The Sin of Pride

I have been thinking on a notion that someone once brought across to me, that being their belief that the sin of sexual immorality is no greater sin than that of pride (or any other sin).  I had to think that through and search the scriptures in order to arrive at a clearer biblical view in regard to such an idea. Here is the conclusion I arrived at:

There is one very important fact that we need to understand in considering whether or not the sin of sexual immorality is any greater than the sin of pride. The truth of the matter is- It is the very sin of pride which leads to the sin of sexual immorality. In fact, it is the sin of pride which leads to every other sin under the sun. We are prideful if we think we can tell lies and not have to suffer the punishment for willfully disobeying God in this regard. We are prideful if we think we can live in sexual immorality, (which covers a broad area) and not have to suffer the punishment for blatant rebellion against God’s commands. 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

In Romans 1: 24-27 we read that, “..God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”

Genesis 13:12 states, “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord,” and in Ekekiel 16:49 we read, “Behold, this was the guilt of... Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” There is no shame experienced in the heart of a proud person who lives in open rebellion to the clear teaching of scripture. It is pride that deceives us into thinking we can disobey God’s commands and not suffer the consequences- whether that disobedience may be something as simple as telling a little white lie (which we may not consider so bad), or murder- which would be a grievous transgression of one of God’s commandments, (one that we would consider as being horrendous).

Jeremiah 50:31 reads as follows, “Behold, I am against you, O proud one, declares the Lord God of hosts, for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.” Those who are of a proud heart and live in open defiance to God’s commands either refuse to believe that He truly exists, or they plain don’t believe that He will be faithful to His word in regard to their disobedience, “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” (John 3:36). Proverbs 8:13 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate,” and in Psalm 10:4, we read, “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

If we are not seeking God, we are living in disobedience and going our own way, which will lead us down the broad road to destruction. In lieu of this, God calls all people to, “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin” (Ezekiel 18:30). However, only the humble can experience salvation. 2 Samuel 22:28 tells us, “You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.” May we truly fear the LORD and humble ourselves before our God, for, “The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4); Not meaning we will experience prosperity in this lifetime, but that those who truly love God will be richly blessed for all of eternity- in the life to come, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Disobedience brings Evil Influence- Resulting in Dire Consequences

Thursday Aug. 25, 2016

I have been thinking more along the line of influences, and in lieu of this, what a powerful impact we have on one another for good or evil.  Through our obedience to God's word, we can influence others toward doing good. We can also influence them toward doing evil through our disobedience to God’s word. Amos 5:15 teaches us to “Hate evil, and love good...” When we are not loving good but giving in to evil (which is any action contrary to scripture’s teaching), we will suffer the consequences of our wrong actions, and we are not the only ones who will suffer the consequences. Many other people may suffer the consequences of our disobedience. A good illustration of this can be found in the story of Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshophat, the king of Judah, was a man who feared God, “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David” (2 Chronicles 17:3). Jehoshophat made a very grave mistake however in making an alliance with Ahab, by giving his son in marriage to Ahab’s daughter. Now, “…..Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:29-30). As one who feared God, Jehoshaphat should have been more discerning. God clearly commanded His people not to intermarry with those who did not follow after Him.

Nehemiah 13:25 states, “….. You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.” This was due to the other nations wicked practices that would lead the people astray from following God, yet Jehoshaphat "allied himself with Ahab by marriage" (2 Chronicles 18:1), a man who was known for his wicked practices. Jehoshaphat (and his son) were to suffer the consequences of this wrong action. Scripture tells us that Jehoshaphat's son "..walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord" (2 Kings 8:18).

Jehoshaphat not only allied himself in marriage with Ahab, but he also helped him in war, “Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel,“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses,”(1 Kings 22:4). God was not pleased with Jehoshaphat's actions however, and "Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you" (2 Chronicles 19:2).

Jehoshophat did not take to heart the above admonishment however, for “After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah (who was Ahab’s son) king of Israel, who acted wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying,“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish" (2 Chronicles 20:35-37). A few wrecked ships are nothing in comparison to the many lives in Jehoshaphat’s family that were influenced toward doing evil for generations to follow- due to his alliance with Ahab. Jehoshaphat’s grandson also followed in the wicked ways of Ahab, and Jehoshaphat’s daughter-in-law had all the royal family destroyed so she could reign as queen, (see 2 Kings 8:25-27; 11:1). They would have been totally wiped out, but for the grace of God, (see 2 Kings 11:2-20). We must understand that many people may suffer the consequences to our disobedience to God’s commands.

