The way of truth shall be evil spoken of
Reminders we all need them don't we?
Life is full of reminders.
We write ourselves notes, we leave ourselves memos, we go to great lengths to tell people to remind us about this and that, we have calendars that we put notes on we even put messages on our own answering machines, some have little memo reminders on their cell phones, you name it seriously there are many, many ways we leave reminders for ourselves and those reminders are left why?
We remind ourselves of things that are important to us, even if it's a temporary importance. It's important to remember to bring home a gallon of milk or there will be none for breakfast the next morning. Or it's important to remember to pick up that prescription at the pharmacy. You really can't forget that doctor's appointment right? And what about that anniversary, or the recital, or the deadline for an important project?
There are many *important* things we are not to forget and if we do sometimes the consequences are grave aren't they? Sometimes a missed appointment really can mean the difference between life and death.
Our eternal life isn't something to trifle with. Our walk with Christ isn't something to ignore.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus who told us previously in the last study the things we are to seek, also tells us things we are to remember. He gives us a lot of reminders- lets read.
{1:12} Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them,] and be established in the present truth. {1:13} Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance
{1:14} Knowing that shortly I must put off [this] my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
{1:15} Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
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Peter wants these things he has to say remembered even after he's dead, for people to have them ALWAYS in remembrance. They must be pretty important so we'd better pay attention.
{1:16} For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
{1:17} For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
{1:18} And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
{1:19} We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts
{1:20} Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
{1:21} For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
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Amazing isn't it! Just think about it! He was with Jesus, he witnessed His power firsthand! He heard the voice of the Father talking to the son. A reminder that no prophecy is of a private interpretation how can it be? It's of God to all. People would have you believe they have the answers, but the Bible itself has them. Read on and remember that Peter wants us to remember all these things-
{2:1} But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
{2:2} And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
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The way of truth shall be evil spoken of! We can't deny this. We can't pretend it won't or doesn't exist. False teachers. These aren't people wearing big yellow hats with the words blazoned in red- I'm a False Teacher. No, these are people that are subtle, devious who privily bring heresies, and MANY shall follow them, many!
{2:3} And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation
slumbereth not.
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With feigned words...they'll use false words, false truths, their words will be lies and many will follow them. Scary stuff. And listen to the next bit...
{2:4} For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
{2:5} And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person,] a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; {2:6} And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly
{2:7} And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked
{2:8} (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)
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Did you read that?! God spared not the ANGELS that sinned. God doesn't spare sinners! We want to think He does, we want to believe we can be spared in our sin, we can't. We have to go to Jesus and we have to repent and we have to live our lives in Him through the Holy Spirit. We can't live in sin and claim salvation. No, our not sinning won't save us, only Jesus can save us, but Jesus would have us live in Him and by Him and living by Him we won't seek to live in sin but the opposite.
{2:9} The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished
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The Lord knows how to deliver us from temptation. We can't forget that, we can't and we also can't forget that he knows how to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.
{2:10} But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they,] selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
{2:11} Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
{2:12} But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption
{2:13} And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting
themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
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Read that again! Sporting themselves with their own DECEIVINGS while they feast with YOU.
Deception!
{2:14} Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
{2:15} Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; {2:16} But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
{2:17} These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
{2:18} For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
{2:19} While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
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While they PROMISE them liberty, they themselves are the servants of CORRUPTION!
{2:20} For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
{2:21} For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it,] to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
{2:22} But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
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Words that we truly need to heed, words we need to pay close attention to because they are all true.
We can't give into sin. We can't turn back to sin. We can't give up! We have to fight the good fight of faith and hold fast to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the promises He gives us, the hope through the Holy Spirit. We have to hold fast and not turn away no matter the temptations. We know the truth found in Jesus, we know His commandments of love, we know these things and we cannot turn from them, we have to pay attention to these words of Peter, words given to him through the Holy Spirit to guide us. These all important memos we have to take to heart as we live day to day striving to sin not as we lay hold of salvation in Christ our Redeemer. He knows how to keep us from temptation and we have to trust in Him now and always. By the grace of God, by the Will of Lord.
Amen.
12/1/09
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Believe.
God is love, this is true and we are told that the greatest thing is love. Without love having faith would mean nothing. It's because love exists in God that we can have faith in Him, believe in that love, the all consuming, all meaningful love that brings life everlasting.
Believing means nothing in and of itself, it's the belief in love- in God that matters.
If we ever hope to overcome life and all its agonies great and small, all its imperfections, all its sin induced pain it's not through anything of this world we overcome with- but through God. We have to be born of God and hope in the overcoming that is fully realized in the inheritance that awaits us in Christ. We need to be God's and we can be God's through belief in His love manifested in His Gift to the world, His Son Jesus Christ.
If we choose not to believe in the love of God and accept His Gift- we are condemned. You don't have to be a worldly evil person to be evil in God's eyes. You could be sweet and never harm a fly and still reject the Son of God, the love of God. You could be an amazing atheist someone who is outstanding and peaceful in all ways and yet without the belief in God, in His Son, it means nothing. If you have this wonderful life and attribute it to just being good in and of yourself you are claiming you have no Creator deserving of your love, you have no redeemer deserving of your love. Men love darkness because their deeds are evil. The light does away with the darkness and men who want darkness can't abide the light. Embracing the Light means illuminating the evil in us which reveals our need for a Savior. We need God and Satan would have us believe we have no need of God that we can live well enough in our temporary lives without God. Darkness and light war with each other and the Light will forever and ultimately expel the darkness.
