YesToTheTruth: 2019

Sunday, December 22, 2019

How Do We Know That We Love God?

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

Luke 6:46
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?

Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 14:21
The one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.

1 John 2:3-6
3 And by this we know that we know Him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that says, I know Him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in Him. 6 He that says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome.

1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

Galatians 5:6
For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.

1 Jonh 4:20-21
20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 This commandment we have from Him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.

See also:

How Do You Love God with All Your Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength?

The Essence of Faith

Faith Implies Obedience

Bible Study on Sin

Freedom From Sin

Is Repentance Just a Change of Mind?

Suffer The Cross To Overcome Addictions

Love Out Of A Pure Heart (1 Timothy 1:5)

Total Dedication To God Versus The Sinless Perfection Straw Man Argument

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Romans 7:14-25 Bible Study

The teachings in Romans 6 are a foundation for the new converts the apostle Paul was writing to. He is giving instructions to these Roman believers in Romans 6.

However, in the Romans 7:14-25 passage, he is talking about his personal experience. And he did that to illustrate more clearly what he started talking about at the beginning of Romans 7, namely the believer's relationship with God's law. So, he started talking about the time of his relationship with the law, being married to it, not being dead to it and alive to Christ yet. Romans 7:14 tells us: I am of the flesh, sold into bondage to sin. That does not describe someone who has been saved. I will strengthen that point. But before going further, let's notice that it is already established that both Paul and the believers he is writing to have come into a relationship with Jesus, so they are saved:

Romans 7:4
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.

So, now let's visit Jesus' teaching about being in bondage to sin:
John 8:34-36
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Being sold into bondage to sin is being a slave of sin needing a deliverance from sin to be then "set free" from sin by the Son, the deliverer, e.g. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18).

Let's re-enter the Romans 7:14-25 section and see that in the state Paul is describing that he is, he is both admitting to a struggle that is fully caused by his "body" – his flesh that is ruling (and ruining) his life, and he is looking forward to a deliverance, which he did find in Jesus:
Romans 7:23-25
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 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.

So, up to the very end of Romans 7 he affirms that he is walking according to the flesh, the opposite of what comes in the very next verse (Romans 8:1, with the "therefore" that signals a conclusion). It's then definitely the new life in Christ Jesus spoken of in Romans 6:4, where he is no longer being led by the sinful passions of his flesh and thus no longer in bondage to sin:

Romans 8:1-2
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Romans 8:2 reality puts an end to the Romans 7:23 struggle. So, we have to go back now to Romans 6, the foundational teaching, to get how he became free in Christ and under no condemnation:

Romans 6:4-7
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (cf. Romans 8:2). 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

So, that foundation having already been laid down, the apostle Paul was talking about a prior time when he made the present tense statement "I am of the flesh, sold into bondage to sin" (Romans 7:14). That foundation goes to the root of sin which is the sinful desires of the flesh that people indulge in. They are put to death in Christ, or when one comes to Christ through a real repentance according to what the Bible teaches. The old man gets crucified or put to death in that repentance. These are other scriptures that reflect what's happening or speak of what must happen in or through it:

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 5:24
And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a person sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Romans 13:14
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Luke 9:23-24
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

John 12:24-25
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Colossians 3:1-11
1 If then you were raised with Christ [unlike the Romans 7:14-25 person], seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died (cf. Romans 6:4), and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth*: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

*Such exhortations as the above are necessary, because a person only needs to feed his/her flesh that should have been put to death in Christ, for it to come back alive and it will surely rule him/her life and drag him/her right back to bondage to sin worse than before (e.g. 2 Peter 2:20-22), which is then no longer freedom in Christ. The devil is always seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). That is what "losing salvation" would mean if salvation itself is understood as being set free from sin and walking on the narrow/difficult road to eternal life (Matthew 7:14), and not being stuck in a Romans 7:14-25 experience. So, Jesus also taught that a slave does not remain in the house forever (John 8:35), which is reflected in his do or die messages to five backslidden churches in Revelation 2 and 3. He gave them notice to be zealous and repent (e.g. Revelation 3:19) and warned them of the severe consequences of not cleaning up their act.

