the work we are called to do.
We need to understand the world around us and what is going on in our lives, and the lives of people we are in contact with.
Why do we sin?
Why do we have difficult lives?
The reason is because Adam chose to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, after being warned not to.
This brought death into the world. It caused humans to have a
corrupted nature. It allowed Satan to take dominion of this world from
Adam.
That is why we sin. That is why we die. and that is why there is a power that seems to rule over this world.
But, God did not leave us like that.
He came and brought a curse, “for our sake”. (Gen. 3 KJV)
The curse did not bring death or sin or Satan, those things already
existed because of the fall. And God does not cause us to sin. That is
not His character.
We commit sins because of what is in us from the fall. Our corrupted
nature. This is important to understand. It’s like the symptoms of a
spiritual plague. The plague of Sin.
God laid down His curse not as a punishment but as a tool to cause us to turn to Him and be saved. He is our only Hope.
He created the woman to be a helper to the man. So, the curse plays
on her desire to help and nurture. It causes her to seek God for
salvation and help, through her desire for family. She needs help and
God is the only help.
The man is not cursed. But, the earth is cursed, so that no matter
what he does, it only brings forth thorns and thistles. His hard work,
is supposed to cause him to turn to God for salvation and help.
This is literally true. But, there is a symbolic truth involved, because thorns and thistles are symbols of sin.
It means that all his works are sin. It means that no matter how hard
he tries he cannot produce good. This symbolism is supposed to teach us
that there is nothing we can do to fix ourselves, only Christ can do
that.
Everything around us are symbols of the truth of God. Every aspect of reality is interwoven with the truth of His Word.
So, let’s look at more thorns and thistles.
Paul says that Jesus Christ was made sin for us. (2 Cor. 5:21)
God made a sinless Christ into sin for us and nailed it to the cross.
He nailed Sin itself to the cross.
Notice how Jesus was given a crown of thorns and a robe of scarlet. (Matthew 27:27-30)
These are the symbols showing He was made sin for us.
Sin and it’s power over us has been destroyed on the cross if we turn
to Him. If we ask Him to save us and confess Him as our Lord. (Rom
10:9-10)
That doesn’t mean we don’t sin. Remember every work we do is filthy rags. It is all sin, unless we do it through and in Him.
And when we sin we confess our sins to Him and He is faithful and just to cleanse us of ALL sin. (1 John 1:8-10)
But, ALL of our sin is gone in Him. It is as though we had never
sinned at all. Christ’s blood washes us clean. So, clean that we do not
sin, even in the midst of our sin. It is not held to our account.
But, have we really turned to Him? Do we really know Him?
That is important.
In these last days we need to make sure we are in Christ. He is our Ark for salvation.
The scriptures teach that there will be people who think they are
saved, because they are relying on their own works, instead of the
finished work of Christ.
Are we relying totally on Him, or are we trying to do things ourselves, and only producing thorns and thistles?
Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?”— (Matt. 7)
The fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, and temperance, do not come from the flesh. They come
from the Holy Spirit in us and working in us. Our fleshly works only
produce thorns and thistles.
Are you growing in the Spirit? Are you producing good fruits? Are the
people you seek to follow as leaders really producing good fruits?
The narrow way that leads to life is Jesus Christ and Him alone for
salvation. It is not by works. It is not by flesh which produces thorns
and thistles. It is not because you quit sinning. You cannot quit
sinning, its all thorns and thistles without Christ.
Jesus tells us of the Sower in Matthew 13.
The Word of God goes forth into the World.
Some people become quickly deceived by Satan and demonic forces and cannot understand the Word, or refuse to receive it.
Others hear it, and are overjoyed that God will forgive them of sins
and work in their life. But, trouble comes and people make fun of them
or persecute them. So, they turn away from God. They never knew Him.
They had no root, in Him.
Some people hear the Word, but thorns and thistles choke it out. They
let the problems of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke
out the Word. They never turned to God and let Him save them. The sin
and flesh in their life overpowered the Word. They relied on their own
works and wealth to save them.
But, when we are willing to let God work, and give ourselves to Him.