By the grace and mercy of God may we be found welcoming the Light into our lives revealing the darkness, the evils within us, and by that grace and mercy may we find salvation and inherit all that entails in Christ, the fulness of His love forever in us.
Amen.
12/1/10
12/1/11
The seventh commandment-
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Lev 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Pro 6:32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Adultery- breaking wedlock.
(Webster's-)
1. Violation of the marriage bed; a crime, or a civil injury, which introduces, or may introduce, into a family, a spurious offspring.
2. In a scriptural sense, all manner of lewdness or unchastity, as in the seventh commandment.
Marriage is a commitment - a husband towards a wife, a wife towards a husband. When one makes that commitment they have taken a vow.
Symbolically God's people are the bride, and our Savior is the groom. A commitment is made between God and His people, between the people of God and their God.
A covenant is made.
The law of God is a covenant between God and His people.
Typically when a man and woman marry they do so with much more than just the mere 'I do's.' They say things about honoring, about having no others, about loving no matter what. People taking these vows do so with the intent on keeping them, with the intent that they are true, that they are real, that they are to never be broken. Of course with any truth there is a possibly perversion of that truth. Not all who take those vows are doing so in truth. Some marry when they don't even love each other, but they're doing it for other reasons. They are making that commitment not out of love but maybe out of a sense of responsibility, or even selfishly for gain.
Once that commitment is made it is MEANT to be kept, yes?
Once God's people agreed to the covenant between God and them that covenant was meant to be kept, yes?
When a commitment, when a covenant is broken adultery has occurred. Way too many people believe that adultery is simply a married person having physical marital relations with someone other than their spouse and that's it. But honestly you can be an adulterer in a marriage without ever touching another person. You can break those vows of marriage in many, many ways. When we restrict our belief of adultery to just marital relation violations, then we are losing sight of so much more God was trying to convey to us in this commandment.
Let's read a bit from Jeremiah who talks about adultery in a sense other than the typical.
Jer 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jer 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Jer 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
Jer 3:11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Israel committing adultery. God's chosen.
Jer 5:7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
God's people choosing to break the covenant, to seek other gods after God took care of them.
Read more, read this slowly- thoroughly.
Jer 7:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2 Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
Jer 7:3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Jer 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jer 7:5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
Jer 7:7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jer 7:8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jer 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Jer 7:11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
Jer 7:12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
Jer 7:13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
Jer 7:14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
Jer 7:15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
Jer 7:16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
Jer 7:17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
Jer 7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
Jer 7:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
Jer 7:21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
Jer 7:22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
Jer 7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
Jer 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
Jer 7:25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
Jer 7:26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
Jer 7:27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.
Jer 7:28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
Jer 7:29 Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
Jer 7:30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
Jer 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jer 7:32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
Jer 7:33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
Jer 7:34 Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Covenants, vows, commitments- these are things that are meant to NEVER be broken.
As sinners we have a propensity towards the flesh, towards Satan. When Adam and Eve broke the covenant between them and God they opened a door to sin that made us forever there after prone towards sinning. Our flesh nature is strong, very, very strong and God knew (and knows) this. Yet God did not give up on us but rather made a way for us to overcome. We have a spiritual nature that gives us a power of choice. We all - just like Adam and Eve- must choose God. Every single one of us much choose, we must uphold the covenant with God through our Savior Jesus Christ.
No matter what anyone tries to tell you- we have to choose and choose daily to be faithful to God. We cannot commit adultery in any sense of the word - between each other or between God and us.
If we do commit adultery we are breaking one of God's commandments just as we do when we break any other of the nine.
Tell me- did Christ do away with this commandment? No. Just like He didn't do away with ANY of the commandments. Christ remained faithful to God, He fulfilled this aspect of the commandment just as He fulfilled them all. Christ also did not as a human being succumb to physical adultery with any married woman. Before you scoff at that you have to realize that Christ was tempted in ALL ways just as we are, only He remained sinless.
Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
If we do break any of God's commandments we need to repent, to seek to repent, to forsake, to ask forgiveness, to GO AND SIN NO MORE.
So many people believe things are black and white in life as they look at each others lives, but in truth they are mostly shades of gray. We think we can discern the sin in other's lives but all too often we can't not really because we aren't even willing to look at the sin in our own lives.
Remember this--
Joh 8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
Joh 8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
Joh 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
Joh 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Joh 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Joh 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
Joh 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Joh 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Did this make it okay to commit adultery? No. The woman was to go and SIN NO MORE. What this did was tell all those accusing her that they too had sins, many, many sins in their lives that would warrant even death and yet there they stood accusing rather than being accused. They could seek forgiveness but this woman wasn't given this opportunity they would rather kill her. Jesus made them look into their own sinfilled lives and feel the weight of that sin- to understand that they, just like that woman were guilty of transgressing God's law.
Please Lord help us to know and understand the truth in Your amazing laws of love. Help us to know that when we obey we are obeying the dictates of love in its purest form. Help us to realize that we are allowing Christ to be formed in us as we live as He lived- and He committed no sin, He obeyed all the commandments every single one as an example to us. We are to obey out of love, live in love for God and our fellowman. Please Lord God, help us…help us do all that we are called to do in Your love.
Amen.