It is thus settled for me that in the Romans 7:14-25 account, the apostle Paul was not yet led by the Spirit (Romans 8:1), which would be the case for a saved person. I see the same kind of present tense language being used in 1 Timothy 1:15, albeit in a more brief contrast between 1 Timothy 1:15 and 1 Timothy 1:16
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
VS
16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

The apostle Paul did not say to the Corinthians "Be followers of me, even as I also am [a follower] of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1), being a "pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life" (1 Timothy 1:16), as presently then a chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) or a wretched man (Romans 7:24) still. Someone who is a new creation in Christ or born again could not be so described.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Men Bib La

Tout lis la:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQKBVZh0-tlKyjn_0RG8yLBfrqrMXlra_

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Sanctification in the Bible

A lifelong process of sanctification where sinning goes on but keeps on decreasing is not what's taught in the Bible. But "without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). Thus, any day we need to be ready and holy for Jesus. Not 25% now and hopefully 100% by the day we die or the day Jesus returns. So, if we got to 65% by either of those deadlines, would there be a speedy sanctification to reach 100%? That is taught nowhere in the Bible. Instead, servants of God are so exhorted:

1 Peter 1:14-16
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also BE HOLY IN ALL YOUR CONDUCT, 16 for it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Conduct = behavior = conversation (KJV).

It's not about getting to a threshold of holiness that is acceptable to God at the end of our life or at Jesus' return, but about remaining in the state of holiness that Jesus keeps his servants in as long as they remain faithfully obedient to Him (that is the essence of having faith in Him and abiding in Him). There is growth in that but in no case there is room for willfully sinning and using the idea of being in a lifelong process of sanctification as an excuse!

John 15:4-6, 10
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and withers; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

'Holiness' and 'sanctification' are English renderings of the same Greek noun:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G38&t=KJV

'Holy' and 'saint' are likewise translations of the same Greek adjective:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G40&t=KJV

'Sanctify,' 'be holy' and 'hallow' also translate the same Greek verb:
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G37&t=KJV

The apostle Paul wrote like this of the new born again Christians in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 6:11
And such were some of you.* But you were washed, you WERE SANCTIFIED, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

*See verses 9 and 10 for their past sinful behaviors.

This passage also speaks of someone who for sure was sanctified:

Hebrews 10:29
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which HE WAS SANCTIFIED a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Sanctification has to do with consecration, the fact of being set-apart. There is nothing mystical about that. Biblical Israel was sanctified (set-apart) among all nations of the earth by Sabbath-keeping under the Old Covenant (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12). Sanctification today under the New Covenant brought in by Jesus is by faith in Him (Acts 26:18), which means more than believing true facts, but is fidelity towards Him in obedience to his teachings (Luke 6:46-49, John 12:46-48).

A sanctified person or saint or set-apart one (according to the Bible's definition) is called to remain holy or set-apart, never to return to unclean behavior as to one's vomit like a dog (2 Peter 2:20-22). That's foolish and leads to utter destruction, not salvation. Hence, the warnings in the Scriptures.

2 Corinthians 6:17
Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

At the end, every one will remain in whatever state he/she had maintained him/herself:

Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Jesus said in Matthew 5:8. There is no purity of heart if someone is taking pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:12), not hating it enough to cut it out as both an act of worship to God and an expression of love for God.

This word must be heeded:

James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

So then this can be said of the FORMERLY wicked / unrighteous / sinning person who came clean with God in true repentance and started on a path of righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24, 2 Peter 2:21):

1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Only a formerly unrighteous person, an ex-sinner or ex-worker of iniquity can be on the way to heaven. Sin is not the way into which Jesus leads someone who is following Him (Mark 8:34). Jesus' way is the way that leads to eternal life. That's the way He calls everyone who is willing to follow Him to walk on and stay on.

Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

This is the solution for the problem of the sin-causing flesh: kill it / put it to death / crucify it.

Crucify the Flesh
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQKBVZh0-tlKdbQIK0XeRx9dpcPT-EJzE

That's what the Bible teaches, not to get better at managing it and its sinful passions.

Galatians 5:24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts [desires].

1 Peter 4:1-3
1 Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for human desires, but for the will of God. 3 For enough time in the past has been spent doing the will of the unbelievers, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

Struggling with sin is struggling to put down an idol in one's heart, it's struggling to love God with all one's heart, all one's soul, all one's mind and all one's strength (Mark 12:30). That's the truth and "the truth will set you free" as Jesus said (John 8:32). He was talking about freedom from the death trap of sin which is what salvation is about (John 8:34-36, Matthew 1:21, Romans 6:18). [See Saved From What?]

This is the ministry that was given to the apostle Paul who was sent to preach the Gospel to the nations. It was a calling to him by Jesus "to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me" (Acts 26:18).

50% sanctification + 50% still sinning willfully isn't sanctification at all and won't enter the kingdom of heaven.

Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Jesus vs False Teachers

Study on Uncleanness

ADDENDUM

Luke 5:31-32
31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

There is no way of answering Jesus' call to repentance and remain a sinner, or in any case, not be converted to be what the Bible calls a righteous person or a saint.

