But that certainly did not stop folks from trying to ‘help God out’ by re-tailoring His message. You know...change it up some so we can get more folks to gather around our towers where we seem to have come up with a better way to ‘get to heaven’. One group might chisel this part away from God’s word...another group might just ‘add a little water’ here to make it easier to get swallow. Others...just add a lot of ‘sweetness’ to make it more palatable, taking their cue from Mary Poppins (just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down) As long as we can get them in the door...we can always ‘bring them around’ later with the real truth...whatever that is these days.
Jesus sure made it clear how the day would come when there would be widespread deception and multiple ‘Christs’ out there coming in His name deceiving many. (Matt. 24:1-25). Paul would latter address the church at Corinth that he had concerns that folks would be led astray in the same manner as Eve was by the serpent...where they would end up receiving another gospel and/or spirit and then following ‘another Jesus’. (2 Cor. 11:2-4)
Paul never let up on his warning about folks “departing from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”. (1 Tim. 4:1). In other places he spoke how after he left a certain place, ‘wolves’ could come in (Acts 20:29) to draw folks away to destruction. People would be ‘carried about by every wind of doctrine’ (Eph. 4:14). Many others...would no longer ‘endure sound doctrine’ and in turn ‘heap on them teachers’ who would tickle their itching ears telling them what they wanted to hear. (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
This would be no different than the people back in Isaiah’s day who just out-and-out told him to get off this same old message of God’s holiness and law and judgment. They were tired of it and wanted to hear ‘smooth’ or ‘pleasant’ things. (30:9-11)
Yet, Jesus did not seem overly concerned with all this widespread deception. He gave some very simple hints as to how we could distinguish the difference between those who were of Him, and those who were not. Remember...that part about ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’, or false teachers? He said you would easily know them by their fruit, much like you would be able to tell different fruit trees apart. (Matt. 7:15-20). And get this...he said that a ‘bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor can a good tree produce bad fruit’. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Sounds legit.
So just what was it about the message that Jesus came preaching that would just upset folks so? I mean, to the point that we would later start all these ‘knock off-other-gospels’?
Well, as I stated yesterday, with His gospel, it says you have to sell out...come to Him with your whole heart...make Him Lord and be willing to forsake ‘all’. His message of forsaking all had to do with everything in your old sinful nature that was contrary to the nature of God. Religion likes to come in and make it about ‘other things’.
Basically...His plan was to take ungodly folks like you and I...and transform them to be...(are you ready for this?) ....’like God’ or ‘like Christ’. Now that makes some folks nervous, I get it. Our minds have a hard time wrapping around that idea, which is probably why Paul referred to it as the ‘mystery of godliness’. (1 Tim. 3:16) Actually, what statements like that do is upset ‘other spirits’ that reside in us. Think about it...what is that which ‘rises up’ inside of you when scripture teaches you are going to ‘walk just like Jesus walked’ and ‘sin no more’? (1 John 2:6; 3:6,9)
Yep...He came that we might ‘know the truth’ and that the ‘truth would set us free’ and that we would ‘be free indeed’. (John 8:32-36). Oh...in case you missed this part, it was ‘sin’ that He was going to set us free from...its power to control you. Jesus taught that whoever commits sin is a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. (34)
And true ‘sons’ follow the leading of His Spirit. (Rom. 8:14; Heb. 5:9). Now this might come across as a surprise to some, but God’s plan was to conform all those who turned to Him with their whole hearts...into the likeness and image of Jesus. Seriously...not just some nice church member...but conformed into the nature of Christ. (Rom. 8:29). As in a ‘new creation’. (2 Cor. 5:17). I mean...how else can we ‘walk like Him’ and ‘love others as He loved us’ without His nature in us? It would be foolishness to think we could do this on our own.
There’s just this one catch...in order for Him to ‘increase’ in us...something has to ‘decrease’. (John 3:30). That ‘something’ would be us...our old, sinful, flesh nature and all that comes with it. You should be familiar with Gal. 5:19-21 now...Paul list all the ‘evident’ fruit of that old nature that has to be put to death; Not on a leash, or dialed down, or in a cage. It. Must. Die.