When we are broken enough, like good soil prepared for the Word. We can
turn to God and be saved. Growing in Him.
God keeps coming. His Word is everywhere. He does not just try one
time and you are done. He keeps working to save us till we are dead.
We might be hard hearted, but over time He breaks us and softens us
so that we can hear Him speak and accept Him. Then, His Word grows in us
a mighty Oak, that thorns cannot stop. God works to prepare the soil of
our heart to receive Him. We cannot.
Never stop turning to God. Never stop relying on Him alone for salvation, not by our works but by His grace and goodness.
By His Holy Spirit working in us, we can produce fruit, instead of the thorns and thistles of the flesh.
The Word speaks that in these last days there will fall away great
numbers of Christians who never really knew Him. They will beat the men
servants and maid servants. They will give in to persecution and have no
root in God. They will have no oil of faith in the their lamp, when He
comes. They will be rejected. (2 Thess. 2:3, Matt. 25, Luke 12:45,)
The sign of Christ in you is not that you work to quit sinning.
It’s not that you pretend to be sinless, and go to your church every time the doors are open.
The sign is that you confess that Jesus came in the flesh, and confess Him as Lord. (1 John 4:1-3, 1 Cor. 12:1-3, Rom. 10:9-10)
The sign is that you love God and love others. (Matthew 22:36-40)
The sign is that you believe the Word. And you believe it so much
that you become a fool for Christ. You believe things that this world
rejects, and that makes us fools. (Rom.4:3, 1 Cor. 3:18-23)
The sign is that you believe so much that you do not want people to
suffer or perish. If you really believed you would be telling people
about the great things God has done for you and them. You would be
getting the Gospel out. (2 Peter 3:9, Matthew 10:32-33, Luke 8:38-39)
The sign is that you want to help people because you love them. You
want to go feed the poor, and clothe the naked. You want to visit the
prisoner and comfort the sick. You want to set the slaves free. (Matt. 25:31-46)
The sign is that you desire a relationship with Him, and things are
removed in your life that distract you from that relationship. You watch
for Him and grow in Him and will bear fruit. (John 15)
The sign is that you take all the bad that has happened to you, and
you turn it around for good. You use it to grow and to help others
overcome. You don’t bury it in the soil. (Matt. 25:1-30)
You use the gift God has given you to save and help others. You don’t
wrap it in a napkin and keep it in your pocket. (Matt. 25:1-30, Luke
19:12-27)
The sign of Christ in you is a focus and an urgency to build the
Kingdom. To seek His face. To let Him guide you and abide with Him.
(Matt. 6:3, Proverbs 3:5-8)
You endure hardness. Your endure molding as a potter molds clay. You
endure refining like a smith removing the dross from the silver and
gold. ( 2 Timothy 2:3, Jeremiah 18:1-6, Malachi 3:1-4)
And because of this, you won’t have the desire or time to sin.
But, you will sin. We all sin. If you say you don’t sin, then you lie
and Christ is not in you. When we sin we confess it to Him daily, and
He washes our feet. He cleanses us of all unrighteousness and works to
help us to overcome. And to Him, it is as though we never sinned.
Period. (1 John 1:5-10, 1 John 3:9, Psalm 103:12)
We do not sin because He does not hold it against us. When God says something doesn’t exist. It is gone.
He overcame Sin. He overcame Satan. He overcame Death. (John 16:33)
It’s all gone. That’s a fact. We are over comers in Him. (1 John 4:4)
Our faith grows in Him. As we know Him. Our lamps are full of the oil of faith because we have seen Him moving in our lives. (Matt. 25:1-13)
If you spend your life focusing on not sinning, your focus is on yourself. Not Christ.
Just let it go. Let Him remove what He sees fit. Let Him break you
and remold you. Trust Him. You will see yourself, sinning less. It will
just happen, as you focus on Him and let Him work. Remember, it’s about
you and Him. It’s not about what others think. (John 21:21-22)
What is written above is hard. But, its also easy because you cannot
do it. You just turn to Him and let Him do it. It’s not a checklist of
things you do. It’s a relationship that grows in you and you gradually
see yourself doing more of these things. Remember, dead things do not
grow. Are you growing in Christ, or are you dead?