SIN LEADS TO DEATH OBEDIENCE LEADS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADS TO HOLINESS cf. Romans 6:16-19. JESUS SAVES FROM SIN cf. Matthew 1:21, John 8:34-36

This is a caricature of the endemic sin-rooted sickness of professed Christians:
I am still sinning and I twist the scriptures.
-1 John 1:8 is my defense
-Romans 3:10 is my shield
-Romans 7:20 is my stronghold
-Isaiah 64:6 is my cover
(all used out of context)

OBJECTIONS

The one who says, "I know Jesus", and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4).

The one who does what is right is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous (1 John 3:7).

The one who sins is of the devil... (1 John 3:8).

The one who is born of God does not sin... (1 John 5:18).

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid (Galatians 2:17).

Revelation 22:11
He that is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

If you remain in sin or return to sin after having been delivered from sin, you will be found unrighteous and filthy at Jesus' coming, not righteous and holy. If that's the path you are on, be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19), and stay obedient to the King of kings.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Jesus vs False Teachers

Are you contending with the reality of false prophets/teachers in this day?

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Acts 20:29-31
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2 Peter 2:1-3
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their shameful ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with false words exploit you: whose judgment of old now lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not.

2 Timothy 3:13-17
13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Titus 1:10-16
10 For there are also many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be silenced; who are upsetting whole families, teaching things which they should not, for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons." 13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of people who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Revelation 2:13-16
13 I know your works and where you dwell, even where Satan's throne is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Revelation 2:19-22
19 I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

_______

Titus 2:11-15
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, 12 instructing us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age; 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ; 14 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.15 Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Titus 3:1-10
1 Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing courtesy to all people. 3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of rebirth and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of everlasting life. 8 This saying is faithful, and concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable for people; 9 but shun foolish questionings, genealogies, strife, and disputes about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10 Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning; 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sins, being self-condemned.

Exposing The "Regeneration Before Faith" Myth

Eternal Life - By Faith Now

Faith Implies Obedience

Once Saved Always Saved is a Lie

The Church that Jesus Built (Upon this Rock)

This is what a punch of the devil against Christians looks like

One-Two Punch Against the Devil (video playlist)

Full: Waking up to the Mess (YouTube)

Confession to One Another or Repentance unto Salvation?

James 5:16
Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

While faults, sins, trespasses, offenses and transgressions appear as synonyms in the Bible, this particular verse is not addressing willful rebellion against God, but harm done to a fellow man, and concerns people who have been redeemed from bondage to sin (saved).

What's important to remark is that the prayers of the brethren are not a substitute for the genuine repentance that God requires of all of us if we have committed sin out of rebellion against God and his ways (ex: knowing right from wrong and choosing to do wrong). Technically, that's sinning willfully against our knowledge of the truth (Hebrews 10:26). The apostle John made a point that the response to such sins leading to death in particular is not prayer:

1 John 5:16-17
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

These sins leading to death are those listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-5, Colossians 3:5-6 for instance. They need to be addressed with genuine repentance in complete submission to God. Then forgiveness will be granted and the ex-sinner will have peace with God in Christ, being called righteous or a saint of the Most High, not given a way forward to continue to sin "under grace." Such understanding of continuing to sin as a "new creature in Christ" in whose life old things are supposed to have passed away and all things are supposed to have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17), shows a perversion of God's grace to accommodate ongoing sin (Jude 1:4 warning).

The same apostle James, in the same chapter of our verse under consideration, has addressed rebellion against God by a brother or sister another way than exhorting to confession to one another and praying for one another:

James 5:19-20
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Wandering from the truth (Jesus) is heading towards destruction, walking on the broad way that leads to destruction, not the narrow/difficult way that leads to eternal life (Matthew 7:13-14). That's a life and death matter, where "sin leading to death" is clearly involved. What a brother/sister can do then is to minister a correction in truth and love to the brother/sister who has wandered from the truth. There is no Once Saved Always Saved to count on in that scheme (Jude 1:5 warns us, 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 and 2 Peter 2 likewise).

👇

James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

These scriptures call people to repentance or describe God's disappointment in how people are living and what He expects:

Isaiah 1:16-18
16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson,They shall be as wool.

Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Jeremiah 8:6
I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle.

Ezekiel 14:6
"Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God: Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.'"

Ezekiel 33:11
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Acts 8:22-23
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

James 1:21-22
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Going Towards The Light

How intentional are you about going towards the light of God's word so it can fill your heart and make your paths straight? The world is the "valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4) and the way to be safe while passing through it is to stand on God's word and walk in his light. "In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:6). That's conditional. In other words, IF you acknowledge God in all your ways, He will make your paths straight. God's promise can't fail us.