Even though Jehoshaphat was a king who followed after God, he still suffered the consequences of his disobedience to God’s commands in regard to his ungodly companionships, and his family suffered from those wrong choices as well. We should not think that things will go any differently for us when we are disobedient in this area. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 we read, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

This does not mean we should shun unbelievers, but that we should exercise discernment as to how we spend our time in the company of those who may end up influencing us in ways that could tempt us to compromise our biblical standards. To show kindness and to point others to Christ is one thing, but to spend so much time (in the company of those who do not love God) that one would consider entering into partnership with an unbeliever, or even marrying one- is quite another. We must be a part of this world, but that does not mean we should be absorbed into it in such a way as to compromise our biblical principles. James 4:4 makes a very strong statement, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” In 1 Corinthians 15:33 we are told “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (NIV)

God tells us in His word, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

In Amos 5:14-15 we are told to “Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

Influencing Others toward Doing Good

I have been thinking on how easily we can influence one another for good or bad. The reason I got thinking on this was due to an incident involving my large walk- in pantry that had been sadly neglected for the past few years, and my husband who is exceptionally patient, and never nags. He could have gotten annoyed with me and told me to clean the pantry up, or at least asked me to.. but instead he took the initiative to help give some much needed incentive to this unmotivated wife…

Due to being distracted in various ways over the past few years, my pantry had become very neglected, cluttered and downright grungy. Well, my husband decided to take matters into his own hands in regard to my pantry, and instead of nagging me to clean it up, he obtained a shelf unit with cupboard doors, had our son paint it and make some beautiful wooden pine shelving for it and then tore out a section of my pantry and installed this lovely looking cabinet in its place.

I was delighted- and then I looked at the rest of my cluttered and dirty shelves, and I just could not be content to leave them in the state they were in with that beautiful looking, freshly painted cabinet standing there in stark contrast to them. So, I cleaned off, and cleaned up all the rest of the shelves that were in the worst shape and my husband painted them for me. It took some time to get everything all organized and back on the shelves, but what a difference. I didn’t get the whole pantry done, but I am certainly better motivated to tackle the rest of it now that I can see what a fantastic improvement has already taken place. Had my husband gotten annoyed with me, and nagged me into cleaning up the pantry, I either would have tried to convince him I had too many other things to do right now or gone and done it with a (probably) not so great attitude. I might have even ended up being annoyed with him rather than so very pleased and thankful for such a thoughtful (and clever) hubby. :)

I am always comparing the physical to the spiritual in life and this little episode made me think of how easily we can influence one another for good or bad. As Christians we should desire to influence others for good, and do so in a way that would motivate them to want to do good. If we condemn and berate others for their wrong actions, we certainly won’t influence them toward doing what is right. We may just end up being a huge stumbling block in one’s walk of faith, or a deterrent to one even desiring to walk in the faith. A warm, friendly, and helpful demeanor will accomplish far more than a cold, stern, and condemning attitude. Another good thing to remember is that our good influence on others should always begin within our own homes and work out from there.

Just as my husband motivated me to want to clean up my pantry by giving me a head start, so we should try to motivate others to do good and please God through their actions, by living in such a way as to motivate them toward actions that are pleasing to God as well. Matthew 5:14-16 reads as follows, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

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Trusting God- In All Things

I have been thinking on the importance of not only placing, but keeping our trust in God alone, in any and all circumstances He brings into our lives. It can be easy to say we trust in God alone for our salvation, and we may even trust Him as long as everything goes along smoothly within our lives, but when a bump in the road comes along, many times, off we go with it. Can we read and truly believe with all our hearts that the following verse is true, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). If we can’t trust Him in the hard times, we really aren’t trusting in Him at all.

In Genesis chapters 37 through 50 we can read of the many struggles and trials Joseph had undergone throughout his life. Even though his brothers were the ones who sent him down that long road full of hardships he had to endure, he could say to them after they were reunited, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph could also say to these family members who had brought him much pain, “So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Genesis 50:21).

Joseph evidently believed in the sovereign hand of God at work in his life throughout his many difficulties, and we must do the same. When we start to doubt that God can bring any good from our hardships, we can go to Jeremiah 32:17 and read, “‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17). And when in our weakness, as we impatiently wait for God to work and sometimes find ourselves struggling with the sin of unbelief, we can read in John 11:40 where, “Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God”? We must also keep in mind Psalm 27:14 in this, where we are told to “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Praise God that we can truly place and keep our trust in Him, and in Him alone, not only for our salvation, but for every aspect of our lives. Praise God for the following assurance, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Praise Him for the following great and precious promise, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). May we truly place and keep our trust in God alone in every area of our lives, keeping in mind the following assurance, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

My Conversion Story

I was recently asked by a friend to tell her of my conversion story. Her response was so positive I thought I would post my story here for anyone else who would like to read it as well. I have made a few revisions and added to it somewhat, in hopes of coming across with a clearer perspective of my own conversion..