Which is what the Spirit comes to lead us to do well before we are to go out and fulfill some destiny or purpose and do great things for God. (Rom. 8:13). I mean...Jesus Himself did not go out in the power of the Spirit to change the world before His heart was tested to make sure it was pure. (Luke 4:1-14). Who are we to think we get a pass on that?
If there is any doubt...Paul wrote that ‘those who belong to Christ Jesus...have...crucified...the flesh with is passions and desires’ (Gal. 5:24) later asking the church at Rome...”HOW can we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (6:2) For those of you who may have not make this connection yet...anything of the ‘flesh nature’ that Paul list there in Galatians...is sin. Whether you want to talk about murder and adultery and homosexuality or gossip and envy and strife...it’s all sin...it’s all born from the sinful flesh nature. And it all has to go...or die. And whoever continues to practice such things...will not enter the kingdom of heaven. ( 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; Rom. 1:28-32). His words, Not mine.
Oh...regarding my message from yesterday and how the masses are not really fond of this message, Is it a good thing...or a bad thing...to simply tell people...what God has to say about such matters? Yes, I did clarify that you can share truth with people with the wrong spirit or tone....kind of like what Peter did when he began to wildly wave his sword and cut off the ear of that soldier. We do need to be gentle with this ‘sword of the spirit’ so that we don’t cut off people’s ability to hear the word. But...that does not mean we re-write it to sound more appealing...which has become common place today...and God will deal with those who do so... in a harsher manner. (James 3:1; Jer. 23; Ezek. 33:1-9)
God simply has never changed. When He told Adam and Eve if they ‘ate off that tree, they would surely die’, (Gen. 2:17) He meant it. When He tells us that if we continue to ‘live according to the flesh, we will die’, (Rom. 8:13)...He meant it. I think what we have failed to truly grasp...is this idea that everything within our flesh nature is in rebellion to God. It is ‘hostile’ to God and will not submit to God’s law, nor can it. (Rom. 8:7-8)
Think of it this way. You probably have seen where after there’s been a flood or hurricane or some other major natural disaster, these ‘inspectors’ go around an examine structures that are still standing to see if they are salvageable or not. If they are deemed to be unsafe and compromised, they spray paint a big red or orange ‘X’ on them marking them to be destroyed.
If you want to compare your current ‘status’ to a building under the scrutiny of God’s word, anything within you that is of the flesh...has been ‘marked’ for destruction. Better to let Jesus lead you now to deal with it before God turns loose the ‘other flood’ to destroy all that is not In Him. (Matt. 7:24-27) (Anyone remember what ‘serpent food’ is?- Gen. 3:14,19; Eccl.3:20)
Earlier, I cited a passage from Ezekiel 33. It may help explain why I feel compelled to post these messages daily. You might go read vs. 1-9. There is a ‘sword’ coming and honestly...is already here. Keep in mind...God always gives His people a ‘heads up’ when things are about to ‘go down’. (Amos 3:7). And for the record...I do not claim to be any prophet. I’m a 62 year old photographer, retired school teacher...and former pastor who for the most part...’crashed and burned’ years ago. Why...God chose to bring me back ‘from the dead’ and out of my tomb of darkness...only He knows. But I know...that I know... what He has done in me...and continues to share with me from His word. And by His grace...there will be no more ‘crashing and burning’. He has my attention and my heart now....ALL of it. And He so urgently wants to awaken a sleeping church.
We are living in the day where the ‘wrath of God IS being revealed against ALL ungodliness and unrighteousness of men’ (Rom. 1:18; 2:1-4). And we are told there that it is His kindness...that leads us to repentance. How long...will we ‘halt between two opinions’? What is it that you are reluctant to let go of so that Christ can be fully formed within you? Is it greed? Is it resentment? Is it unforgiveness you hold towards someone? Maybe it’s lust or immorality or fault-finding or pride? Whatever it is...do you really love it more than God? Will it ‘save you’ or offer you more peace and security than what God has so freely offered to give you? What are you waiting for?
Today...is the day of Salvation. Choose this day...whom you will serve. There is an ‘ark’ that is waiting...but the door will not remain open forever. (Matt. 25:10-12) Turn to Him...and let Him be Lord of all. (James 4:7-10)
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