John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 12:46-48

46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Luke 6:46-49

46 “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

John 3:19-21

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

John 9:39-41

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Revelation 3:14-22

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

James 1:21-22

21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

1 Peter 1:22-23

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

_______

Image source:

https://alamptomyfeet.org/2014/07/25/your-word-is-a-lamp-to-my-feet-25-july-2014/

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Counting the Cost of Pornography Addiction

This message is for anyone who is bound in porn addiction. Imagine that you had to pay to watch porn. Did you ever consider that with money in your hands, you would just pay for it to satisfy your lust? Did you consider that you would be blind to others around you that don't have money for their needs while you go and spend your money on porn? Did you consider that you would as well neglect your own family's present and future needs because of your investments in porn? Did you consider that you would be totally driven by selfishness because serving and pleasing yourself would have taken priority over serving and pleasing God? Are these things actually true of you right now?

Do you realize that you will give an account to Jesus for every cent that has passed through your hands? Now, you don't worry about money because the devil has made porn available to you for free. But you are still buying it. Loads of it for $0.00! Someone who wants you to die won't make it hard for you to get your hands on poison, especially if you are already calling that poison a "good thing." I guess we could get technical and get a cost from the portion of your phone data plan and maybe electricity use that goes into supporting your evil desire to watch porn. But the cost of that sin is your most precious possession, which is your own life (cf. Mark 8:36-37), because sin leads to death (James 1:13-15, Romans 6:23).

And what's being presented to your mind through your porn watching is a counterfeit. It's not really what your soul thirsts for. God did not create you for porn to be what you feed on. It's like eating fake food greedy people have made in their laboratories to sell and neglecting to eat natural food God has made for humans to feed on. And that feeding on porn counterfeit also has nothing to do with love, when God commands us and says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Now I speak this to men in particular: How are you loving the woman on your screen who ended up on the set of porn movies, seeing she is lost? Would you watch your sister if she ended up on porn movie sets? When you find nothing wrong enough with porn watching to turn you away from it for good, you are actually not far at all from that horrible thought. Because the more you reject agreeing with God about what's good and what's evil, the easier it becomes for you to call more evil things good and more good things evil, until you reach a point of possibly no return. God Himself lets you have more of the wickedness that you keep showing Him that you love (see Romans 1:18-32) and that, of course, will lead to your total ruin or perdition.

That woman on your screen is still someone's daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter... Let's consider again that you had to pay to watch her, and that she eventually got some of your money as her income, do you think she doesn't deserve better than that? Aren't the word to save her soul and prayers to have her eyes opened and be rescued from that life more important than your money? Can you love that person and be praying for her and at the same time be contributing to her staying in the bondage of the porn industry? See, you are both in bondage, not free in Christ. She needs to have her eyes opened, be brought from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18) and so do you. You need to get saved as much as she does! Because you haven't seen the salvation of Jesus Christ or you have despised it and regarded the pleasures of sin as more precious than fellowship with God in the light (1 John 1:5-7, John 3:19-21). You are not following Jesus, the light of the world, so you are walking in darkness (John 8:12) on the broad way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). You cannot call Jesus your Lord and Savior when you are being disobedient to Him and sinning (1 John 3:8):

Luke 6:46
Why do you call me ’Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?

Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

You cannot get saved as long as you don't think you need to. But the reality is that you do need to. You do not belong to Jesus Christ. Let it hit you. You are not led by his Spirit (Romans 8:9). You are led by your flesh that you have not crucified (Galatians 5:24). It's practical. "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according the the Spirit" (Romans 8:1). That is not you. That can't be true of you until you do repent and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) and do walk according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:12-13). Then the Spirit of God in you also won't lead you to find satisfaction in porn. You will rather be led to pursue righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:17-24), and you will turn to Jesus to heal all the brokenness in you. You will be led to give to Jesus all your burdens, and not turn to porn or any other thing you want to live for because of whatever good you think you get out of it (based on a lie that you have believed). You need to first come clean with God and stop calling evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). If you are calling porn "good" even if it's 1% of your heart that loves it, it still means you don't hate it 100% like God hates all sin, so you are "buying" that stuff without money to finance your own slavery to it; and you can't get delivered from it because you are not demonstrating to God with all your heart that you want to be delivered. God calls you to make up your mind. I am speaking the truth to you. I am not condemning you, I am telling you what’s keeping you under condemnation, as you are still being disobedient to God and under his wrath (John 3:36; Colossians 3:6), being still caught in the devil's death trap of sin (2 Timothy 2:26). And if you know that I don't speak for you and you know that you had been saved from bondage to sin, realize that you are now a slave of sin (again) and a slave doesn't remain in the house forever (John 8:34-36). You need to genuinely repent and be saved from that death trap of sin! Truth establishes reality. The truth sets you free from sin (John 8:31-32). Lies that you believe about you or about the goodness of porn for you (or others involved in it at any level) maintain you in your delusion and bondage to sin that leads to death (not to eternal life). You have idols in your heart and God cannot accept your worship until you repent and throw down with your own hands those idols that are in your heart. Take them and break them! Then your faith in God can be pure and you will be blessed of the blessing Jesus came to bring into the world (Acts 3:26). Come clean with God because He expects you to and because you are able to if you want to. Your only hindrance is loving your sin more than God. Face that truth and repent (do the right thing) or you will face God when you can't repent anymore (Revelation 22:11-12). This is an urgent plea!