My Conversion Story: From where I was, to where I am today, and how I got here, by the Grace of God;

My conversion was in no way dramatic such as Saul of Tarsus’s was. The Bible teaches us that “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). The wind can be very strong and dramatic and it can be very gentle and more like a soft breeze. I would liken my conversion to this gentle breeze. First of all I need to give a little background in order to help you understand how I came to know what a real conversion even is..

I believe I was 12 years old when I made a public profession of faith and was baptized. From a young age, I had believed all I had to do to become a Christian was to walk an aisle and pray a prayer, make a decision, be baptized and I was in.. Once I had done this, I was fully assured of my salvation. I lived a fairly moral 'good girl' kind of life from there, but in adulthood I came to understand how imperative it is that we know the full gospel message. There are churches out there that stress man’s responsibility to the point of neglecting God’s sovereignty, and there are other churches that stress God’s sovereignty to the point of neglecting man’s responsibility. Both types are in dreadful error, and leading people astray. Without maintaining that equal balance, realizing that God is 100% sovereign in salvation, (which in no way takes away from the fact that man is also 100% responsible for his actions and in-actions), we can easily get off track and become unbalanced, which will have drastic consequences in our walk of faith. I had come to an intellectual understanding of the sovereignty of God after I married, but it was not until approximately 7 years ago that God became very real to me, and I finally experienced a real heart knowledge of who God is and what He required of me.

I was in my forties before I came to truly recognize that my life was not what it should be as a professing Christian. I knew the way I felt inside was not how a Christian should feel, but I did not seriously question my faith at this time. I was sure that I believed the right doctrines in order to be assured of my salvation, but I also was understanding more and more of what a Christian life should look like, and my life was not looking much like the picture drawn for me in God’s word. I was an angry, discontented ‘professing Christian’ who lacked a real peace and joy inside. I knew scripture taught that one must be joyful, and also that one could experience peace as a believer, so why wasn’t I joyful and why did I not have an inward peace? Also, why was I so discontented with my life? I knew God was the only One who could give me the answer to these questions, and the only way I was going to find those answers would be through seeking Him diligently through repentance, His word, and in prayer, and so this is what I did,

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

As a professing Christian, who really started to examine my heart in the light of scripture realizing it was not measuring up, I went on an all out search for God. I read my bible more consistently, and I started listening to good balanced teaching (thanks to sermons my husband obtained for me), and I sought God in prayer, asking Him to help me in those areas I knew I so miserably failed in.. love being the biggest one. I also sent a letter to our pastor asking him to pray that God would help me to love my family unconditionally because this was a big area I struggled in..

From where I stand today, I can look back and see that my  faith had actually been false for many years. To begin with, it was false because it was based on a belief that I could do something to merit my own salvation. After finding out this kind of teaching is wrong, I turned to basing my assurance of salvation on the fact that I believed God was sovereign in all things, even in our salvation. However, we can learn from scripture that Satan himself is totally orthodox in his belief in a sovereign God, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder” (James 2:18), and we know he has no hope of salvation, “..there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44), so why should I have any hope of salvation, simply because I believe in a sovereign God?

If I could not have assurance of salvation through something I had done or even through (thinking that I was) believing all the right things, how could I be assured of eternal life? In God’s word we find the essential key to salvation in the gospel of John. Jesus reveals this key to Nicodemus,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Nicodemus was a very righteous man (in the eyes of other men who thought themselves righteous), but he evidently did not understand the new birth himself, and he was even a ‘teacher of Israel’ (see John 3:1-14). I don’t recall ever feeling as if I was a new person, (certainly not spiritually reborn) not prior to 7 years ago that is.

I believe it was right around the time of a very heartbreaking situation within our family that I experienced what the bible refers to as regeneration, which simply put, is a spiritual birth,

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (Titus 3:4-6).

It was at this time that God showed me what a miserable sinner I was. I remember thinking at the time how I was no better than those that I had looked down on for one reason or another, and I knew I fell far short of where I needed to be. I felt very humbled by God. Daniel 4:37 tells us that “...those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Scripture also tells us to,

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:7-10).