This life is but a breath. This world passes away. Just turn your focus to Him.
He has overcome the world. He is eternal. And He is in you.
In order to understand the Gospel. We must accept God's power and
authority. God has awesome power and can save whoever He wants. However
He wants.
1. God calls us. No one is saved without
first being called by Him. If you are saved. Then you are called. God
calls everyone. If you are reading this, then you are being called. God
uses many methods to call us and draw us to Himself. He might call us many
times in life. He calls everyone.
God speaks into our mind and hearts. When He calls we hear it and we know it's Him. We can either accept or reject.
We
might not understand. We might not want to hear Him. We might put it
off, or reject, but we cannot say He didn't call, and we didn't hear. He
is God. He knows. Be real.
But what about the
guy in the jungle somewhere? Yes. God has called him somehow, and he
has heard. Perhaps he looked at a starry night and thought someone made
this, and God spoke to him and said "I made it" and the man believed and
wanted to know more.
Whether he accepted or not is between him and God. Not all saved people will look like you.
God is working. Trust Him.
2.
Belief! A person hears the call and believes it's from God (
Full understanding is not required) and the person turns to God (repent)
God knows, God sees, God understands. Whether we do or not is
irrelevant.
The picture in the scriptures is
Jesus calling His disciples. He said, "come follow me" and they knew
they should listen and they followed. They did not know the cost. They
just heard and followed. Jesus did not require anything else.
Another
picture is the prodigal son. He "comes to himself" and goes home in
humility to the father, and the father comes running. The father
demanded nothing. When the son woke up, that is what happens when we
hear the call. We realize the Truth.
Another
picture is the thief on the cross. He was guilty. He knew it. He was one
step above death. And he realized who Jesus really was. He heard the
call in his heart and woke up. He called Jesus "Lord" and put his faith
in him. Nothing else.
Just turn to God and trust in Him. Be real with Him. Just ask.
3.
God will bring you to Jesus Christ. It might happen immediately or it
might happen later. But, God will show you that Jesus Christ is the
Lord. When we see it, we confess Jesus is the Lord and believe God
raised Him from the dead. ( Roman's 10:9-10)
When
you hear the call, then turn to God and confess Jesus is the Lord,
putting your faith in Him for salvation you are saved. You cannot lose
it or give it away. God holds it. He owns you. Your salvation is totally
on God. Not you.
4 What about works? Faith
without works is dead? Well, confessing Jesus is Lord with your mouth
is a work. And that's all God requires. Your faith and confession of
Christ.
When you get saved The Holy Spirit
comes to dwell in you and He teaches you. He grows you. He helps you in
your relationship with Jesus.
He leads you into
works. He leads you into Baptism which is a work.. He leads you into
Communion which is a work. He leads you into Fellowship with
other believers . He gives you a hunger to read God's Word..
The Holy Spirit helps you to Love God and others. He gives you a
ministry to serve God and others
5. Sin and sanctification. Notice I
said nothing about sin so far. Because before we are saved we do not really
know how fallen We are. We do not know how wicked we are. Sure we might
realize something is wrong. Or that we do things wrong. But we do not
fully know.
And we are not required to. God
knows. He calls us, and loves us anyway. He wants us to turn to Him and
confess Jesus is the Lord, so He can save us and cleanse us.
But
we are not required to understand all that. We might know we sin. We
might know we fail. We might know we need Him. But, we might not
understand. We just know He called us. And we need Him.
After we get saved. God washes us in the Blood of Christ. This cleanses us of all sin. Forever.
It is finished.
Then
as we walk through our lives, the Holy Spirit teaches us and grows us.
He molds us and shapes us and we become different people. We sin less
and less as He sanctifies us. But, we were already forgiven the day we
were saved.
When we sin we confess our sins to
God. This is a work. This brings it up between you and Him. And as you keep confessing
over time, the Lord changes your mind and heart and you find that you no
longer do those things. Confessing sin to God and growing and abiding in
Him is a work. But you were saved the minute you turned to Him.
