“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. “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. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." Isaiah 1 16-20 (NKJV)
My self, knowing Him as He's allowed, I don't believe that God desires to be anything other than the loving, generous, and kind Spirit that He's declared to us in the whole of His word and is. If we've truly studied the whole of what He's made available to us and we've submitted earnestly to the Holy Spirit to make Him known to us, we have begun to know Him ... and He is always as He has said that He is. But every soul that He's given life to has a choice to make - to either become His obedient child ... or an enemy caught up in criminal rebellion against Him.
My self, knowing Him as He's allowed, I don't believe that God desires to be anything other than the loving, generous, and kind Spirit that He's declared to us in the whole of His word and is. If we've truly studied the whole of what He's made available to us and we've submitted earnestly to the Holy Spirit to make Him known to us, we have begun to know Him ... and He is always as He has said that He is. But every soul that He's given life to has a choice to make - to either become His obedient child ... or an enemy caught up in criminal rebellion against Him.
The Lord God has repeatedly appealed to the mankind that He created and still, much of the generations of mankind have repeatedly sought to defy Him. I think that often times the choice is not made as much by direct intention, but by man's choosing to succumb to the wills of his temporary flesh and lures of this world rather than disciplining himself to follow his Creator's commands. As it's been truthfully said by a number of people, "God doesn't send anyone to hell, people make the choice to send themselves there". And sadly, I believe they do it in large numbers.
The holiest and most awesome conventions, covenants, and declarations are with and from our God. And yet there are questions in my own mind as to how much we truly we respect them in this day and age. As a species, by our response, or lack of it, to those things, I question how much we respect Him who authored them - the very God to whom we must inescapably answer when this short life is over.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:7-10 (NKJV)
Looking at the world by what it values and promotes, as well as what it produces through its actions, it's pretty easy to see that much of mankind is currently in rebellion against God's commands and laws. It's as if the complacent disregard of so many has replaced the reverent fear of God that would otherwise lead them to live far more circumspectly and has consequently produced an abundance of insolence and disrespect toward God instead of the obedience that could lead to their salvation through Christ. By their own choice, their path leads to their ultimate destruction and unrelenting agony because those who do not repent will have made their choice. God is not mocked, but those who defy Him will make a mockery of themselves. In the end, He will redeem His name from the mouths of scoffers and do justice to His own reputation. His patience in dealing with them for now is momentary mercy - temporarily offered to give them more time in the hope of their repentance. It will not be our Creator God's choice, but by their own - choosing of death over submission to the redemption and life that was purchased for us by Christ's sacrifice.
"Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, “As I live forever, if I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me." Deuteronomy 32:39-41 (NKJV)
The natural fruit of our obedience to Christ leads us into the continuing process of sanctification. As we submit truly to Christ, we're changed by the Holy Spirit's leading- surrendering and cutting off those things that are not Christ-like and the fruit of the spirit produced by our true submission to this process in us naturally reveals the life of Christ within us. If we truly know Him, our love for Christ moves us continually toward becoming more revealing of His likeness as we adopt His will and His ways as our own - not by force or by our mere will, but by our love for Him and His ways as we continually come to submit to know Him better, and also by the presence of His spirit in us.
The holiest and most awesome conventions, covenants, and declarations are with and from our God. And yet there are questions in my own mind as to how much we truly we respect them in this day and age. As a species, by our response, or lack of it, to those things, I question how much we respect Him who authored them - the very God to whom we must inescapably answer when this short life is over.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:7-10 (NKJV)
Looking at the world by what it values and promotes, as well as what it produces through its actions, it's pretty easy to see that much of mankind is currently in rebellion against God's commands and laws. It's as if the complacent disregard of so many has replaced the reverent fear of God that would otherwise lead them to live far more circumspectly and has consequently produced an abundance of insolence and disrespect toward God instead of the obedience that could lead to their salvation through Christ. By their own choice, their path leads to their ultimate destruction and unrelenting agony because those who do not repent will have made their choice. God is not mocked, but those who defy Him will make a mockery of themselves. In the end, He will redeem His name from the mouths of scoffers and do justice to His own reputation. His patience in dealing with them for now is momentary mercy - temporarily offered to give them more time in the hope of their repentance. It will not be our Creator God's choice, but by their own - choosing of death over submission to the redemption and life that was purchased for us by Christ's sacrifice.
"Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, “As I live forever, if I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me." Deuteronomy 32:39-41 (NKJV)
The natural fruit of our obedience to Christ leads us into the continuing process of sanctification. As we submit truly to Christ, we're changed by the Holy Spirit's leading- surrendering and cutting off those things that are not Christ-like and the fruit of the spirit produced by our true submission to this process in us naturally reveals the life of Christ within us. If we truly know Him, our love for Christ moves us continually toward becoming more revealing of His likeness as we adopt His will and His ways as our own - not by force or by our mere will, but by our love for Him and His ways as we continually come to submit to know Him better, and also by the presence of His spirit in us.
"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NKJV)
In light of the weight and consequences of the decision that we make and live out loud before God- with nothing unheard or unseen by Him, I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about how far the species of man has actually drifted from the actual word of God. I'm also concerned about the dire need to check even those things that we've come to assure ourselves are acceptable against the actual Word of God to determine their virtue ... or the extent of our own deception. I say this not to offend anyone, but to promote the need to make certain that we're not allowing "the flesh", whether ours or that of another, to make any determinations that are not in keeping with the true Spirit of God. I've said it before in the past - we're living in an age of deception. It's an age that has the enemy of God, who is of course our enemy also, deploying his every cunning strategy to mislead and destroy what God created, loves and sacrificed so heavily for, before the fallen angel's time runs out.
These days, in a number of places, deception is mixed with truth in order to make it seem palatable to God's elect and is then passed on among it's society and gatherings as authentic. And without knowing the word of God for themselves, so many are left defenseless against it.
The Apostle Paul: "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 (NKJV)
Any deception could be costly to our growing relationship with our God by creating unintended offenses or by crippling us spiritually. Our selfish, needy flesh, - our momentary housing ever tempted toward self indulgence, the decaying, temporary encasement of the eternal spirits that our God actually created us to be, has an unending ability to create stumbling blocks for us if we're not careful. It wants, it desires, and it's certain that it needs things that are not necessarily good for the spirits that we actually are. And sometimes it's drawn to things that look good, but have the potential to be devastating to the real spirits that we are. Flesh's concern is for itself - not for the eternal souls within that will outlive it to experience the consequences of the decisions that we might allow this temporary encasement to make for us.
"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:8 (NKJV)
The Apostle Paul: "But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 (NKJV)
Any deception could be costly to our growing relationship with our God by creating unintended offenses or by crippling us spiritually. Our selfish, needy flesh, - our momentary housing ever tempted toward self indulgence, the decaying, temporary encasement of the eternal spirits that our God actually created us to be, has an unending ability to create stumbling blocks for us if we're not careful. It wants, it desires, and it's certain that it needs things that are not necessarily good for the spirits that we actually are. And sometimes it's drawn to things that look good, but have the potential to be devastating to the real spirits that we are. Flesh's concern is for itself - not for the eternal souls within that will outlive it to experience the consequences of the decisions that we might allow this temporary encasement to make for us.
"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:8 (NKJV)
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber." 2 Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV)
I find myself writing to repeat a familiar theme, but I also find my heart wrapped up in it because of my love for my Savior. It was with loving intention that He created each of us. It was with loving intention that He suffered so horrifically in the hope of saving us. It's because of my love for Him that I've come to love what He loves and that extends to you. So even though you might be far ahead of me on the path and well above me in learned relationship with our Lord, you will likely hear me repeat these things yet again, from a humbled heart. in an effort to remind against the possible pitfalls that any of us might encounter as we travel together through this life toward our ultimate goal with, in, and through Christ.
In Scripture...
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJV)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJV)
Comments
Post a Comment