It was at this time that I believe God graciously imparted to me the gift of His Holy Spirit as the seal of guarantee for my salvation. Ephesians 1:12-14 tells us that, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

After it was evident there was a change in my heart and my life was transformed, I learned that my husband had been praying for me for years. Even though he had never told me he had questioned my faith in the past, he had experienced doubts as to whether or not I was truly born again. Only those who live with us day to day and know us best can really see the discrepancies within our lives, (unless they are blatantly obvious).

It wasn't until after a few years of diligently seeking God that I came to truly realize that my idea of Christianity and scripture’s teaching of Christianity were two very different perspectives. I had grown up believing I was a Christian because of things that I had done or beliefs that I held to, but scripture’s teaching proved me to be wrong. I came to realize that I had been playing the part of a Christian, merely going through the motions outwardly, but not having experienced an inward change of heart. When the Holy Spirit changes the heart of an individual, they know something has happened to them. The Bible states that, “.. if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). I can truly relate to the truth of this verse now, because I have been experiencing its effectiveness these past 7 years, as I grow and mature in the faith. My whole focus in life has changed:

* Prior to my conversion, I was angry much of the time, and though I cannot say I am never angry now, I can honestly say, I do not live with anger as I once did, (Colossians 3:8).

* Prior to my conversion, I was discontent most of the time, and though again, I cannot say I have fully mastered my discontent, I can say, I have learned to be content in many circumstances that would not have been possible before, (Philippians 4:11).

* Prior to my conversion, I felt little joy. pretty much only when things were going my way, (which wasn’t really joy, but a temporary happiness). Today I can honestly say that even though I am not happy 100% of the time, I can feel joy even in the midst of trials, (John 15:11).

* Prior to my conversion, my life lacked such peace, but today I am filled with the peace of knowing that my Heavenly Father is in complete control of all things, and He is working through all things for my good and His glory, (John 16:33).

* Prior to my conversion, I had very little patience, but today, even though I cannot say I am patient 100% of the time, I can say that I am far more patient than I ever was before my conversion, (2 Corinthians 6:4-6).

* Prior to my conversion, I had absolutely no goodness in me whatsoever, but through God’s great mercy, He has imparted to me the goodness of His Son, (which only shows itself in those times that I am accurately displaying Christ’s image), (Psalm 31:19).

* Prior to my conversion, I was not very loving, and only displayed signs of love at times when others were behaving in ways that was pleasing to me, but since God has filled me with such love,  I can honestly say, that I can (and do) love (by God's grace alone), even those who have brought much pain and heartache into my life, (Colossians 3:12-14).

I see things so differently today than I did prior to 7 years ago. My Heavenly Father has truly become so much dearer to me in recent years as I read and study His word through the eyes of faith, and spend time in prayer like I never had before. I am so thankful that God has graciously blessed me with a husband who is so well grounded in His word and who has been such a tremendous help to me in my walk. Up until approximately 7 years ago, my focus had been living to please myself...Today, I am happy to say that my desire is to have my focus totally on living to glorify God in all that I do, say and even think, being mindful of the greatest command,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Unfortunately, I still live in a body where resides a sinful nature, as we all do, so I still fail many times, but, I am more aware of my many failures today and am often convicted of my sin and so I can say with John Newton,

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am."

I Praise God that I am not what I once was. I also praise God for the following assurance, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). We musn’t forget our responsibility in this, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

In recalling a past sermon given by Steven Lawson, I remember him telling of George Whitfield and how he preached so much on the new birth. He said one day a lady came up to Mr. Whitfield after his service and asked him, “Why do you keep preaching over and over, ‘You must be born again, you must be born again’ ”? Dr. Lawson said the reply that was given with a smile, went something like this, “My dear lady, it is because, You must be born again”!

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If, as one who has read this, you are a professing Christian (or one who has never professed Christ or is in a back-slidden state) who feels as if something is just not right within your own heart, I would urge you to examine your life in the light of God’s word and see how you measure up. I would also urge you to seek God diligently, daily, and consistently. If you do so, He will be faithful to keep His promises,

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Proverbs 8:17).

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7).

If you have not already done so, I pray you also will experience the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit within your own life and come to find the same kind of peace and joy that I have found in mine- through faith in Christ alone for my salvation, understanding that the faith that I have been given is a faith that is not alone, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” (see James 2:14-26). This  is also a faith that will produce fruit, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23), and as I walk in step with His Spirit (see Galatians 5:16), God  produces this fruit in my life, and I love Him for it. I am also assured that as I grow and mature in the faith, this fruit will grow in abundance as well, (Mark 4:20). Praise God for the work of sanctification He does in the lives of His children. :)

 I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have in writing it..  May God Bless. :)