It's all totally God. Not you. We are to turn, believe, confess and abide. All of which He helps us to do.
Praise Jesus. God does it. He has made it as simple as possible. We have no excuse.
-----
Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from
Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has
written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.
“Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing
ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of
the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of
strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that
are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.”— Heb. 5:11-14
God’s Word teaches us that there is a difference between milk and meat when it comes to our growth in Christ.
There comes a point when we have read the Word, over and over. When
we have sat in all the bible studies and read commentary books. When we
have heard all the sermons for years. There comes a point when we are
supposed to be ready to serve Christ.
There comes a point where we step into our gift and start using it
for the Kingdom. When Church is no longer about sitting in the same pew,
listening to the same music, and the same sermon series, from the same
guy who gives only milk to drink.
The burden is on both the leader and the church member to grow.
If all a church member ever gets from the pastor or preacher is milk, then how are they supposed to be ready to consume meat?
If the pastor never hears from the Holy Spirit, or even talks about
the Holy Spirit, then who is guiding this man? Who is giving him his
sermon notes? Does he get his ideas from other preachers in books who
never spoke of the Holy Spirit? Men who never spoke as unto the Oracles
of God themselves?
The preacher is to tell the flock what the Holy Spirit tells him to
preach. It’s not about what the preacher thinks. It’s not a scholarly
task. If he says “I was thinking about this”, he is glorifying himself.
He should be teaching what the Spirit has told him. If he can’t “Speak
as the Oracle of God” meaning that he is speaking what God has told him
to say, then he needs to go sit down. He is too afraid to acknowledge
that he heard from God, because certain members of his congregation
would label him as crazy or false. The congregation should never think
that hearing from God is crazy. We are supposed to converse with God,
and we are supposed to be crazy for Jesus. (1 Peter 4:11)
That
doesn’t mean that a preacher cannot express his own opinion or tell
what his own understanding of the Word is. There are lots of places
where that’s needed. But, his view point must really be from the Word
and the Holy Spirit.
The congregation gets the preacher they deserve. If they are not
ready for meat, then they get a preacher who never preaches meat, and
the congregation will not grow in Christ. If the congregation doesn’t
read the Word, or spend time in prayer or service, fighting the fight of
faith how can they be ready for meat?
If all they know is from Bible classes and sermon series, then they
are babes. They have never been broken or know Christ. They have never
really learned from Him. They are like baby birds sitting in a nest
eating regurgitated food from their parents.
Have you ever read the Word? Have you ever really studied it? Not
cherry picked sermon series, but actually read and studied the Word? If
your pastor started teaching false things, would you really know?
If you get enlightened things from your pastor, and you have never
read or studied the Word for yourself, how do you know you are not just
getting really good milk? How do you know that it’s not just a good
speech? Good speeches can elicit emotions as well. It doesn’t mean the
sermon is from God.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to speak of what Milk is.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us
go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms,
and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.”—Heb. 6:1-3
If you do not know the basic doctrines of Christ well enough to go
out and teach others and preach the Gospel, then you are still a babe.
Have you asked the Holy Spirit to teach you? Do you realize your
teaching comes through getting up and serving? Do you read the Word? Do
you have real faith in God? Do you only get your doctrines from one man
teaching milk?
Does your pastor feed you milk, because he wants to keep the flock in
the pen so he can fleece them of tithes? Perhaps, you’re not growing in
Christ because the leader you keep following doesn’t really know Him?
Is he too afraid to preach the meat of the Word because he doesn’t want
to upset the rich people of the church who pay his salary?
We are called to be soldiers in Christ. We are supposed to be serving
God. That means that our pastors, preachers and teachers are supposed
to be letting the Holy Spirit, speak through them for the purpose of
getting people saved and preparing them to go forth and fight the true
fight of faith. They should be leading and providing means for them to
really serve. Not just waiting on tables or doing tasks, but exercising
their gifts for real out in the world. Not just sitting on committees
and doing bible studies.