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

May Jesus bless you!

See also:

‘I was raped at 14, and the video ended up on a porn site’

Is free porn online actually free? The abuse behind the industry

Online porn videos of missing teen lead to man's arrest

Pornhub Exposed as #Traffickinghub

Freedom From Porn Addiction - YouTube playlist

Confession to One Another or Repentance unto Salvation?

Is Repentance Just a Change of Mind?

Crucify the Flesh - YouTube playlist

Freedom From Sin

"You're gonna answer for your crimes against God*... Sin is not a calamity you were born in, it's a choice that you made to rebel against God."

- Mike DeSario, 'Darkness and Light'
*If you don't repent and become a committed follower of Jesus (a believer or disciple of Jesus according to the Bible's definition)

ADDITIONAL EXHORTATION

Put forth whatever effort becomes clear to your mind that you must put forth to become a servant of God, because you are putting forth an effort into being a servant of sin, and through that, a servant of the devil. You have a choice to make about that right now. Don't wait on any answer to prayer that would cause you to be changed suddenly if you are not doing what God wants you to be doing (James 4:7-8). The process to get free starts with you agreeing 100% with God about what is good and what is evil and resolving to turn away from evil as He commands (Isaiah 5:20, Isaiah 55:6-7, James 1:21-22). You need God's word, which is truth, to be in you (Psalm 119:11). You can't fight the battle against sin, the flesh and the devil with human reasoning alone. You are likely then to only go on feeding your addiction with the lies you continue to believe. Eve sinned because she chose to believe a lie. There is nothing different today when anybody goes and sins deliberately, wether it's a one time thing or a habit. You sin, you die (Romans 6:23a, James 1:13-15). Don't believe a lie. That's God's word. Don't explain it away, don't let anyone explain it away for you. You are accountable to God for your choice to sin rather than to deny yourself, take up your cross to follow Jesus (Mark 8:34) [video].

Friday, October 18, 2019

Exposing The "Regeneration Before Faith" Myth

Faith is required for salvation through the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5).

No one gets born again then afterwards comes to have faith that leads to salvation. That's backwards and illogical. Someone who has experienced the new birth the Bible speaks of cannot not know that, just like a woman cannot not know that she had been pregnant (whether she was aware of it or not), before giving birth to a child!

You get the point, but this analogy is far from silly.

1 Peter 1:23

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). The word of God is a seed (Luke 8:11) and when planted in a good and honest heart (Luke 8:15) it bears the fruit of a new life in Christ standing on the pillars of righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24), not ongoing sin.

Romans 10:13-17

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

And keep these in mind about calling on the name of the Lord to be saved:

Isaiah 55:6-7

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;* Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

2 Timothy 2:19

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from unrighteousness.”*

*That's repentance.

Reminder:

2 Timothy 4:3-4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

A tree is known by it's fruit as Jesus taught (Matthew 7:15-20, Luke 6:43-45, Matthew 12:33). So, on the tree that you find this myth of regeneration happening before faith, you also find salvation by faith alone excluding works or deeds of faith (James 2:14-26), no repentance with deeds worthy of repentance (Acts 26:20) being the square one for a relationship with God, or possibly repentance (some unbiblical definition) coming after regeneration also, living a sin / repent / sin / repent lifestyle forever and claiming eternal security or Once Saved Always Saved, with a dubious "Once Saved" part to begin with, and speaking of sanctification while willful sin goes on. These are teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).

See also:

Faith Implies Obedience

Romans 10:9 Salvation

Jesus vs False Teachers

How Do We Know That We Love God?

You Cannot Be Unborn

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

Who is Hebrews 10:26 speaking to?