It’s happened to me on more than a few occasions in the past few years. I might quote a verse or share a passage I read in the Bible and immediately, it is met with opposition. “That’s not what that means!” Truth be told, it was a similar experience which led me to study even more, inspiring these daily postings of mine.

That’s nothing new, for God’s word to be opposed and resisted and shot down. I mean, Jesus we are told ‘was the Word’ and became flesh and dwelt among us...and they crucified Him. (John 1:1,14)

But you only need wade in to the first three chapters of Genesis and read where God told Adam: “Don’t eat off this one tree for in the day that you do, you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17). Then the serpent rears up and immediately cast doubt on God’s word, questioning if that is really what God meant; he then takes it a step further and flat out turns it around saying “You will surely not die.” (Gen. 3:1-4).

And whenever God’s word is sown, like good seed, Jesus explains that the devil ‘comes immediately to snatch the word from men’s hearts lest they believe and are saved’. (Luke 8:12; Mark 4:15). I’m getting use to it honestly. It’s almost comical when it happens now, given I’ve become more ‘aware of Satan’s devices’ (2 Cor. 2:11)

Yet, because of the seriousness of all this, it really isn’t funny; not one bit. When we find ourselves rejecting the Word (Jesus IS the Word) we pretty much shut down the opportunity for God to work powerfully in our lives. (Matt. 13:58). What is even more serious is what Paul warned about in 2 Thess. 2:10-12 and how people who are ‘perishing’ do so...because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. They simply did not believe the truth and guess what God does in response there? He, God, sends (or allows) a ‘strong delusion’ to come so that people will believe the lie. It’s not the first time God gave the people what they wanted. (Ps. 106:15). And let’s not forget Barabbas either. (Luke 23:18)

The subject matter that tends to be a lightning rod of opposition has to do with whether a believer can truly be set free from sinning. All I have to do is quote 2-3 verses and then step back and watch people’s brains explode in opposition. Phrases like the ‘error of sinless perfection’ gets thrown about. “Nobody can walk like Jesus” we are told. I recently heard where someone called in to a Christian talk show asking if a person can be free of sin and they were told, (so I heard) that believers can never be ‘sinless’ but they can ‘sin less’. Now isn’t that cute?

In yesterday’s post, I closed out mentioning the dilemma people find themselves in when they come across scripture that does not ‘fit the narrative’ they have always heard and been taught...and come to believe. They are then forced to make a choice, sort of like those people who are perishing I mentioned above here from that passage in 2 Thess. I mean, admittedly, we are free to believe what we want to believe, but why would we be so quick to reject what God clearly says in His word? Especially if we claim to be believers and say we ‘love the Holy Word of God’.

I ran into the same opposition again recently. I quoted some passages and immediately the response was just the opposite. “We will always sin” I was told. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in church or a believer, etc. It’s ‘human nature’ to sin. Yep...it’s ‘human nature’ (the fallen, sinful nature) that will always be the reason we sin. Which is why...we must be ‘born again’ so that we can be ‘conformed to the image of Christ and be partakers of His divine nature’. (John 3:3; Rom. 8:29; 2 Pet. 1:4). But the ‘old nature/man’ has to be put to death, which is what the Spirit leads us to do. (Rom. 8:13)

That’s what it means to become a ‘new creation in Christ’. (2 Cor. 5:17). Friends...that was not meant to be poetic language. On the contrary, this is what Jesus came to do and unless we repent and come to Him with our whole heart, submitting to His Lordship, then we will never be set free from sin. And if we continue to ‘live according to the flesh, we will die’. (Rom. 8:13). That...is the gospel truth.

Care to read some more ‘truth’, that is, if you believe His word is ‘truth’? (John 17:17)

“Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.” Jesus told us this, most ‘assuredly’. (John 8:34). He also added in that same passage that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. (32,36). But, if we reject the truth, because it does not ‘fit’ with what we have been taught and led to believe, well...then just continue on sinning willfully and you will be greeted with the same words those folks Jesus spoke of in Matt. 7:23 heard: “Depart from me you who continue to practice sin”.

Was it not Paul who declared twice there in Romans 6 that we were ‘set free from sin’ (18,22) even asking at the start of that chapter: “How shall we who died to sin live in it any longer?” (2)

Jesus makes quite the case there in John 15:1-8 of the need to ‘abide in Him’. I write about this a lot; given my recent understanding and experiences that have been life changing for me. People spend way too much time debating the topic of whether one is ‘saved’ or not. The real question needs to be are we ‘abiding in Him’? If we are, then 1 John offers up some clear evidence as to what that ‘looks like’:

“Whoever says he abides in Him ought himself to walk like Jesus walked”. (1 John 2:6)

“Whoever abides in Him no longer sins”. ( 1 John 3:6)

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin ...and the wicked one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18)

Yes, John also includes that ‘provision’ where ‘IF’ we sin (not when) that we have a loving Father who forgives us of our sin. (1 John 2:1)

The lame man Jesus healed, and the woman caught in the act of adultery...after their encounter with Jesus...were they told to ‘Go and sin less and try harder to do better’? Or did they hear Jesus say “Go and sin no more”? (John 5:14; 8:11). And let’s not forget the added warning that man Jesus healed was told after that command...”or else something worse may come upon you.”

Now - do I understand why these are hard verses to reconcile with? Of course I do. I was living the same lie everyone else, for the most part, has been living. We’ve been duped. We’ve been deceived. And the sooner we wake up and start agreeing with God’s word, the sooner you might see just how God makes this a reality in your life.

The ‘dilemma’ I spoke of yesterday and mentioned a moment ago is something akin to what happens to pilots when they find themselves in thick clouds or fog and lose sight of where they are and their ‘spatial awareness’. It is not that uncommon of a phenomena and according to the FAA, between 5-10% of all general aviation accidents can be attributed to ‘spatial disorientation’. 90% of those are fatal. It was reported this was the cause of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and others aboard the flight that morning which was swallowed up in thick fog.

I’ve heard it explained how the pilot can be deceived into not trusting the instrument panel that suggests he is flying directly into a mountain or descending rapidly, when his ‘gut’ and ‘instincts’ are telling him just the opposite. Not ‘trusting the truth’ can have serious consequences.

So when you read verses like the ones I listed above here about being free from sin, immediately you take into account all you have ever heard, seen, been taught, and experienced for yourself. Well then of course that will be your default setting you go to, keeping you from embracing, let alone, hearing something contrary to that. Is it any wonder when Jesus showed up on the scene that people heard Him and then marveled over how ‘We’ve never heard anything like this before.” (John 7:46). Jesus would explain later why that was so in that people were no longer taught God’s word but in place were taught the traditions and customs and doctrines of men; not God’s word. (Mark 7:5-16)

This all leads me into why people are ‘perishing’ – because they ‘believed the lie’. And the ‘god of this age’ blinded the minds of those who are perishing from seeing the light of the gospel. (2 Thess. 2:10; 2 Cor. 4 :3-4). And this leads me back to the warnings Jesus gave about the ‘flood’ that is here and will carry people away to destruction...unless...they get in the ark. Join me tomorrow?