We are supposed to be telling people about Jesus. Not bringing them
to church so that someone else can tell them about Jesus. The time we
waste between inviting a person to church and them showing up, is the
time Satan draws them away. We are supposed to be prepared to give the
Gospel at the moment Jesus brings someone to us. Not force them to wait a
week to come to church and hope the preacher happens to give the Gospel
that week. Are you really ready to serve? Can you not present the
Gospel? If not, then are you really saved? Do you understand it enough
to really know it? (1 Peter 3:15)
We are supposed to be taught by the Holy Spirit, and listen to his
guidance as He leads us to serve and learn from teachers who really
speak the Word. ( 1 John 2:27, John 16:13)
But, are we “dull of hearing” because we are lazy and sitting in that
same old pew? We have been lulled into a stupor and need woken up? Like
the writer of Hebrews says “For when for the time ye ought to be
teachers, ye have need that one teach you again “
They
had fallen into false doctrine. They had never grown. They did not
really know Christ because they were never taught by Him. They had left
the basic doctrines.
This is why the writer goes on to say some of the most terrifying words in the scriptures.
“For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and
the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them
again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in
the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them
by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which
beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose
end is to be burned.”—Heb. 6:4-8
He is warning them. They had heard the Gospel. They had woken up with
joy. They had been partakers of the Holy Spirit’s work, and seen Him
move. But, they were still babes. They still consumed milk. They never
grew. This should be a red flag, that they never really got saved.
Since they never grew, they turned away into false things. They
turned from God and his salvation unto their own self-righteousness. You
must understand these are people who are sitting in the church reading
this letter.
They had turned away from the basic teachings of Christ. They had
turned to thinking they were saved by obeying the Law, and by doing good
works, instead of grace
by faith. This is why the writer speaks of relearning the basic
doctrines, when they should be teachers of it. Because they never really
got it.
These people did not lose their salvation,
they never really had it. They never really knew Christ. They just saw
the truth, but never really moved to accept it and become a part of it.
They just sat in their pews and ate the food, clapped to the music and
enjoyed the story telling from the pulpit. But, it never changed them.
It never led them to be saved. It never led them to grow in Christ.
These people are like the folks in the parable of the sower. The
tares among the wheat. They are birds in the tree, stealing the seed.
(Matthew 13)
They never really knew Him. The devil snatched the Word from their
heart. Persecutions and tribulations kept them from trusting God. The
flesh, the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches kept them
from really turning to God. They were never saved.
These folks are the foolish virgins. They are the ones who say “have we not done marvelous works in thy name?“.
They are the ones at the wedding feast in the wrong clothes, because
they never really put faith in God for salvation through Jesus Christ.
They trusted in their own works and their own name to save them. They
thought that living a life resisting temptation and not sinning was
knowing Christ. Ignoring the fact that Christ died for those sins, and
giving it all to Him and following Him. (Matthew 22, Matt 25)
They “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an
open shame” because they never really accepted the salvation from Jesus
the first time. They did not accept the salvation Jesus gave them. They
are like Moses who hit the Rock twice, because his flesh did not allow
him to realize that all he needed to do was speak to the Rock, and get
water. It was his work, he thought, that brought out salvation, not the
finished work of Christ. ( Exodus 17:1-7 ,Numbers 20:1-12, 1 Cor. 10:4 )
We confess our sins and He cleanses us and changes us. That’s the relationship. We don’t change ourselves. Sinners cannot change their own sinful ways, for all they do breeds more sin.
Do you know Him? Are you ready for meat? Are you following the Holy
Spirit? Are you serving in your gift from God? Are you fighting the
enemy, helping and serving others?
Or are you sitting in a pew for years, getting milk from someone who probably should not have been a preacher?
Ask God to save you and grow you.
Bio: Chris Bunton is a writer, poet and blogger from
Southern Illinois. He has published in several magazines, and has
written a poetry eBook called “Against the Man” and an Addiction Recovery eBook called “Made Free: Overcoming Addiction“ a collection of dystopian short stories.“The Future is Coming” and his latest book “The Latter Days‘ is a book on Bible Prophecy and avoiding the deceptions to come.
